The reording journy starts LoL

[rnolan]

Ok so I've got things relatively sorted out to record with the new laptop now.  And now the journey begins.  This is the first time my band members have ever recorded, and also the first time I've used Studio One S/W to do it.  After various frustrations I'll most likely pay the $$ and go back to Pro Tools but I've managed to make Std One work a bit they way I want. 

So the setup in the attached MP3: 
Studio One S/W, PreSonus 18/24 USB 8 in/out I/O.  All monitoring and initial inputs Behringer 2442 FX desk (so no latency  ),  Rode NT1 mic & Behringer HA 4600 headphone amp (for vox overdubs).  Next time I'll use my TLA Ivory 5001 tube preamp and Focusrite Platinum Penta compressor (as an insert) for the vox.  I'll wind in a little tube warmth with the TLA Ivory and very mildly compress (mostly peak limit) with the Focusrite. 

Drums - Alesis electric Kit (mono), Bass Ibenez Micro > ADA MB-1 direct, Guitar Anderson Pro Am > MP-2 (cab sim outs direct), Keys Korg triton Le. Live take which included 2 vox (guide) tracks we deleted later. 
Overdubbed vox with NT1.  A new experience for all except me..  So they will get better with practice, recording is a whole new skill set. 

Minimal mix, some EQ added for the lead vox and added a reverb bus for all the vox (to help them blend). A little EQ on the kit (to make the kick a little less boxy) and a separate bus for kit reverb. I also used the write function for the guitar solo volume increase.  I also replaced/overdubbed the 2nd half of the solo as it had mistakes. 

So while I wouldn't call this finished (I want (and will) to start over) it's ok for a first crack at it and for the band to lean how to record in my lounge room. I'm also enjoying being back in the recording rabbit hole having not done it for a while.

I used GoldWave (a great program to add to your arsenal IMHO) to convert the 48k 24bit mix to MP3 (attached).  The song Stumblin is a Powder Finger song (if anyone is interested) and in our set list.

[rnolan]

Here is a 2nd track Dandy Worhols Bohemian Like You. Recorded the same way as Stumblin.  We are just trying to get something to play to prospective venues so they can hear how we sound (and some shit to play to friends etc.)  So fundamentally (the way I think about it) is I'm trying to capture a live take, with minimal overdubs.  Obviously being limited to 8 inputs involves at least replacing the guide vocals with a better mic (Rode NT1 vs Sure Beta 58) and maybe a few touch ups/drop ins for mistakes.  I have to say this wasn't our drummers finest hour, but again I'll trash all these and do it again when they/we are a bit better at it.  Up side, the band members are having fun (which is the main thing at the end of the day) and learning how to do it.  Moreover, nothing like a recording for everyone to hear their mistakes LoL.

[rnolan]

As a comparison (if anyone is interested) attached is a live recording of a band I was in for 15+ years The Queue, our (rock) version of Take Me to The River.  This is a live recording off the desk in 1994 (ish). This is when I was still using ADA MP-1 (MP-2 these days).  The other guitar (first solo) is through a Boogie Calibre 50 IIRC.

[rnolan]

Here's another comparison, showing my age  but what you could do in a spare room back then.  This is a recording (Continental Shelf) my friend Neil and I did in the late 1980's in one of his bedrooms using a Tascam 688 (8 chan cassette recorder/mixer).  So Atari notator (to sequence drums), Alesis drum machine, Rockman X100 for all guitars, bass direct, vox SM58, Korg M1 keyboard (though I don't think we used it for this track).  One track on the 688 used for SMPTE time code to lock to the Atari.