Im looking for my next step on gear

SD88

New member
I have and audio interface presonus fp10 ( i know its old) but i was wondering which would be the next step? mic preamp? Compressor? distressor?
 
The fp10, though getting on in years, is a fine interface.

Before looking at preamps, compressors and so on, I would think about speakers and mikes . . . making sure that all were of reasonably quality.

That other stuff is hardware whose attributes are readily created in the computer.
 
and after that what should be my next upgrade after the mics? if you could make a little list of the things I should get that would be a great help in a step by step simple rig thanks in advanced
 
What your next upgrade should be is determined in part by what you have already.

You've said you have an fp10, and that's about all we know.

A list of what you already have would be handy.
 
Treatment and nice monitors.

+1

If you're recording and mixing, a true room with some flat monitors will help to no end. If your room lies to you, and your speakers lie to you, you're not going to get good mixes (at least not easily). Add to that some decent cans and some mikes (if you haven't already got them) for tracking vocals, etc.
 
+1 room
Whats your room like? If you have your mic on and your gain cranked up to a good recording level.....is it a quiet room? or does it sound like its raining white-noise? If the latter fix the room, it should be quiet. I think Vocal Booth type quiet.

Mics and Outboard?
I was reading again last night, Matt Wallace had a Billboard hit with a MXL990 on vocals, O.A.R. Shattered. After hearing Shattered by O.A.R. vocals on a MXL990, it makes me stop and think about how much I need to spend on mics?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa5Mawz92xU

You mentioned the Distressor and thats a unit Ive not owned but it gets a million good reviews for being able to add to the "non clean" color" fun. I bet thats a great unit for adding something to the track. ....And Zero Latency!

another new upgrade is Headphones/ $300 range. You might want to think about that. Logic: if your HR room sucks its possibly better using these on mixing, than a bad room with monitors. BeyerDT880 250ohm etc... There seems to be about 3 or 4 sets that get reviewed a lot for HR and Pro studios.
 
I don't recommend getting outboard gear. I bought in to the hype and got a couple ART units, MPA Gold and the Pro VLA 2. They're fine units, but I rarely use them. I should have spent the money on acoustical treatment, or an instrument.
 
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