Cheap Music Instruments

Cheap music recording solution?

I have about $500 to work with, and I want a relatively cheap home recording solution. I have become interested in various multi-track recorders, but can’t decide on any of them because I don’t know exactly what I’d need to use it properly. I’ve also VERY briefly looked into purchasing a sound card and a mic, but am completely uncertain of what to look for with that. Which route would get me a cleaner recording session, and also more room for messing with the inputs?

I reckon you’d be better off going with a PC rather than a stand alone recorder. You could buy a PC from the computer markets for about $100 to $200 that would be fine for recording. Get a reasonably good sound card like something from M-Audio for example. They offer good sounding cards for not a lot of money and will be a better option than using the sound built into a motherboard (less noise, better drivers therefore lower latency etc) and get a second hard drive to record your audio (makes things easier for you and the PC).

For recording software you might want to checkout Cubase which is made by Steinberg. The full version is about $1500 but there are light versions like Cubase SE (about $200) which obviously have restrictions but they shouldn’t affect you (or most of us). One example is that it is limited to 48 tracks! If I need more than 48 audio tracks the problem is my song, not the software. It is great for MIDI as well and there are lots of good, legit free pluggins that work with Cubase.

As far as your PC goes, don’t use the same PC for the internet and recording music – it will only end in tears or your PC being thrown through a window. Make it a seperate PC or create a duel boot, where you can have Windows installed twice but they can’t see each other – one for the internet and one to Record Music.

A fair point was made above regarding the convenience of an interface. Sound cards are for recording (avoid Creative Labs stuff for recording) and do work as well as any interface (sometimes better) but the advantage of an interface is you can get a pre amp (which you need when recording the low levels from a mic) and the MIDI in one box that is alot easier to access. It might work out cheaper than a sound card plus a pre-amp.

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