I haven't really spent any time recording to computer. 30 minutes on musicansfriend.com has not relly helped. Also, I'v never set a finger on garage band yet, so if it can do some of what I'm asking, awesome. I need advice. Here's the setup I wanna run:

- iMac with Garage Band
- Firewire connection to Imaginary Box
- XLR connection from Imaginary box to Good/Cheap Condenser Mic


So first, this box I'm imagining... It should be a mic pre amp with phantom power, and it should take my mic signal and make it kosher for firewire/garage band. If it were a 2-channel mixer, and I could use it just for mixing a mic'd guitar amp with mp3's in headphones, so I could geek out and play along with shit for fun when nobody's home, Huge Bonus. If it's just a 1-mic pre amp, and it sounds good and is cheap, then good enough.

Second, the mic. It should be able to record vocals, acoustic guitar, and a mic'd guitar amp with a pedal steel coming through it. It's gotta have some rump to it, but not be too boomy for vocals and percussive string hits on the acoustic.


The iMac / Garage Band portions of this setup are not within bounds for discussion - it's what I got, and what I'm gonna work with. I am not re-inventing the white album. I just wanna be able to add tracks to existing piecesof GB work, as well as generate my own.

Eh?

as I mentioned a while ago here, I use this tascam exterior sound board thing via usb, and a behringer b-5 codenser mic. recording happens in a pc with q-base.
the tascam thing and the mic were about 250 € together.

the mic is basically meant for recording acoustic guitars but can also used well for vocals, as I found out.

Any model # info for the Tascam? I think I've found a large-diaphram mic I like for $129 that works well for almost everything I want. It's the preamp / conversion aspect that scares me.

tascam us-122L, the good thing is the mobility factor, because of usb. we recorded nice soundscapes out on the streets with a laptop.

Vielen dank!

you're welcome.

So what you want is something like THIS?

holy shit, Yes.

http://presonus.com/products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=4

$300 on zzounds

also check out their #130 tube pre

http://www.zzounds.com/item--PRSTUBEPRE

Comes with a bunch of plugins to play with for an extra hundo.

I would highly recommend dropping some coin on one good mic and a tube pre, or a tube mic like a GT 66

http://cgi.ebay.com/GROOVE-TUBES-GT66-G ... 286.c0.m14

too funny, you were going presonus right as i was, but a different route.

i love my digi 002 desk for what it's worth.

I like the tiny footprint of Bloor's suggestion. I mean, that and a mic, into the mac, and you're set.

great minds, my friend, great minds.