Please check out my Home studio set up, I think I'm missing something

studio1784

New member
I'm recording Hip-hop, Rap, R&B and Pop artists, I would like to add maybe a mic amp or whatever is missing to enhance my setup. I need advice from my HR family. Thanks!!!

My Studio Set-Up

• Dell Latitude E6430s 14 Inch Business Laptop Computer, Intel Dual Core i5 3.3GHz CPU, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, DVD, HDMI, USB 3.0
• External Hard drive- 1 TB
• Audio Interface- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
• Mic- Rode NT1-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic/ Gator Dual Pop Filter/ Auralex Vocal Mic Isolation Shield
• Music Software- Sonar Professional, Studio One, Sound Forge 10
• Monitors- Fostex 8” 3 way
• Headphones- Shure Closed Monitor Headphones
• TC Helicon VoiceTone Harmony G-XT- Voice Processor
• Key board- M-Audio 49-Key MIDI Controller with drum pad

Layout:
1. Lap top  usb Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface input 1&2 usb TC Helicon Voice Tone Harmony- G-XT XLR cords to main out and Rode mic input
2. Headphones and Monitor Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface
3. External Hard driveusb Lab top
 
I basically use the same thing when I do the rare vocal recording at home (2i2, similar lower end Rode mic). The key is to get the gain on the mic just loud enough so it doesn't clip but is still plenty loud and audible in the headphones. You could also put a software compressor on the track to help bring it up in the headphones.

What do you think you need? As long as the input signal is okay, most anything you want to accomplish after can be done with plugins. While a mic preamp could possibly improve things, I'm not sure with that particular mic it would be any more/less improvement than what software plugins could accomplish for less money and more flexibility.

Many here would also recommend room sound treatment. I tend to record very close to the mic so the benefits of doing so would be nominal in my case, but if you like keeping some distance between your lips and mic/pop-filter, then that might be something worth exploring.
 
You seem to have a good start for your basic equipment. You don't mention anything about the room you're going to use for recording and or monitoring and mixing. Since you're at the starting point........this would be a very good time to determine what the issues might be for your space and correct / address them up front. Once you start producing material.........you don't want to struggle with your space after that.
 
You seem to have a good start for your basic equipment. You don't mention anything about the room you're going to use for recording and or monitoring and mixing. Since you're at the starting point........this would be a very good time to determine what the issues might be for your space and correct / address them up front. Once you start producing material.........you don't want to struggle with your space after that.

My studio is set up in my bedroom the size of the room is 10' x 15' feet by 7 feet high
 
I use heavy blanket to pad back of the bedroom door mic facing the window have heavy curtains at the window and mic between window and bedroom door blanket is behind the mic.
 
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^^^A mixer is seldom a needed thing in a recording studio. If you are mixing in that room, then you're going to need some real acoustic treatment (rockwool panels).
 

Yes, quite agree but! Mixers have things not found on AIs. Most importantly an HPF (bass cut) and/or EQ that can do the same. I do not subscribe to much processing 'going in' but a cut at say 80Hz..Grrr! finger slipped, will remove mud and bumps you don't need anyway. Signal can be panned to double mono.

The output of the AI can be routed back to the mixer and the latter used as a monitor controller.
Any ancillary sound sources can be left 'patched in' saving repeated pluggertin'. Mixers also often have punchier H/P amps than bus juiced AIs...

No, OP does not NEED to do any of this, jus'saaayin!

Dave.
 
Dave, ALL of that can be done at the track level, in real time, using plugins. For single tracking there's zero need to add more equipment to this setup.

The OP hasn't indicated any limitations in using what they have. That's also part of the failure in this thread is that they haven't indicated what they perceive as being missing, or inadequate in their setup.
 
Dave, ALL of that can be done at the track level, in real time, using plugins. For single tracking there's zero need to add more equipment to this setup.

The OP hasn't indicated any limitations in using what they have. That's also part of the failure in this thread is that they haven't indicated what they perceive as being missing, or inadequate in their setup.

Yes, totally agree and not looking for a spat, just that LF filtering is often best done as early in the analogue chain as possible.

But yes again, all possible 'ITB'

Shutting up now and getting coat!

Dave.
 

6 or 8 or even more great preamps. Good eq. At a rock bottom price, compared to higher-end preamps. And there isn't much in the bargain department, except ART and Behringer.

But I said, "I feel". Eg, that's what I would get. Just an idea, not a mantra.
 
6 or 8 or even more great preamps. Good eq. At a rock bottom price, compared to higher-end preamps. And there isn't much in the bargain department, except ART and Behringer.

But I said, "I feel". Eg, that's what I would get. Just an idea, not a mantra.

He has one mic. Why does he need 6 inputs?

He has an entry level Rode mic, would any preamp actually benefit him (compared to the preamp in the 2i2, which I find is more than adequate for my slightly better Rode mic)?
 
He has one mic. Why does he need 6 inputs?

He has an entry level Rode mic, would any preamp actually benefit him (compared to the preamp in the 2i2, which I find is more than adequate for my slightly better Rode mic)?

This is true (different issue so coat is off again!) . "Better" pre amps are usually used for two basic reasons.
1) You need a specialized very low noise pre with high gain for say a ribbon.
2) To give a 'character' to the mic's signal. Often pres with transformers are said to do this (but I know a 'bit' about transformers and mostly, they don't) . Whichever way you cut the second requirement you are adding DISTORTION! It is generally recommended in this digital age to record, 'dry and flat' because any modification to the signal cannot easily be undone later on.

The pre amps in the vast majority of modern AIs are of more than adequate gain and noise performance and the advent of V good value, good capacitor mics helps as well.

There is a vast amount of software available, much of it free to eff up the recorded signal any which way you want but FCS get the ORIGINAL sound captured first as well as you can!

Dave.
 
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