home recording

[T-Ruxx]

    I've had the microBR, several years now , use it mainly as a practice tool, but I;m wanting to expand it's uses.  I'd like to use it for making some demo's . I'm pretty much a plug and go kind of guy, so I been a bit scared of the learning curve, and I don't retain info  and sequences like I use to, but I'm broke , so I need to utilize the gear I have.
 
   The gear I'm working with will be, MicroBR, Vox tonelab SE, Older Zoom RhythmTrak 234 ,an E-Machine I got at Best Buy a couple of years ago, and misc. guitars and amps.

    My question is , how do I utilize what I have? Do I need to get an Audio interface sound device, or can I record tracks on the BR, then dump them on the PC, and use Adacity, or Reaper for mixing .
    I'm an old Dog trying new tricks , so please be gentle with me.
A big pre thanks to everyone, and thanks for the board, Greg



   

[Blooby]

People use it in different way, but I suggest starting simply.  It's a self-contained unit, so I suggest recording a few tracks with a simple drum pattern, and then bouncing it down to two tracks.

From there, you can fiddle with the mastering tool kit to give a sheen and then dump it onto your hard drive afer exporting to MP3 or wav.

Worry about integrating your computer, effects, etcetera after you get a few recordings under your belt.  The experimentation will come naturally.

There are great tutorials on the site and a host of people willing to help.  There are no silly questions as we've all been there.

Blooby

[StevieM]

Hi T-ruxx, and welcome.
Not been on here all that long either, but it's a great forum, everyone's so friendly and helpful. Don't be put off asking what you think might be daft questions, they can't be worse than some I've asked
Just go for it. The BR is a great little box of tricks, have a look through some of the 'Post your work' and 'Collaborations' in particular to see what can be done, but there's good stuff in all the rooms.
Also trawl through previous posts on what you think might be relevant to any probs you've got.
Above all----- Have fun

[Ferryman_1957]

It really depends what you want to do. You can use the MBR as the primary recording device for your audio instruments and vocals, then dump the tracks onto a PC (using the free BR Wave Converter software) for mixing and further processing using digital audio workbench software (Audacity is a simple version of that kind of thing).

Alternatively, you can do EVERYTHING on the MBR. Record everything, apply effects, mix it, master and produce a great quality mp3 of the result. This is why I love the MBR - it is so small and compact, so you don't need to leave lots of gear lying around yet you can produce stunning results from it (and nothing else can directly create mp3s). I've recorded and mixed over 40 V tracks in a single piece using the MBR. It's a bit fiddly and you have to do a lot of button pressing, but it can be done. This means you do not have to buy lots of expensive other stuff or learn complex PC software. All you need is a guitar, bass, keyboard/synth (optional), voice and the MBR (and I guess a lead).

So it's up to you - check out the work here in the "Post Your Work" section and you will see what folks get up to. The tutorials here will get  you up and running, and when you get stuck, ask questions. Everyone here is really helpful.

Cheers,

Nigel

PS I just reread your OP and saw you are broke. So here's the answer - buy NOTHING else and learn how to get the fullest out of the MBR. It really is all you need to produce stunning demos. I have produced better quality stuff on the MBR than I have in professionally run 24-track and above studios.

[guitarron]

the BR products are optimized to get very professional result, with out having extensive knowledge of the recording arts

it amazes me how many good and even great sounding recordings can be made with it

keep it simple to start with-then if/when you get stuck, you have this forum as a knowledge base

it's not as complicated as it may seem- the box is loaded with features-takes a bit to get your head around it

welcome to the forum

[Geir]

Hi, and welcome.

I would start out simple, it's amazing how good recordings you can get just using the MBR!!

*Learn to use the drums first (arrangement!!)
*then start by recording some small projects that only requires 4 tracks (use the preset effects on the guitar input and built-in mic ).
* learn the mixing/mastering
Now you have more possibilities than the Beatles had when they started and many songs posted on this site uses only this !!

then go on ...
* Explore the editing of effects
* try bouncing tracks (now it's really useful to keep a log of what you do, there is an excel-spreadsheet somewhere here for dl.)
... and then the rest (editing tracks, external mic/line input from other sources.

cheers and Good luck.

G