Setting up home recording for the first time...Tips?

[Bassman1]

Hey there,

During quarantine, I've been writing a lot more lately. I don't have any home recording equipment. So, my phone is full of crap recordings of ideas. I've been also using this time to sell a lot of old gear, and now I am considering getting a basic audio interface to make home recordings of songs and riffs.

I am not looking for anything fancy. Really, I just want to make good sounding recordings of my riffs for song writing purposes. I would also use it to send songs to people.

For this reason, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 looks intriguing to me. Any experiences with this interface? The reviews seem promising, and they seem to have package deals where you can also get studio headphones and a basic condenser mic with it. Also, it comes with Ableton Live Lite and Pro Tools First. So, there would also be basic DAWs to get me started. I am definitly looking into the package deal for this reason.

So, here are my questions...

1) Can any of you recommend the Focusrite interface as well? Are there any issues I should look out for?

2) What are your experiences with Ableton Live Lite and Pro Tools First? I'd like to use third party plugins like Neural DSP. I know Pro Tools Lite doesn't support that, but Ableton Live Lite does? Or, am I mistaken? In any case, what are your experiences using 3rd party plugins on Ableton Live Lite? Is it OK, or is it not so great?

3) Is it worth getting the package? Or, do you recommend getting studio headphones separately? The condenser mic is more of a bonus for me, as I already have a vocal mic I could use or would plan to record direct as I live in an apartment currently. So, having the software bundle and headphones is a big plus for me.


Any and all tips are welcome! Thanks!

 

[DudeManBrother]

There’s nothing wrong with getting a starter package, with the understanding that it’s entry level gear. I don’t think there is too big of a stigma surrounding which DAW you use anymore. I use Reaper for most production/mixing, and Logic for synth/strings/Keys etc.

If your starter package includes a DAW then use it, and really familiarize yourself with its functions. That knowledge will usually transfer to other DAW’s, albeit with a different design/layout. There will come a time a few months into recording that you’ll better understand what you want from a DAW and you’ll be ready to upgrade/crossgrade or be perfectly content with what you have.