So my 14 year old is wanting to begin recording some music. He plays guitar, has some drums as well and we have a room set up in the basement.

He's asking for a laptop for Christmas. Any advice for the type of laptop & things needed to begin building towards recording?

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Posted by MudCatMatt

Louisiana

Member since Dec 2018

238 posts

Posted on 11/30/21 at 10:07 am to slacker130

Studio equipment is a never ending conversation. Below is an example of what will be needed to get started especially if you want to get the entire drum kit recorded in a single take.

. MacBook Pro or iMac (I would stay away from PC)
. Presonus AudioBox, Firestudio, or equivalent
. Studio One (Presonus recording software)
. Studio monitors (Buy whichever are in your price range)
. Microphones w/cables & stands (At least two condensers)
. Headphones for tracking, etc.

Watch vidoes on Youtube of how to setup a studio and equipment that can help save money, create different sounds, etc.

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Posted by slacker130

Your mom

Member since Jul 2010

8974 posts

Posted on 11/30/21 at 10:14 am to MudCatMatt

Thanks for the reply. I might be looking for a little more "starter," like the Focusrite Scarlett Studio Bundle

I get the iMac vs PC, but I can buy a PC and a Bass amp for the price of Apple stuff.

This post was edited on 11/30/21 at 10:16 am

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Posted by kingbob

Sorrento, LA

Member since Nov 2010

71173 posts

Posted on 11/30/21 at 10:15 am to MudCatMatt

I recommend also signing him up for some in-person classes on using the recording software. Studio One is anything but user friendly. Problems that can make recording impossible often are fixed extremely simply by toggling one little setting in a menu, but as a beginner, it's incredibly hard to find that stuff without someone guiding you in person. A little guidance can go a long way in giving him a foundation to build on verses him getting frustrated after a couple weeks and giving up before moving on to a new hobby.

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Posted by rexorotten

2314762 posts

Member since Oct 2013

5244 posts

Posted on 11/30/21 at 11:21 am to slacker130

For a 14 year old just starting out, the focusrite starter pack is a good choice. Any decent laptop will do. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to get started.

This post was edited on 11/30/21 at 11:23 am

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Posted by 10 Blade

Member since Jul 2017

134 posts

Posted on 12/2/21 at 4:01 pm to slacker130

Focusrite Scarlett is a good basic interface to connect to your daw. Using Garageband which comes on iPad is easy to get started on for recording and is quite powerful. I am technically challenged, but have been able to record some songs with multiple tracks without too much problem. Multiple tutorials on youtube.

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Posted by auggie

Opelika, Alabama

Member since Aug 2013

31931 posts

Posted on 12/2/21 at 9:12 pm to slacker130

quote:
Thanks for the reply. I might be looking for a little more "starter," like the Focusrite Scarlett Studio Bundle

That will be good to start with. Get a good laptop. I will add that somebody showed me how to use the free Audacity recording program, 2 days ago. It took about 1 hour of him showing me, I have 3 simple guitar/vocal demos recorded pretty well with it already. It's pretty easy to use, though I'm sure I will have to upgrade later. If he already has some mics, to save cash, which is always importat , maybe just get the interface, the computer + the free audacity program at first. It has a good tutorial guide that's free also.
That Focusrite iterface is much better compared to what I have, as well.

This post was edited on 12/2/21 at 9:55 pm

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