So I bought an SM56 and an SM57...

[zhivago]

hey guys,

I'm finally picking up some recording equipment so I can get started on my acoustic project...

I bought a Shure SM56 and and SM57 for vocals and guitar, and I'd like to know what other equipment I'll need so I can start recording...

so...here's what I have:

SM56
SM57
Macbook Pro, Dual Core, 2.3GHz
Garageband
Guitar
Fingers

what I want to achieve:

I want to use Garageband so I can capture it all real time, as I hate singing without playing a guitar...I realise there will be spill with the two different mics on at the same time, but I don't mind it much

I'd like to have one mic pointed at my guitar and one obviously for the vocals...how would I connect them to my Mac?

do I need a pre-amp?

or a mixing desk?

ideally, as I record real time, the voice and guitar would go on separate tracks...is this possible with Garageband?

If separate tracks aren't possible, then it's no big deal...I could go both mics into one track (Carter Family style - everything on one mic and depending on my playing dynamics and trial and error)

I'd like it all to be as un-processed and natural as possible..

I haven't got a fortune to spend on this, by the way...so any suggestions on extra equipment should be cheap-ish

I thank you all kindly 

[Game On]

To get it on two seperate tracks you just need a usb/firewire interface with more than one input. As far as i know most of these would work fine with garageband. I got the e-mu tracker pre, which is usb 2.0, for about £100 from dolphin and i've found it pretty easy to use (considering i'm a bit of a novice to the whole computer recording sphere). It comes with a bunch of bundled software as well, i've been using cubase LE. Its a bit more powerful than garageband in terms of putting effects on and stuff i think, but then, i don't have a mac so i don't know that much about garageband! There are a bunch of similar interfaces around that kind of price range and any of them would probably do the job. Otherwise you could just use a mixer into the mic/line input on your macbook but, like you say, it'd be on one track and the levels would just be trial and error, but it'd be a bit cheaper. Personally i figured it was worth the extra money to have the capacity to record on two different tracks, plus using an interface is always going to be a higher fidelity recording because the mixer option would be reliant on your soundcard and mic/line input, something which most laptops aren't exactly renowned for the quality of.

[ugly casanova]

he is right.
all you need is a usb/firewire interface that has built-in pre-amps and input-level controls.
garageband works fine with interfaces and seperated signals.

i dont want to start that nasty firewire vs. usb discussion again but in my opinion firewire is not necessary if you buy an interface with only two seperated inputs.
you can get one with a usb connection because they're cheaper. firewire is only needed with much data transmission (i.e. 4 or more seperated tracks).

i own a tascam us-144. many other people own a m-audio fast track pro.
i havent found a page where they compare interfaces soundwise so i only checked the features and looked for something that seemed useful for me.

[zhivago]

hey thanks for the fast replies guys!

that interface sounds cool...ok...I think my next purchase on payday will be one of them puppies!

...and a couple of mic stands!

[zhivago]

this is the one to get, right?

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp ... duct=17511

[noirengineer]

this is the one to get, right?

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp ... duct=17511

yep.. anything along those lines would be fine.. make sure it has at least two Mic pre-amps
and a headphone jack at the very least..  obviously some sound better than others, some have
more bells and whistles, etc.. but you'd basically need 2 mic pre's, a way to interface with cpu *(USB/Firewire).

point the sm57 at the guitar cab..  use a long mic cable and
run it in seperate room if possible, but if you can't do that, i'd
face it so the cones direct towards a wall in the corner..  it helps
to put some matting (like blanketing, or a mattress propped up beside it.
best case scenario is you get a dedicated gobo wall..   -->   your playing electric
obviously asssume?   --->  then just do that and point the SM57 at mouth..
the blead from the unamplified strings shouldn't bleed through (if so, it'll be minimal).


If it's an acoustic.. the best way to achieve isolation is to use 1 figure 8 pattern condensor mic
with the null facing your mouth..  then use a hyper or super cardiod pattern mic on vocals.. gets
pretty good isolation..  w/ two standard cardiod dynamic mics like sm57 / sm58, your pretty much
going to have accept the bleed as it is.. obviously you can move stuff around a bit and get bit better
angling, etc.. but that's still going to have at least some bleed.. which is fine.. unless you choose to Overdub.
then, the ghost notes on the vocal tracks could screw with your performance while replacing the guitar track.


Hope that helps...

Oh yeah.. also, there is always the DI route.. but i prefer the amp route for all the obvious reasons

[Game On]

this is the one to get, right?

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp ... duct=17511

Thats the one i got. Like the previous poster says, there are several at a similar price and no real way to compare, i just made the decision based on the software bundle really. Its probably worth doing a bit of a search to see if there are any major compatibility issues with a mac/garageband, but i wouldn't have thought there would be given the popularity of macs/garageband/e-mu products. I will say about the tracker pre, the monitoring facility isn't that great as its not quite loud enough (maybe i just need to turn my guitar amp down!), but other than that its been a joy to use and the preamps have coped equally well with quiet stuff like a xylophone and loud stuff like drums.

[Game On]

Oh, and as an addendum to that, the fact that its bus powered is really handy when taking it to record stuff at band rehearsals and such. Probably one of its most distinguishing features.

[zhivago]

you guys rule!  

many thanks!

once I get the pre-amp on payday (2-3 weeks from now) I'll report back 



and yeah, I'll be recording 95% acoustic guitar and vocals...then I might add some extra instruments off Garageband...and maybe the occasional worbly guitar line on a Jazzmaster

[zhivago]

If it's an acoustic.. the best way to achieve isolation is to use 1 figure 8 pattern condensor mic
with the null facing your mouth..  then use a hyper or super cardiod pattern mic on vocals.. gets
pretty good isolation..  w/ two standard cardiod dynamic mics like sm57 / sm58, your pretty much
going to have accept the bleed as it is.. obviously you can move stuff around a bit and get bit better
angling, etc.. but that's still going to have at least some bleed.. which is fine.. unless you choose to Overdub.
then, the ghost notes on the vocal tracks could screw with your performance while replacing the guitar track.

many thanks!

I'll get down and dirty with it all in a few weeks...I expect the first few recordings to suck a bit, but I'll stick at it

[shadowplay]

A very cheap addition to your set up would be a PZM mike.  These are perfect for adding ambiance and sparkle on the cheap to acoustic recordings Like these.  You can use two other side of a chopping board (with handle) or even a table tennis bat to make stereo field recordings. BTW I stole this from Coil and if it was good for the lavishly funded Mr Christopherson then it's good enough for me.

It's also worth having a dip on ebay for an Oktava condensor.  I have a 012s and it's one of the best gear bargains available.

[zhivago]

hey thanks!

looks like I'll have to buy the mics again...the ebay auction I won has disappeared, and it seems my money's gone

so the recording project's stuck in the mud again

[Pingu]

The Emu interface looks fine, though there are so many almost identical options in that price range, you could probably pick one at random and be quite satisfied.

You definitely want a condenser mic to record acoustic guitar and vocals, SM57's are better for amps and gigs. The Rode NT1 is a good budget choice.

And once you tire of Garageband's extremely limited capabilities(two weeks, max) I suggest you upgrade to Logic Express. It's cheap and sounds so much better.

Somehow I feel that I've had this discussion before, on this very forum, but with someone else 

[zhivago]

The Emu interface looks fine, though there are so many almost identical options in that price range, you could probably pick one at random and be quite satisfied.

You definitely want a condenser mic to record acoustic guitar and vocals, SM57's are better for amps and gigs. The Rode NT1 is a good budget choice.

And once you tire of Garageband's extremely limited capabilities(two weeks, max) I suggest you upgrade to Logic Express. It's cheap and sounds so much better.

Somehow I feel that I've had this discussion before, on this very forum, but with someone else 

hey thanks...I like Garageband because of the "tape recorder" feel of it....I don't like to edit songs at all, I actually hate overdubs...it feels like cheating. 

whenever I make a mistake, I re-do everything again.


I'll look into the acoustic mic you listed since the SM mics I bought on ebay probably won't be appearing through the post


any suggestions for a vocal mic?

I just want things to sound as natural and real as possibe

[zhivago]

is this the Rode you are talking about?

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/2 ... t1-a-.html