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Hi. I'm trying to figure which of these programs to get for an absolute beginner. My goal is to try to work online doing demos for songwriters. I just downloaded Audacity. Also, I'm not sure why microphone works best for a computer. Any ideas? Thanks.

Alice

Garageband by Apple. You'd need a Mac, but that's about as cool as beginner software can get.

Jody

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Music That Makes Your Soul Happy!
www.jodywhitesides.com

I don't have an Mac so I'm learning to use a Cakewalk software. Presently I'm looking for the right mic.

There's a lot I still need to learn but I've learned to record my voice, add other tracks to my vocal (inadequate mic at present), transform the files into an mp3 and burn to CD. I don't remember the exact name of the program at the moment but will look it up if you don't own an Mac computer or plan to get one.

I remember going thorugh all it took me to get that far. It really wasn't too bad though. Didn't take me that long to learn since I'm a determined sort when I decide to be

All the best,

Vanessa

[This message has been edited by royaldghtr (edited 12-04-2006).]

See my post about the new Protools for small studios.

You can use many types of mics for recording. You'll have to be more specific on your budget and what you're trying to record.

Audacity is a nice little program, but only works with stereo files (2 tracks). You'll need a multi-track system that can record and play back more than 2 tracks.



[This message has been edited by Lwilliam (edited 12-04-2006).]

Audacity is only two tracks(stereo), but you can record as many as your computer's memory will let you. It is multitrack.

I do stand corrected, DLG. I've only used it for editing stereo files.

From the Audacity website http://audacity.sourceforge.net

"Recording

Audacity can record live audio through a microphone or mixer, or digitize recordings from cassette tapes, vinyl records, or minidiscs. With some sound cards, it can also capture streaming audio.

Record from microphone, line input, or other sources.
Dub over existing tracks to create multi-track recordings.
Record up to 16 channels at once (requires multi-channel hardware).
Level meters can monitor volume levels before, during, and after recording."



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Larry
www.audibleresponse.com

Try KRISTAL...It's free down load and works great I am working on my second CD with it

I concur. Krystal Audio Engine is a very nice recording program, subject to track limitations. Probably not quite as user friendly as Audacity but I think is a better system.

You might also look into Reaper. Very nice. It's shareware and very reasonable to purchase.
Also, n-Track Studio, my preference, is an outstanding recording program that is very easy to use and will do as much as your computer can handle. It comes with some basic plugs but works well with 3rd party plugs.

I use Goldwave. The demo last for ever, I got 2 yrs out of it before I bought the full version.

Eazy to use

Jody's right,
Garage Band by Apple. There are alot of automatics with this program. You want to be creative and ease of use. They really take care of alot of latency issues. A bit noisy though if you plug a real guitar in, but they also have numerous pre-amp and amp settings to choose from. Yea, you need an Apple, but since when has that ever been a bad thing whenit comes to recroding music?
Cool software. I set my kid up with this on our apple. He loves it and knows it inside and out. Otherwise, I use Samplitude, but that isn't exactly user friendly or easy
Tommy

Hi-

I have a few software packages and am just starting out. I downloaded Anvil Studio and upgraded to 8 track. It seems user friendly.
I have some work on Fruity Loops 6, but can't get my piano sounds since I saved on disk when I got a new computer. Anyway, I'm trying to salvage the work and only 1 voice plays now. I'm sure it's because the program didn't save the piano, etc.

Does anyone know of any Free VST downloads {that work} for Fruity Loops? Maybe, I can download a few and recover the work rather than redo it on another program.

Please PM me if you work with Fruity Loops.

Thanks so much.
Greta

Would appreciate any suggestions.

Hi,
All the free programs are ok but are limited in their capabilities. I started out using Power Tracks Pro Audio. This program only costs about 40 bucks and is only limited by the power of your computer.
I have no affiliation with the company. It is an excellent product for the money and you will learn to use it quickly. It is also excellent training for when you get serious and get into more expensive platforms.

Ha Ha Ha...
I'm lauging right now...
Krystal, Have not head of it. I have heard of (and use quite a bit) Crystal (no not the drug). Crystal the vertual modular synth(and much more... if you dare). Quite probably the most bad a$$ app I have ever run across. I swear somtimes I hear voices (the human spoken word type) in the back ground. Freaks me out!

At any rate, for beginners, Cakewalk is pretty good (if you are stuck (litterally) with a windows (mostly dows) OS. Garage Band rocks (if you have an Apple).

REAPER

http://reaper.fm/index.php

Its a two meg download, if you have about 30 seconds to spare out of your life to try it out/

I use Audacity and find it very easy to use. It produces reasonable results and has most of the post record "bells and whistles".
This question is about what is best for absolute beginners.
I agree with most of what has been said but some advice forgets the "beginners" part and offers complicated, expensive, or hard to use options for a beginner.

I also use a small mixing desk for eq levels and fx. It is easier to control, more user friendly and produces a better sound than that obtained trying to do these things post record. These are quite expensive but are a necessary piece of hardware and a worthwhile investment especially if you are going to play live or gig.

Re Microphone. This subject and question has appeared on this site time and time again. The simple advice is there are many makes and models to choose from. A decent quality mic is essential for any good recording. Try a Shure SM58 (around $100), or my preference Audio Technica at a similar price.
Do not buy a cheap "karaoke type" mic it will only produce very poor recordings.
Do not buy a condenser mic. Unless you have a phantom powered mixer, it wont work.

I quickly checked out "Crystal" and if I am not mistaken it is a plug in VST synth not a recording tool. This would be almost useless for an absolute beginner wanting to record any vocals. I await correction.

I also quickly checked out "Krystal Audio Engine" It seems to be a good piece of kit and will certainly do the job but maybe a tad complicated for an absolute beginner.

I did not say crystal was a recording program... read the post again. It is definatly not for beginners.

Hi Kaboombahchuck
I know what YOU said. I read your post. If you read my two posts you will see that I was clarifying the differences between Crystal and Krystal (the one you had never head of) and clarifying/reinforcing the point that the one you were referring to was not a recording program.

What is the cheap (but good) way to plug an SM58 microphone or 1/4" guitar cable in to the puter if using either audacity or krystal?
Thanks,
Dave

There is not a cheap (but good) way. Yes you can with an adaptor plug a 1/4 jack into a PC BUT IT WILL SOUND TERRIBLE. You will probably need a mixing desk for balances fx, and eq etc. A small desk is not cheap but is a worthwhile investment if you want to produce music of any quality.

Kristal Audio Engine is free 16-track software you can download from the net, that's what I started with. Get a Shure SM57 for about $90... but then you'll need a mic preamp - I use a M-Audio FastTrack guitar/mic mic preamp with USB interface ($100). Samson also makes a low cost USB mic. I think it's best to start simple & small and grow into more sophisticated programs. If I'd gotten ProTools or Cubase at the beginning I think I would have been totally overwhelmed.

Thanks Vikki and Jim. I have the Shure SM58 already and have seen the kristal program. Next question.... why do i hear folks refer to sound cards..... are they releated to recording too?
Thanks,
Dave