Home Studio Recording

There have been quite a few questions regarding home recording in these threads. So, to help a few people out, I am going to go through both of my studio recording rigs step by step.
Obviously the most important part of your rig is your instrument. You cant play anything without it. My rig start with my Guitar. I play my guitar into a POD 2.0 (a little outdated, but works extremely well). There are three output jacks on the POD. One output is a simple headphone jack which allows me to play the POD through an external speaker, directly from the POD. Unfortunately, using this jack cuts off the other two output jacks. Aside from the headphone jack, there is a right output and a left output. These are the outputs i use when recording. Depending on the jack, you may need to find a cable that fits. Fortunately, most of these jacks are 1/4" and most standard instrument cables will work. I take line outs from the right and left outputs on the POD and connect them to the right and left inputs on my Lexicon Lambda USB audio interface respectively (you can also plug your instrument directly into the interface, or plug a microphone directly into the interface). What the interface does, is it allows me to monitor my input and output levels and gives me a way to get my music into my computer via USB. So for my first rig: Guitar>>>POD (which acts as my pre-amp)>>>interface>>>computer (recording software...i use an updated version of cakewalk which is not stock, so different software may give you different results).
For my second rig. I run the cable from my guitar, into my Boss chromatic tuner, then i use a 6" cable to my ibanez weeping demon wah, 6" cable again to my metal zone distortion, 6"cable to my Boss Noise suppressor. From there i go directly into my favorite amp (Carvin SX-200c). I take the voiced line out (on the back panel of the amp *note: some amps may not have this feature, if not you can use your effects loop out) and depending on the sound i want, i'll either go into my POD (using a clean setting on the POD, this adds sustain and thickness to my tone) into the lexicon or directly into the lexicon from the amp. So my second rig: guitar>>>tuner>>>wah>>>distorion>>>noise suppressor>>>amp clean imput>>>voiced line out>>>POD>>>lexicon.

I use cakewalk for all of my recording. I use cakewalk because it is simple. I dont need pro-tools or fruity loops, because if i cant play it live, i dont play it. and i dont need software with lots of effects because i have my tone already established before it gets to my computer.

Using a microphone: if you want to mic your amp, make sure you do not get a compressor microphone! also, where your mic is in relation to your amps speakers greatly effects your tone. When using a mic, you also have to take account of the acoustics in your studio because they will also effect your tone. You may want to put a piece of wood over the front of your amp and mic so the sound waves that miss the mic will bounce back and wont get lost. I would highly recommend that you do extensive research on mic'ing amps before you decide thats what you want to do.

Wow ! that was a lot of reading !
It helped though, I know I need to get some kind of audio interface (where to get one and what to look for ???) my jacks on the back of my pc are the 1/8" (like the size that you can plug most PC speakers into. so I would have to get the interface plugged into a 1/8" input, correct ?

I don't have any pedals, interfaces of any kind, or money for that matter, so I think I am screwed in that department, or is there something I can do ?

I think notim said he wires his amp right into his sound card with the 1/8" input, how do i do that ? i am not good with computers.and I read that you do not use an actual amp

i think i see why, because, the pod is a multi effects pedal so you can get different sounds that you want to play and record with, and the amp, the way I record, just gets bad sound and muffled/buzzed etc.what an instrument mic ? found a few for a 100 dollars at long & mcquade/music stop whatever its called, and its good for every instrument with great quality.

the interface that i use is USB so it doesnt matter what size input jack is on my comouter. so as long as your computer has a USB 2 card or at the very least a USB 1.5 card you're in good shape. Since you are a novice at recording i would recommend something external and simple to use..ill do some research a little later a give you some links to check out.
as far as not having any pedals. thats not a problem, the best thing for your tone, is to be able to sound good with just your guitar and your amp. if you can do that, you're also in good shape. as far as not having any money...get a job. shovel the snow from peoples driveways, mow lawns in the summer, rake leaves, etc...if you want anything good in this life you have to work for it. also, itll make you feel like youve accomplished something, and having a positive attitude is a huge step to becoming a decent guitar player.
the most important thing about the POD for me, is that it acts as pre-amp...which is great because i took the preamp out of the amp i play the POD through (an old Treynor TS-75).

Nice, that's much better than being limited to interfaces with certain size jacks. I have a USB 2 card so im all set there.
I don't think you really need to cloud your sound up with pedals, raw amp sounds great a lot of times.
As far as the job in my opinin, I can not get one "child labor" my mom wanted me to work with her at the ski hill in the kitchen (id be like a busboy for the chalet) and I got my hopes way up there and I was so excited, then, on my, what shoulda been, first day.. couldnt work because the damn labor laws. the way i look at it, if the child wants to do it, its not labor. its called i want money and a job. i live in the middle of nowhere so that would be hard to do lol. Maybe I can sell some stuff, some old video games or something might do it.

anyways, back to topic,
i can just record directly off the interface can i ? or should i put away some money for a instrument mic then hook it into the interface and record it like that ? thats the confusing part.

thank you for all help by the way ! :)

you can do it either way. you can run your amp directly through the interface. or you can mic your amp and run the mic through the interface.

Well, I went down to Musicstop today (or Long & MacQuade whatever) and John (the guitar guy down there) luckily was working. i asked him about what you said and he said;
There is a condenser mic for about 99.00 plus tax there that is really good quality and can record anything instrument. You can use an audio interface, or just get a free recording program, which I have many of, so I might stick with the program that has all the monitoring and stuff so I can watch my sound.
There was a 300 dollar plus tax drum machine there where you make your own drum lines by pressing the buttons, and there was a like 120 dollar one or something like that where it's got tons of built in ones and stuff, I think it was a MR something (maybe a BOSS.)

I will be able to buy it sometime in the summer and I already have a WHOPPING 20 DOLLARS !!! OMG WOW !!!!!!! toward it. It should be cool, it's a USB mic too btw.

LOL you get it little dude!!

Lol yeah, I do know what I'm talkin about most of the time

hhmm...im not so sure about the condenser mic. they are usually for vocals. check these out:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-SM57-InstrumentVocal-Mic?sku=270102
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Sennheiser-E609-Silver-Dynamic-Guitar-Microphone?sku=276668

Nah it is an APEX mic thingy it's good for voice, drums, bass, trumpet, guitar, like any instrument out there and it has good quality, that's what Alex & John said (they work there)

dont always trust the people that work there...they make their money getting kids like you to buy stuff...

True, I'll just take it back if I am unsatisfied.. At that store if you don't like it you can take it back within 31 days.

any one have a boss br 1600