Recording Software

[Inkheart]

Okay, I'm looking for a good recording software for my music. Any suggestions?

[Klark]

Depends on your system. What do you have?

[Inkheart]

I just got a Toshiba laptop with Windows XP.

[Klark]

I just got a Toshiba laptop with Windows XP.

Well, right off the bat, I always suggest Audacity. It's a multi-platform free audio recording software program that will also allow you to edit your audio.

I would give the link, but I'm on my PS3 at the moment. Just google Audacity and check it out.

[WareW-Believer]

I use the freeware version of GoldWave. Sound quality can be as good as the limits of your sound card, or as poor as you want. It has a wide variety of editing tools such as an equalizer and it's goodness, and all sorts of filters for "smoothing" out the particular sound. It has mixing tools as well for cuting, pasting, or copying. Even though it is freeware, I have not run into any problems with "you must purchase the software to use that feature."

[Inkheart]

Okay, I just tried to download Audacity, but for some odd reason it said the file was corrupted...

I'll give GoldWave a try.

Edit: Don't have the money to purchase...*sigh*

[Raiden]

Okay, I'm looking for a good recording software for my music. Any suggestions?

Might I ask what instruments you plan on recording? Also, knowing what kind of music you might want to record would be helpful as well.

Shane

[Inkheart]

I'm recording guitars, drums and bass guitars for a blues demo CD.

[Raiden]

I'm recording guitars, drums and bass guitars for a blues demo CD.

Okay, and you're running windows...

First thing, how are you going to record? Through an audio interface or are you going to mic your amps or something?

For windows, you might want to look into anything from PreSonus, Cakewalk, or maybe even the highly regarded ProTools.

Shane

[Vendetta]

Okay, and you're running windows...

First thing, how are you going to record? Through an audio interface or are you going to mic your amps or something?

For windows, you might want to look into anything from PreSonus, Cakewalk, or maybe even the highly regarded ProTools.

Shane
Cakewalk SONAR is probably one of the simpler and cheaper solutions of these. I'd also add to that FL Studio. And I've never used it, but I know that you can get ACID Xpress from Sony for free (it's just a 10-track limited version of ACID Pro.)

Also, Inkheart, were you downloading Audacity from the official Sourceforge Audacity website (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)? Also, be sure you are grabbing the current stable version, NOT the BETA.

[Inkheart]

Okay, and you're running windows...

First thing, how are you going to record? Through an audio interface or are you going to mic your amps or something?

For windows, you might want to look into anything from PreSonus, Cakewalk, or maybe even the highly regarded ProTools.

Shane

I plan on micing(sp?) everything so...

Also, Inkheart, were you downloading Audacity from the official Sourceforge Audacity website? Also, be sure you are grabbing the current stable version, NOT the BETA.

It might have been the BETA...

[Raiden]

I plan on micing(sp?) everything so...

Alright, then you are going to want to either purchase an interface to hook up the microphones to. Give these a look, it doesn't have to be from this company, but it should give you a better idea as to what you should be looking for. ;)

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.family&ID=USBinterfaces

Look for anything that either has a USB or Firewire plug. Those will give you close to zero latency.

Shane

[Vendetta]

Alright, then you are going to want to either purchase an interface to hook up the microphones to. Give these a look, it doesn't have to be from this company, but it should give you a better idea as to what you should be looking for. ;)

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.family&ID=USBinterfaces

Look for anything that either has a USB or Firewire plug. Those will give you close to zero latency.

Shane
Also, since it seems like you have to do this on the cheap, you dispense with the expensive DAW software and just get a USB mixing board.

[Raiden]

Also, since it seems like you have to do this on the cheap, you dispense with the expensive DAW software and just get a USB mixing board.

I'm going to go ahead and stop you right there Ven. I realize that price point might be an issue, but I seriously urge anyone seriously interested in recording music on their computers to save what they can for a USB or Firewire audio interface that is higher in quality than your "bargain brand" systems. I say this because while you'll initially be happy with whatever you can get for cheap, you'll begin to slowly run into "brick walls" so to speak, and you'll discover that you'll need extra things to compensate for what you really want to do.

Shane

[Vendetta]

I'm going to go ahead and stop you right there Ven. I realize that price point might be an issue, but I seriously urge anyone seriously interested in recording music on their computers to save what they can for a USB or Firewire audio interface that is higher in quality than your "bargain brand" systems. I say this because while you'll initially be happy with whatever you can get for cheap, you'll begin to slowly run into "brick walls" so to speak, and you'll discover that you'll need extra things to compensate for what you really want to do.

Shane
Uhhh huh? I'm not sure what you are saying? Are you saying DAW software is superior to a mixing board? Also, I wasn't suggesting a bargain brand, just that getting a quality mixing board will more often than not run you less money than an overpriced dongle-required piece of DAW software. Especially if you are recording "live" sound and not laying down seperate tracks.

Also, it sounds like the dude can't even afford GoldWave, so I'm not sure what use it is suggesting $100+ systems.

[Inkheart]

Money isn't an issue anymore. I'm looking for something that will give me the best quality possible without distorting the sound.

[Raiden]

Money isn't an issue anymore. I'm looking for something that will give me the best quality possible without distorting the sound.

Well, if that's the case, I'd look around for ProSonus and M-Audio products. I hear a lot of working musicians having good things to say about ProTools, so why not there for a recording program?

Shane

PS...

If you browse youtube enough you'll find people who record videos of themselves playing songs and whatnot. Check this out...

3nMRRMiN3TQ

If you look around HIS other videos, you'll eventually run into one that explains how to achieves the things he does.