Recording yourself playing the guitar is so valuable for your journey as a musician!

Recording yourself will boost your confidence when you listen back and realize that you're doing great and improving as a guitarist. It can motivate you to keep going and improve your guitar skills. One of the most significant benefits of recording yourself is getting something tangible at the end of your practice session! When you record yourself, you have something you can show your friends and be proud of at the end! It gives you a sense of accomplishment.

💡 Recording yourself also opens up many other options for collaborating with other musicians. You can give the track to someone else to sing on if you don't like singing. :)

Learning to record yourself is also essential if you're into songwriting. You need to be able to listen to your songs, and recording them will help you present your demo to other writers and singers.

Recording Yourself: Basic Equipment

Recording can be fun, but you need the equipment to start. Let's look at some basic gear you might need!

Microphones

You need to be aware of two main types of microphones: dynamic and condenser. Dynamic microphones are cheaper, and a Shure SM58 is a great starting point for singing, while a Shure SM57 is ideal for recording guitar. If you want higher-quality sound, you can invest in a condenser microphone from Rode. Just make sure that your interface has phantom power to power the microphone.

Today, there are much easier ways to get your electric guitar into your computer. A lot of modern amplifiers have direct outs that include some speaker emulation. I know Boss Katana has one, and most of the more fancy modeling things like the Kemper, the Quad Cortex, and the Helix all have outputs that allow you to record without using any microphone.

You can also use a plug-in, like a little software that works inside the studio recording software and emulates different amplifiers and effects. They sound incredible these days. When they first started, they were a bit ropey, but these days the emulations are so good that it can be pretty hard to tell the difference.

Audio Interface

To get sound into your computer, you need an audio interface. There are hundreds of these available, and you can choose one that suits your budget. A popular choice is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, a little red box with two inputs and two outputs. This unit is more than good enough to get started with recording.

Headphones

A decent set of headphones is also helpful if you're recording anything with a microphone, an acoustic guitar, or your voice. You can get away with using your laptop speakers occasionally, but good headphones will likely be a good investment. Here are a couple of things to watch out for:

First of all, don't use Bluetooth. Get wired headphones. If you're going to use Bluetooth, you'll have a latency going on, so you'll hear the sound slightly late, and everything you play won't sync up properly. So no wireless things; ensure you can plug it in!
Second, try to get a closed-back headphone, not an open-back one. Having an open back (the outside of the headphone is open) might make things sound more natural, but a closed-back headphone keeps the sound with your ears and will work best for recording, especially the acoustic guitar.

Recording Software

Once you've set up your equipment, you need software to record it. Many options are available, and a good starting point is GarageBand if you're a Mac user. GarageBand is free and makes recording easy. If you're on PC, check out different free options and see which one feels good.

Studio Monitors

You should invest in a pair of studio monitors at some point. They differ from regular speakers because speakers are designed to provide a pleasant listening experience, whereas studio monitors prioritize an honest representation of sound. This may seem strange, but a flat response is preferable to make it sound nice. If necessary, you could use your laptop or any other speaker you have on hand. However, for a better audio experience, I recommend investing in studio monitors.

Start Recording!

When you have all the equipment, it's time to connect everything correctly and optimize your input gain to start recording, meaning how loud your recording goes into the computer. You don't want it to be too quiet or too loud, so spend some time getting your input gain correct. You shouldn't see any red on the interface or in the software where you're recording!

If you're using a microphone, you need to check the microphone placement, particularly with an acoustic guitar. Experiment with different placements and listen back to see what sounds best.

Check for latency! You must minimize the gap between playing something and hearing it back in your headphones. It's normal to have a bit of latency, but it shouldn't be noticeable. If you notice significant latency, you need to research and figure out how to fix it. You can start by doing a Google search to find out how to reduce latency in your setup.

Learning to play with a click track is also essential. It will help with your timekeeping, and you can listen back and ensure you're playing on time. You can also add drums to your recordings, and there are many built-in drum loops that you can use.

Give It a Try!

Recording can be a lot of fun, and it's a great way to improve your guitar skills, but it's also a new tool to explore. There are many things to learn, from microphone techniques to different effects. It's like a whole new thing to explore, and it's just loads and loads of fun!

Recording yourself is a valuable tool for any musician, and it can motivate you to keep going and improve your skills. It can also help you collaborate with other musicians and present your demos to other writers and singers. So, get started with recording and explore all the different things you can do with it.

💿 Share your recording in the JustinGuitar Community - it's a safe space! Post in the AVOYP.