Gear for a home studio

C

CLARENCEADAMS

New member
Hey, I'm looking to set up a home studio for voice recordings. I've got about $600 to play with.

Here are my plans so far, some feedback would really help.

I was going to make a home booth using sound cancelling foam and a big recycling bag- those ones you get at the grocery store. I'm going to stick the foam inside and put the mic in there for recordings.

Mic- Rode NT1 with screen- I've been told I should use a dynamic mic instead of compressor though. Any advice on this?

Mic stand- cheapest

Direct box- cheapest

Decent cheap headphones- any suggestions?

Thanks, Clay
 
Please do some reading before buying ANYTHING!
This thread and this thread are good places to start.

There is such thng as 'sound canceling foam'. Do not spend your money on 'acoustic foam' at this stage of the game. Your scheme of a recycling bagwith foam will sound like you are singing in a coffin (dead).

There are dynamic and condensor (not compression) mics. Condensor mics (usually) require phantom power which would be supplied by a preamp, mixer or audio interface.
Which brings us to the point that if you want to record into a computer, you need an audio interface - this will convert the analog audio signal to digital, and will send it to the computer via USB or Firewire.

If you're stuck on the Rode, that's about $200 of your budget. Pop screen, mic stand and XLR cable another $50. "Decent cheap headphones" - if just for tracking, then you can get away with any closed back models, but if you want good sound reproduciton and are going to be using these for mixing, you'll spend at least $100.

Audio interface - $100 and up.

What are you recording? Do you have a DAW (recording software) already?
 
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mjbphotos said:
Please do some reading before buying ANYTHING!
This thread and this thread are good places to start.

There is no such thng as 'sound canceling foam'. Do not spend your money on 'acoustic foam' at this stage of the game. Your scheme of a recycling bagwith foam will sound like you are singing in a coffin (dead).

There are dynamic and condensor (not compression) mics. Condensor mics (usually) require phantom power which would be supplied by a preamp, mixer or audio interface.
Which brings us to the point that if you want to record into a computer, you need an audio interface - this will convert the analog audio signal to digital, and will send it to the computer via USB or Firewire.

If you're stuck on the Rode, that's about $200 of your budget. Pop screen, mic stand and XLR cable another $50. "Decent cheap headphones" - if just for tracking, thnen you can get away with any closed back models, but if you want good sound reproduciton and are going to be using these for mixing, you'll spend at least $100.

Audio interface - $100 and up.

What are you recording? Do you have a DAW (recording software) already?
Click to expand...

☝︎ Good advice.

Forget the non-existent "sound cancelling foam" foam completely - use the duvet from your bed - strategic use of this will help tame the acoustics to give you a reasonable sound.
 
If I were going to spend $600, I'd forget about the booth, get an inexpensive audio interface box and mic stand, and put as much of that money as possible into the microphone. Just me.

BTW, are you recording music vocals or spoken word?
 
Based on my experience, If I was starting out with $600 US, I would get the following:

- Steinburg UR22 audio interface (if you already have a computer) $150
- this gives you 2 decent preamps
- 1Shure SM57 microphones (good for a wide variety of sources) $100
- a reflexion filter to help reduce issues with untreated room $99
- 2 microphone boom stands (onstage 2 each package deal) $45
- 1 XLR Cable (connect the mics to the interface) $20
- 1 Instrument cable to connect bass or guitar to interface $20
- A good DAW for your computer (example - reaper) $60

Then I would spend the next couple of years learning how to get the most out of this gear. It is easy to get into gear acquisition syndrome. But it will not make you any better until you learn to use the basic equipment.
 
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If you're going to do any kind of budget room treatment then framed rockwool slabs wrapped in old duvet covers is your best bet. 60 quid will get you the slabs and timber.
Skip the DI.
Audio Interface is a must have item - Steinberg UR44 (more growing room in&out wise + DSP) would be my choice (I'm saving to replace my current interface)
Rode NT2a or an SE2200 ... I've used the NT1 and the NT2 - the NT2 is better. I own the SE2200 and its on par with the NT2.
 
glarmore said:
Based on my experience, If I was starting out with $600 US, I would get the following:

- Steinburg UR22 audio interface (if you already have a computer) $150
- this gives you 2 decent preamps
- 1Shure SM57 microphones (good for a wide variety of sources) $100
- a reflexion filter to help reduce issues with untreated room $99
- 2 microphone boom stands (onstage 2 each package deal) $45
- 1 XLR Cable (connect the mics to the interface) $20
- 1 Instrument cable to connect bass or guitar to interface $20
- A good DAW for your computer (example - reaper) $60

Then I would spend the next couple of years learning how to get the most out of this gear. It is easy to get into gear acquisition syndrome. But it will not make you any better until you learn to use the basic equipment.
Click to expand...

Good advice, but I would forget the reflection filter - use duvets that you would already have around the house and this will give you an extra $100 for the mic.
 
+1 to no R filter (if that makes sense) I read a review a few months ago and whilst they DO help a bit they are really just a tidy (expensive!) way to do what John's duvets will do anyway. Don't forget, it is as important to put absorbers BEHIND you as well as in front.

I would go UR22 and try to use the Cubase DAW it comes with. If you are starting from scratch it is really no more (or less!) difficult to learn than Reaper and is free!

For microphones, if you are singing then the dynamic will be ok but if doing speech a low noise capacitor would IMHO be the best bet.

Then you will be introduced to the very stimulating world of "noises off"!

Dave.
 
glarmore said:
Based on my experience, If I was starting out with $600 US, I would get the following:

- Steinburg UR22 audio interface (if you already have a computer) $150
- this gives you 2 decent preamps
- 1Shure SM57 microphones (good for a wide variety of sources) $100
- a reflexion filter to help reduce issues with untreated room $99
- 2 microphone boom stands (onstage 2 each package deal) $45
- 1 XLR Cable (connect the mics to the interface) $20
- 1 Instrument cable to connect bass or guitar to interface $20
- A good DAW for your computer (example - reaper) $60

Then I would spend the next couple of years learning how to get the most out of this gear. It is easy to get into gear acquisition syndrome. But it will not make you any better until you learn to use the basic equipment.
Click to expand...

This ^^^ a great advice and a great starting point
when it comes to microphones dynamics are so underrated, in a not well treated room a dynamic is the better choice for vocals because it wont pick up mush of the room unlike a condenser ,
you cant go wrong with a sm57 as long as you have decent pres, and a 57 will always be a great mic to have if you expand your mic collection at a later time, its built like a tank to hehe
i often prefer a dynamic on my vocals over my not so cheap Miktek Cv4($1599 on sweetwater) , that should say something about dynamics
 
600 is more than enough to get good vocal recordings .. all u really need is a solid mic (shure sm57 is cheap as chips and is a recording standard) , audio interface (about 100+) and acoustic treatment, but not that much even .. You can essentially just buy a portable vocal booth they go for like 200 ish and saves headache.. from this you wil probs have like 200 left, which you could spend on pro tools 11 (12 sucks).. let me know how it goes
 
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