Hi guys
Back on here after 11 years. ELEVEN! Oh my God! Good to see Homerecording.com still here and thriving. It's where I learnt everything last time around. I gave it all up owing to trying to get businesses off the ground etc, but just got a new back a new profile and wanted to reintroduce myself and get some advice on a studio re-build. Here's my situation:
I've been writing loads of new songs over the last year and it's now time to get them out there. My plan is to get them recorded, so I've got something to put out to attract collaborators and band members in the local area (Nottingham UK) and then go on to gig, record more etc and generally just get a body of work going.
So, I'd like help in rebuilding the studio for my needs. Last time round I think I was so enamoured with all the stuff you can do I became a bit of a knob twiddler and lost sight of what it's about - The music - so this time round I want to keep it primarily about that and not the production - which although I find very enjoyable of course - is a means to an end really and I don't want to get too bogged down on it.
Here's what I currently need and don't need from from a studio
Need:
Easy to use i.e just pick up guitar and play and sing get something half-decent recorded
Demos good enough for attracting other band members/collaborators etc
Don't need and don't care about:
Super low-noise perfect recordings
Lots of knob twiddling
Spending hours in front of computer just to get it 10% better
Super low latencies etc
To begin with I'll primarily be recording acoustic guitar and my vocals. Down the line I'll want to add some synth backing. (I did this last time using a Soundblaster and Soundfonts. I don't want to be doing that again - I take it these days these are all built in to the DAW?)
Here's the kit I've got
Sound card: M-Audio Audiophile 2496
Pre-amp: Art Dual MP (the old tube half rack mount one with the led meters)
Laptop AMD dual core 2Ghz
Mics: AKG C-1000, Octava MK 219
What I need:
- New Pc or Audio interface (or both)
- DAW software
That's it really. First thing I found out was the sound card won't fit in modern computers! No way! So here is how I see my options.
1. Get a dual channel audio interface (probably something like the M-Audio M-Track Two-Channel) and use the laptop (and then possibly get a new pc down the line if necessary)
COST: £75
2. Get new pc built with old motherboard with pci slot on it for the 2496, and use the ART pre-amp
COST: £350
Actually looking at that I may have answered my own question. Much cheaper to just get an audio interface.
Some random questions
- Is the M-Audio M-Track Two-Channel (or similarly priced interface) as good as the 2496 with the ART pre-amp? I do want a thick warm sound but I'm not too bothered if the difference is minimal and the Interface saves a lot of hassle
_ What happens with the USB out. If you record into 2 inputs at the same time does it output 2 tracks to the DAW or just one mixed one?
- Could I use the ART with the interface i.e Input mics to ART, then ART out to interface with no pre-amp - just use it for the A/D conversion?
- Any complications with using the laptop?
Thanks guys. Look forward to your responses
Cheers
Masten
PS Here's a couple of different versions of an old song I just dug out so you can see what I managed to do with my kit last time round (not me singing obviously) My new work is nothing like this but you get the idea.
Back on here after 11 years. ELEVEN! Oh my God! Good to see Homerecording.com still here and thriving. It's where I learnt everything last time around. I gave it all up owing to trying to get businesses off the ground etc, but just got a new back a new profile and wanted to reintroduce myself and get some advice on a studio re-build. Here's my situation:
I've been writing loads of new songs over the last year and it's now time to get them out there. My plan is to get them recorded, so I've got something to put out to attract collaborators and band members in the local area (Nottingham UK) and then go on to gig, record more etc and generally just get a body of work going.
So, I'd like help in rebuilding the studio for my needs. Last time round I think I was so enamoured with all the stuff you can do I became a bit of a knob twiddler and lost sight of what it's about - The music - so this time round I want to keep it primarily about that and not the production - which although I find very enjoyable of course - is a means to an end really and I don't want to get too bogged down on it.
Here's what I currently need and don't need from from a studio
Need:
Easy to use i.e just pick up guitar and play and sing get something half-decent recorded
Demos good enough for attracting other band members/collaborators etc
Don't need and don't care about:
Super low-noise perfect recordings
Lots of knob twiddling
Spending hours in front of computer just to get it 10% better
Super low latencies etc
To begin with I'll primarily be recording acoustic guitar and my vocals. Down the line I'll want to add some synth backing. (I did this last time using a Soundblaster and Soundfonts. I don't want to be doing that again - I take it these days these are all built in to the DAW?)
Here's the kit I've got
Sound card: M-Audio Audiophile 2496
Pre-amp: Art Dual MP (the old tube half rack mount one with the led meters)
Laptop AMD dual core 2Ghz
Mics: AKG C-1000, Octava MK 219
What I need:
- New Pc or Audio interface (or both)
- DAW software
That's it really. First thing I found out was the sound card won't fit in modern computers! No way! So here is how I see my options.
1. Get a dual channel audio interface (probably something like the M-Audio M-Track Two-Channel) and use the laptop (and then possibly get a new pc down the line if necessary)
COST: £75
2. Get new pc built with old motherboard with pci slot on it for the 2496, and use the ART pre-amp
COST: £350
Actually looking at that I may have answered my own question. Much cheaper to just get an audio interface.
Some random questions
- Is the M-Audio M-Track Two-Channel (or similarly priced interface) as good as the 2496 with the ART pre-amp? I do want a thick warm sound but I'm not too bothered if the difference is minimal and the Interface saves a lot of hassle
_ What happens with the USB out. If you record into 2 inputs at the same time does it output 2 tracks to the DAW or just one mixed one?
- Could I use the ART with the interface i.e Input mics to ART, then ART out to interface with no pre-amp - just use it for the A/D conversion?
- Any complications with using the laptop?
Thanks guys. Look forward to your responses
Cheers
Masten
PS Here's a couple of different versions of an old song I just dug out so you can see what I managed to do with my kit last time round (not me singing obviously) My new work is nothing like this but you get the idea.