Recording via PC.

[AlanMcKillop]

It's been many years since I recorded anything and since I now have a lot of time on my hands, was hoping to get back into doing some recording.

I'm sure methods have changed these days, I used to use a Fostex Hard Disc recorder which required me to lay down the backing track (via BT CD) on two tracks (left & right) and while playing back the BT, recording the guitar track over the BT on a third track, then mixing.

I would like to do it on my PC and would like some advice on what my minimum hardware requirements would be. I have Adobe Audacity on my PC at the moment, have the ability to mic up my guitar - echo - amp, but don't know what else is required to interface my gear into the PC. Any help would be appreciated.

[ecca]

Have you got a little mixer Al ?

[AlanMcKillop]

Nope, but can buy one.

[Iain Purdon]

Suggestions for mixer? And how you plug it into the computer?

[Stratpicker]

Suggestions for mixer? And how you plug it into the computer?

Look at the Behringer UB802. About £50. I use its predecessor still. Unless your going to mic up or record a whole band it'll do the job. Get a two phono Lead for the Out and maybe an adaptor lead to take it into your soundcard (often 3.5 Stereo mini jack) or into USB. Mines an old PC and my mixer goes to soundcard this way.
HTH
Ian

[AlanMcKillop]

Ian, have I got this right? CD/min disc player into mixer (two channels, l & r), guitar (either via mic'd amp or di from echo unit) into separate channel. If so, do you set the balance by listening to what your playing pre PC or post PC and lastly, how do you record onto the PC?

[Stratpicker]

Ian, have I got this right? CD/min disc player into mixer (two channels, l & r), guitar (either via mic'd amp or di from echo unit) into separate channel. If so, do you set the balance by listening to what your playing pre PC or post PC and lastly, how do you record onto the PC?

Hi All
Before I answer this - us there a reaon why you cannot put the BT on your PC and then make it Track 1 in your DAW (Audacity etc)?
Ian

[AlanMcKillop]

I don't know, is the answer. I have Adobe Audition 3.0 which can 'lift' a track from a cd/hard drive/pen drive etc, I've done that in the past for editing.
So let's say I upload a BT in AA, how do I then play back the BT but record the lead at the same time?
Derek (on Charlie's site) said that I probably had enough (hardware & software), but added into his comments about getting a mixer (same as Ecca above), so I'm not sure of what I can do with what I've got, or if by buying something else, it would make the process easier.
I am completely open to suggestions and if it means buying additional hardware, I'll do it, I'm just not comfortable with plugging my guitar into my PC until I know by what means I can do it. I do have an input into my soundcard (3.5mm stereo mini jack), so it's just putting all the info together and having a go. Cost is not an issue in this exercise, but simplicity is lol.

Ian, you might want to pick this up on Charlie's site as the replies seem to be going in the same direction.

[JimN]

Ian, have I got this right? CD/min disc player into mixer (two channels, l & r), guitar (either via mic'd amp or di from echo unit) into separate channel. If so, do you set the balance by listening to what your playing pre PC or post PC and lastly, how do you record onto the PC?

No need for that, Alan.

You can rip a CD track to stereo *.wav and then just load the wav into a stereo channel of Adobe Audition before recording your guitar onto another stereo channel. The guitar can thne be surrounded by a bit of stereo "air" via a reverb unit, OR you can add the reverb to the finished/edited guitar track via Audition. And then mix the two stereo tracks together for the final product (Audition allows all this in multi-track mode).

I assume you meant Audition and not Audacity.

Doing it via that method means you don't have to play along with the BT whilst it is copying to the PC. In turn, this allows you to do drop-ins, editing of parallel attempts at the lead guitar tracks (making a perfect take out of two with errors in different places, etc). Much less hard work and much less pressure, and consequently much better as an approach.

HTH.

JN

[Iain Purdon]

Ian, you might want to pick this up on Charlie's site as the replies seem to be going in the same direction.

Thanks Alan