[GH0STrider]

I dont have a lot of money or experience with recording. i had a copy of cool edit pro software and messed with it a bit. but thats about my extent of recording. can anyone suggest a reletivly cheap software program and some tips to getting a pro sound? ive heard that cakewalk guitar pro 3.0 is pretty sweet. and suggestions?

[smueske]

What do you want to do with it?

[Mr. S]

if you're a mac user id suggest Garageband, its simple to use even if you dont have much idea what youre doing all you have to do is a quick tutorial, i use it if theres a lick or a cool riff ive got going through my head...

if you use a PC the only recording software ive had any experience with is Cubase which is also a brilliant program if a little complicated at first, hope this helps dude.

[Ken]

Originally Posted by GH0STrider

I dont have a lot of money or experience with recording. i had a copy of cool edit pro software and messed with it a bit. but thats about my extent of recording. can anyone suggest a reletivly cheap software program and some tips to getting a pro sound? ive heard that cakewalk guitar pro 3.0 is pretty sweet. and suggestions?

Welcome to the rest of your life.

Everyone is looking for pro sound, and most of us fail by varying degrees. I could write a big, long book on my suggestions, but here are a few simple rules to follow:

1. When you're happy with your tone, immediately roll-off some of the bass to make room for the other instruments you're going to invite to the party.

2. If you want a pro sound, use pro gear. This doesn't imply spending tens of thousands of dollars, just get the best you can afford.

3. Pay attention to levels. That pretty, red light labeled "clip" should only flicker on and off every so often. If you don't have a "clip" light, then you probably have meters that indicate how hot the signal is. These should reach the highest point only during transient events such as a snare hit too hard, etc.

4. "Solo" is not what you push when you're getting ready to play fast. This function isolates the specific channel you're working on, so you can see just how hot the signal is. Adjust your levels to around 0db, then you can turn the "solo" function off to hear the rest of the channels again.

5. "Pan" is not a goat-boy the plays pipes in your songs. Use this when you want to differentiate tracks. For instance, you can pan the guitar a bit to the right, and the bass a bit to the left to make them more prominent on one side of the mix. Or, you can do like many other bands have done and pan instruments all the way to one side. Just remember that Jethro will not be able to hear your solo in his truck because he blew a speaker listening to Vince's album.

6. Turn the guitar up. Don't leave it in the background and let it hide behind the drums.

7. Roll more bass out of your sound, because you probably still have too much and the bass player's parts won't be as distinguishable from yours.

8. Don't, I repeat, DON'T record something, mix it down, burn it to disc, and then tell everyone all the bad things about it while they're listening to it (a big is to actually point out the mistakes as they happen). If you're gonna let other people hear it, then let them enjoy it. If that means laughing at it, well, that's a form of enjoyment I suppose.

Guess I went ahead and wrote that book anyway. Available in hardcover for the first year, then soft cover next Fall.