Low budget drum recording help!

Joey182

Silver Member
Hey there! I'm looking to start recording drums but I must keep my cost under 450$.
I already have the drums, and the computer, and a great sounding room. I just need to know what I will need? Please recommend: mics, mixers, software, stands and all the other necessary equipment.

I have never done this before, so please give me a list of what I need and your recommendation.
---------------------------------Joey Lee
 
Dell desktop (no idea what model). Lots of hardware space available.
Windows XP home edition.
I know it sucks!

Those aren't much of specs. What processor? How much RAM? What Motherboard? Those are the key things for USB and Firewire recording.
And...are you sure you want to record those Gretsch? You might need to downgrade here, buddy...I'd start 4 or 5 more threads about the subject to make sure.


Fox.
 
Those aren't much of specs. What processor? How much RAM? What Motherboard? Those are the key things for USB and Firewire recording.
And...are you sure you want to record those Gretsch? You might need to downgrade here, buddy...I'd start 4 or 5 more threads about the subject to make sure.


Fox.

What do you mean "downgrade"? Whats wrong with recording my Gretsch'? Sounds good and I have RemO's on them, with moongels, and new resonant heads.

ANYWAY. I'm not sure about what I have on my computer. I bought it from BestBuy like 7 years ago and haven't taken a look at it since.
 
Throw us a bone and find out what your computer specs are!
 
Yeah your computer's old mate! However I bought my old desktop 6 years ago, its still not too bad. I upgraded to Windows 7 however.

Its old! I have no idea whatsoever!

Im not THAT familliar with XP, but to bring up your specs. I believe its Start > My Computer > And in the left a little notice box thingy that collapsable should say System Properties > And under one of the tabs (General I think) Should give you all your main PC Specs.

To be honest how much does that matter? Won't a audio interface work with most operating systems?

And its more to do with the program taking alot of memory aswell, if youve got anything less then 1GB Ram, 2.0Ghz and 150gb Hard Drive then I would reccomend an upgrade. Software demands alot of memory now a days, the good thing is, if you do requite an upgrade. Extremely powerful are quite cheap.

Hey there! I'm looking to start recording drums but I must keep my cost under 450$.
I already have the drums, and the computer, and a great sounding room. I just need to know what I will need? Please recommend: mics, mixers, software, stands and all the other necessary equipment.

You are new to recording (As am I) but I will break it down for exactly what ARE the essentials and any optionals.

Mic Gear

ESSENTIALS
1 x Bass Drum Mic + Mini Boom Mic Stand
1 x Snare/Tom Mic + Mic Clip
2 x Overhead Mic. + Mic Stand (You can get away with 1 as that doesnt cause phasing issues)
XLR Cables to fit them into Interface/Mixer

Optional
1 x Snare/ Tom Mic + Clip (This can be used to mic the bottom skin to add that crack to the mix)
Several Snare/Tom Mic + Clip (For the toms if you wish to mic them)
Several Overhead Mic + Mic Stand (To mic certain cymbals and instruments)
XLR Cables to fit them into Interface/Mixer

PC Related Gear
This is where it gets tricky but Ill give you a reccomendation

Mixers:
A mixer allows you to plug in your mics, mix the analog sound using certain EQ Features such as frequency boosts, panning etc. Most mixers will provide phantom power to power condenser mics and have preamps which boosts low level signals to a usable level (I think!) and then it gets send to the Workstation by either RCA Cables, Jacks, sometimes USB and Firewire

Good
This is usually a great option to beginners as its fairly easy to mix and provides most things like Preamps and Phantom Power
Bad
Most mixers do not allow you to edit individuals channels (Toms/Bass etc.) and they are already usually edited to much for someones liking. This is usually countered by a hybrid analog/digital mixer which has a USB or Firewire interface.

Audio Interface
These are for more experienced users but are just as easy to use imo. They provide direct connection to your PC allowing for full editing and manipulation of each channel. People either buy seperate Interfaces or make use of thier sound card to plug in thier mics.

Good:
Full control of channels and manipulation, easy to plug in and setup.

Bad:
Most do not have built in Preamps, Phantom Power etc. they are also quite alot more expenesive.

Will add more info later but my battery is about to die!
 
Last edited:
Its old! I have no idea whatsoever!

To be honest how much does that matter? Won't a audio interface work with most operating systems?

It matters a lot. If your computer doesn't have enough CPU power or RAM, then the interface may work fine, but your software options are far more limited. I know the limitations of all of my systems and alter how I use them accordingly. For example, I wouldn't try to run four impulse response revebs as well as three modelling synthesisers an my old iMac, it just doesn't have the CPU overhead necessary. XP will recognise everything interface-wise, but that's not the issue. Snow Leopard in 64-bit (my system) on the other hand...

You need to start searching Google for instructions on how to do basic things on your computer like find the system specifications.

Also: www.soundonsound.com has some GREAT basic recording tutorials. I read the magazine every month too, but most of the back issues are up on the web.

You need to start taking this into your own hands and get your hands dirty, then you might find people here more accommodating when you start asking questions.
 
Yeah your computer's old mate! However I bought my old desktop 6 years ago, its still not too bad. I upgraded to Windows 7 however.



Im not THAT familliar with XP, but to bring up your specs. I believe its Start > My Computer > And in the left a little notice box thingy that collapsable should say System Properties > And under one of the tabs (General I think) Should give you all your main PC Specs.



And its more to do with the program taking alot of memory aswell, if youve got anything less then 1GB Ram, 2.0Ghz and 150gb Hard Drive then I would reccomend an upgrade. Software demands alot of memory now a days, the good thing is, if you do requite an upgrade. Extremely powerful are quite cheap.



You are new to recording (As am I) but I will break it down for exactly what ARE the essentials and any optionals.

Mic Gear

ESSENTIALS
1 x Bass Drum Mic + Mini Boom Mic Stand
1 x Snare/Tom Mic + Mic Clip
2 x Overhead Mic. + Mic Stand (You can get away with 1 as that doesnt cause phasing issues)
XLR Cables to fit them into Interface/Mixer

Optional
1 x Snare/ Tom Mic + Clip (This can be used to mic the bottom skin to add that crack to the mix)
Several Snare/Tom Mic + Clip (For the toms if you wish to mic them)
Several Overhead Mic + Mic Stand (To mic certain cymbals and instruments)
XLR Cables to fit them into Interface/Mixer

PC Related Gear
This is where it gets tricky but Ill give you a reccomendation

Mixers:
A mixer allows you to plug in your mics, mix the analog sound using certain EQ Features such as frequency boosts, panning etc. Most mixers will provide phantom power to power condenser mics and have preamps which boosts low level signals to a usable level (I think!) and then it gets send to the Workstation by either RCA Cables, Jacks, sometimes USB and Firewire

Good
This is usually a great option to beginners as its fairly easy to mix and provides most things like Preamps and Phantom Power
Bad
Most mixers do not allow you to edit individuals channels (Toms/Bass etc.) and they are already usually edited to much for someones liking. This is usually countered by a hybrid analog/digital mixer which has a USB or Firewire interface.

Audio Interface
These are for more experienced users but are just as easy to use imo. They provide direct connection to your PC allowing for full editing and manipulation of each channel. People either buy seperate Interfaces or make use of thier sound card to plug in thier mics.

Good:
Full control of channels and manipulation, easy to plug in and setup.

Bad:
Most do not have built in Preamps, Phantom Power etc. they are also quite alot more expenesive.

Will add more info later but my battery is about to die!

Thanks! That probably took a while to type!

What do you think of just recording with 2 overheads and a bass and snare? I have heard some demos of this, and I'm quite impressed.
 
Bad:
Most do not have built in Preamps, Phantom Power etc. they are also quite alot more expenesive.

That's not true though. Really, really cheap interfaces may only have one or two preamps (I'm looking at you, Digidesign) but any consumer interface worth your time will have. I'd say the minimum would be 4 XLR Inputs (all phantom powered) and a Line In. In terms of output, a minimum of a stereo output. More expansive interfaces really aren't that expensive. I'll give you a rundown of my system (in UK Pounds).

Computer:
Late 2009 15" MacBook Pro. No need to go into the specs. Not strictly relevant, but my experiences differ slightly.

Interface:
Line 6 TonePort UX8
8 Preamps with XLR Input
8 Line In (with two high-impedance designed for guitars)
SPDIF In/Out
8 Balanced Jack Outputs (this is where it is more advanced than most in the same category) with 2 'Main' outputs.
2 Headphone Outputs

Total Cost: £350

Which, in perspective, is actually pretty cheap. Considering it is twice as much as you need (I have used it all on occasion) and that it comes with some great guitar modelling software, I'm happy. It sounds pretty decent too and the A/D converters are quite clean.

Now, I wouldn't recommend that a non-nerd buy my interface. And here are the reasons.
i) Poor software support. Doesn't work in OS X 64-bit. I have to use the 32 bit kernel when I'm using it (needs a reboot). Using it in XP would be child's play.
ii) Better quality interfaces for a similar price from more respected manufacturers.

But it's actually really rather good and the 8-out capability lets me do all sorts of interactions with outboard gear. Which is convenient. The software drivers (32 Bit only!) are flexible and let you change all the settings on the interface from the software.

Now, to put that in perspective, you should probably pay for something more basic. That would set you back around $250 to $300. Then you could buy a reasonable pair of overhead mics for around $200.

Really, the Overheads, Snare, Bass approach on recording works fine, but actually so can two overheads alone if you know what you're doing and I would start that way so you can get better quality gear incrementally.

Forget about using a mixer for recording. There's no point. Stereo input alone doesn't give you any kind of flexibility of editing.
 
SO what I need is:

Interface- Yamaha AUDIOGRAM 6 COMPUTER RECORDING SYSTEM
Condenser mics- MXL 993 Condenser Microphones Stereo Pair
Stands- DR Pro Tripod Mic Boom Stand
Cables- Live Wire LIVEWIRE XLR MICROPHONE CABLE 20 FT
Software- Acoustica Mixcraft 5 Audio MIDI Music Recording Software

Type this in on GuitarCenter.com I need your feedback!
 
That sounds fine, but I would go with Reaper as your DAW (the software) rather than Mixcraft.

http://www.reaper.fm/index.php

You would qualify for the $40 Licence and Reaper is gaining use from all sorts in the industry as a professional-quality platform.

The Yamaha looks fairly good. Although that only has two XLR (Microphone) inputs and you might want to expand in the future. You could probably find a cheaper two-preamp interface without the control surface as well.

Word of warning. If you go with Reaper (and I strongly recommend it) be careful that your computer can actually handle it. On modern systems, it wouldn't be a problem and whilst Reaper is very lightweight compared to say, Logic Pro (what I use) I would still find out your computer specifications first. If it can't run Reaper, then there's not a lot it will run.
 
That sounds fine, but I would go with Reaper as your DAW (the software) rather than Mixcraft.

http://www.reaper.fm/index.php

You would qualify for the $40 Licence and Reaper is gaining use from all sorts in the industry as a professional-quality platform.

The Yamaha looks fairly good. Although that only has two XLR (Microphone) inputs and you might want to expand in the future. You could probably find a cheaper two-preamp interface without the control surface as well.

Word of warning. If you go with Reaper (and I strongly recommend it) be careful that your computer can actually handle it. On modern systems, it wouldn't be a problem and whilst Reaper is very lightweight compared to say, Logic Pro (what I use) I would still find out your computer specifications first. If it can't run Reaper, then there's not a lot it will run.

The scary but OK part is that I can buy one of them, see if its compatible, and if it isn't I can return it! But yes your correct about the Yamaha pricing and XLR inputs for it.
What do you think about just the 2 overheads?
 
The reason I suggest Reaper is that it has a really good support community and mainstream success. Some of the big magazines are running Reaper tutorials. Reaper is download-only, but they should have email support and there is an active user forum on the Reaper website.

Two overheads works just fine. It's not as flexible as more microphones, but it's a great way to introduce yourself to the basics of recording. All the principles can be used and experimented with with just two microphones. If you want a third, get a specialist bass drum microphone if you are only recording drums. If you are recording more than just drums, it would be wise to buy yourself a second hand SM57 or 58 as these can be used to record a number of other things (guitar cabs, etc) and you could use a condenser for vocals and are very rugged. Although not a specialist bass drum microphone, they can be used, although they are not ideally suited and you'd have to be careful about placement.

You should familiarise yourself with the basics of acoustics, recording and digital audio. A good (albeit slightly out of date) start would be here:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul01/articles/pcmusician0701.asp

Read that and see if it makes any sense.
 
The reason I suggest Reaper is that it has a really good support community and mainstream success. Some of the big magazines are running Reaper tutorials. Reaper is download-only, but they should have email support and there is an active user forum on the Reaper website.

Two overheads works just fine. It's not as flexible as more microphones, but it's a great way to introduce yourself to the basics of recording. All the principles can be used and experimented with with just two microphones. If you want a third, get a specialist bass drum microphone if you are only recording drums. If you are recording more than just drums, it would be wise to buy yourself a second hand SM57 or 58 as these can be used to record a number of other things (guitar cabs, etc) and you could use a condenser for vocals and are very rugged. Although not a specialist bass drum microphone, they can be used, although they are not ideally suited and you'd have to be careful about placement.

You should familiarise yourself with the basics of acoustics, recording and digital audio. A good (albeit slightly out of date) start would be here:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul01/articles/pcmusician0701.asp

Read that and see if it makes any sense.

I feel that you've gone out of your way for me :).

What other interface would you recommend that is close to that same price.
By the way, I think I will go with the MixCraft. I am doing this because its EXTREMELY easy to figure out, and I have many people that have said great things about it.
 
Ok, go with Mixcraft if you figure it's the better option.

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/m-audio-fast-track-pro/4124

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/presonus-audiobox-usb/20843

Are two. I'm finding it tricky to find a four-input interface. They used to be easy to find.

I think your best bet though is the Alesis MultiMix 8. Make sure you get the USB model for your purposes.

Of course I will get the USB model! I don't know too much about computers and wiring, so the USB would be my best bet!
 
There are two models of some of these, that's all. Some use FireWire, some use USB. Your computer probably hasn't got a FireWire card, but they are relatively inexpensive (around $20) if you find an interface that is better than any USB one at a similar price.

I really think that Alesis is a steal. If I didn't have what I have and were on a smaller budget, I'd be giving it serious thought.

If you don't know much about computers now, brace yourself. It's going to be a learning curve!
 
There are two models of some of these, that's all. Some use FireWire, some use USB. Your computer probably hasn't got a FireWire card, but they are relatively inexpensive (around $20) if you find an interface that is better than any USB one at a similar price.

I really think that Alesis is a steal. If I didn't have what I have and were on a smaller budget, I'd be giving it serious thought.

If you don't know much about computers now, brace yourself. It's going to be a learning curve!

That Alesis looks good! I think I'll go with that one over the Yamaha, due to more mic inputs and more settings and options.

To be totally honest, how hard and difficult will it be to start recording efficiently? On a scale from 1-10?
 
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