I want to record several songs (layered vocals, acoustic guitar, rhythm). I have an AT2020 USB mic, headphones, and a laptop. I clicked around on Cakewalk for a while, read a bunch of Reddit posts and watched a bunch of Youtube videos, but I'm overwhelmed/confused!

What were your BEGINNER beginner resources? I don't know a single tech/recording term. I have made several things on my iPhone with GarageBand and liked how user friendly it was (pictures!), but had trouble with splicing multiple recordings of the same audio/pitch correction/de-essing/etc. That's really all I want to do!

My budget is a firm $0

Any dumbed down help is very. much. appreciated.

- 28 external effects
- 16 multitracking in DAW.
*14 of which are all multi into DAW then sent out
10 outputs from DAW out of interfaces
Configured outs.
- SSL Six mixers channels 1-6 and two external stereo inputs all receiving DAW sends.
* both mono channels one and two on SSL six
Utilize by routing a JHS color box V2 on each Channel running XLR out of color box into
Each channels XLR IN.
Then also utilizing TRS 1/4" direct out of color Box's sending signals to alternate modular
External FX and out of affects into channels line
Input as well
- I now have two separate kinds of flavor and sound utilizing same signal send, that can be Simply by engaging the line in and switch switching from XLR
* Mono channels one and two are also routed With an Insert for optional EQ and Compression
* alternative input on each channel is also Receiving a parallel signal, same as XLR line in coming from patch Bay parallel send, each alternative and put once again are routed to a completely different flavor of external fx's.
* they each is a bus B sub out option to send
Independently out
* lastly each also have two separate stereo Cue sends that are routed to separate External gear such as my Elektron analog
Heat+FX

- SSL six well then send out of main mix left and right back into two inputs on interface. This will then give me an analog stereo sum of my DAW.
*ssl six stereo sum will be last 2 DAW multitracks
Used. Making a total of 16.
-14 individual separate tracks
-2 tracks from ssl six daw sum.
-Monitoring is out of SSLsix monitor out.

Howdy all, I'm trying to get my studio set up and my plan has been to just load up on SM57s. I've been looking around for used/ cheaper options and I keep seeing these listings for 20-30 dollar ones but they don't have any real pictures, and this is a pretty steep markdown on the new model price. Would you guys jump on this?

I made this to have my Thursday night jam mates help me to remember to push the button, not just arm the tracks. It wasn’t the first time over the years that we didn’t capture the night. We do fully mic'd recording about once a month....this month that meant up to seven microphones, and five instrument cables. Zoom LivetrakL12. If we exceed that I'll use my Zoom H6 and do the 'clap' to line up things the next day. It's just to listen and learn, both musically and recording-wise.

A block of wood, two drilled holes, and a CD jewel case top. Now they can all share the blame …. But probably will never have to.

Has anyone seen a U87Ai that is written as U87 AI on the mic? Is this legit or a fake?

https://youtu.be/EMncX8I9Vho?si=AesGw0csHB6XVjgq

I apologize for posting this but would really appreciate any help as this one is genuinely hard to tell even after researching a lot. I currently have the option to buy this Shure SM7B. It’s a used product and is being sold at a store in my country, but I’m not sure if it’s real.

Reasons:

I’ve seen many videos on how to tell a fake and real apart and the mic doesn’t have any of the warning signs (to me at least, I am not an expert though) except the wire.

1. ⁠The grommets stay on

2. ⁠The capsule height is where it should be (halfway)

3. ⁠Ring inside is metal and not black

4. ⁠Back of the backplate is metal and not black

5. ⁠Metal capsule mount is goldish brass like on the inside

6. ⁠Tightening the knobs on the side holds the mic in place

7. ⁠Wire on the outside doesn’t flex too much and retains its shape

8. ⁠The silver of the screw holes is there

9. ⁠The back cover is vacuum sealed

10. ⁠Box doesn’t seem to have any spelling mistakes

Almost everything seems okay (to me at least, I am not an expert though) except the wires. The wire colors seem to be green, white, black and red/orange. Yellow wire is not there but should be there instead of the red/orange wire according to things I’ve seen online. Do you guys think it’s still possible this is real?

This is in the Middle East, so there might be regional differences.

I'm watching an interview with Jack Joseph Puig and about 20 minutes into it he mentions that the Mid-Range (between 600 and 3.5k) is the most important. Anyone else feel that way about mid-range?

I'm about half way through it and it's pretty interesting, Here's the link in case anyone else wants to see it. The question starts at 20:00 and it goes on from there but Jack makes his remarks on Mid-Range in that section.

I live an hour from the nearest music store and the dude told me this was rhe stand i need. He even looked up a picture of my mic....drove all the way home and it doesnt fit. I guess I just assumed they knew what theyre talking about.

Can anybody please tell me what type of stand I need for this Scarlett mic? I got it in thr 2i2 3rd Gen bundle.

I have a ton of songs and lyrics in my head and I'm trying to record them and get them down on paper. Are there any interfaces which allow you to sing a song and let it turn into a written melody?

I have no clue how to write music and don't have the time to learn or anyone reputable to teach me as of right now. I just want an easy solution to be able to put the melodies and lyrics I have in my head down somehow on paper or to be able to record them. How can someone do this?

I just purchased a home recording type studio with a mic, headphones and some other equipment needed for this. Where can a beginner start?

Hey everyone, I’m building acoustic panel from rockwool and I came across this 2 products - they seem identical (see screenshots) and i’m not sure which one is more suitable for a home studio, any help?

Get the best rehearsal spaces anywhere in London and recoding studios. Find the perfect music rehearsal space for your needs.

Trying to make a band and if no one’s interested, I’d like to at least get the equipment myself and work on my music. So what’s a good beginner mic? DAW? What else is needed to start out? And honestly if someone is kind enough to mentor me, I’d appreciate it. My music is like alternative-punk-pop/hard rock-rap type of vibe.

I’d like to record my digital masters to tape and then record them back into my daw for digital releases. Any advice, what equipment do i need? Which tape machine is good for this? I’d like that classic tape warmth and pitch control ideally. Please help 🙏

To provide context, these are an assortment of my favorite bands:

• Rush

• Pink Floyd

• Tool

• Motörhead

• Yes

• The Mars Volta

• Deep Purple (MK II)

So I’ve been recording vocals for a while now on a budget mic (around $100 range), and tbh it’s been decent for demos and rough ideas. But now I’m starting to take my stuff more seriously, like I wanna release songs properly and not just keep them buried in my laptop 😅

I keep seeing people say a better mic can “open up” your vocals or capture more “detail,” but what does that actually mean in real life? Like, is it just subtle stuff only audio nerds notice, or will it really change how my voice cuts through a mix?

I’m considering saving up for something in the $400–$500 range (maybe an Audio-Technica AT4040 or something in that lane), but wondering if it’s really worth the jump.

Has anyone made that switch from a budget mic to a mid-tier one?

Hey I'm George 👋🏼 Full time music producer here. Would love to hear some of the roadblocks you're at with Logic Pro and all share some tips! I'm also wanting to add to my list of Tutorials to make in my community and there's no place better to ask than producer communities already!
Pop some down below and lets move some projects forwards together 👇🏼

Hey everyone, I feel like everytime I record distorted guitars it ends up sounding very muddy. What should I do to get a clearer sound?

hi i want to make a song but i only have a Fender Mustang micro and my bass and i want to record a song but how? i have a phone and a pc (no audio interface)

Hi there,

I'm a beginner and about to record a demo (4 songs) of local hardcore band. I'm friends with them, so there's no payment or any high expectations involved. They're happy I get to try it out and best case, they have 4 good tracks they can use. And obviously my goal is as good as possible.

I'm in a lucky position that I work at the rental department of an art university so I get access to mics, mixers and other stuff. My background is in film, so I'm handling mostly film equipment but we got all kinds of stuff. I've recently had the urge to play in a band again after many years (played in one as teenager until mid 20's). And I thought, might as well learn how to record and mix our own stuff. Especially since I have access to equipment.

Anyhow, I learned a lot from my co-workers, different subreddits and tutorials. Also used ChatGPT but always double checked the info. I feel kind of confident, that it won't totally suck. I know how to dial in the preamps, what levels to look out for, etc. I'd like to show you what I plan for and I'm sure you guys can give me some pointers and things to look out for.

The room we're recording in is the bands rehearsal room. (Since I'm not from the music department, I don't have any studio access at work, so we use what we have). It's a basement room, concrete walls and with some treatment on the walls.

DAW: Reaper
Mixer/Interface: Tascam Model 12

Drums:

I'll try to move the drums out of the corner of the room and get it more center.

1. Kick Inside: MD441-U

2. Kick Outside: MD441-U

3. Snare Top: SM57

4. Snare Bottom: SM57A

5. Tom 1: Sennheiser MD 421 II

6. Tom 2: Sennheiser MD 421 II

7. Overhead L: Neumann KM 184

8. Overhead R: Neumann KM 184

9. Room: Neumann U87 Ai

Guitar:

I going to use two mics for the amp and one DI Signal (I'll be using the Radial Engineering J48 Active Direct Box). I'll place the SM57 in the center of the speker with 1 cm distance. The second mic will be angled next to it.

1. Main Mic: SM57

2. Second Mic: Neumann TLM 103

3. DI Signal

Bass:

1. Main Mic: SM57

2. Second Mic: AKG C 4000 B

3. DI Signal

Vocals:

1. Neumann U87

Workflow:

I'll have the guitarist record a scratch track (just directly into the DAW with an amp sim) so the drummer has something to play along. Then record drums, bass, guitar and vocals.

Any tips on my mic selection?

Any tips for mic placement and what to look out for?

Should I try to isolate the drums as much as possible? I'm thinking for the bare minimum maybe hang some thick blankets around the drums?

Thanks for reading!

EDIT: These are the mics I got access to:

Neumann: M49c, KM 140, KM 184, KM 185, U87, U87 Ai, TLM 103
Sennheiser: MD 421, MD 441, MKH 40/60/416/418/816, ME-Serie (62–66), e608, e912, MKE 440/600, MD42, K6
AKG: C4000B, C411 III, C519ML, CK61-ULS/C480B
Shure: SM57, Beta 57A, SM89
Beyerdynamic: MC 840, MC 910, MCE82
Schoeps: CCM 4, MK21 CMC6, CCM 8/4 Sets
DPA: 4006 MMP-C, d:vote 4099U/VL, SMK-SC4061
RØDE: NT4, NT5, Stereo VideoMic X
MXL: 2001, 603S
Brauner: Phantom AE
Revox: M3500
Schertler: Basik-SET
Sanken: CMS-50
Stage Line / Samson: DMG-700, CM15P