Your Dream Studio Under $3000....

berkleywoods

New member
I've got roughly a $3000 budget to put together my home studio. The only piece of equiptment I have already are a pair of monitors and the Alesis32 mixer. I'm trying to get ideas and opinions on my best route to build the highest quality studio I can afford. So assuming you already have the Alesis 32, what would be your other purchases in putting together this studio??? Mics, Audioworkstations, computers?? whats the best out there for the best price. I'm looking at 16 tracks....

look forward to the responses,
Berkley Woods
 
I THINK THE NEXT STEP, TO ME IS TO BUY A MOTU 2408, HARD DISKING RECORDING SYSTEM, AND YEA, YOU GOING TO NEED A COMPUTER TOO.
 
Is that 16 tracks at a time or 16 tracks total?

If your going to be only tracking 2 tracks at a time I would go with a computer based setup. First build a good PC. Second Get a good soundcard. I love my M-audio delta 44 ($269) which allows me to record upto 4 tracks at a time and playback to 4 diffrent tracks at a time, all at 24bit/96khz quality. You already have some useable preamps so next would be to get some mics. The best value in mic right now would likely be a Studio Projects C1 ($229), a pair of marshall electronics MXL-603's for recording in stereo (drum overheads)($70 each?) and a trusty Shure SM-57(snare, gtr amps, general purpose dynamic mic)($79). You might want to add an RNC(Really nice compressor).

Once you have all that you can decide what you want to do on your own with the rest of the money. That would give you everything you need to start learning recording skills and stuff.
 
I thing somebody is dreaming of a pair of A.D.A.M's. :)

Don't buy any mikes until you've decided what you want them for. Vocals-male or female, acoustic guitar, drums, electric guitar, kazoo. Let us know and we can recommend some. Don't buy cheap mic stands, spend a little bit more for good ones and they will be better investments.

You'll want a good reverb unit, either in the form of software or hardware.
 
Their are some general purpose mics you should have. I buy mics that can be used for as many diffrent things as possiable. Because I never know who I could be recording tomorrow. It could be my friends hardcore punk band who's vocals are done with a 57. Or another band I work with who have an incubus like sound need a mike like a C1 and then there is this other band who think they get the best sound threw the cheeper odd sounding mics. I don't buy a Mic because you need it for a male vocal, get a mic that can cover a large array of singers like the C1.

One thing I forgot in my post last night when I was a little on the drunk side was Montiors. Get a good set of reference nearfield montiors. I like my Yorkville YSM-1i, they have opened by ears and bring out alot of my past mixing mistakes. Stuff that is well produced sounds amazing on them. But 90% of music sounds like crap threw them, you can hear all the little flaws in the music, Its amazing.
 
adat's are going used on ebay for about $500 each.
Do you have any mics? Sorry this might come off rude but you own a mixer and no mics? Sorry, just need to know.
Also if you have a decent computer already a DAW set up might be in order. Sound cards range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars depending on model, brand etc. I really dig the digidesign 001 for mac $799 for 18 in sound card and pro tools le. It's not as cool as a TDM system but theres close to a $15,000 difference. IF you are handy with a PC then there are plenty of option that will meet your budget. I prefer macs or tape based systems, like the adat.
 
Thanks Guys....
haha, naw ive got mics....I got 3 SM58....been using the Studio32 Mixer as a PA board for my band....we're seniors in highschool who are playing lots of shows and have a good crowd and are looking to get a decent recording out.....I was kinda leaning towards a Workstation......maybe the Yamaha AW2816......or a Akai DPS16.....any suggestions on that??

we're drums/bass/guitars/keys/vocals.....its acoustic roots rock....3 part harmony stuff.....i figure with bouncing, a 16 track machine should be enough...

so the C1 is a good vocal mic?? that was a bit more than I was hoping to pay...whats a step down from that??
 
the C1 is the step down from everything else in its class.

The next best thing would be the SM-58. Well there are a few other large condensers worth looking at. The Marshall electronincs v67 and Behringer B1 and B2's.
 
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