[afterthefact]

Ok, so I am going to be starting a new project with a couple of guys, and I'm actually going to take this one seriously (as in, we are actually going to try and create music for relistening, and not just jam for the moment).

This automatically presents a problem: I know nothing about the recording process, other than pressing the "REC" button.

We are wanting to do something so we can place a mic in the middle of the room that would record us all pretty decently. What sort of mic should I use? I know it needs to be omnidirectional, and I'm sure low ohms are good, but from there I am lost.

[hevusa]

this leaves a lot of questions....

what are you using to record? computer? what interface if so?

list everything you own and how much you want to spend. also list exactly what instruments you will be recording and how many will be playing at the same time.

[nicfit]

If you don't need multitracking you could try some of those handheld recorders (edirl r-09 h or some zoom h4) much depends on which kind of instruments you'll have to record, the size of the room, amplification of instrument/voices, "where" the recorded stuff is supposed to end up, the actual recording quality you need.....
Lotta ins.
Lotta outs.

p.s. took me too long to write and hevusa basically said what I meant in a more concise way.

[afterthefact]

Dang, see, I don't know

I'd say the room is, average bedroom size? There will be 2 or 3 of us at a time, mostly electric guitar, piano, and just random stuff. We will be recording on an Apple laptop.

Even when recording on a computer, is it good to have some sort of external mixer, or at that point is it deemed redundant?

[andrei]

kinda hard to record all that instruments just with an laptop...

[nicfit]

Well, if you DON'T need to have each instrument on a separate track (in which case you'd have to carefully place some decent mics, choosing beetween models that can "capture" nicely the sound of each instrument, use some sort of external soundcard to record the separate tracks, mix a bit the sounds before feeding it to the card or mixing/editing each track on the mac afterwards)
AND you go for the "all in one" recorder you'll record straight to the memory card on the device, then transfer the file(s) to the laptop, basically...still a bit of editing can be done, if you're going for improvised stuff a handeld thing could be a cheap-ish (assuming you'll split costs) way to start getting things recorded, if you're happy with the results just stop there, if you'll feel the need for an upgrade a decent, smallish (motu ultralite?) card + a mixer could work nicely combined with a bunch of mics. Price would be obviously higer...

[afterthefact]

Yeah, and that's the route we are planning on taking. Do some rough recordings first, and just hope that they are clear enough so as to get the basic ideas across. As time goes by and we come up with more money, we will invest in more mics and a mixer.

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by afterthefact

Dang, see, I don't know

I'd say the room is, average bedroom size? There will be 2 or 3 of us at a time, mostly electric guitar, piano, and just random stuff. We will be recording on an Apple laptop.

Even when recording on a computer, is it good to have some sort of external mixer, or at that point is it deemed redundant?

What are you using to get the audio to your laptop?

[nicfit]

Well, if you plan to eventually buy better gear perhaps you could go an even "cheaper" way for now (it's not easy to save money, so saving MORE now could be useful to build up funds later if needed, hehe), and check one of those usb mics...not sure they're good enough, and no idea on which models are to be considered "good" at all...let's jsut wait for Terminal Pharamacy to come pay a visit in here .

[afterthefact]

haha, thanks

I know you can get some cheap condenser mics; I may go with that.

All I have ever used to record is a condenser and 4-track cassette recorder, so I'm wondering into the unknown when it comes to anything more. I'll venture in slowly and try and learn along the way.

[hevusa]

well...
I went to school for audio engineering but feel free to keep ignoring my questions and I'll do the same.

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by andrei

kinda hard to record all that instruments just with an laptop...

no it isn't, i can route my multitrack software to my internal soundcard and just use that as a room mic.....

[terminal pharmacy]

if you just want room mics you have a few options and you can get some cheapish two channel usb mic preamps, i haven't heard the quality of any of them though. mic wise if it is mostly just two of you you could get something with a figure 8 polar pattern and setup on either side of the mic so you get a reasonable amount of rejection around the sides, the other option would be a couple of cheapish large diaphragm condensors, there is an australian company called rodes that make really great mics for a low price and the sound quality is quite exceptional. i am using two on a gig i am doing at the moment in a 2000 seat venue so i can vouch for their quality. you will need to experiment with placement in your room to find where things sound best, where the least reflections come from etc. or ig you got two you could close mic a couple of the instruments but i tend to like a bit of room sound in my recordings anyway. stick away from behringer mics as they are shithouse the only good mic they make is a reference mic for rta of a room. you could always buy a couple of 58s they are great mics and you can get tons of gain and you can nail the fuck out them cos they a built like brick shithouses.

if you are using a real piano and it is an upright i would pull the front panel off if you want room mics...

http://www.zzounds.com/item--ARTTMPUSB

http://usa.rodemic.com/

[afterthefact]

Originally Posted by hevusa

well...
I went to school for audio engineering but feel free to keep ignoring my questions and I'll do the same.

I hope you are joking. First of all, I have no idea who here went to school for audio engineering, so I had no idea that you would be the expert over anybody else.

Second, I would have answered your question, but I simply overlooked it. I hope this didn't somehow hurt your feelings, even though your message tells me it did.

[afterthefact]

Originally Posted by terminal pharmacy

if you just want room mics you have a few options and you can get some cheapish two channel usb mic preamps, i haven't heard the quality of any of them though. mic wise if it is mostly just two of you you could get something with a figure 8 polar pattern and setup on either side of the mic so you get a reasonable amount of rejection around the sides, the other option would be a couple of cheapish large diaphragm condensors, there is an australian company called rodes that make really great mics for a low price and the sound quality is quite exceptional. i am using two on a gig i am doing at the moment in a 2000 seat venue so i can vouch for their quality. you will need to experiment with placement in your room to find where things sound best, where the least reflections come from etc. or ig you got two you could close mic a couple of the instruments but i tend to like a bit of room sound in my recordings anyway. stick away from behringer mics as they are shithouse the only good mic they make is a reference mic for rta of a room. you could always buy a couple of 58s they are great mics and you can get tons of gain and you can nail the fuck out them cos they a built like brick shithouses.

if you are using a real piano and it is an upright i would pull the front panel off if you want room mics...

http://www.zzounds.com/item--ARTTMPUSB

http://usa.rodemic.com/

thanks! I looked into the figure 8 polar pattern, and it does seem good for what I need. Also, thanks for the tip on recording the piano, I wouldn't have even thought of that.

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by afterthefact

I hope you are joking. First of all, I have no idea who here went to school for audio engineering, so I had no idea that you would be the expert over anybody else.

Second, I would have answered your question, but I simply overlooked it. I hope this didn't somehow hurt your feelings, even though your message tells me it did.

And yet you still don't answer the questions...
interesting approach.

[afterthefact]

Terminal Velocity helped me enough, thank you.

Now go away, cause I don't need your crybaby tears all over my thread.

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by afterthefact

Dang, see, I don't know

I'd say the room is, average bedroom size? There will be 2 or 3 of us at a time, mostly electric guitar, piano, and just random stuff. We will be recording on an Apple laptop.

Even when recording on a computer, is it good to have some sort of external mixer, or at that point is it deemed redundant?

mix yourselves with musical dynamics it will have better results if just using one mic.....

any way i gotta run and mix a circus show

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by afterthefact

Terminal Velocity helped me enough, thank you.

Now go away, cause I don't need your crybaby tears all over my thread.

You should get someone else to record it.

[terminal pharmacy]

Originally Posted by hevusa

You should get someone else to record it.

but he only wants room mics... what is the point in getting someone else to do it