Starting Out... Need Advice....

[RocknRollPony]

Alright, so for a while I've been thinking about making some pony music. I've been thinking about making a Beach Boys like version of Giggle at the Ghostly (I got the Smile Sessions for Christmas). I have a keyboard for some harpsichord, weird percussion instuments, and a theremin. However I only have Garageband and a crappy Guitar Hero mic. Can anypony out there offer some advice on mics and the like? Also could anypony give me some suggestions on some sick pony related stage names? I play Psychedelic, Progressive and Blues rock. Thanks.

P.S. I love the questions they ask to see if you are a brony lol.

[HMage]

Just give it a try and see (or hear) what problems you'll get after recording and composing. Then try again.

Pretty much the recipe for success.

[HMage]

Also, welcome to MLR!

[bartekko]

so , you're starting out?

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1243

I don't wanna rewrite the same for who knows which time, so I'll just link you to the thread.

and lucky you with a theremin

[RocknRollPony]

Thanks for the help. Still need some name ideas if anypony's got some.

[bartekko]

I would recommend a name that doesn't have any meaning at all, so you don't get bored of it nor it implies something you aren't

[SeanNH94]

Are you looking to buy a new microphone? Or you just want general mic placement tips?
If you want my opinion, you'd be better off doing most of the instruments virtually, UNLESS you have money to buy a new microphone. I tried to get good sound out of the rockband mic for years; I'm not sure if it's possible.

[RocknRollPony]

Yeah I'm looking into buying a mic. What are some recommendations that arent ultra expensive?

[Tiaaaaa]

Versilaryan actually wrote a very excellent guide to buying microphones. It will give you better and more complete advice than I can, so have a look-see here and become enlightened!

Also, welcome to MLR!
As far as names go, the best ones tend to be the ones you pick out yourself. If you're looking for a pony name, look for an element of the show (or fandom) that is often overlooked (ALA PinkiePieSwear or Black Snooty). If you're looking for a not-necessarily pony name then I'd suggest getting a dictionary and going through it. If you find a word you like then take a look at synonyms (or possibly even antonyms) and consider how you can combine or adapt words to come up with something you like.

[Versilaryan]

Hi, welcome to MLR! ^.^

If you want vocals, the Audio-Technica AT2020 is a really popular one. It'll run you around $100, though. The Shure SM57 (also around $100) is widely used in professional studios everywhere, so it's hard to go wrong with that. If you're looking for something cheaper, though, I'd suggest sticking with the Guitar Hero mic or using sampled instruments until you can save up for something good, particularly if you want to do a lot of recording. A good $50 mic will only last you so long before you get pissed at how terrible it sounds. A good $100 mic will stay in your arsenal until it dies.

If you want to record electric guitar, though, the Guitar Hero mic isn't absolutely terrible. It's what I use, and pony rock legends ISMBOF and Tarby use them, too. (Well, Tarby used a crappy $20 Radioshack mic for the longest time. I think he upgraded to a crappy $40 Radioshack mic recently. xD)

No idea about the names, though. I'm pretty terrible with them. >.>

[RocknRollPony]

Thanks again, and what do you fine musicians do about drums? Is it best to get a drum machine or use loops? (I apologize if I am becoming an annoyance with my noobish curiosity.)

[Versilaryan]

If you dig around in the Technical forum, Voodoopony has a guide on how to get killer kicks that's pretty good to follow. Basically, what you do is take multiple drum samples and then have them all play at the same time to make a different drum sound. I'm pretty sure that's what most of us do.

[Navron]

Drum machines are not a bad place to start. I used Cubix quite a bit in my earlier works, but now I mostly use a variety of drum sets contained in Cubase 5's synthetic orchestra to get the sounds I want.

You do need to layer though, most often with the kick and snare. For kicks, people usually layer a 909 kit to amplify and bring out the kick drum more. As for snares, many snares don't go well together, so you need to dig a bit to find a couple that compliment eachother.

[RocknRollPony]

Sounds cool. What kind of Schecter bass do you have, if you mind me asking? I've got a pinkish reddish Stargazer, which looks like a Rickenbacker 4003.... I love it so much and I named it Pinkie.

[Navron]

I have a glossy black diamond series. Getting a bit old though, judging from the hissing and cracking that comes with adjusting the knobs.

[RocknRollPony]

Hey I realize I'm a bit late but thanks for all the help!