just a couple more newbie Q's

Okay...so there seems to be a lot of different opinions here. I really do think the Behringer UB1002 mixer looks like a good deal. I think I'm leaning towards a cheaper mic (maybe around $20) and a soundcard (because the computer I'm looking to get only has 512MB memory and 200GB hard drive). Of course, I'm not set, but I am leaving for college in three weeks, so I've got to figure this out. As for what features that I should be looking for on the soundcard, I am absolutely 100% clueless (never even knew they existed until recently). My only other concern is that I don't have an amp. Do I need one (I have an Ovation) to record, or can I plug it into the mixer, or do I play into the mic?

Anyway, I never imagined I could receive this much help. Thank you so much! This buy is really important to me.

512MB memory is plenty for what you wan't to do is good, unless you are going to record several channels at once, but you can multitrack one instument at a time with no problem with 256MB memory

smokindog wrote:
Heck I have even recorded my acoustic guitar with the PC mic with good results!!

Dog,

That's just not true, or just distorted

Actually I had to Do some EQ adjustments and run it through a low filter to remove some booming but it sounded ok, sure it wasn't high end but it was better than you might think :P --the dog

One more question in addition to the others: Can I save Audacity and everything I record onto it on a CD so it doesn't take up all the space on my computer, or do I not have to worry about that?

With 200 GB you dont have to worry about space. You can save the finished files to a cd, I'm not shure if you can put a whole audacity project on CD, But that don't mean you can't..I just don't know how to do that. :D

All you would have to do is export it as a .mp3 or .wav file. From there you can burn it to a CD.

Tracker: I know what you're trying to say. I've spend silly ammounts of money on constantly changing gear, if I would have gotten what I have now immediately I would have saved a bunch. But in this case there's little to lose by buying a relatively cheap starter-mic. Even if you would trash it instead of sell it you would have only lost a few bucks, and you'd have used it for some. Borrowing one would actually be more expensive.

I do agree that it would make little sense to, for example, get a medium quality soundcard and upgrade it in a month. Either get a good card now, or don't get one at all for the time being.

Dog: As for getting good results with a pc-mic: I know what you mean. It ain't super-duper quality but it is good enough to send to friends without receiving comments on recording quality. It's all a matter of how professional it needs to be.

Dog,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ruling any alternative out, and my main concern when
dealing with this kind of situation isn't the quality at all, but I'm only suggesting here
from some experience. My friends started this way when they were short on cash and
their urge to make some home stuff overcame them. I'm not the one who'll ever
suggest you to stop and forget it, vise versa - I'll encourage you to do so, I just can't
feel like I'm making a long distance call while recording.

Have a nice day!
-Elvis

I have to chime in here with my $.02.

In my mind the bar to entry for a reasonable system isn't that high -- $100-$200 for a decent USB or firewire soundcard with an ok pre-amp and $100 or so for an ok mic, plus another $50 or so for high quality cables, and a decent mic stand.

All told, you're in for no more than $400 to get a equipment that you'll be able to use for years. THis versus spending $80 for equipment you know you'll need to replace in 6 months if you get at all serious to me is just a poor use of money.

If the issue is that you don't have the $100 right now, then don't get the stuff right now. Save up. At $20 a week you'll be there by March. And who, even college students, can't put away 20 a week? Around me, that's 2 days of taking the bus instead of driving to work, or one less latte over breakfast. If you put the $100 you have now away to seed the savings, you're there by Christmas.

I know money is very tight for college folks, but it really is just priority setting. A few prudent choices over the course of a week adds up very quickly.

If you don't know if you're going to like it enough to invest in your own equipment, don't find out by investing in cheap equipment. How many would-be-guitar players have given up because they had a cheap guitar with crappy action that was so hard to play that they decided it wasn't worth it? We all know at least one, I'm sure. If you wnat to find out, find someone at your school who has this as a hobby. Cultivate a friendship and pretty soon you'll have someone's setup to try out to see if you like it enough to invest in your own gear.

Uuummm...back to my question that no one answered (because it is extremely important), do I need an amp, or can I just plug my Ovation into the mixer?

Update: If the answer to the above question is not "yes, you need an amp" or "you've got to play into the mic," I've got my plan.

I'm gonna go with no soundcard (at first), a Behringer UB802 or UB1002, a package of mics for $50 or less, and headphones for $50 or less, plus cables.

kingpatzer, I understand 100% what you are saying, but there are a couple things that prevent me from being able to save like that. #1 I don't have a job right now--probably won't look for one until I'm used to how college works (6 months or so) #2 As a college student, almost everything I buy will be necessary for survival. So it's hard to manage and save when I have no flowing income and that the money I do receive is to pay for college stuff and necessities. That's kinda why I want to buy this stuff before I go to college--so I can pay for it with my own money that I've earned by working, not my parents' money.

The cheapest thing without just plugging it directly in would be getting the Behringer ADI21. Around $35 retail I believe. If you have an Accoustic/Electric I guess you get better results then using a relatively cheap set of mics. The ADI goes into the mixer.

If your asking if you need an amp, I would think you have an acoustic/electric in which case you could go.......

guitar > mixer > pc (No need for mic's)

You could get an amp, but if you are on a budget, just hook up to the mixer and adjust your EQ on your guitar.

Again I second Arjen.

I don't recommend plugging a guitar direct into a mixer since most mixers aren't
equipped with an instrument level input. It would sound bad and could harm both
mixers and guitars electric circuits. And it would probably be more expansive
then the ADI. If you don't need to record vocals or other acoustic sources, don't
bother buying a mic at this point. For the future though you should consider it, but
for now it's really all you need and more.

Have a nice day!
-Elvis

oh, but I do need a mic. I'm afraid that I'm way more experienced in singing than I am with my guitar. Honestly, I wasn't going to get the ADI, but I'm leaning towards getting it now that elvis seconds the notion. I'm not exactly up for ruining my guitar or mixer.

Well...I'm off to the store to check out the deals tomorrow and I'll probably buy the day after. Any more last suggestions?.....(but don't add items to buy because my wallet can't possibly expand anymore).....maybe hints on what kind of cables to go for, since I never trust salesmen to tell me the truth (bad experiences).

thanks again for all your help--I'll be up on soundclick in no time!

I wouldn't worry too much about actually physically damaging the mixer, but it is true that the sound directly into the mixer is usually very harsh and unpleasant. The ADI is the 'tone-part' of an amp without the actual amp, so you get an amp-tone while recording directly. Your best bet is try some setups in a store and see if you like it.

Whitney,

Sorry if I scared you or anything, it wasn't my intention to do so. Your mixer and
guitar wouldn't burst in flames if you'll plug them together, but it sure will increase
and speed up wear and tear. It wouldn't happen in a day, but on the long run, it'd
constantly lose quality. Plus, it'll really sound bad.

Anyways, whatever you'll eventually choose, I wish you good luck!
And if you'll ever need to ask any question about it (or other things),
I'll be glad to assist you.

Have a nice day!
-Elvis