Audio Systems: audio, guitar questions, audio technica

Question
Hey,

I'm buying a microphone for vocal and acoustic guitar recording. It's the Audio Technica AT-2050 for $129.99, which is normally worth $290. Thinks it's a good mic? Since I'm a student this is in my price range, but it's still a lot of money for me.

I am looking now to buy an interface to connect it to my laptop. I cannot spend more than $150 dollars and I know this really limits me. I play guitar, sing and may want to also record various other things (piano, drums, electric guitar).

QUESTIONS
1.For my purpose would it matter if I got a USB 2.0 interface compared to a firewire interface, since firewires more expensive?

2.Also, it seems I can get preamps for less money than interfaces; could I by a preamp and then purchase and 'XLR to USB' cable and run that from the preamp to my laptop. Would that work, and be cheaper?

3. Also, do I need all of the mixing knobs and buttons on interfaces/preamps, or should I just get a direct XLR to USB box with phantom power? Can I do all of the mixing stuff on my computer with Pro Tools anyway or is it different manually?

4. Also, my room is just 4 painted walls, drywall, window, door. What should I do that is cheap for better recording?



Please give me any other tips/info that you can for starting out recording (on a tight budget) and feel free to go in depth.

Thanks so much for your help.

Answer
So much of what you have asked it purely subjective in nature and depends greatly on your personal preferences, your mission or purpose in the recording practice, the acoustics of the room, the recording equipment you are going to use and, most of all, the subjects and/or their instruments that you are going to be laying down on track.

Microphones are like loudspeakers; they are very imperfect when compared with electronic systems, digital and analog. The sound quality is quite different from microphone to microphone - even when they are of similar design, let alone when compared with a different technology.  Dynamic mics always sound totally different from condensers or ribbon, etc.  Cardioids are totally different in sound from omni.

Interestingly, the AT-2050 is switchable to three different polar patterns?  Therefore, it can be used - maybe- for various recording assignments.  Don't know how it will fit into your recording space since it is a room with unknown reflections - and you didn't state whether you will be recording solo instruments, voice or small groups, piano or what.

So far as termination of the mic output it is a matter of your equipment and purpose. Of course it must be a good processing of the signal with full fidelity.  Too many conversions is always deleterious to the signal.  You should keep the processing to as few processes as possible while maintaining the flexibility you need to accomplishing the recording assignments you are to encounter.

You would do well to study more on the subject from one of the many good books and white papers that are available.

Here is a good starting point:

http://homerecording.about.com/od/recordingtutorials/Recording_Methods_Concept_T...

and you can google for many others.

The John Eargle book "The Microphone Book" is a good one and should be read by every recording engineer.  (John Eargle is a very good friend of mine and I know him to be one of the great recording engineers in the music world - may he rest in peace, he having passed away a few years ago).

The John Woram book (another friend of mine) is also a very good book although a little dated.

You can google for many others or visit a good library.  One of the best schools around for recording technology is University of Miami in Corals Gables, FL where the program is under the tutorial control of Ken Pohlmann (yep, another personal friend) who has put together a wonderful curriculum for the technology and practice of recording engineering.  You could do well to check out the text books they are using in their course and add them to your reading library.

I have carried on too long and I am running out of breath.  Let me know if there are more items you would like to discuss in a follow up question.