Help With Gear!

[Alazais]

Hi,

I'm looking at collecting a bit of a home studio. I have a budget of $1500-2000. I already own the MacBook so beyond that I'm hoping I can get a full, quality rig.

Are Mic's the better the more expensive they are? Is this too much?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C414XLII

What is the best software?

What else do I need?


Any help is much appreciated.

[AJF_41]

this place is a ghost town

you should PM keyz

he can help you out
guy's a recording legend

[snake911]

It really depends on what you are looking to record.
Just yourself like a guitar/voice set up? full band? multiple drum mics needed? Horn section? People recorded individually v/s whole group together? Mostly electronic/synth with one or two analog instruments or voices?

I'm a big fan of Cubase as a DAW for a modest home studio. Inexpensive for what you get, and the layout is pretty simple/intuitive. I started my home studio with a Tascam 4 track tape recorder 20-ish years ago and Cubase has a similar "feel" despite being insanely more powerful and feature filled.

If you are going to be collaborating/sharing projects with other studios Pro-Tools is the default standard, so that's a consideration.

What sort of recording work are you looking to get done?

[snake911]

Also, with that budget, don't spend $1000+ on a mic. You have the computer covered which is good, but you still need a DAW, an audio interface, mics, monitors or headphones (ideally both), and the cables to connect the whole thing together. Its very doable with your budget, but gets much harder to get good sound if you blow through half the budget on a mic.

[Alazais]

Cool. Thanks for the Feedback. So What would be a good budget to get some quality gear? (I just set that out as what I'd expected to spend.. I really have no idea. and as long as i'm not spending like 5 grand we're fine)

Thanks!

[snake911]

Nothing wrong with your budget, you can build a decent home studio for less, it just depends on what you are trying to accomplish with the studio. Are you looking to get your own ideas on tape (figuratively since you aren't using tape ), are you wanting to be in an engineer role and record other people. (solo performers vs bands)? 2 channel mixes vs 5.1 surround?

And are you currently familiar/partial to any particular recording consoles/DAWs?

Building to a specific need/goal will be more cost efficient than trying to build an anything goes studio.

[Alazais]

Likely myself - i play a few instruments. I don't expect people to come by and start recording with me.

I know nothing about it. I just have wanted to do it for quite a few years and i'm finally in a position to make that happen.

[AminaBenimadho]

Good luck.

[rantingthespian]

This is what you need for a decent home recording setup.

1 - You need a good quality studio mic for vocals and acoustic instruments. I recommend a tube condenser microphone. Shop around, see what gets good reviews, and even see if you can get audio samples. Typically, a good mic will cost more money, but it's not always the case. Just do your research, and trust your ears.

2 - Get a good stand for the mic. Do not get a tripod. Get a stand with a solid base. You don't want it to be tipping over, and wreck your microphone.

3 - You need a good interface system. I currently use a Lexicon Omega. I would definitely recommend it. I've read some bad reviews, but I've had it for years and it has never given me any trouble. Again, shop around and see what seems right for you.

4 - Get a good recording program. There are may out there, so again shop around and see what is right for you.

That is what you will need for a basic recording. Nothing fancy, just enough for a decent home studio setup.

[brianlisk]

My advice... start small and expand. Get a FocusRite Scarlett... If it's just you, a 2i2 would suffice. If you want more inputs, 18i8. The pre's are really good and it's not that expensive. For a mic, don't waste your time on crazy nice tube condensers... you're not there yet. I agree with the condenser part... get a decent large diaphragm condenser mic like the Shure KSM32. You can get a used one for $250. Get a few XLR cables (at least 15')... personally, I like the Whirlwind Accusonic 2, but I also do primarily live audio. The Mogami are amazing... but you'll pay for them.

As for your recording software, for the price, you can't beat Reaper. It's $60 for a license, but if you don't mind being nagged, the software is fully functional forever... you just have to wait 5 seconds before being able to use the software. Plus, the built in plugins are really good.

Get a good mic stand. You don't need anything fancy. I'd get a K&M 210/9. You can use it live or in the studio.

Focusrite 18i8 - $300
Used Shure KSM32 - $350
A couple XLR Cables - $60
Reaper - $60
Mic stand - $100

You can get a decent one mic recording setup going for $870. With the 18i8, you'll be able to expand to 4 mic inputs. Once you get your feet wet, you can buy more mics and a different interface... and perhaps outboard gear or... save your money and sacrifice "botique" and buy some Waves plugins (and others... Waves is just the most popular).

Do a LOT of research and watch a lot of podcasts... Find Dave Pensado's Into The Lair videos. They're pretty good and easy to grasp for the beginner.

[DaveHead36]

Brian makes some good points. I will say, if you play electric guitar and run it direct, the Scarlett 2i2 is not the way to go. They are notorious for clipping the signal. Spend the extra $50 (I think) and get the 2i4. They fixed the gain issue and added more outputs.

Look at the Sony 7506 headphones. They run about $100 but have a very flat response. I had mine for 10 years before they finally bit the dust in a flood.

The 414 mic you linked is a fantastic microphone. But as someone else said, you're not there. Unless you're recording other people professionally, it's a wasted expense at this point. The Blue Bluebird mic is really nice for around $250 new. Also, MXL makes some pretty good mics for the price. There's a 990/991 package for $120ish that is pretty nice.

DAWs are DAWs for the most part. It's all about ergonomics and bells and whistles. I was a Logic user for a long while until apple made my version unusable with the new OS. I then switched to Presonus Studio One for free and upgraded to their Producer for $100. Now they only have Professional (same price as Logic) or Artist (free if you buy a Presonus product). I will say if you use a lot of virtual instruments and midi work, go with Logic. Their virtual instruments sound fantastic.

[snake911]

As others have been mentioning, DAWs are DAWS, as long as your interface is compatible with the DAW they are mostly the same. I'm a Cubase devotee but most of that is being comfortable with it.

The Focusrite Scarlette series are good interfaces, make sure you get enough inputs. I would recommend 4 as a minimum, you will find lots of opportunities to need more than 2 even if recording solo. Other options are the Presonus Audiobox series. I use a Presonus interface, Presonus has good mic pres for the price and are easily compatible with Cubase. Youcan spend a bit more money and get an AVID interface/protools bundle which gets you close to "industry standard" in a home environment, if you have the money (and dedication to recording) its money well spent.

Mics-Buy 'em all! But seriously, an AudioTechnica AT2035 will get you started and keep you busy for many years. I would also recommend getting at least one Shure SM58, and at least 2 SM57's. the SM57 is very very versatile in both a home and professional recording environment. If you are recording live drums, or will be mic-ing a bass cab v/s DI into the interface a Sennheiser e602 II is a good mic to have. You could add a Sudio Project B3 to open up some stereo recording options but its not a necessity.

You need studio monitors and headphones. For the price you cant do better than KRK Rokits for studio monitors. And I like the AKG K240 headphones. I rarely mix using headphones but sometimes its nice to have a pair if you need to work quietly. The don't have the best isolation for monitoring while recording tracks, but they work well for my purposes.

Keep us posted about your progress on putting together your studio, home recording is tons of fun!

[Alazais]

Thanks guys. Working a bit of a list now. Apologize for the delay. It got put on hold for a few weeks. I sent myself a bunch of links from stuff you recommended. I'll do some digging and get back to everyone on what I come back with.

[Alazais]

So I did it. I got some gear to get me started. Bought a new Ukulele. The Scarlett 18i8. the mic i got was an Audio Technica one. I got some pretty decent head phones. I'm toying around on Garageband for now - Is reaper where it's at? Assuming cost wasn't a problem would that be everyones opinion?

[snake911]

Originally Posted by Alazais

So I did it. I got some gear to get me started. Bought a new Ukulele. The Scarlett 18i8. the mic i got was an Audio Technica one. I got some pretty decent head phones. I'm toying around on Garageband for now - Is reaper where it's at? Assuming cost wasn't a problem would that be everyones opinion?

Nothing wrong with Reaper, are they still doing the "full use for 30 days then pay us if you like the product" thing?

What Uke? I love playing Uke, such a fun instrument.

Glad to hear you are up and running!