If you were setting up an EZ songwriter recording system...

bejeeber · Post by **bejeeber** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:01 am

I'm contemplating what gear to use to best set up a cheap yet high quality enough computer recording system that a singer/guitarist/songwriter could sit there and record herself with just by pressing a few keys like a tape recorder.

Then I'd take the recorded files later and work with them on my more pro set up.

At first I was thinking of a Mac mini recording onto a firewire drive. It could be stored a bit remotely to completely silence it while a wireless keyboard and mouse are used! Hey Garage Band comes right with the OS, and it's supposed to be really easy to use! And I'd easily import the tracks right into Logic. But wait...Garage Band only records at 16 stinking bit resolution. Aw crud.

Starting to wonder if we should just use the singer's new Dell Inspiron laptop with Traktion software or something - I think I have a 4 or 5 year old copy of Traktion laying around somewhere. And i guess we'd use a USB drive. But the Dell would be whining right into the vocal mic. Aw crud.

Any advice, insight, comments, suggestions?

theblue1 · Post by **theblue1** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 12:54 pm

The Tracktion option looks attractive. It's straightforward and relatively easy to use.

You could export the project files as audio files just as you would moving from any other platform (there's also an option that keeps them in Tracktion project format).

Shame about his Inspiron. Mine (a Centrino) is really quiet -- as long as the fan stays on low, anyhow. And that's usually, except when I'm trying to run a bunch of virtual instruments or crazy plugs (or my photoeditor with a big file in it).

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:26 pm

Zoom H4 and a few mics?

just a thought.

Spark · Post by **Spark** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:49 pm

Id suggest giving Tracktion a shot. I really like it for getting ideas down. Simple, straight forward, to the point. If you already have it, its worth a shot anyhow!

syrupcore · Post by **syrupcore** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:29 am

RefD wrote:Zoom H4 and a few mics?

just a thought.

Exactly what I was thinking. any stand alone recorder with a usb port or smart media storage. if it's really just to record some tracks, computer is a waste of money. get a couple nice microphones with the difference.

bejeeber · Post by **bejeeber** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 1:19 pm

Hey thanks for the ideas, people.

We made a quick decision to go down the road of using the existing Dell (with a remote mouse/keyboard and existing 17" LCD monitor if necessary), as that'll be cheap, and the firewire drive, interface, etc., we'll buy for it could potentially also become useful elsewhere.

So it's down to interface and software (I can't find that pesky free copy of Tracktion). What a can of worms that is. I might have to start a different topic for that!

DupleMeter · Post by **DupleMeter** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:53 am

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) is free and that just leaves you with needing an interface & a couple microphones.

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If you were setting up an EZ songwriter recording system...

If you were setting up an EZ songwriter recording system...

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