Need Help On Studio Equipment!
- Thread starter 187Proof
- Start date
You can go several ways. What type of quality do you want?
Since your recording you want your recording destination to be TRUMP TIGHT. Your recording destination will be your computer so I would spend 600-700 on a well built pc. That leaves you 800-900 to play with. I would purchase a used 001 and a a rode or akg mic.
IMHO 1500 is not a cool starting price. 1500 is cool when you want to do upgrades and add ons (like buying an avalon mic pre) but it's not going to get you a million dollar sound.
heres what you need:
Computer (to record to)
sound card/interface (your audio is routed through this and to the computer)
Microphone (for recording vocals)
Monitors (for playing back what you recorded, tracking and mixing purposes)
cables, stands and a pop filter (to connect everything)
*****OPTIONAL****
external compressor (with pro tools you'll need this if you want to compress going in. You'll need an external pre amp if you plan on going this route).
Amp (IF your speakers not bi-amped you'll need an amp to power them. Match the impedence and ohms etc etc etc).
Pre amp (IF your sound card/interface does not have mic inputs you'll NEED an external pre amp).
Since your recording you want your recording destination to be TRUMP TIGHT. Your recording destination will be your computer so I would spend 600-700 on a well built pc. That leaves you 800-900 to play with. I would purchase a used 001 and a a rode or akg mic.
IMHO 1500 is not a cool starting price. 1500 is cool when you want to do upgrades and add ons (like buying an avalon mic pre) but it's not going to get you a million dollar sound.
heres what you need:
Computer (to record to)
sound card/interface (your audio is routed through this and to the computer)
Microphone (for recording vocals)
Monitors (for playing back what you recorded, tracking and mixing purposes)
cables, stands and a pop filter (to connect everything)
*****OPTIONAL****
external compressor (with pro tools you'll need this if you want to compress going in. You'll need an external pre amp if you plan on going this route).
Amp (IF your speakers not bi-amped you'll need an amp to power them. Match the impedence and ohms etc etc etc).
Pre amp (IF your sound card/interface does not have mic inputs you'll NEED an external pre amp).
:chinese:
If you only have 1500 I suggest the following, only costing less than $1000.
(Assuming you already have a PC, which I hope you do as you are on the web right now...)
Cubase around $95
http://www.zzounds.com/item--STECUBSE
Easiest to use multi-track audio recording software. Very powerful.
TASCAM US-428 around $299
DAW Controller - USB Audio Card
http://www.zzounds.com/item--TASUS428
ART DPSII Digital Preamplifier System $260
http://www.zzounds.com/item--ARTDPSII
Shure KSM27 Studio Cardioid Condenser Microphone $300
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUKSM27
If you only have 1500 I suggest the following, only costing less than $1000.
(Assuming you already have a PC, which I hope you do as you are on the web right now...)
Cubase around $95
http://www.zzounds.com/item--STECUBSE
Easiest to use multi-track audio recording software. Very powerful.
TASCAM US-428 around $299
DAW Controller - USB Audio Card
http://www.zzounds.com/item--TASUS428
ART DPSII Digital Preamplifier System $260
http://www.zzounds.com/item--ARTDPSII
Shure KSM27 Studio Cardioid Condenser Microphone $300
http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUKSM27
^ Right now the main focus is to record for my album. But I will also use the studio for collaborations, mixtape tracks, and any other projects I'm involved with. The space I would record in is approximately the size of a standard living room, so I have a lot of room to work in. I can check exact measurements if you think it is necessary.
I want a combination of software and hardware, pro tools is definitely what I'm trying to roll with since I have some knowledge on how to use it. Basically on that list of equipment that was put up I want to budget my money but get quality pieces for each area, obviously not everything. Drop some info if you can.
I want a combination of software and hardware, pro tools is definitely what I'm trying to roll with since I have some knowledge on how to use it. Basically on that list of equipment that was put up I want to budget my money but get quality pieces for each area, obviously not everything. Drop some info if you can.
there's a 100 dollar preamp out that sounds better then the stock Digidesign LE stuff...
Studio Projects VTb-1 it's 130 dollars new
pro tools is wack, i'm selling my 002 and getting an M-Box just for being able to break down stupid ass PTS files, but i will not be mixxing, tracking or editing in it...trust that
get a simple audio interface with balanced cables, with the 300 dollars you save get a preamp, cop yourself a Studio Projects mic, pretty cheap...get some decent monitors, if you can't afford them, get some good headphones
i'd rather do a mix in headphones then on a shitty monitor system, but Heresey might disagree with me on that
Studio Projects VTb-1 it's 130 dollars new
pro tools is wack, i'm selling my 002 and getting an M-Box just for being able to break down stupid ass PTS files, but i will not be mixxing, tracking or editing in it...trust that
get a simple audio interface with balanced cables, with the 300 dollars you save get a preamp, cop yourself a Studio Projects mic, pretty cheap...get some decent monitors, if you can't afford them, get some good headphones
i'd rather do a mix in headphones then on a shitty monitor system, but Heresey might disagree with me on that
7500 budget
here we go
get a SOundelux Mic(1500, to 3000)
get some monitors, Genelc 8030's, DYnaudio B5's, Truth AUdio(not behringer) thats 1200
get some nice converters, at least good A/d conversion, that's anywhere from 800, to 2000
stay away from Pro Tools!!!
cop cubase sx 3 or samplitude...???
maybe a Lynx audio card 700
and a monitor controller...you do not want to change the volumes from your Daw
here we go
get a SOundelux Mic(1500, to 3000)
get some monitors, Genelc 8030's, DYnaudio B5's, Truth AUdio(not behringer) thats 1200
get some nice converters, at least good A/d conversion, that's anywhere from 800, to 2000
stay away from Pro Tools!!!
cop cubase sx 3 or samplitude...???
maybe a Lynx audio card 700
and a monitor controller...you do not want to change the volumes from your Daw
http://www.mojopie.com/vtb1.html
I think it's similar to the presonus blue tube in price and technology. I haven't heard it yet. I've heard the mbox pre amps (lol) but I wouldn't say the vtb sounds better than the digi 002 pre amps.
LOL@headphones. Naw bro I can't swing that route. The sound is coming in your direction from the sides and the design is a no no. I mean I use the earphones for fine tuning, listening for the decay of fx from workstations(xp60 is a prime example) and checking for space in the mix but thats about it. shitty monitors or headphones? I'd pick the monitors if I understand the room and what the hell is going on in it.
I agree with the pro tools thing. I mean pro tools is cool and its "industry standard" but I prefer cubase sx (and I've used samplitude in the past). I do notice a difference in the way the programs implement the summing buss but I like cubase sx over all. It can be congested at times but the track count is insane and I can run the same plug ins (i wont get into the bit processing and float) and track count as pt...hell I can run MORE plugins and get a higher track count in cubase sx.
Pro tools=for the paying clients and my setup has paid for itself several times now.
Cubase=something I use for myself and which the clients usually don't know about.
You can use both. I do it all the only hardware you would need is the pro tools hardware.....
When this cat gives me a list of equipment I'll give him directions because I don't know if he is going for eye candy (this has the potential to bring in clients) best sound (a similar setup to what moe listed but the "visual "wow" factor is replaced with a sonic one and may not achieve desired client results) OR production. Which is what I have my setup suited for. Keyboards, sound modules, drum machines yada yada yada....
:hgk:
ps what I mean by desired client results is you may not get a lot of people to spend $$$ at your lab because they don't see a lot of equipment. They may think "he doesnt have a track board" or "he doesnt have an mpc blah blah blah". I've seen it happen before (it's happened to me) but I've NEVER taken that route on my own.
I think it's similar to the presonus blue tube in price and technology. I haven't heard it yet. I've heard the mbox pre amps (lol) but I wouldn't say the vtb sounds better than the digi 002 pre amps.
LOL@headphones. Naw bro I can't swing that route. The sound is coming in your direction from the sides and the design is a no no. I mean I use the earphones for fine tuning, listening for the decay of fx from workstations(xp60 is a prime example) and checking for space in the mix but thats about it. shitty monitors or headphones? I'd pick the monitors if I understand the room and what the hell is going on in it.
I agree with the pro tools thing. I mean pro tools is cool and its "industry standard" but I prefer cubase sx (and I've used samplitude in the past). I do notice a difference in the way the programs implement the summing buss but I like cubase sx over all. It can be congested at times but the track count is insane and I can run the same plug ins (i wont get into the bit processing and float) and track count as pt...hell I can run MORE plugins and get a higher track count in cubase sx.
Pro tools=for the paying clients and my setup has paid for itself several times now.
Cubase=something I use for myself and which the clients usually don't know about.
You can use both. I do it all the only hardware you would need is the pro tools hardware.....
When this cat gives me a list of equipment I'll give him directions because I don't know if he is going for eye candy (this has the potential to bring in clients) best sound (a similar setup to what moe listed but the "visual "wow" factor is replaced with a sonic one and may not achieve desired client results) OR production. Which is what I have my setup suited for. Keyboards, sound modules, drum machines yada yada yada....
:hgk:
ps what I mean by desired client results is you may not get a lot of people to spend $$$ at your lab because they don't see a lot of equipment. They may think "he doesnt have a track board" or "he doesnt have an mpc blah blah blah". I've seen it happen before (it's happened to me) but I've NEVER taken that route on my own.
you can also take an "aux track", set the input to "mic 1", and the output to "bus 1" for example, then put a compressor in a effects chanel on your "aux track". set up an "audio track" and set the input to the "bus 1", and record... this might not be 100% as good as an external compressor (because the cpu strain of the plug-in compressor while recording, and there still might be an issue with a/d converters), but it works hella good to control dynamics coming in, until you can afford an external compressor... im not sure if youve used that trick heresy, but try it sometime if you have any "vintage compressor" plug-ins, like the fairchild 660/670.. it sounds good...
ANYWAY
but 1 1/2 racks aint shit to start recording.. i suggest you use that and get a pc, wit a 3.0ghz or higher p4 cpu, 4 sticks of pc3200 512mb ram, 2 7200 rpm hard drives (at least 80gigs), set one for the programs, and the other for the audio storage, and a digi 001.. you can always add to that settup.. but programs now are comming out with minimum requirements of a 2.0 ghz and 512 mb of ram, so you wanna make sure you have somethin you wont have to upgrade for a few years
ANYWAY
but 1 1/2 racks aint shit to start recording.. i suggest you use that and get a pc, wit a 3.0ghz or higher p4 cpu, 4 sticks of pc3200 512mb ram, 2 7200 rpm hard drives (at least 80gigs), set one for the programs, and the other for the audio storage, and a digi 001.. you can always add to that settup.. but programs now are comming out with minimum requirements of a 2.0 ghz and 512 mb of ram, so you wanna make sure you have somethin you wont have to upgrade for a few years