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Hey gang. I'm not a gear head and admit to being a complete novice when it comes to recording guitar for small, individual projects.
Do you use a Mac laptop with Garage Band and an audio interface?
Do you use Audacity on a PC (I'm not wild about Audacity)
Do you have any preferences among audio interfaces such as the following 2 or others?
Presonus Audiobox USB
Scarlett 2i2:
I apologize for the state of cluelessness on the topic, and thanks in advance!
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06-05-2015 09:48 PM
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I've used Sonar Home Studio, Sonar Producer, and Reaper all on a PC. I've used Protools in a college class, and Garage Band at home both on a Mac.
I haven't notice a recording quality difference between any of those products. The difference is capabilities and features, workflow, educational tutorials, support, online community forum quality, and price (I'm sure I'm missing some).
With all that said, I'm a big fan of Reaper that excels in every one of those categories that I listed.
I think the same can be said for audio interfaces, once you hit a medium level of quality, it's really hard to tell the difference as far as sound quality, at least to me. Important to me is being able to monitor through headphones with no latency when I'm recording tracks (referred to as 'direct monitoring'). Also you want to consider how many tracks you can simultaneously record.
For what it's worth I use a m-audio delta 44 on my PC desktop, it works great.Last edited by fep; 06-05-2015 at 10:54 PM.
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Another vote for Reaper. Does more than you'll ever need, very reasonable price, software works just as it's supposed to, and there are lots of tutorials available. I also like Focusrite Scarlett interfaces. Easy to integrate with Reaper on a PC and their drivers appear to be rock solid.
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I use Ableton that came bundled with my Fender Mustang. It has a bit of a learning curve, but I really like it. The Mustang's USB goes straight into my laptop. I also picked up an iRig HD for recording to my iPad using GarageBand and Fender Edition of Amplitube. This is a fun quick and dirty setup that is VERY portable in that I do not 110v power.
The iRig HD also works well with Ableton through the PC, though I prefer the Mustang IV with Ableton when recording something that I want to be its best.
Up until I got Ableton, I used Audacity. I prefer Ableton.
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I like Reaper, as it is very resource efficient, but I learned to use it after learning on Protools (with an Mbox 2) -- where I spent about 2-3 years. Any DAW has a learning curve of some sort. I would say if you just want to do simple recordings of single guitar tracks or of live recordings then keep the set-up simple too. A Macbook can be pretty easily configured to record just by using the computer's mic input (with a jack adapter) and using Garage Band, Audacity or Reaper. If you want to get an interface then Presonus or Scarlett units with one or two mic inputs (and sometimes a midi connection) are good options. Older Mboxes (1 and 2s) can also be picked up pretty cheap on eBay. If you want to mic up then Behringer makes some very nice mics that don't cost much. The XM8500 is a great buy. The C-2 condenser set is also very usable.
Last edited by wildschwein; 06-05-2015 at 11:25 PM.
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My focuright Scarlet came with Ableton lite and I could just not figure it out. My brother-in-law who is a recording engineer suggested reaper and it is very easy for me to use. I am a fan I'm glad I paid for it
so, Sennheiser e- 609 into the scarlet into windows seven with reaper
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Yeah Ableton is more for electronic music -- a lot of DJs use it for live performance. It's based mainly on utilising sample libraries. It can be used for regular recording but I don't think it's the best choice.
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I use an Alesis 8 USB mixer with Audacity 1.x and have no problem using it.
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I use Reaper, which offers an extremely well working/priced recording software together with a Focusrite 2i2, which is good if I want to record 2 channels simultaniously. All my mistakes in time as tone are crystal clear, and it is a very easy operation.
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If you're trying to record guitar, then you dont need overly complicated studio software packages. All you need is the most basic form of software like GarageBand. All these products will record at a selection of rates that go up so high that you will never need that size of file.
The Audio interface is where most of the magic happens and if you have the money (although its not too expensive) grab yourself this
I think its hands down the best D/I interface on the market by a long way
Universal Audio Apollo Twin SOLO | Sweetwater.com
It has a High Z input which is designed for guitar.
The only problem you will have is that the sound of a D/I will always be different from the sound you will get from an amp, lets call it a little more clinical or sterile because you are literally only getting the sound from the pickup.
The best way is to mic your amp and then record in that way, if you want to maximise your archtop sound.
I suspect its because when you go straight in with a guitar, you have no movement of air that helps create the over all sound you hear when playing either acoustically or through an amp.Last edited by Archie; 06-06-2015 at 06:15 AM.
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many thanks gentlemen, keep it coming!
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Used to use a Win 7 desktop and Cubase with a Presonus FireBox interface. Now I use an iPad with a Focusrite iTrack Dock into Auria or Cubasis. The iTrack has an instrument in, 2 line level in, 2 XLR ins with 48v phantom power. With a dock extender cable I am not chained to the desk. Sometimes I use a Sonoma Wire Works Guitar Jack which is powered by the iPad. Then I'm free to record anywhere. No electrical outlet needed.
Last edited by TedBPhx; 06-06-2015 at 11:30 AM.
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I use Balance and Propellerhead Reason Essentials sofware with PC. This set work perfect for me...recomended. I use it few years without any problems. https://www.propellerheads.se/products/balance/
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I don't record straight to my PC because there is always a noticeable latency which I then have to correct. For example the guitar will lag slightly behind the backing track so I have to time shift it in Audacity until it syncs. I don't know if this is because my PC is a bit old, or it's got a basic sound card or what.
Anyway I prefer to record either to the iPad or to my Korg SOS recorder (neither has latency issues) then transfer everything to the PC for mixing etc. For that I use Audacity which does everything I need.
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FYI, Reaper has automated latency compensation. I've never had to do a "time shift" with Reaper.
Originally Posted by grahambop
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That is because Audacity is not made for this. It is basically an audio EDITING program. Originally Posted by grahambop
It also cannot use low latency drivers like ASIO (PC) and Core Audio (MAC).
Dedicated audio apps like Logic, Cubase, Ableton, Studio One, Garageband are "low latency capable", that is in conjunction with an audio interface with low latency drivers (Asio).
A mac is, with the right software per default low latency capable. You can have low latency in garageband with no external audio interface connected (playing soft synths with a midi keyboard or even recording vocals with the build-in mic).
That said you WILL need an audio interface on a mac too to adapt the signal coming out of your guitar. This is called a High-Z input (a jack connection with an input impedance like a guitar amp).
Th Uber-simplest way is to use a simple interface like a irig HD or apogee jam. Signal goes through the interface into the Mac (ipad and iphone too). Sound comes out of the onboard sound card (headphone output). Latency is really really low and compensated for in the software (Garageband/ Logic/ Reaper/ Studio One/ Cubase/ Ableton...choose your poison...).
On PC you would have to use an audio interface with dedicated drivers (ASIO drivers). In general the in AND outs are on the interface. ASIO can not combine the input of your interface with the output of another interface!
With most interfaces you get a light version of an ASIO capable app (Cubase, Ableton et...) that mostly exceeds your basic needs. Especially the basic versions of cubase (Cubase AI) are quite potent. Ableton is generally limited to 8 tracks in the light version.
Choose the interface with the lowest latency possible. Manufacturers of said interface tend to cheat in their sales pitch ...The brand with the best track record in the field of latency (excellent ASIO drivers) is RME. But RME is not cheap and not needed right away.
The interfaces with THE BEST (below 1 millisecond "round trip") latency figures are the recently developed thunderbolt interfaces (UAD, Zoom, soon also Focusrite), but to my knowledge they are Mac only and quite (very) expensive...
The best you can do if you want to decide on an interface is to do a google of said interface with the words "problems" or "latency" or "latency problems" etc...You will get educated in no time :-).
Ah, and with some interfaces (I know which ones...) there are reports of guitar inputs being too sensitive resulting in clipping (not the nice distortion of an amp) of the input. Doing a google search with "name interface"+ guitar input clipping is also a safe measure...
Hope this helps a bit...
HugoLast edited by HugoJacquet; 06-06-2015 at 06:53 PM. Reason: adding info
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+1 for Reaper. Good price, lots of updates, good user community. On a Mac I prefer Reaper but Garage Band is great and relatively simple to use.
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Audacity also has a feature like that, I just preferred the 'precision control' of doing it manually. It was easy enough to do. Originally Posted by fep
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Zoom G3 as USB interface into a Macbook or iPad with Garageband is what I use. The Zoom is also used as headphone practice tool with rhythm and looper, as multi fx into a guitar amp and as multi fx/amp modeler direct into mixer and PA for live use. Consider a Zoom (or Pod etc) with USB audio interface instead of a general purpose audio interface, unless you are determined to mic up real amps.
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Take a look at the Fender Mustang I as a recording amp - aux in, headphone and USB out, teriffic modelling, tonal and effects possibilities and a fine practice amp, all for about $125 or less. Used, about $75.
Garageband works fine, and is simple to use.
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This is what I have as well. I put in another vote for this set up, fumble. Really easy plug and play . Really brainless, especially compared to the days when you had to take the PC apart and install a soundcard . Originally Posted by 0zoro
After using cakewalk, can't imagine living without slip editing and some of the automation controls that it had. Used to, you had to pay several hundred dollars for those kind of features in recording software, and then hundreds more to upgrade periodically . Reaper is super cheap and Has all of it. You get so much more, per dollar, out of that $40 software then you get for the zero-dollar audacity.
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I'm trying get this together too. I'm considering the Fosusrite 2i2 and the Tascam 366. I'll probably go with the 2i2 because Guitar Center has them in stock. Easy return if need be.
I usually use Sound Forge but I came across a nice free audio editor called Wavosaur.
Wavosaur free audio editor with VST and ASIO support
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I'm going to try this one;
PreSonus | AudioBox i Series
Unlike most of the smaller PreSonus units this has line-level input. Don't need the iPad thing but it won't hurt. Never had any problems with my old FireBox so I'll stick with PreSonus.
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I use a focusrite interface with cubase. Easy to use and low latency. To my ears, focusrite has better mic pres than others for the price, although I have only used Tascam and Presonus other than focusrite.
One thing I do is go to the company website who is making the interface before I would consider buying to see the last time they updated their audio driver....some companies never do...
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I started with Focusrite 2i2 several years ago. Recently upgraded to 18i20 to get more inputs. I would have settled for 4 mic inputs (18i8), but I found a restock 18i20 sold as new from a dealer for about the same price as the new 18i8.
I have decided to keep the 2i2 in the family. It's really convenient, powered by the USB port. You can pack everything you need for a small rig into one case.
Focusrite Forte looks like a nice piece.
Presonus is supposed to be pretty good, the interfaces and their recording software Studio One.
Whatever you buy, you almost can't go wrong. Quality is pretty standard. So I looked at specific things. For example I favored metal boxes over plastic and other sort of secondary features.
You don't really need to spend a lot. But if you want to pay up, there are some hot choices, like UA Apollo.
Happy tracking!
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