Recording software music

[Hanne Verleysen]

This is a question for those of you who upload covers/original songs on YouTube.
What mic, and especially, what software do you use to record vocals and instruments?
At the moment I'm using the Zoom H1 and Audacity, but I was wondering if there were better software options.

 

[Jamie]

If you want to record music professionally (which also includes mixing and mastering) I would suggest upgrading to a "real" digital audio workstation personally I would recommend Cubase. I use it myself and it's very user friendly as opposed to, for example, Pro Tools, which a lot of people us as it is industry standard, but it can be a huge PITA if you have a Mac you could also consider Logic.

As for the Mic, I would suggest the Rode NT 1 condenser mic. It's perfect for voice and most instruments, like guitar etc. If you want to record louder instruments, e.g. drums, you should also consider getting dynamic microphones. but for starters the rode will do just fine

 

[Hanne Verleysen]

If you want to record music professionally (which also includes mixing and mastering) I would suggest upgrading to a "real" digital audio workstation personally I would recommend Cubase. I use it myself and it's very user friendly as opposed to, for example, Pro Tools, which a lot of people us as it is industry standard, but it can be a huge PITA

Thank you! I will try Cubase and see if it's something that works for me

 

[Lime Cake Music]

There's a lot of different mics you can get quite cheap (or at least relatively cheap), and I agree with Jamie that Røde is definately a brand to check out. There's also SE Electronics, which I think could be interesting. If you, as Jamie says, want to record for instance drums, there's kits with dynamic mics from AKG that works great.
Concerning software, they can all have different qualities, for instance Pro Tools is originally meant for audio editing to films so it has some strengths in that area, Logic has a really intuitive music writing interface, Ableton is great at beat making. But they all work, and they all essentially do the same thing. So perhaps you are perfectly comfortable with Audacity, or maybe some other software is more your style. But I think it's important to remember that there's no right or wrong here, only what works for you.
Most softwares also have a free trial, so I'd recommend taking the time to try some different ones out before spending money on it.
Personally, I like hopping between Logic, Pro Tools and Cubase depending on what I'm doing.

Happy hunting!

P.S It would be fun to know what you decide in the end

 

[Hanne Verleysen]

There's a lot of different mics you can get quite cheap (or at least relatively cheap), and I agree with Jamie that Røde is definately a brand to check out. There's also SE Electronics, which I think could be interesting. If you, as Jamie says, want to record for instance drums, there's kits with dynamic mics from AKG that works great.
Concerning software, they can all have different qualities, for instance Pro Tools is originally meant for audio editing to films so it has some strengths in that area, Logic has a really intuitive music writing interface, Ableton is great at beat making. But they all work, and they all essentially do the same thing. So perhaps you are perfectly comfortable with Audacity, or maybe some other software is more your style. But I think it's important to remember that there's no right or wrong here, only what works for you.
Most softwares also have a free trial, so I'd recommend taking the time to try some different ones out before spending money on it.
Personally, I like hopping between Logic, Pro Tools and Cubase depending on what I'm doing.

Happy hunting!

P.S It would be fun to know what you decide in the end

Thanks a lot for the information!
I don't think I'm gonna chance my mic (at least, not now) because I still quite like my Zoom H1.
At the moment I'm still using Audacity. In a couple of weeks, when my exams are finished and I've got more time, I'm gonna start trying some different software programs you recommended.
I'll let you know which one I prefer in the end!

 

[Lime Cake Music]

Thanks a lot for the information!
I don't think I'm gonna chance my mic (at least, not now) because I still quite like my Zoom H1.
At the moment I'm still using Audacity. In a couple of weeks, when my exams are finished and I've got more time, I'm gonna start trying some different software programs you recommended.
I'll let you know which one I prefer in the end!

Yeah I think that's smart, my (limited) experience with Zoom is that the internal microphones work well and depending on your audio source might be all you need. No point in rushing into anything. Took a look at the song you posted in the cover section btw, sounds great!

 

[Hanne Verleysen]

Took a look at the song you posted in the cover section btw, sounds great!

thanks a lot! ^.^