# Music newb needing help in basic recording



## Metalmeerkat (Mar 31, 2012)

So, in accord with my past history of making horrible decisions, I've decided to try to record some music stuff. I'm a music newb, guitar newb, and especially a recording newb. My knowledge of recording is how to open up garage band, hit the record button, and save. Originally, I wanted to write a thrash metal song - something like from Metallica's Kill 'em All - but the currently it sounds anything but metal, so I'm not going to push it.

Right now, my biggest issue is trying to align takes (I think that's what they're called), and tracks (which I can't do to save my life). So . . . the current excuse for an instrumental I have right now flows about as well as a river of tar. I was wondering if I could get some tips on how to better record so they don't have such horrible transitions.

Here is the demo

I'm updating it to be a bit more acoustic, as I don't like the distortions (applied by software, not by an amp)

So here's what I recorded last night for the main track. As you can see, very horrible transitions, especially within the last solo. But I partially do I have an excuse for the solos  : they had to be modified at the last minute to accommodate my acoustic, since I originally made them on an electric guitar. Both demos are recorded over my old laptop mic, and the first with an unamplified electric (don't want to bug my apartment neighbors) and an acoustic in both. Since I don't have an actual bass, I just finger picked some barely audible basic riffs on the acoustic for the first one.

Any other criticism/advice is welcome too, but don't just call it shite. I already know that all too well.


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## Vukasin (Apr 1, 2012)

Well, first of all, how long have you been playing guitar for? I would recommend playing a little while longer. Learn some Metallica songs seeing as you want to sound like them. That way you can learn to play the guitar a little better and learn techniques used by Metallica and other thrash metal bands.

For recording electric guitars I would recommend getting a direct input that you can use to plug your guitar right into your computer. I have a "Line 6 POD Farm GX" (http://www.allansbillyhyde.com.au/images/products/LIPODSTGX.jpg) that I bought for $100. It has tons of amp settings including very good ones for metal. For reference, here is one of my songs(well, preview. It's not finished yet. The finished version will be on an album): http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7582395
You will also need drums, so download some basic drum samples that you can put into garage band. These are what I used when I first started recording: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/529782-sharing-my-collection-drum-samples-here.html

Hopefully that helps! If you need to know anything more, just ask!


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## Metalmeerkat (Apr 1, 2012)

Vukasin said:


> Well, first of all, how long have you been playing guitar for? I would recommend playing a little while longer. Learn some Metallica songs seeing as you want to sound like them. That way you can learn to play the guitar a little better and learn techniques used by Metallica and other thrash metal bands.
> 
> For recording electric guitars I would recommend getting a direct input that you can use to plug your guitar right into your computer. I have a "Line 6 POD Farm GX" (http://www.allansbillyhyde.com.au/images/products/LIPODSTGX.jpg) that I bought for $100. It has tons of amp settings including very good ones for metal. For reference, here is one of my songs(well, preview. It's not finished yet. The finished version will be on an album): http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7582395
> You will also need drums, so download some basic drum samples that you can put into garage band. These are what I used when I first started recording: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/529782-sharing-my-collection-drum-samples-here.html
> ...



I've had my guitars for a few years, but I have barely practiced at all because I've been very busy with school (including summers). Though the past few months I have been practicing much more. You're right, I definitely need to learn more songs; a lot of those riffs were made from messing around since I knew nothing else to play  . I'd love to buy some equipment if I had money, but I'm a college student and the money well dried up a while ago, so not much room for buying non-essentials until I get a job.

Though I'm kinda curious, how am I supposed to record tracks? All at once for the entire song, or in pieces? I did it in takes of a couple seconds each - hence the many pauses between takes. That's what I'm having a lot of trouble with, the timing between samples. I'm either overshooting and jamming them up onto each other or spacing them out to far, so I can't quite seem to get it right at all.

BTW, your music is awesome. Love the "On the Rock Farm".


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## Vukasin (Apr 1, 2012)

There is no way you're "supposed" to record. Just do what works for you.

I don't use garage band, but there should be a tool that you can use to cut the spaces between each piece you record. It takes practice to make it sound natural though. I recorded "On the Rock Farm" in pieces rather than one long take and it sounds pretty alright.

And thank you! Glad to know people like my stuff! ^^


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## ClockRadio (May 7, 2012)

This is much less insightful than the other replies, but when it comes to recording music for the first time, one of the best things to do can be to just.. Well, do it. In a way.

The more you play around with the software, hardware, or whatever else you might use, the better you'll understand it. It can take a while before you even end up with something listenable, but every bad track and mistake you make is another step closer to a perfect take. It usually isn't obvious at first, but if you do it for a while then listen to some of the first things you ever recorded, you can really hear the difference.

And also clipping. It took me a while to realize that recording with the microphone turned up as high as possible really isn't as good of an idea as I thought it was. It's a good idea to realize that when you're beginning, or else you just end up deaf by the time you finally know how to record something.


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## Lyxen (May 8, 2012)

It's not bad actually. When recording, don't use a computer mic. get even a cheap USB microphone made for recording, The computer picks up way to much noise... So there's that.. Other than that keep on doing hat your doing good work


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## Metalmeerkat (May 10, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I made another stab at recording, but not only did I not progress, I completely butchered it even more 
But at least it has an ending now. BTW, GB kept messing up the timing, so a lot of stuff I recorded correctly, but garage band would try to 'help' by right aligning every track take. For every minute I spent actually recording the tracks, I spent four more trying undo the mess made by this feature. The vast majority of the time unsuccessfully, cause it would just go back to the broken version. All in all, I'm going to have to try something different, because this current approach isn't working.

Most recent demo.


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