Hey! I need some help with setup for home guitar recording

First off Welcome to GN Alkemist,
i would suggest audacity, http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
and or Kristal, http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/ both are free and easy to use.
as far as sound cards go i have a m-audio audiophile 2496 that i like a lot,
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Audiophile2496-main.html
and any of the cheaper behringer mixers at or above the UB 802 have preamps and phantom power
http://www.behringer.com/UB802/index.cfm?lang=ENG

I agree With Twisted Lefty
But you don´t need a semiproffessional soundcard as the m-audio audiophile 2496.
You can do with a low cost soundcard (even an integrated one on the motherboard) as I do.
Just download the ASIO4ALL ASIO driver to avoid track to track delay(latency).
It helps in when using Kristal but not Audacity.
Connect the UB802 main output to the line input of the soundcard.
You can then connect the electric directly to the mic input on the mixer but you will only get a clean sound from the electric guitar. If you want a distorted/overdriven sound you need to use your electric amp and use headphone output to connect to a line in channel of the UB802 mixer
For the acoustic guitar you can use a normal mic or connect the a guitar transducer/soundhole pickup to a either a mic input or line input of the mixer.
If you use a good mic (as the Behringer XM8500) and a mixer you can record the acoustic guitar with the mic or the electric guitar by setting the mic in front your guitar amps speaker.
A cheap mixer as the UB802 will give you several recording alternatives .

Great info.

WHat about distorting electric guitar input or adding effects, such as PODXT. It is a USB guitar processor. Is going for separate, professional switches and processors a wider decision? I understand USB has a delay, but are there any other major advantages? WHat are my options.

appreciate it

I am really looking forward to UB802 mixer. Good # of inputs and so cheap, ~$50 ebay.

QUestion, would the electric guitar processor I need go before input to UB802 or after output?

THanks again.

I was thinking maybe Behringer VAMP2, UB802 eurorack and a decent soundcard would do the job cheap and smart.

I am using the V-AMP2 together with the UB802.
I have connected the stereo outputs of the V-AMP2 to the FX stereo input channel of the UB802. When I connect the electric guitar to V-amps guitar input I can use the full function of the V-AMP2. If I connect the UB802 FX mono output to the V-amps guitar input I can use the V-AMP 2 as a FX-unit for all mics and instruments connected to UB802 input channels.
If you then buy a good recording soundcard as the m-audio audiophile 2496 you will have a nearly proffessional recording system.

Ok.!!! I have purchased the mixer and vamp..... 150 bucks from zsound.

Now the sound card.....

audiophile 2496 looks like a good card, however, i am concerner about the connections. They do not match 1/4" standard IO on guitar, mixer and processor. I would like to be able to record 4 instruments/inputs simultaneously.

FOr example

.

1) electric guitar, connected through vamp2 and mixer to the computer
2) acoustic, through preamp, mixer, and to the computer
3) mic1 through mixer to the computer
4) mic2 through mixer to the computer

FOr such setup, do I actually need to RUn 4 outputs from mixer to 4 inputs in the computer. Or should the mixer simply combine all 4 channels into one, so only one channel inputs the computer. Excuse my newbie questions, I just dont want to spend any money I dont need to spend. The way I see it, if there is a mixer, I simply dont need an expensive sound car with 4 separate inputs, besides, audiophile 2496 inputs which I probably never even use. Would a card with one HF input handle the sound of 4 inputs mixed into one?

My main concern now is the soundcard

THANX FOR THE HELP!!!! YOUVE REALLY HELPED ME!!

ok truth be known there are others here that can offer better advice as i have only been relaying what they suggested to me.

it sounds like you would be fine just laying down seperate tracks and then mixing them on audacity or whatever program you use.
if you want more than just a guitar and vocals you might have wanted a bigger mixer. the 802 sounds like it will work fine. i got the 2496 card because of the reviews and midi hook-ups for my keyboards. sorry i can't really offer experianced advice, i hope to put up some recordings of my own before long when i get time.

Hi alkemist
The big differens between a standard PC soundcard (i.e. Soundblaster type) and the Audiophile 2496 ( or the Creative EMU 0404) is that the latter soundcards are designed for multiple track recording work with high signal/noise ratio, 24-bit/96 khz A/D conversion, support for ASIO 2 drivers givin very low delay (latency) between tracks and they have signal reference level adjusted to work with mixers as the UB802.
A standard or better PC soundcard is designed for more music output work with 7.1 multi-channel playback during gaming etc.

But a standard or better PC soundcard (with a stereo line input) connected to the mixer (main stereo output) will do the recording work for you.
I recomend you start with the soundcard that comes with your PC and when you find that the sound quality isnt good enough, you can always buy a better recording soundcard.
I am using a low-cost Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit soundcard and doing 4-> 5 parallell track recordings and sofar I am satisfied with the performance when using the Kristal SW

Guys, you have been so helpful. I had learned alot. So far I ordered, the mixer, a fishman pickup for my acoustic, vamp2 and a bunch of cables.... i will be testing the setup out as soon as i get the murchandise. Very resourceful topic turned out for a beginner musician, like me :) I believe I saved alot.... because for instance my friend recently bought a creative card with cd drive bay interface with several inputs for over 200 bucks and a PODXT.... which is 200 dollars more than VAMP....... alot of money just for 2 items. I nearly have a complete setup now.

FUrther questions, if any will be posted.

I once again, thank you very much for the info and references. Very helpful.

I had a question in mid-how should the vamp and mixer be turned off, if they do.

THe setup turned out beautiful. A friend was already over to record and play together. I really like everything I bought, the mixer makes the connections even easier than I thought. SOund is great..... I believe proper gear in a way encourages a musician to practice more. If one has a terrible guitar and a bad amp (like those kits they sell for example), after the skill level raches a certainpoint, there is not choice but to go for a beter instrument and equipment.