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I am in no way professional, but can anyone tell me the most basic way to record drums on your home computer? I am not looking for expensive programs or anything....just the most cost-effective way to do it for my own personal use.

I am pretty computer-literate, but I have recorded close to nothing in the 15+ years I have owned computers.

I am looking to specifically record congas and bongos, so obviously mics and a couple of claws perhaps. What else? My soundcard came with a separate rack (pictured below), which may or may not help.

Any recommended free or cheap programs?

Thanks in advance.

There are many possible answers to your question. What do you want to record and why? Are you thinking of just recording 1 or 2 tracks of your own playing, or multitracking laying down 1 part at a time over the parts you have already recorded, or recording a group playing together in real time? What do you plan to do with the recordings - listen yourself to help perfect your technique, burn them onto CDs for your friends, demos for getting gigs, etc?

FREE:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Audacity is BASIC recording and mixing program that will do the job. Again, BASIC!!!. I mic my congas, send them to a little 4 channel mixer, then plug mixer into back of laptop. I can record to and mix to any tracks I've stored on my puter. Easy as pie and good enuf for just about anything that doesn't require a studio quality, top-of-the-shelf mix

Hola Congueros,

Sony Sound Forge 8 is an option, but is only 2 tracks (L, R) for stereo recording.

Sony Sound Forge 9 for multichanel recording.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforge

CongaTick wrote:FREE:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Audacity is BASIC recording and mixing program that will do the job. Again, BASIC!!!. I mic my congas, send them to a little 4 channel mixer, then plug mixer into back of laptop. I can record to and mix to any tracks I've stored on my puter. Easy as pie and good enuf for just about anything that doesn't require a studio quality, top-of-the-shelf mix

That sounds like what I am looking for, thanks. I like the option of mp3 or wav formats.
Any recommendations regarding mics? Like I said, I'm not looking to record in 75x, HD, THX Blue-Ray quality....just decent enough to sound good.

Jorge,

I was just looking for something to get some of my own playing recorded. This will be primarily for my own practice. Down the road, I'd like to get some audio of me and my friends playing. There is a actually a studio down the road that rents time pretty cheap if it came to that. Thanks to everyone again.

I think that there is no single "magic" thing that produces a great sounding recording. I rather think that a great recording is produced by the sum of the various steps/details/equipment that goes into the recording.

That being said, I think I might suggest that you use individual mic stands instead of rim clips ("claws", etc.). The stand-alone stands should reduce unwanted vibration/shock from travelling directly into the mic body when you hit the drum with your hands.

OK, for the purpose you describe, you could use Audacity, a free multitrack recording program. Adobe Audtion may be a little more user friendly and is more comprehensive and probably a little better sounding, with more effects plugins available. ProTools LE likewise, but ProTools requires that you use only Digidesign or M-Audio audio interfaces, it won't work with other interfaces.

For mics, I recommend the Shure SM57 as the best all around mic that you can use for either recording or live performances, it's cheap (around $90-$100), sounds better on congas than most other mics, and is reasonably durable. The industry standard for congas, if there is one, is probably the Sennheiser MD421, which costs a lot more (around $350).

Jorge,

I'm a cheap bastard 'cause I got no choice. Have 3 Samson clipons for my 3 drums setup plus a cheapo no-name omni on a goose neck stand for my big djembe when I use it. And the latter is what I use to record on audacity. I only use the clipons for gigs. Single mic boomed over your drums will work fine and with a lil Tapco mixer like this one http://www.tapcoworld.com/products/mixf ... tSlant.jpg
you can record and mix your jams on sep tracks if you want. (Lay down a bass line. Play it back while recording a lead guitar. Mix and playback to record a conga track, etc etc.) Works like a cheap (relatively) charm. BTW the SM-57 is an excellent investment though I can't afford it.

Is the go-to mic for congas the MD421 then? And would that be for live performance or for studio recording?

I have various Audix and Shure drum mics at my disposal, but have yet to record with them.... and I'm about to head to a studio for a recording project. I don't have the MD-421, and I'm not sure if this studio does, either....

Is it really "the industry standard" for congas????

The Sennheiser 421(white), grey and 421 mkii are among studio standards. To add to that , as Jorge mentioned is a Shure Sm57, you can even use a SM56, 58 and their newer BETA 57, 58.
421's are used more in the US for Salsa stuff to bring out the higher frequencies, it has a boost about 3-5 khz.
I like the 421mkii on some stuff, on others its too bright.

Many dynamics to choose at budget prices, all in the flavor you want.

Many other mice to choose from, another higher end studio standard is the AKG 414B/ULS- a large diaphram condensor(LDC)-which you need phantom power, and its predecessor 414 which most old studio AE's like the 414 EB. Some of those had the ultimate C12 capsule. Hard to find nowadays.


You might want to start with dynamics as mentioned earlier (57, 421) due to dynamics are known for their rejection of off axis capture. This means that it may sound "somewhat " compressed or less room sound since they have a smaller/tighter
pattern vs condensors.

T

Whopbamboom wrote:That being said, I think I might suggest that you use individual mic stands instead of rim clips ("claws", etc.). The stand-alone stands should reduce unwanted vibration/shock from travelling directly into the mic body when you hit the drum with your hands.

How these vibrations are harmfull for the record? What about mics on the goose neck e.g Shure Beta 98 h/c ? It is dediacted for drums so how to prevent harmful vibrations? I am interested in Beta 98 for congas but not sure...

From shures website

"The Beta 98H/C™ and the wireless version WB98H/C is a premium cardioid condenser instrument microphone that clamps onto the bell of wind instruments or onto the rim of percussion instruments. The integrated gooseneck and ratcheting swivel joint allows the mic to be easily positioned and secured, and an isolation shock-mount reduces the transmission of instrument 'key noise' and other mechanical noise. A gooseneck angle brace is included to provide better retention of the microphone placement during more active performances."

Is it realy able to reduce mechanical disturbance?

Victorius wrote:"The Beta 98H/C™ and the wireless version WB98H/C is a premium cardioid condenser instrument microphone

I think that for home recording to PC, condensers are not very appropriate, because they need the phantom power that you can get from mixing desk. Dynamics can be plugged straight into soundcard (with a convertor from XLR plug to the usual audio jack) with no mixing desk in between.

It is not a problem, I've got mixing desk with phantom power at home

Victorious, I realize that Shure says that the 98 gooseneck will clip directly onto a percussion rim. I just don't think that is necesserily the best way to mount a mic when recording. If you can do it with a stand-alone stand, then you should REALLY be able to minimize unwanted vibration, and theoretically this should give the potential for better recordings.

You' re probably right but I don't want to buy another mic for basic recording at home but use mic for live performance, so I need to choose good mics for live drumming on the stage. We often have a problem with place at our gigs so that's why I'd like to small mic without stand - it's a big advantage for me. Recording at home isn't very important. But if these vibrations are harmful also for live drumming so I will concider buying mics on a stand... Probably I need to try both ways of micing