Duh Question -- All Solutions Welcome....

Kojo27 · #1 10-30-2011, 09:43 PM

I play an acoustic archtop w/no pickup. I own a metronome. A tuning fork. I once had a capo, but that was years ago.

I'm low tech, okay? ; )

What's a good way to mic my guitar and be able to hear it (and every nuance the mic detects) amplified through headphones, as I play? I'd like to record myself now and then, too.

I used to do this and my practice time paid off 10x more. It required a component stereo, an old cassette deck, and a desktop mic, which I sat in the floor. Because I practice while sitting cross-legged in the floor. No got this stuff no mo. What's a good option?

kj

Banksia · #2 10-31-2011, 08:00 AM

Cheapest way is probably a webcam as a mic and hook up to Audacity as a recording programme then plug your head phones into the computer.

Next step up might be some kind of clip-on pickup pluugged straight into your computer. Clip-On/Miniature Mics and Acoustic Pickups Studio, Stage, Instrumental, Microphones Hard Wired Microphones Microphones/DI boxes Audio & Sound Equipment from Full Compass

Another option might be a USB interface like: BEHRINGER: UCG102

Kojo27 · #3 10-31-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banksia

Cheapest way is probably a webcam as a mic and hook up to Audacity as a recording programme then plug your head phones into the computer.

Next step up might be some kind of clip-on pickup pluugged straight into your computer. Clip-On/Miniature Mics and Acoustic Pickups Studio, Stage, Instrumental, Microphones Hard Wired Microphones Microphones/DI boxes Audio & Sound Equipment from Full Compass

Another option might be a USB interface like: BEHRINGER: UCG102

Hey thanks. I love how the Behringer works -- I wonder, though, is there anything similar that would let me mic my acoustic guitars? I rarely play electric, and my go-to guitar has no pickup at all and wouldn't easily take one.

Could I plug a microphone into the 1/4" guitar-in jack? I'll probably buy the Behringer if I can't find something acoustic-friendly.

(I appreciate the help!)

kj

morroben · #4 10-31-2011, 06:15 PM

I have this...
M-AUDIO FAST TRACK USB INTERFACE II PRO TOOLS ESSENTIAL NEW VERSION ON SALE on eBay!
Gets you an interface and recording software for around $100. I bought mine at Best Buy. I plug an SM57 into that. Plus mic stand and mic cable. Not exactly cheap, but an easy way to start without a huge investment. I enjoy it.
I know there is some free recording software out there, so if you could find a cheap USB interface, maybe a used mic off ebay etc, you could probably cut the cost down even lower.

Kojo27 · #5 10-31-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

I have this...
M-AUDIO FAST TRACK USB INTERFACE II PRO TOOLS ESSENTIAL NEW VERSION ON SALE on eBay!
Gets you an interface and recording software for around $100. I bought mine at Best Buy. I plug an SM57 into that. Plus mic stand and mic cable. Not exactly cheap, but an easy way to start without a huge investment. I enjoy it.
I know there is some free recording software out there, so if you could find a cheap USB interface, maybe a used mic off ebay etc, you could probably cut the cost down even lower.

COOL. Now we're talkin'. I'm a real dumbass when it comes to computer recording, but I need to learn, cuz I really dig this kind of thing. (I quit playing for a long time, started back 3 years ago, missed a lot.) I have a microphone that should work okay, and Audacity is pretty good. Does what I'd want it to do, for now anyway.

Thanks, morroben -- and Banksia.

kj

morroben · #6 10-31-2011, 07:09 PM

If you already have Audacity and a mic, and you see this post in the next 50 minutes or so, you might consider this...
M-AUDIO Fast Track Guitar/Mic Audio Interface | eBay
It looks like an older version of the one I have, but I expect it would work fine. The price is right...for now...
I know other companies make similar interfaces, too. Line6 for one. I'm not an expert on recording or the differences. I just know I've liked the one I have.

Kojo27 · #7 10-31-2011, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

If you already have Audacity and a mic, and you see this post in the next 50 minutes or so, you might consider this...
M-AUDIO Fast Track Guitar/Mic Audio Interface | eBay
It looks like an older version of the one I have, but I expect it would work fine. The price is right...for now...
I know other companies make similar interfaces, too. Line6 for one. I'm not an expert on recording or the differences. I just know I've liked the one I have.

These have two RCA line-outs -- what do they connect to? (Told you I was an idiot.)

I'm bidding, btw.

morroben · #8 10-31-2011, 07:42 PM

Speakers...I also have the M-Audio monitors. I've been told that they suck, but they sound just fine to me. Better than the crappy speaker in my laptop.

Kojo27 · #9 10-31-2011, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

Speakers...I also have the M-Audio monitors. I've been told that they suck, but they sound just fine to me. Better than the crappy speaker in my laptop.

Speaker quality is one of those eons-old subjective things -- "Just because you can't hear that they suck doesn't mean I can't." Ha. If it sounds good, it sounds good.

I might actually win this little booger Thanks!

morroben · #10 10-31-2011, 08:01 PM

Looks like there was a lot of action in the final 45 seconds or so. Did you get it?

Kojo27 · #11 10-31-2011, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

Looks like there was a lot of action in the final 45 seconds or so. Did you get it?

Won it by $1. Haha.... $37, and my max bid was $37.01. Whew.

These things take XLR microphones, right? So I don't have one after all. And I'll need some sort of stand, something that can mic me when I sit in the floor or when I'm sitting in a chair. I wonder if there's any such thing anywhere....

Thanks a bunch, man.

morroben · #12 10-31-2011, 08:51 PM

What kind of mic do you have? You might be able to use the guitar input on the interface if your mic is 1/4"...not sure, though. There could be some kind of impedance issue.
My mic stand is pretty plain, but it has a boom. So it can adjust to any height that way. This pic shows it in front of my amp, but it could just as easily be pointing at an acoustic.

That's strange...the pic isn't sideways on photobucket. Not sure why it is here. I, too, am technologically challenged.

Kojo27 · #13 10-31-2011, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

What kind of mic do you have? You might be able to use the guitar input on the interface if your mic is 1/4"...not sure, though. There could be some kind of impedance issue.
My mic stand is pretty plain, but it has a boom. So it can adjust to any height that way. This pic shows it in front of my amp, but it could just as easily be pointing at an acoustic.

That's strange...the pic isn't sideways on photobucket. Not sure why it is here. I, too, am technologically challenged.

I'm kinda warped myself, so the picture looks perfect to me.

That kind of mic stand would certainly work - it's a bit big, but still....

The microphones I own now are 1/4" and the smaller pin plug for PC -- The 1/4" are Phillips mics, nothing great at all. I don't know whether they'd work in the guitar jack. Something tells me no -- but I can try. (I have a Parker guitar with an XLR output, so I can't wait to record it and see how this baby sounds. Wheee.) My main guitar (archtop) is acoustic only, though.

What do you call the mic stand you have there?

morroben · #14 10-31-2011, 09:13 PM

It's just a mic stand with a boom. Not sure if there is a more specific name than that. This is similar
Musician's Gear MS-220 Tripod Mic Stand with Fixed Boom: Shop Accessories & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend
If you raise or drop the boom so it's vertical, it hides out in a corner rather nicely when not in use. The one in the link looks like it would fold down completely.

Kojo27 · #15 10-31-2011, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

It's just a mic stand with a boom. Not sure if there is a more specific name than that. This is similar
Musician's Gear MS-220 Tripod Mic Stand with Fixed Boom: Shop Accessories & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend
If you raise or drop the boom so it's vertical, it hides out in a corner rather nicely when not in use. The one in the link looks like it would fold down completely.

I appreciate all the help -- this stand should be perfect. Now for a microphone and cable... probably back to eBay for a good used something. It's only to monitor myself as I play and to record and listen back for improvement's sake.

morroben · #16 10-31-2011, 10:03 PM

Good luck. I'm certainly no expert on recording or computers in general, but I have a lot of fun with my little rig. I might graduate to a more sophisticated setup someday but this gets me by in the meantime. Between guitar tech work and actually trying to learn to play better, I don't have the time or motivation to dive too deep into recording at the moment.

Kojo27 · #17 10-31-2011, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

Good luck. I'm certainly no expert on recording or computers in general, but I have a lot of fun with my little rig. I might graduate to a more sophisticated setup someday but this gets me by in the meantime. Between guitar tech work and actually trying to learn to play better, I don't have the time or motivation to dive too deep into recording at the moment.

Trust me - what you've led me to is exactly the kind of thing I wanted. I don't even *want* to get too much into digital recording. But recording and playing back is probably THE single most important thing a player can do, I think, to improve faster. And I've had no good means of doing that - with the monitoring capability, too. My interest is in the guitar. If I become good enough to record, I'll let someone else do it -- my time is better spent practicing.

Thanks again!

Kojo27 · #18 11-03-2011, 09:04 PM

It's Turkish Spam!!! Fry and eat with ketchup!!!

robertm2000 · #19 11-04-2011, 11:18 AM

Bet it'd be quite a bit lower in calories than regular Spam!

Seriously - please post to let us know how your recording setup works for you once you get it to where you'd like it. I'm interested in how to cut down extra stuff in my music room. Thanks

Kojo27 · #20 11-04-2011, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertm2000

Bet it'd be quite a bit lower in calories than regular Spam!

Seriously - please post to let us know how your recording setup works for you once you get it to where you'd like it. I'm interested in how to cut down extra stuff in my music room. Thanks

Will do - thanks for asking.

And, if any of you gentlemen or ladies (or bald-headed babies) know of a *concise* PC-recording manual that isn't ten years old, let me know. The library has one, but I flipped to a page and it said, "Modern PCs can have hard disk storage of up to 60 gigabytes -- and no doubt more by the time you read this.

Times are a changing. Far, far too fast.

kj