$1200 to spend on home studio

Era212

New member
Hey everybody, i've finally had a break in luck and am going to commit to setting up a home studio. The thing is, that although I've been researching everything, there is so much information out there I'm drowning in it.
So I have a few questions and it would be extremely appreciated if I could get any feedback, and I'm going to keep researching everything but was hoping to get some firsthand accounts as well.

And even though I may not be able to get everything I need right away, I'm hoping that over time I will have enough to get great sound. I honestly want studio quality even if that is terribly naive. But hey, you can fill me in.

COMPRESSION MICS- What is the best mic for the money? I know the mic is maybe the most important of all when it comes to getting good sound. I also know I will be needing a compression mic. Any help here would be tremendous. Price range? It depends on the difference in quality. I would be willing to spend moire if it made a more pronounced difference.

PREAMP- Same thing: what are some of the best quality preamps for the cost?

WHAT IS A COMPRESSOR? AND DO I NEED ONE? I read the sticky, but it kind of went over my head. I'm going to look into this more regardless, just as I am everything else, I just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask and get some person-to-person feedback.

BEST INTERFACE- pro tools... Logic x? How much difference is there between them? Comparative Price to quality ratios?

EQ- is it on the preamp, interface? Do I need to purchase something separately?

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS FOR A START-UP HOME STUDIO?


HELPFUL LINKS?

WHAT MAKES A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO SO ADVANCED? (Aside from the engineer?) (For clarity through contrast)

I am researching everything and i will figure this out, but any help, advice, personal experience... ANYTHING... you can offer me would be extremely appreciated.
I am a total novice entering this vast arena and it is a little overwhelming.
I just want to make prudent decisions with my money because I don't have a lot of it, I don't want any wasted/erroneous expenditures, and I want the most sophisticated equipment I can get for my price range.
Thanks so much
 
I think you mean "Condenser" mics. I would strongly recommend visiting Youtube and paying close attention to basic recording vids, it sounds like you may be trying to jump in a little too fast. I would suggest starting with an inexpensive 1 or 2 input interface and use the LE or demo software it comes with, or demo Reaper. Note: you buy an interface to record audio into a computer where it is handled by a software program(DAW- Digital Audio Workstation) such as Pro Tools, Logic, Reaper, etc. They are two separate things. If you look through this forum you will find user panels for most of the popular software and hardware and ultimately it depends on what you want to record. I would check the interface websites for system requirements before getting a computer also , so you don't end up with something that wont do what you want. Ultimately, it depends on the individual . None of your questions has a "right" answer all this stuff is relative. The best way to learn about this stuff is to do it. Which is why its a waste to spend a ton of money at the outset. Pick up a quality but reasonably priced interface(with preamp, DI/instrument input, phantom power nice but not necessary)/software bundle, read the manual for the software, watch vids and try everything and listen, listen, listen. There is no wrong way to start, but if you shoot for the stars without doing the ground work first , you might just frustrate yourself into quitting. So take your time. Don't go for "the most sophisticated" equipment because you aren't there yet. Be patient young padewan
 
First: what are you going to be recording? Vocals, voice-overs, acoustic guitar, drums?
Second: what is your 'space' (room) like?

Audio interface - this is not your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), it is the device that takes your analog input (sound captured from a mic or instrument) and converts it to digital (all 1s and 0s) for the computer.
Some audio interfaces come wht a limited edition DAW. Reaper is a great DAW to try out if you have no experience with any other DAWs, as it is free to download the full version, $60 to register it after you decide you want to keep it.

Besides your mic, audio interface and DAW, you'll need a way to listen to what you are recording - headphones, at a minimum, then some monitors.

Assume you have a suitable computer already.
 
If you are only going to record one channel at a time, the PreSonus AudioBox iOne sells for about $100 and includes (a) PreSonus' Studio One Artist DAW software and (b) Studio Magic Plug-in Suite, which is a collection of useful plugins. I think that Presonus is pretty good for beginners.
 
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