Home recording, guitar, keyboard etc - What do I need?

Worble

Hi,

I've been doing some research into home recording equipment but ultimately struggling as there are many guides but most are a little overwhelming naming a lot of new devices that i'm not super familiar with, feeling a bit out of my depth.

Purpose: Home recording my own music just for fun and also to use as backing on my Youtube videos, just for fun really. The roads are pretty noisy unfortunately, and sound-proofing might be difficult. I'm not bothered about getting an absolutely perfect recording but something that is good enough for some Youtube backing music would be great. I'm aiming for better than recording into an iPhone/computer directly via a mic but not a full blown home studio either, somewhere in-between.

Recording: Electric guitar, a keyboard. Potentially electric drums in the future if I decide not to use loops. I also intend to record voiceover for Youtube videos but am happy to address that as a separate thing on my own later.

What I think I know: I need a DI, an audio interface, some cables and a mic. I've read some information about a passive DI being good for keyboard but an active DI being good for guitar, do I really need 2?

What I need help with: Given what I outlined as my purpose, what of this do I really need? It's always a worry when consulting professional guides that the over-enthusiastic professional will go overboard with requirements and that's why i'm unsure of exactly what to get. There are some bundles available on Amazon that come with Pro Tools and another one by PreSonus which i've seen recommended but i'm always dubious of bundles because they offer a lot for so little, so I worry that the quality must be too low.

Do I really need one set of equipment for keyboard, one for guitar etc or will one beginners type setup cover all the bases? In terms of budget I would say £200 would make me feel safe, £300 i'd need to feel confident before buying and £400 is really gonna be tough to justify in my head.

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TLDR: Ideally I want to be able to record guitar, keyboard, drums and voice to a pretty good standard. What does a beginner need to buy when it comes to recording?

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Thank you very much for your advice.

noiseboy72

All you need is a good quality interface into your laptop. This:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-U-PHORIA-UMC204HD-Audio-Interface/dp/B00SAV96JM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=behringer u-phoria studio&qid=1561983510&s=gateway&sr=8-3 is about the starting point. The inputs are suitable for guitars, keyboards, mics etc. and there's no need for a DI box. They are only really needed if you have more than about 10' between the source and the mixer or interface.

Combine this with some software - Audacity is free and very good and you will be able to record and mix to a very high standard, certainly good enough for Youtube etc.

Worble

Thank you very much for your reply and your advice was a pleasant surprise, certainly did a lot to lessen the fear of 'you need X, Y, Z... and A through W too'.

I'm very familiar with Audacity and can use it well but was interested in the Pro Tools bundle on Amazon for the plugins it provides (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Focusrite-Scarlett-Studio-Interface-recording/dp/B01E6T54E2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=guitar recording&qid=1561983993&s=gateway&sr=8-1)

The thing putting me off that bundle is that i've never heard of that brand and figure it might be more beginner than beginner haha.

noiseboy72

That's a better unit than the Behringer. Focusrite make high end pro equipment as well as prosumer and if you want protools, that's probably a better package to get. You still don't need a di box with this.

Worble

I ended up going with the Behringer and did some further research into it myself, as well as into mics. I've gone with a cheap Behringer dynamic mic for now too, just while I get started. The reviews and tests largely summarized Behringer as being cheap but for that money, very good value. So I figure that sounds about right since what I want is largely experimental.

I'm going to work in Audacity for now since it's what I know but will probably go to paid software soon enough.

Thanks for your help