Best starter recording equipment?

[IbanezShreds]

I'd like to start recording my own stuff but I'm not sure how to do so. What is the most cost efficient way to record guitars, vocals, and program drums? Like a pod with a recording software and superior drummer?

 

[makeitreign]

You could get an interface and use a cheap DAW like Reaper and amp sim plugins.

I use a pod UX1 interface into podfarm (because my shitty computer can't handle more than 1 plugin) and a free drum program called drumtrack. It really sucks, but I can't afford SD right now and I mainly just record to get my ideas down.

 

[MrPepperoniNipples]

i like the podx3 because it has so many amp models etc that you gotta play around with to get a good sound, but until you find your own you at least have the line6 community's tones to take or build off of.
and you get Pod Farm and Gearbox to help you out
but mostly pod farm

EZ Drummer, Reaper, and even Isotope Ozone 4
some nice software

i list these because they are very easy to get for free
i won't tell you how, but it starts with a T

Superior Drummer is a little more difficult to get, but it it's really nice when it comes to mixing drums
and it works really well w/ EZ Drummer

 

[KingAenarion]

i like the podx3 because it has so many amp models etc that you gotta play around with to get a good sound, but until you find your own you at least have the line6 community's tones to take or build off of.
and you get Pod Farm and Gearbox to help you out
but mostly pod farm

EZ Drummer, Reaper, and even Isotope Ozone 4
some nice software

i list these because they are very easy to get for free
i won't tell you how, but it starts with a T

Superior Drummer is a little more difficult to get, but it it's really nice when it comes to mixing drums
and it works really well w/ EZ Drummer

Yea we don't encourage torrenting. It's illegal and stops support for companies that make the programs we use... Which means they need to charge more to make any profit.


I would suggest Reaper, SSD4 EX (which I think is far better than EZ Drummer I feel, and cheaper) and an interface using Free Amp Sims and Impulses.

As to an Interface it would depend on your budget. Avoid Behringer and Tascam like the plague. I'd be looking at the Line 6 ones, Focusrite and Presonus in the lower price brackets. If you're on a Mac Apogee and Metric Halo kills, and whatever platform you're on, RME and MOTU kill.

Read up on Impulses in the Impulse FAQ thread which is stickied. Look at TSE plugins and LePou free amp sims and their LeCab is great.

With Microphones your choices are wide and varied, but to get you started a Shure SM57 is a good option, as it can double up as an instrument microphone.

You're looking at, if you legitimately buy say a Focusrite interface, Reaper and SSD4 EX, and an SM57 about $400 or so

 

[Enselmis]

^Everything he said except that you should avoid any kind of cheap presonus gear as well. Terribly unreliable until you get to their middle of the line stuff.

 

[KingAenarion]

^Everything he said except that you should avoid any kind of cheap presonus gear as well. Terribly unreliable until you get to their middle of the line stuff.

Their FireWire stuff is rubbish, but I've heard some good things about their VSL USB interfaces recently and not much bad stuff yet. They seem to be far better at writing USB drivers than they do FireWire drivers.

I may be wrong, just what I had heard recently.

 

[Jolo5150]

Buy a line 6 ux1, with pod farm you can record guitars, bass and vocals, easy to use and its cheap! Great for starters!

 

[7Mic7]

BUT BEFORE ALL!

Be sure to have a NICE AND FAST computer otherwise all those nice plugins will not operate well!

 

[budule]

for the drums, you can use free kontact player and grab some free samples of drumkit around interweb

ReaDrums