Originally Posted by: Itsmesillywhat can you use on a standard computer to record yourself playing?

Ive never tried to record myself but have some chords that I want to try to play some basic leads over....
and just wondering what I can use without having to buy anything?

any suggestions?

Hi Itsmesilly,

First of all, its kind of hard to get something worthwile for nothing. That being said, there are some freeware programs out there that can do a fair job, but professional recording software (such as Sonar by Cakewalk) is the way to go.

Another way to go is to buy a quality sound card that comes bundled with software. I've bought several Sound Blaster cards which came with light versions of Cakewalk software. I bought an Alesis mixer one, and it came with Cubase.

Speaking of mixers, if you are really serious about recording quality tracks, then a good mixer and a good microphone (such as the Shure SM-58) are a must. You can always plug straight into the sound card, but that doesnt yield very good results.

Let me know if you need more info.

Keep on pickin'
Izzy