The Guitarist's Home Studio
When an idea strikes, it can be magical sometimes. And as you enter into that blissful moment of being lost in the music, you then step back into reality and try to remember what you just played in your altered state. This is where having the capability to record what you jam is an essential part of growing as a musician. For guitarists there are many ways to get those ideas down. From old fashion boom box recordings to full blown Pro Tools, there are a number of ways to create a nice little "Home Studio" for the guitarist. Let's explore a few basics that you'll need, then we can look at some options that will allow you to acquire the tools more affordably. You will need your instrument, effects, a medium for recording such as a cassette deck, computer, hard disc recorder, etc., and possibly a mic depending on your preferred set up. Also you may want a small mixer if you intend on running several instruments like a drum machine or keyboard into your recording device along with your guitar. Lastly you will need some sort of monitoring setup for playback. This can be as simple as using a pair of headphones, plugging the recorder's output into your stereo, or getting a small pair of powered speakers. Here are a few possible setups you can consider.
The Budget Method
Cheap: Go on Craigslist and find a used Mac or PC and an MBox. These things can be acquired much cheaper than imagined and with this kind of set up you will have all the capabilities needed to just plug in and record, mix, add effects & amp simulation, etc! I recently put together a great mobile setup like this for under $500. Cheaper: Get your hands on a hard disc recorder unit or even a 4 track recorder. These have come down considerably in price and have long been a stable way of laying down the next big hit! Cheapest: You can get creative with that iPhone and use a cheap program like iRig and a Y-adapter from Radio Shack to plug it into a cassette deck or recording device. Or you can use any cheap hand held recorder (even the voice recorder on your phone) to get an idea immortalized. The important thing is to create an environment where you can create, and then use that creative energy to record the things that music gives you the power to express!
