After years of trying to figure out how to eliminate background hiss when recording at home on a PC, I think I finally figured out where it was coming from. It wasn’t coming from the M-Audio Fast Track. It’s not because this room isn’t sound proofed. I think the culprit is definitely the microphone itself. It’s a Shure SM58 which is a dynamic mic so it’s not really the best mic for home recording. It’s a good enough sounding mic for performing at live shows but for home recording no. For home recording, I think I would need a condenser mic in which I do have.

I just learned the difference between dynamic mic and condenser mic:

http://homerecording.about.com/od/microphones101/a/mic_types.htm

The Condenser mic I have is the Shure SM86 which is a phantom powered microphone:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM86

I bought the Shure SM58 and SM86 myself years ago. The Shure SM86 Condenser have never been used yet because I don’t have anything with phantom power.

That’s why I want to get the Focusrite Scarlett 214 ’cause it’s a phantom powered interface and I might be able to use the SM86 on it:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i4

The SM86 wasn’t a cheap microphone at all as you can see, I bought it for $180 years back. Still have it, just never used it and would like to use it. To use a phantom power mic, it takes special connections in order to use so I’m gonna research into it. I wanna use the SM86 for home recording at some point.

Maybe all the hissing is coming from the old M-Audio Fast Track. If I get a better audio interface, maybe that’ll help get a better sound,

Well, like I keep saying I think I’m definitely gonna upgrade from the M-Audio Fast Track to Focusrite Scarlett 214. I wanna a bigger and better sound. Trying all I can to get that perfect and clean sound I’m looking for. That’s okay ’cause I think M-Audio Fast Track is garbage anyway… I never liked that interface and looking for something even better. The Focusrite looks just right for me.

Kev

The audio interface that I currently have is the M-Audio Fast Track…

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FastTrackUSB/

I plugged the M-Audio Fast Track to see if it will work. It does. I can hear myself play and sing through the thing but the only thing is that the audio skips at some times and acts all weird. I found out why that the M-Audio Fast Track doesn’t support Windows 7. You can see it in the link above that the Fast Track doesn’t support Windows 7 64 bit. The Fast Track may still work but it probably won’t record the audio on the newer DAW’s that are out there. All the new DAW’s out there probably won’t support the old M-Audio Fast Track anymore.

So I’m in definite need of a new audio interface which I’m gonna start saving up for the Focusrite Scarlett 214.

As for DAW, I’ve also been looking at Reaper as this have also been getting positive reviews:

http://www.reaper.fm/

Reaper is also very popular in the musicians community so I’ll probably start with that one soon. I’ll go with the $60 version.

All this technology with music is kind of frustrating, ya know? Having to re-buy all of this equipment so you can keep recording. That’s why all these DAW’s keep coming out with new versions so it can force you to buy new products. Just their sneaky way of making more money. That’s how they make the money.

I gotta have these things so I can record on, ya know? I gotta continue to make music ’cause I love it and can’t live without it. I’ll continue to record songs on the Ipad, though ’cause I was impressed with the sound quality on that thing. The sound quality on the Ipad is cleaner than the PC, in my opinion.

As you can see, I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to technology and music recording but I’m getting the hang of these things.

Kev

Honestly, I’m beginning to become a little skeptical of that “Mixcraft” software so I think I’m gonna scratch that idea and look for something different down the road. I’m reading that people are experiencing computer crashes with “Mixcraft” and I read somewhere that the software only works with certain audio interfaces. I won’t bother getting “Mixcraft” and will search for something different down the road. I will continue to research DAW’s though. I gotta find DAW that’ll work with Focusrite Scarlett 214.

I’m still gonna save up for the Focusrite Scarlett interface and the studio monitors, though. Just gotta find a good DAW that would work with that stuff and I’m gonna research into it.

Kev

I hate revealing my New year’s resolutions ’cause they are pretty much the same and some of them don’t really happen. If I were to name a few of my New Year’s Resolutions… I’ll try to name a few…

• Ignore the negative people and focus on the positives: Over the years of my life, I used to have a problem responding to the negative people, bullies and losers who seem to be obsessed with treating me like crap. I’m getting better at ignoring the negative people and I gotta keep at it. If you wonder why I’m strict at moderating online, this is why. It’s just my way of eliminating the assholes out of my life. Notice how I only respond to happy and positive people?
• Get better at healthy nutrition: I eat mostly clean to help keep my muscular physique and keep my bodyfat low & stuff. I’m gonna try to get even more strict on my nutrition. Eat a lot more vegetables and protein.
• Keep going with the bodybuilding: Yeah, I’m gonna keep going with the bodybuilding all year-round like always.
• Hopefully start dating some women and actually do something about it this year: I did so much reading and research on the “dating & relationship” stuff over the past year or so. I got enough info and I gotta go out there and do these things. Meet some women and hopefully start dating ’em. One at a time, of course, lol. I used to believe that I won’t be able to hook up with a nice lady but I gotta stop being negative about myself for it. I used to think women won’t like me but I’m just starting to see that women do. I used to be shy over women but I think I have gotten a lot more confident around them, I think. I have no problem talking to them and have no problem touching them either. I know I should have no problem getting a girlfriend. I gotta get somebody before I get any older. I deserve a nice woman.
• Hopefully get some work: I’ll admit that I’ve been unemployed for a couple of years. Not that long. I think I’m gonna start job hunting right away this month. Gotta write-up a new resume and stuff. I’m not upset being unemployed, though. Life’s been great and I’ve been much happier ’cause day jobs can be pretty demanding but I guess I should get back to it.
• Get out of the house more & make some new friends: I really should do this too. Meet new people and hang out. I don’t need a whole bunch of friends. Just a few good ones is all I need.

That’s it. Enjoy.

Kev

I don’t go out on New Year’s Eve ’cause it’s safer that way. Partying in my opinion is pretty lame. I celebrate New Year’s Eve at home every year from now on ’cause I repeat, it’s SAFER! I used to go out partying on New Year’s Eve in the past though but stopped doing that.

I’m just gonna stay home and chill. Watch a movie probably and then the ball drop on TV.

To those that do go out… be safe, drink responsibly and please, try not to get arrested for a DWI! This is obviously the police’s favorite day as it’ll keep ’em busy and they’ll be everywhere out there. If you go out, don’t drink and drive. Take a taxi or walk home. If you don’t drive, don’t ride home with someone who is drunk.

If you get laid with someone, make sure you wear protection too as I’m sure you won’t. HA!

Have a safe New Year’s Eve!

Kev

Think I’m gonna go for the Focusrite Scarlett 214 audio interface:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i4

and I think I’m gonna go for the PreSonus Eris E4.5 Monitors:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ErisE4.5

Both of these sound really good to me and both of these are getting mostly positive reviews. Both are not too bad of a price. Both are $200 and I think I’m gonna start saving up. If I save up to $400, I could get these both at the same time. These speakers sound pretty damn good ’cause they were made for an amateur like studio that is not all that perfect but they’ll still sound really good.

As for new DAW recording software, I think I’m gonna go for Acoustica Mixcraft 6:

Sounds pretty good to me. Acoustica Mixcraft is pretty close to Apple’s Garageband except it’s even better. Plus, it’s the only DAW software that I can find that is pretty affordable. I’ll start off with a cheap DAW for now until I get something even better down the road.

This is gonna take several months to save up for all this but I’m gonna do it. Maybe I’ll even save up to $500 and I can get all of this at once. I like that idea better. I’m also gonna start job hunting again real soon and that way I can save up for this stuff even faster. I’m in need of a new computer rig and I think I found what I’m looking for here.

Kev

I think it’s a pretty good idea to get studio speaker monitors after all. I also think it’s a good idea to get both studio monitors and regular stereo speakers w/ stereo amplifier.

I’ve already found an audio interface that I’m interested in getting… I think I’m gonna go for the Focusrite Scarlett 214:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i4

The Focusrite product is getting mostly positive reviews from recording musicians out there so I think I’m gonna give that product a try. I think I’m gonna move on from M-Audio Fast Track ’cause I don’t really like it and think I’m gonna try something different.

I’m hoping to find studio equipment that will give me a good enough clean studio sound w/ no background hiss or anything like that.

Trying to find good studio monitors (speakers) is pretty tough. I don’t wanna get no cheap studio monitors… somewhere around the 150 – 200 price range is good enough for me. I want a good enough loud and full sound with bass and a subwoofer. Same with regular stereo speakers. I’m gonna get both kind of speakers studio monitors and stereo.

I’m also gonna look into getting some new DAW software… the ones with MIDI on them and the ones that have piano roll and stuff. That way I can type in the chords, notes and stuff to get ideas out of my head. I do know some music theory. I’m not a music theory wiz yet but getting there, though. Learning music theory would help with home music recording when you’re working with MIDI and stuff. I want to make my own backing tracks for my songs so I can create some great guitar jams and stuff. I’m researching and googling all of this information as best as I can.

Maybe I will even say fuck MIDI… I’ll just get a real band together with human musicians!!! Still though, MIDI is a good idea to help get song ideas out of your head and you won’t forget ’em.

For a long time now, I’ve been trying to find ways to make band backup behind my songs and that’s what I want. Hopefully, someday make a full band rock n’ roll album with tight as hell riffs and face-melting guitar solos all over! Someday I would like to release my debut album so I can maybe release for Itunes, Spotify, etc. It’ll all gonna be homemade on a low budget. That’s how Eastbound Jesus recorded their first album, I believe. I’d like to do the same thing.

I’m in desperate need of a whole new recording rig and I’m working things out.

Kev

For the past couple of days, I’ve been researching on the best studio monitors that I can get for home recording that’s affordable. I just read somewhere that you don’t really need studio monitors ’cause they were designed for hearing the mix in a studio. Like when you’re mixing music on a computer or those huge studio boards with all those controls, that’s when you need studio monitors. For someone that records at home and when you’re doing it just as a hobby, you don’t really need studio monitors.

I’ll just get a regular stereo amplifier and stereo speakers for my computer to listen to playback with. Not studio monitors. I think it’s better that way. I like using headphones when recording guitars and vocals anyways. I’m gonna soon buy a stereo amplifier and stereo speakers so I can listen to playback of my songs, listen to music through Itunes or play PC Games with. Yes, I can play PC games on this computer now since I have a video card on it. So I think I’ll scratch the studio monitors idea.

I still need a new audio interface and DAW software, though. All the old stuff I already got won’t work on a Windows 7 64 bit software so I’m gonna have to get a new everything. Stereo amplifier/speakers first, then audio interface and then DAW software.

Kev

I’ve got a whole new PC now, a much better one and a much faster computer which I am happy with. Now I feel it’s time for a whole new music recording rig. Better equipment and something more professional sounding.

First, I would need a pair of studio speaker monitors. Not computer speakers, “studio” monitors. There is a difference between the two. When recording music professionally at home, you need studio monitors and I’ve been trying to find good ones online for the past week. I’m looking for speakers nothing too expensive. Somewhere around the $80 – $150 price range. I’m sure I can find great sounding speakers around that range. I want studio monitors with USB so I can hook them up to a computer and hook up the speakers to an Ipad.

I’m also gonna get a new M-Audio Fast Track Interface with MIDI on it. I already have a keyboard with MIDI on it. I’m not the best keyboardist/pianist but I’m gonna learn and take it more seriously. I would like to learn MIDI so I can make my own backing tracks for my music and stuff.

I would also need new DAW software. I think I’m gonna go for something much cheaper and affordable than ProTools. I’m sure there are great DAW software out there that is affordable like Reaper, Cakewalk SONAR X3, FL Studio, Acoustica Mixcraft, Sony Acid Pro, etc.

I’m probably gonna go with Acoustica Mixcraft ’cause it’s pretty similar to Apple’s Garageband… close enough anyway…

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Mixcraft6Pro

Acoustica Mixcraft sounds pretty good as it is mostly getting positive reviews.

Not only that I have to get a whole new music recording rig, I also need new movie editing software as well. I’m getting into researching that. For now, I’ll just continue to record and edit videos on the Ipad until I get new movie editing software for the PC.

I’m gonna focus on getting all of these in 2015.

Kev

The blog was kind of slow today ’cause of course, it’s Christmas and I’ve been busy spending it with my own family and stuff. I wanted to take the day off writing controversial and negative things so today I’ll keep it positive.

I got some pretty nice gifts. I just got a few new books to read, a few movies on Blu Ray (“Expendables 3” and Disney’s “Maleficient”) and I also got “The Evil Within” video game for the PS3.

I also got a whole new computer and a much better one w/ Windows 7. I needed a new Windows software since Microsoft killed XP earlier this year, remember that??? So this means that I gotta get a whole new music recording rig for my PC. I gotta get a new DAW software that supports Windows 7. I’ll also need a new M-Audio Interface with MIDI so I can hook up a MIDI controller with it. Then I’ll need studio speaker monitors (not computer speakers). I’ll start saving for this stuff in 2015 which is gonna take some time. I don’t know what DAW software I’m gonna get, yet. I’m thinking of going for the latest edition of ProTools. I’m sure there is something more affordable then that but I’m gonna research into it more. In the meantime, I think I’m gonna start hunting for a job in 2015 so I can save up for this stuff even faster.

While getting gifts from your family and friends is fun, the most important thing about Christmas is spending it with family. I just love the Holidays and celebrating it.

Hope you all are having a great Holiday today and Merry Christmas!

Kev