Chiff and Fipple Forums

I am looking to use a MBP to record a few pipey things. Haven't a clue where to start. Tips?

The first hurdle is that the Retina Macbook Pro does not have a dedicated line input. So you either have to use the internal mic, or get either a USB adapter, or a headset adapter to use an external mic. There are some ideas and suggestions here https://discussions.apple.com/thread/40 ... 0&tstart=0

Next, you need a program to record with. One the complicated side, you can use Garage Band. A simpler program I have used for just recording one track is Audio Hijack Pro.

Garage band really is very easy to use, a bit like a glorified tape recorder. To get reasonable results you'll really need an audio interface and obviously a mic. You can pick up a Focusrite pre- amp (audio interface) pretty cheaply and they're good quaility. Here's an example http://www.dawsons.co.uk/focusrite-scar ... tAodAQUAmw

If you've got the dosh I'd do something like this. I haven't researched that iLok key thing the reviewers are unhappy about; might need to look at that. Could be like the dreaded Adobe "PITA Protocol."

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... erralID=NA

Otherwise, Garage Band but if you can get an interface (Larry's got the 399.00 MAudio and it's more than he needs) then you have a lot more latitude with microphones, especially since you'll probably want two or even three mics ... Garage Band's really klunky for editing, though. Pro Tools is infinitely better if you can get your hands on it. It looks like they have decent pricing for students ... know anyone?

Tom, You are dabbling in an area that can be just as addictive as pipes and "regulator key lock-down mechanisms (RKLDMs)! Beware!

Cathy is right on the money. ProTools is the best for editing audio, in my opinion. I also like LogicPro, which is a beefed up Garageband. There are several really good recording software programs. The iPhone and iPad even have good recording apps. (A buddy of mine in Nashville made a ridiculously good recording with his iPhone.)

The question turns to interfaces, and there are many! ProTools will run on most anything now, which is a great thing. There are considerations with each interface, such as the quality of the preamp and the quality of the A/D conversion. (Tim B can weigh in on all of this.)

Like I said, you are wading into deep, fun, addictive water my friend!

Forgot to mention... the iLoc is a bit of a pain, particularly if you are prone to losing things, but I think that ProTools is worth the fuss.

skipjam wrote: The iPhone and iPad even have good recording apps. (A buddy of mine in Nashville made a ridiculously good recording with his iPhone.)

I'd like to hear more, as the owner of a new iPad mini...

I have friends who have used Griffin iMic USB Audio Interface (pretty cheap solution) and Apogee One, Duet and Quartet.
As already mentioned, the sky/second mortgage on house is the limit

We'll talk KAD! Congrats on the iPad mini! I'll touch base with an Engineer in Nashvegas who is in love with his iPad and makes some great recordings with it. He'll give us some good tips.

I was getting pretty sick and tired of the tinny results the built-in mike on the I-Mac gave me, and I was beginning to believe that the tinny shight was how people heard my set, so I bought an AKG Perception120 condenser mike for about $60, an ART Tube MP Studio Mic Preamp for about $30, and plugged them into the I-Mac via the aforementioned Griffin iMic USB Audio Interface (also about $30). Oh yeah, I record to Audacity. Excellent results.

So Kara, I'm sure the same setup would work with your I-Pad Mini, though you might need a different kind of connector to go from the I-Mic to the Mini. I'll send you an example.

I use Audacity to record my whistling attempts. I find it much more usable than GarageBand for this type of recording.
Because my attempts are far to good playing, internal mic is enough for me.

Is there any advantage to the USB version of the AKG Perception120? Goes analog to digital.

My perspective on this might be a bit different, since after 20+ years of dabbling in electronic music (including graduate-school projects), a few years ago I realized that audio engineering is just about my least favorite thing to do with a computer. It has very little in common with playing music, which I'd much rather spend time on.

So, if you're in any way like me in that regard, here's my advice on Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, of which ProTools and LogicPro are notable examples:

1. Avoid the rabbit-hole altogether: recruit a friend who's really into audio technology to do the recording/engineering for you;

or

2. Download some product demos, and see which is easiest to use for you personally (compared to GarageBand), disregarding what anyone else says is the "best tool." The learning-curve on these DAW apps can be enormous, with no guarantee you'll like the tool any more after mastering it, than you did in your first week of messing with the demo version.

Note that any audio interface hardware you buy (I defer here to others' hardware recommendations) almost certainly comes bundled with a basic audio recorder/editor -- that might be good enough!

P.S. Having said all that, on those rare occasions I edit audio, nowadays Audacity is my go-to app (it's free and versatile). And you can't go wrong with AKG gear. But your mileage may vary...

Good luck,

Mick

Is there any advantage to the USB version of the AKG Perception120? Goes analog to digital.

I don't think so, but I'm not a techie. The mike requires phantom power, which the pre-amp i mentioned supplies. So I'm going XLR--XLR from mike to pre-amp, then XLR--1/4" jack from pre-amp to I-Mic, then via USB into the back of the I-Mac.
Check your e-mail.

I cant really recommend the retina for recoding pipes. You only really need a handful of tracks and very few plugins. The retina is good for screen space but I would advise a lower spec Mac and putting money towards a good audio interface, like the guys say above. I do the majority of my pipes recordings via the single channel Apogee One.

Having the power of the retina makes more sense in, say, recording a band live at a gig with lots of tracks, or working with a song that needs a lot of post production.

I can recommend using GarageBand (free with your computer) and see how you get on with that. Logic and Pro Tools are great options once youve exhausted all the possibilities with GarageBand.

If you live near an Apple Store pop in for a chat before you buy. They offer a training package on music production which can get you started.