Do any of you know a way that my band could record short of spending money and getting into a studio somewhere? What are the best/cheapest home recording methods you know of?

It all depends what kind of sound you are looking to produce. My band is industrial, and we do all of our own recording in our own studio. To do it at home, you can start with a basic 4-track Tascam. I recommend this unit, as it is very durable and produces quality sound. As for music programs, there are a few good programs out there, such as ReBirth, Massiva, and Cubase. They can be purchased, although they can be a little on the expensive side, at most music retail outlets. We purchased our's at Steve's music, which is a major franchaise here. I highly recommend you go online and see if you can find one of these programs on a trial basis first, just to see if they are what you want BEFORE you purchase them first. Keep in mind, they can be a major investment for a musician on a budget.

Thanks. I wonder how much 4 track recorders cost. I already have an ok program for synths, Acid Pro 2.0.

http://www.samash.com
http://www.musiciansfriend.com

Both of these places have 4 tracks for cheap, as well as microphones and the such. These days, a basic Tascam or Fostex 4 track will run as low as $100 brand new. And don't be afraid to use those $15 Radio Shack microphones for your first recordings. You can get a cheap, basic mixer for about $100 at places like Radio Shack as well. Just remember, for your first recordings, you need to focus on learning things like microphone placement and balancing the volumes of separate instruments than high-dollar equipment. But you should be able to put your entire band on tape for under $250, if you shop smartly. After you get the hang of it, get better mics. Shure SM57s and Shure SM58s are THE best mics for the price out there, and they're not very much. Your microphone and it's placement will decide more of your sound than most other things. I've still got my Fostex 4 track that I bought a few years ago, and I love it.



In my high school days, out band had quite possibly the cheapest recording system ever. $150 4 track, and 2 $10 Radio Shack mics. One was in front of the bass drum, and one was hung over the drum set to get the snare and toms and cymbals. We would record all of our songs live, and then I would go back later and record the guitar and vocal tracks, and the bassist his track. Once we got it down, it sounded actually kind good. Good luck.

Thanks a lot. That should help a ton. Where did you hang it over the set?

I believe it was over and a little behind his head. His snare was deafning, so we weren't worried about that not cutting through, we just wanted the cymbals and toms to pick up somewhat. It worked nicely for the time being

Ok, thanks. I looked at those sites and I think I found something that will work.

Get a free catalog from them. That helps a lot