Tech: Recording Software

Subject: Tech: Recording Software
From: GUEST,Guest 007
Date: 08 Oct 19 - 12:01 PM

Folks,
I'm wanting to do some recording with a few overdubs and am looking for the simplest-easiest software to do this. I've got decent mics, interface and a windows op system. I want to record a vocal on one track, instrument on another and be able to overdub another intstrument or two on other tracks. (4 tracks will work, or better yet 6) I want to play with tone on each track and mix to a stereo wav--don't need fancy stuff, just basic like some of the old cassette 4 tracks. I haven't fooled with them, but I have REAPER, Studio One, Audacity on my computer, but am open to any other that's inexpensive or free - What is the easiest to learn????
THANK YOU!!!!

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Oct 19 - 12:38 PM

Have you searched the site? There have been a number of discussions of this in the past. https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=163072 this is one in my list of traced threads.

This is a bit older and had to do with removing hum from files, but software was discussed in the process: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=155388.

Starting points, anyway.

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 08 Oct 19 - 12:48 PM

Tracktion T7 DAW Free

Cakewalk by BandLab

are two popular freebies worth googling and trying...

Protools does a free version, but it's been deliberately hobbled too much to be botherd with..

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 08 Oct 19 - 02:51 PM

I have Cakewalk by Bandlab and it's excellent

Lots of useful videos on line too some of which I've been watching this afternoon!

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Stringsinger
Date: 09 Oct 19 - 11:39 AM

Garage Band. Then graduate to Logic.

Industry selection is Pro-Tools, not user friendly.

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 09 Oct 19 - 02:58 PM

But GB is Apple only and op stated Windows based

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Oct 19 - 03:52 PM

Audacity is a good free start.

It needs a .DLL for .MP3s which is also free.

Feature rich and plenty of Mudcatters who can advise.

The only quirk which has a reason is that you Export audio files, but Save your work so that you can pick up where you left off (but delete the .aup files after you have finished, they can get big.

Oh yes and if you have multiple tracks it mixes them all on Export so if you want to export one track or a <>selection it needs Export Selection. But then you have to make a mistake to see how attention to this is necessary. You can mute tracks but the Export will still mix a muted track without the selection option. I have bits of audio in odd places which makes this alert necessary.

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Acorn4
Date: 09 Oct 19 - 03:54 PM

Audacity is free and would do what you describe.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Nick
Date: 10 Oct 19 - 12:55 PM

I use Reaper mostly though have some others. Plenty of videos around and the manual is comprehensive

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: GUEST,bernie & red
Date: 10 Oct 19 - 04:22 PM

cakewalk by Bandlab is free. I've been using it in its many re incarnations for at least 25 years! It can do hundreds of things you may never need, but will also suit what you say you are looking for. There is a learning curve, but there are lots of video tutorials in You Tube.
Good Luck

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: GUEST,JoeG
Date: 10 Oct 19 - 07:18 PM

I agree - Cakewalk by Bandlab is brilliant and well supported

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 11 Oct 19 - 01:42 AM

If you have Audacity and Reaper, you need nothing else. Both great pieces of software, Reaper in particular has a very professional look and ‘feel’, and great features. I have both, but I use Reaper pretty much exclusively.

There’s a learning curve to work through, but it’s well supported, and well worth the effort.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Nick
Date: 11 Oct 19 - 09:31 AM

Indulge me here it's very relevant to a project I need to start next Tuesday which I hope I can do.

I can only explain by example. It's not a plug AND I COULD DO WITH SOME INPUT IF ANY WANTS TO CHAT and especially lend their ears. It's about sound rather than music quality. So I've included some links to examples and how they were recorded.

Mostly I think it's what sort of quality of recording you want. I want to be able make something significantly better sound wise than the examples below. There is a secondary thing that perhaps I don't have to sound wise. Would I get away with these things if people bought a CD for (say) £5?

I still use my 16 year old Zoom H2 for most of our practice. I compare straight out the Zoom via Reaper with (bad) studio recordings where people have nipped into a studio to make a CD in a day. They are usually 'LOUD' (which makes people happy but usually guitars sounds aren't great - I like acoustic guitars to sound like acoustic guitars)

So I would be interested on any feedback on sound and how much better it has to be to be a CD. Most of the time we play in rooms which are not dry enough so the sound has 'too much room in it'

And if you ever come across good offers on Waves and Izotope products (or just use the free trial) they are pretty astonishing I think (Ozone and Neutron particularly). I record most of what we practice on an old Zoom H2 using all four built in mics. I pop it into Reaper and do a little process with one Reaper plug in (ReaEQ) and a couple of Izotope products. The longest part is listening to what I want to keep.

It's a subject that has a lot of interest to me at the moment in that we are going to try and make a home grown CD soon. Up to now all we do is record what we do in real time. But it would nice to have a bit control and clarity and chuck some extra instruments on

1 Straight out of Zoom. I have a standard set up for this. I copy I paste to import. Split the tracks (I usually record 4 mics on the Zoom H2 as WAV files - but mp3 is not that different just computer space)
Water is Wide straight out of recording

2 Strange idea perhaps. This is recording one backing on the Zoom importing it and then playing through the Zoom a second time. It's not a tune that's ever been played since. It has quite an alive sound for something recorded where I'm sitting. No processing in Reaper
Bernie's Tune

3 Reaper with bits. Chucked some extra instruments in and some fake drums
Reaper with overdubs

4 Trying to record dry tracks at home again with Reaper with thoughts of doing a proper recording. Because we mostly play acoustically trying to work out whether the guitar sound is ok
So here are the ones that I hope are better - but I'm not sure they are
These are Guitar condenser mic stuff
* Drier sounds I hope - I don't play solos they are poor
* Drier stuff plucked

Why I need outside ears is that I'm not sure there are significant differences. Or whether anyone would notice.

This week I'm still thinking about the guitar sound which I haven't got yet. No effects or anything on the guitar.

Appreciate comments on sound quality rather than performance but if you want to say I am not very good I have very broad shoulders

Here's a track that I made in me bedroom with the precursor to Cakewalk and THE worst equipment in the world (£2 mics and all recorded through a very old Akai cassette player because we didn't have a preamp).
Old Cakewalk Track

Your ears and your technical ability will decide how good it is. They all do the same thing pretty much the same thing - they deal with 0's and 1's very clever. Reaper has skins so you can pretend you are doing pro tools or soundlogic they probably all do.

And I know I used to overplay on the bass but did enjoy it

Subject: RE: Tech: Recording Software
From: Nick
Date: 11 Oct 19 - 09:34 AM

If it's better that I start a thread about sound quality of recording I can do that. Being selfish it would be nice to have some feedback and chat