I just want to be able to record myself, maybe add extra instruments and be able to send a file to my pal in Philly and he could hear what I put down and he could do the same.

Is this even possible without spending a small (or big) fortune?

There are all kinds of free or cheap platforms and each one almost certainly has a following and forum. See what Reddit has. The popularity on there probably mirrors the popularity everywhere.

Just get a USB mic.

Get a refurb apogee mic 96K and use garage band.

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“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it."

How many instruments/mics will you want to record simultaneously? What level of sound quality do you hope to achieve?

Quote
August West
Get a refurb apogee mic 96K and use garage band.

Didn't Fineas O'Connell and his sister record a hit album with GarageBand at home?

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San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Eli Weisel

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt (1918)

"I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it." - Billy Graham 1981

"Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise" - Barry Goldwater

It's worth saying, if you're just doing demos, give the built-in iphone mic a try.

If you need to plug in multiple mics or instruments, Monoprice has an 8-track USB mixing board on sale right now. I have one, we used it for occasional band practices. Not to be confused with actual pro studio gear, but at the amateur level it's fine.

[www.monoprice.com]

[www.sweetwater.com]

[www.sweetwater.com]



[www.sweetwater.com]

Quote

Didn't Fineas O'Connell and his sister record a hit album with GarageBand at home?

So they say, don't discount all the studio post production and mixing though. I'll take it back to Ani Difranco, heh.

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“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it."

Start with your Mac - what do you have and what are the specs. Do you already have any gear you might be able to use? Next what kind of budget do you have? Get a dollar figure together as far as what you want to spend. I've done multitrack recordings on my iPhone 6s using the internal mic and iZotope's Spire app so you can literally record for very little.

You can literally spend next to nothing up to tens of thousands so putting together a list of what you want to achieve | what you'll need to accomplish that | how much gear you currently have | how much $ you have to spend - will provide you with a business or game plan. After you have that you can look into all the hardware and software that's out there and decide how to proceed. There are plenty of free and inexpensive software and hardware offerings out there today so there's something for everyone and every budget.

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JoeM

Thanks folks, I'm just dipping a toe in.

My best friend died on Oct 26, the day of my 50th High School reunion. I hadn't played out in 50 years except for church.
I told my friend, Paul Barrere from Little Feat, that I was going to sing and play a Little Feat song , Sailin' Shoes. He was sick for a long time, I hoped it would cheer him up.

I was hopeful he'd survive his latest bout with cancer...I got a call from his wife as I was setting up my gear at the Reunion. I tried to find inspiration...it wasn't easy...but while my guitar palying was rusty, I was able to rear back, and with Paul's guidance from above, sang my ass off.

I've never been a singer specifically, so this was a revelation.

Anyway, I got home and started to get my gear out of the living room when my wife asked me what I was doing, I told her and she said to leave it up, she loved to hear me sing and play! Such a wife.

So with quarantine and all, I'm working on playing and singing better. That's why I thought a way to record could be helpful.

Thanks for your help, any more suggestions are warmly welcome.

Pro Tools is the industry standard and what the studios use. There may be a free lite version. Call Sweetwater.

That’s a touching story, thanks for sharing with us.
Singing, playing and recording are each complex tasks that can reach the level of high art.
Not knowing the gear at your disposal, I’ll set this scenario:
You, singing and playing an acoustic guitar, sitting on a couch.
Sitting not in the middle of the living room, a little off instead (2/5, lil’ off center maybe), and facing the larger portion of the room.
An iPhone X 3ft apart, over a cushion to bring it up a little, face up, bottom towards the performer.
Using the included Voice Memo app.
Now, hit record and forget it for a minute. Set your aim on your performance of a couple of 12 bar, sing with gusto, play with the right edge, balance the volume of your singing and playing.
Hear it with headphones, and compensate for what you don’t like... that’s where trouble/fun starts.
Do what you think needs to be done to get a natural recording. This could be tuning up, changing the phone’s angle height distance, balancing the direction of the guitar and the singer’s mouth, trying a different spot in the room, opening or closing windows, turning off the A/C or fan, letting the dog out for a while, etcetera, and try again. Remember how much fun you are having.

After the second test and with a little luck, you will end up with something you like, or some new observation to address.

Then maybe think about opening garage band app, import the recording, trim the beginning, and do another take for, say, singing harmony, guitar accents and a proper solo... but not before hearing it again on speakers, the car, different headphones, etc.

Adjust any or all steps for your particular situation, good luck!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2020 07:25PM by rich in distress.

Quote
Surfrider
Thanks folks, I'm just dipping a toe in.

My best friend died on Oct 26, the day of my 50th High School reunion. I hadn't played out in 50 years except for church.
I told my friend, Paul Barrere from Little Feat, that I was going to sing and play a Little Feat song , Sailin' Shoes. He was sick for a long time, I hoped it would cheer him up.

I was hopeful he'd survive his latest bout with cancer...I got a call from his wife as I was setting up my gear at the Reunion. I tried to find inspiration...it wasn't easy...but while my guitar palying was rusty, I was able to rear back, and with Paul's guidance from above, sang my ass off.

I've never been a singer specifically, so this was a revelation.

Anyway, I got home and started to get my gear out of the living room when my wife asked me what I was doing, I told her and she said to leave it up, she loved to hear me sing and play! Such a wife.

So with quarantine and all, I'm working on playing and singing better. That's why I thought a way to record could be helpful.

Thanks for your help, any more suggestions are warmly welcome.

That’s pretty amazing.

I miss your friend myself. “Time Loves A Hero” is one of my favorite songs.

Thanks folks. I am gutted by Paul's death. We were close for 45 years. He knew he was checking out the last time I was in contact. He Facetimed me, something he never did before, he was all bundled up in bed and I'm trying to be cheerful...I look back at it now and......no words...


I have a Fender Strat, that Paul gave me for my birthday, years ago, abd a Martin HD-28.

I appreciate all the advice, I think I'll start with my I-phone and work up from there.

All y'all stay safe!

Feat Feat Feat!