How can I record my guitar on the pc and add drums and bass?
Josh Turbitt asked:
I want to be able to create my own songs, I play the guitar and want to be able to record it directly from my amp and add a bass line and drum beat on the pc. Is there any software which would be capable of this? And what gear would i need? I currently have a pc with windows 7, epiphone es 333, line 6 spider 4 30 watt, orange tiny terror, orange 60 watt cabinet. Please help me out. Thanks.
I want to be able to create my own songs, I play the guitar and want to be able to record it directly from my amp and add a bass line and drum beat on the pc. Is there any software which would be capable of this? And what gear would i need? I currently have a pc with windows 7, epiphone es 333, line 6 spider 4 30 watt, orange tiny terror, orange 60 watt cabinet. Please help me out. Thanks.
First you’ll need a computer audio interface of some kind. There are several available of varying quality and features. has one of the best selections. I recommend the Presonus products for general use. Line 6 also has their own line of interfaces, but I can’t vouche for their quality (they come with PodFarm and GearBox software though, which is great to have)
You can either record your guitar directly or mic your amp. If you want to mic the amp, you’ll need a mic (duh). I recommend the Shure SM57. It’s durable, inexpensive, and sounds great. It’s an absolute go to for recording a guitar amp. People often choose them over mics that cost thousands of dollars… they just sound good!
Lastly, you need a DAW (digital audio workstation). The best programs for PC are Cubase and Pro Tools. Other popular choices are SONAR, FL Studio, and Record/Reason. There are others, but I can’t comment on them since I don’t have any first hand experience. Those 4 are assuredly the best (if there were better, I’d know about them).
A note about Pro Tools: they require proprietary hardware. With M-Powered you need an M-Audio brand interface, with any other version you need Digidesign branded hardware. It’s not that big of a deal, as you can get the hardware AND software for the same price as some versions of Cubase (which is sold by itself) It’s a pretty awesome deal, but it sort of sucks that you can’t use the interface of your preference. LucasMan
you need a good soundcard; maybe gina or layla, which has 8 inputs. getting adobe audition is an idea, as you can multitrack one track at a time thru the soundcard input. Akmed Raheeb
Generally you can use your internal microphone. If not, get yourself a plug in mic. James Price
As a songwriter and guitar and bass player, I am now doing what you are asking about every single day. I have also taught myself to play enough keyboard so that I can add almost any other instrument to my recordings from the various keyboard effects on my keyboard synthesizer.
Here is what I would recommend for you to get started. I use Pro Tools which is the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software that is most widely used throughout the music industry. It is generally considered as the industry standard software. Some companies that will help with the promotion of your music will even ask for your recordings in Pro Tools format. It is really easy to use once you get the hang of it and there are many sources of training (some free on YouTube) available if you ever have trouble understanding the manuals that come with the software on CD.
Best Pro Tools Package Deal - - Pro Tools comes complete with all kinds effects (including percussion tracks) built right in. There are also many Pro Tools plug-in effects available in addition to what is included. The M-box2 that comes with this Pro Tools package includes your audio/midi USB interface and has its own built in sound card. So, the music you produce using Pro Tools will be broadcast ready for Internet or radio play and you can even get your own UPC code and create CDs and Mp3s that you can sell at places like Amazon.com, iTunes, Tunecore and many other places.
When I record, I generally select a rhythm track first to go with the music I’m writing. There are all kids of prerecorded commercially available percussion tracks available commercially in addition to what is included with Pro Tools that can be imported into Pro Tools. For instance, I can record a track directly from my keyboard, use one of the Pro Tools plug-in percussion tracks, or import an audio or midi track that has the sound I’m looking for from another program like AudioWarrior Rockenfield Drum Track Builder - - or I can even import a track that I created and exported from Band-in-a-Box (which I also use to create my music) - - Pro Tools can even import audio or midi tracks that I created and exported from other recording software like Guitar Pro 6 (which I also use for some things like creating sheet music lead sheets because they’re easier to create and edit in Guitar Pro) -
Once I have a rhythm track, I might choose to record a rhythm guitar, or bass, or even keyboard chords next depending on the song I’m writing. Normally, I record all those tracks in my music as part of my background to go with the rhythm (or percussion tracks). I can then write and record a lead guitar or other lead instrument from the keyboard and sing the lead voice and perhaps all the background voices. I have even written and recorded music for female singing groups and sang the girls parts myself too with the help of my BOSS VE-20 Vocal Effects Processor. I’m working on a Symphonic Metal song now that includes harsh Death Metal vocals using the BOSS VE-20 to create this amazing monster sounding voice and my keyboard synthesizer to add strings and horns over the Metal guitar and bass tracks that are the foundation.
It’s totally amazing what you can do with the help of Pro Tools. If this package is a little on the expensive side for you, you can do what you want to do using either Guitar Pro 6 or Band-in-a-box 2010. But, you will not be producing broadcast quality music and you will be limited on what you can and cannot do with either of those two recording options alone. I use both of them in addition to Pro Tools because they provide additional features that help me create the wide variety of music that I produce and I can easily export tracks created in those programs and import them into my Pro Tools finished product. Dave LaBuda