Help with setting up small home recording studio?

Question

I'm an instrumentalist (primarily guitar - acoustic & electric -, piano (an electric-grand), and trumpet), and have been hoping to create a small home-recording set up, just for some instrumental tracks (perhaps vox in future, but I don't sing personally).
Right now, I do very dodgy stuff on an old web-chat microphone and Audacity.
I do however have a copy of Cubase on my laptop.
I generally record drum beats off the electric-grand, then add my instrumentation on top of that. However, I've lately had problems with lag (no doubt from the lack of pro set-up), and would like to have a slightly more serious thing.
I primarily record off my guitars (an electric, and an un-amplifiable acoustic, however I do plan to crystal-wire it sometime soonish), and then sometimes include piano or trumpet over that.
So what equipment (as a minimum) would be good to work with? I don't know all the terminology, so you might have to explain, but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers!

Answer 1

The easiest way to go is a Lexicon Omega. Unless you are doing major production, this thing has everything you could possibly want for around 200.00 bucks. Seriously. This has more capability than studios that cost 100K back in the late sixties/early seventies. Of course, you might want some effects and what not. This will allow you to use them pre or post recording. Very flexible. I have one, along with a bunch of other stuff I wish I didnt buy before I got it!

http://www.lexiconpro.com/ProductIndex.aspx?ProductID=6

Answer 2

First thing I would do, is check the laptop... you failed to mention what's in it... cpu speed, ram, etc.

Quite often, just adding a little ram will help eliminate lag. You need to know if you have the max amount your machine will run, to know if you can add or replace your existing ram sticks. (Many comp manufacturers do NOT install the max allowable ...either total, or per socket. For example, a motherboard may be capable of running 2 gig ram per socket, and the manufacturer may have only installed 1 gig per socket, and normally, in only half the sockets, hehe). RAM is cheap right now. I'd check that first.

If your computer is maxxed out - think seriously about replacing it. You can get a good desktop model right now, with dual 64-bit processors, and fastest ram available (yep, they come in different speeds), for under $1k - barebones kits can be had for as little as $300. (Desktop comps tend to run less expense than laptops...and theyre easier and less expensive to upgrade at a later date)

Ive got some older recording software that I used waaayyy back when, hehehe... when I moved it to the new comp, it helped immensely. Ive since moved on to an even newer comp, but I'm not doing any recording now, so didnt bring it up to date.

Good Luck

Answer 3

whats up, I also have a house studio and that i'm getting quite good sound. The cost selection? nicely, you do no longer particularly choose for plenty. a pc, voice recording utility (Cubase or Nuendo), a microphone a sound card, a popfilter and a preamp. you will love the AT2020 microphones. this is like one hundred$ and it brings high quality sounds. i exploit it for a million twelve months and you may no longer see the version between it and greater costly mics. The music mixture will make the version!bear in mind that. yet once you have sufficient VSTs you would be able to do good! good luck

Answer 4

a drum machine and a mixer would be a good start.