Old Timer New to Recording

[VastArray]

Would it be possible to simplify the question? What do you want to do?

[EngineerTHIS]

For the amateur musician, there are so many tools around these days for music production. First off, crank up your browser and search search search.

Worth checking out:
*Toon Track Ez & Superior drummer
*Steven Slate Drums
*Stylus RMX

There are lots of great rhythym / drum machines out there that work seemlessly in your DAW. From the sound of it, you have the knowledge to produce your own tunes from start to finish. That's a great way to hone your chops in mixing, production, ect.

It'll be easy enough to midi sequence drum, bass, synth parts along side your guitar parts. Cubase & Nuendo are powerful & intuitive DAWS and time spent tinkering will be rewarding. Lots of great videos out there too chap.

Where this is concerned, the world is your oyster man, have fun, try not to get divorced by spending too much time in the studio

[verve92]

Originally Posted by VastArray

Would it be possible to simplify the question? What do you want to do?

That was quite a lot. Thanks for posting!
Just make videos as I play several synths at one time.
I have no USB box yet but want to use the DSIs, but no USB-MIDI jack.
I'm thinking I will keep it simple at first and use my computers mic and Keyboard amp to get a song down. I have an SM57, but it is on loan.
Then try recording it into the Zoom once I settle on a composition. Think of it as a musical sketch pad.
Dunno what mic is better the computers or the iPhones?

[TheBrightSide]

Recording synths should be much easier than recording guitar or bass. Your only real challenge is getting the level right which isn't too hard.
Whereas with guitars you have levels, mic placement, room acoustics etc. Unless you record straight to disk.

[verve92]

Originally Posted by EngineerTHIS

For the amateur musician, there are so many tools around these days for music production. First off, crank up your browser and search search search.

Worth checking out:
*Toon Track Ez & Superior drummer
*Steven Slate Drums
*Stylus RMX

There are lots of great rhythym / drum machines out there that work seemlessly in your DAW. From the sound of it, you have the knowledge to produce your own tunes from start to finish. That's a great way to hone your chops in mixing, production, ect.

It'll be easy enough to midi sequence drum, bass, synth parts along side your guitar parts. Cubase & Nuendo are powerful & intuitive DAWS and time spent tinkering will be rewarding. Lots of great videos out there too chap.

Where this is concerned, the world is your oyster man, have fun, try not to get divorced by spending too much time in the studio

A lot of my synths are older and have no USB. Only one has MIDI USB.
Would it make more sense to record the older non-usb synths into the hardware recorder and send to DAW as .wav files later ? The Cubase 5 was given to me and never used yet but I have Cubase LE on my computer and been told it should suffice for basics, yes?
I would really like to use the hardware recorder before the DAW and if I need to use the DAW later I can import the files then.
Yeah been divorced once already. Not married but GF may kick my ass. Not much time to do this to begin with working 14 hour days.
Need a crash course.
For those not familiar(including me)not familiar with the Zoom HD 16 it is an earlier version of the R16 and R24 out now. Much better imo and made of metal and more sliders, bu uses a HD instead of SD Cards :
Zoom — HD16CD

But for now just a basic file via the computer (no DAW yet) playing synths though the KB100 amp.
DAMN wish I had my SM57. So I could just mic the amp into the Zoom or computer. There is a simple USB adapter for the SM57 mic yes?

[TheBrightSide]

Why not record the synths straight into the zoom? No amp needed.

[verve92]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

Why not record the synths straight into the zoom? No amp needed.

Want to make video of it.
But i may just do that.
The Zoom is quite complex machine to a noob, the manual is not good and assumes I know things I do not and very few videos on how to use online shockingly.
Been spending the last 2 years focusing on learning to program and play synth instead of using the Zoom. Needed to focus.
I have been to the Zoom forum, but not much doing there, tbo. Prefer GS anyways as I have been here for two years and (almost) everyone has been brilliant.

[TheBrightSide]

I don't wish to add to your workload (14 hour days, Jeeeeez), but I highly recommend that you give Cubase a good try. It will open up a new musical world for you.
It will seem daunting at first, but it really wont take you long to figure out the fundamentals.
The good thing is that there are tutorials for pretty much every feature of it on youtube which are easy to understand.
Also if you plan to do some collaberations in the future, this will make things much easier to swap files with others. It really is a great program.

[verve92]

Originally Posted by TheBrightSide

I don't wish to add to your workload (14 hour days, Jeeeeez), but I highly recommend that you give Cubase a good try. It will open up a new musical world for you.
It will seem daunting at first, but it really wont take you long to figure out the fundamentals.
The good thing is that there are tutorials for pretty much every feature of it on youtube which are easy to understand.
Also if you plan to do some collaberations in the future, this will make things much easier to swap files with others. It really is a great program.

Thanks BrightSide,
So, perhaps I will lay the tracks down in the Zoom and send to Cubase as like I said most synths I have don't have usb interface and don't feel like buying one. Then there is the whole thing with VST editors that cost money.
I opened up Cubase and there was like a blank screen LOL Why not have a bunch of tracks there with an on/off record/play?
The Zoom came with Cubase LE (on my Computer), but it is unclear whether I can operate Cubase via the Zoom as a control surface.
Example: Bring up Cubase and move sliders and controls on Zoom and have Cubase respond in kind. This does not seem to work.
The whole point of the Zoom is to NOT need a computer, but I am told mastering and mixing is better with Cubase.
Then I need a file called Mackie Control which I have no idea what this is.
Another thing about the Zoom that is annoying is the small screen. I wish there was an editor so I can have it on my computer screen.
Altogether confusing.....

[kieros]

For me the tweak's guide to home and project studio has been most helpful.

[verve92]

Originally Posted by kieros

For me the tweak's guide to home and project studio has been most helpful.

Thanks looks like an excellent resource.
Looking at it now.
Cheers!

[TheBrightSide]

Firstly, I gotta say that I would love to be in your shoes. It's like you've got almost all the right tools to put together something that sounds awesome, but you haven't explored their capabilities yet. Stunning potential with your gear list.
You could record into your zoom and transfer it to the computer, but I'm not sure if that would make for a good workflow. And there will be a way to hook up your zoom as a controller, but it's really not needed with cubase.
I don't know if you have one, but an audio interface would make life much easier.
You don't have to spend much, I love my Emu 1212m which is incredible value. Theres midi and 2 analog in's to record any of your lovely synths straight to disk. No usb concerns.
You don't have to spend any money on vst editors. Cubase 5 comes with every plugin you will need to get started. Theres a bunch of synths and drums, and every basic effect you can think of, all very usable. And the amount of free plugins out there, both synths and effects, is honestly unbelievable.
Also, when you open up Cubase, it is blank because you choose which track you want to add. Either audio (external recording) midi (to control an outboard synth) or instrument (an internal plug synth).
I don't want to sound like a cubase salesman, but you could do so much with it considering your instrument list. The automation alone is fantastic, you can easily program levels, panning, effects, basically everything.

Again, I hope I don't seem like I'm trying to sell you on anything, I just like the idea of you getting the most out of your gear recording wise.

[Syncamorea]

Originally Posted by verve92

Just make videos as I play several synths at one time.

Dunno what mic is better the computers or the iPhones?

I'll give a thumbs up on the reply that advised learning Cubase. Midi is easy on Cubase - this coming from another old-timer. I don't know the HD-16, but considering that you already have a significant investment in audio and music, I'd recommend you go shopping for a new interface that would help you simplify your setup. If you stick with Cubase, take a look at the Steniberg interfaces. They are trivial to use with Cubase and midi. For making videos where I plug in my own audio mixdown, I'm using Sony Vegas only because I have not yet replaced it with a better option.

Computer mics and iphone mics don't cut it in my opinion.

[brockorama]

Setup a project in Cubase exactly as you would like to see it when you start. Save that as a project or template and name it "Start" Eeezzy Peezy