Hi all, first post here, lots of advice needed!

[Nadzilla]

Hey all!

I got a rather nifty christmas present in the form of a new, much better job. It means I will finally be able to start working myself out of debt, but also be able to finally afford some decent recording gear (w00000000t!).

With that in mind, I need some advice...

Please listen carefully to the songs on my band's facebook page here (for some reason music player is tiny and near the bottom left of the page, meh...):
Bane of Deceit Facebook

I recorded all guitars, vocals and programmed all the drums. So here's what I used to record this:
Line 6 Pod XT
NJ series BC Rich
really cheap Harley Benton bass from Thomann
Mic: ADK A51
Vocal compressor: Behringer MDX2800 (which I have since found out from people is really crap and a waste of money, meh)
Peavy PV6 mixer (needed it for the Phantom power for my Mic)
Novation Speedio soundcard
Cubase SX3
Groove Agent (but have since procured a copy of Superior Drummer which I will now be using instead.)

My music computer went boom the other day, thankfully the HDD is still intact, but I am replacing the CPU, mobo and ram, as the computer is well over 10 years old and should probably be updated anyway.

So I want to update whatever I can to make my sound a lot more professional, but within reason (e.g not tens of thousands of quid worth of gear. My new job is good, but not THAT good, heh.)

I am already planning to get a custom guitar at some point, and probably a Fractal Audio AxeFX, but what I'd really like to do after that is get my hands on some decent vocal recording gear so I need advice on that. Ideally I'd like an SM7b, but that might be pushing the budget a bit far.

Please, any recommendations on what new gear to get, what better compression to use (a lot of people say software compressors?) and any techniques to "fill out" my sound so that it doesn't sound so thin and weak.

EPIC first post and request, hehe, but I really am trying to go much bigger and much more pro with my sound this year, so I can finally post things up on the web without having to apologise for the quality of the recordings.

Thanks in advance for any advice. Consider me your new pet project.

 

[Chili]

Welcome to the site and first off, congrats on the new job. Frikkin awesome.

This should probably be in the Newbies section, but we'll leave it here.

You should give condiserable thought to your room; both for tracking and mixing. Next to your talent, it's probably the most important facet of recording. Be sure to read, browse and search through the Studio Build forums for ideas on what will work for you. You recording and mixing environment is very important.

If you're going to be doing the one or two man band... and you will use VSTi's for your drums, then you probably only need a 2 channel interface. I know a lot of people use the Line 6 Pod, but I don't know the details of that unit and maybe it doesn't have all the functionality that you can find in a regular audio interface. However, once you get an audio interface, you won't be needing the sound card for recording.

Most interfaces will have mic pres and phantom power, so you won't need the mixer.

I see you have Cubase SX3, that is usually a red flag for hackers, crackz and s/w pirates. Please be sure you have a legit copy, we do not advocate or tolerate software theft at this site. (Nor any other kind of theft for that matter!! )

You didn't mention monitors. You will need some as they are just as important as your room. They don't have to be expensive, just designed with recording in mind. KRK's are a popular brand.

There's a lot you can do with your computer to bring it into the current millennium. But it doesn't have to be a powerful computer for recording purposes, unless you are going to be using tons of VSTi's (like Superior). Even the most modest computer can handle one or two VSTi's running at the same time.

Mics get discussed a lot. Check out the Newbs and Mic forums.

Good luck and have fun,

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Congratulations on the new gig!

My immediate recommendation would be to ask yourself just why you want/need to record yourself.

I don't meant that cynically, I mean that honestly; what is your purpose? To have fun with it? To make a serious recording? To get work? etc. Because your reason for recording yourself plays a major role in just how you should spend your money for this venture.

Second, you mentioned debt. Use your money to get rid of that first before you even consider burning it on frivolities like recording music.

G.

 

[kcearl]

welcome aboard...Im fairly new at this game too but I love it...just beware it can be a money pit so, as Glen says, think what you want to achieve with this as recommendations can be adjusted to any budget

Id say when it comes to software though be sure to demo as much as possible because it appears that most suggestions in here can be based on many things, knowledge, personal preference, and reinforcement of ones own purchases included...be sure the software works for you first (this goes for hardware too where possible)

 

[Nadzilla]

I see you have Cubase SX3, that is usually a red flag for hackers, crackz and s/w pirates. Please be sure you have a legit copy, we do not advocate or tolerate software theft at this site. (Nor any other kind of theft for that matter!! )

Have no fear! It's legit, albeit second-hand. A friend was breaking his Windows rig as he went the Mac / Logic route and swears by it these days. I bought the HDD from his old machine (minus his previous work, of course, heh) as it was pretty much "plug it into a new chassis and good to go!"

You didn't mention monitors. You will need some as they are just as important as your room. They don't have to be expensive, just designed with recording in mind. KRK's are a popular brand.

I'll certainly look into that, thanks. I am currently sharing the speakers for my normal computer which are a basic 2.1 Sony set. I am aware that they're not ideal for home recording, but I have to live with them for now, as some other stuff is top priority at the mo, like a new Guitar as my current one isn't cutting the tone I want to achieve.

There's a lot you can do with your computer to bring it into the current millennium. But it doesn't have to be a powerful computer for recording purposes, unless you are going to be using tons of VSTi's (like Superior). Even the most modest computer can handle one or two VSTi's running at the same time.

Aye, I have settled for a cheap combo of motherboard, cpu and ram, all came to around £120. It'll certainly run faster than it did before it fried, as the old hardware is around 10 years old. I can't wait for Superior 2 to not take 6 minutes to load up, hah!

Congratulations on the new gig!
My immediate recommendation would be to ask yourself just why you want/need to record yourself...

Well, I need to be able to produce my own recordings from home for several reasons really. Firstly is that I don't need a full studio to record music for my band, as I am the guy who writes all the stuff. Even the drum patterns. I am impressed with how many people use things like Superior 2 and they sound so real! I believe Devin Townsend used DFH for his entire Ziltoid album, and I know a lot of my fave new bands use it, like Animals as Leaders, TesseracT and Periphery.
Another reason is, again, money. I want to be able to produce good demo-quality recordings, so that they can pass as a good illustration of my sound on, say, a myspace / facebook page. My main frustration is not being able to afford £1000 to go into a studio to record a 5 track E.P, so I want to get close to a decent sound without having to be a millionaire every time I come up with a decent song, heh. I'm the kind of guy who will get an idea at 4am, run downstairs, and by the morning have a pretty good song up and running. You can't do that with out-sourcing.
I also want to undertake several new over-the-internet collaborations and recording projects this year, so doling out a handful of notes every time I want to lay down a few vocal lines just isn't cost effective.
Most of all, I get immense personal satisfaction out of recording something, listening back, and nodding my head with contentment, so I guess "for fun" is also a reason...except not crappy sounding fun, good sounding fun, heh.

Second, you mentioned debt. Use your money to get rid of that first before you even consider burning it on frivolities like recording music.

The thing is, whilst some people need air, water and food to survive, I need music. It's my life-blood, my very reason for existing. Of course, I will be making significant dents in my debts, heh, but I've gone too long without the tools I need to go to the next level with my music. The amount of frustration I feel is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, I get the shakes about it! However, I am taking a much more sober approach to it all than I would have done 5 years ago. I am going to be able to put money into a savings account for the first time in....ever, I guess, hah, so I am aiming to only use funds that are "my own" to purchase what I need from now on. I know I'll have to wait a little longer to get what I need, but it'll feel all the sweeter when it finally happens and I realise I don't have to pay off a card company afterwards.

welcome aboard...Im fairly new at this game too but I love it...just beware it can be a money pit...

Indeed it is! I keep eyeing up all the nice shinies I could use, but thankfully I have grown a level head over the last few years and will only grab what I really, really need. No more impulse buying from me...for a VERY long time! HAH!

Thanks again all for the replies and for the congrats about the job. This is a dream come true for me, as I can finally see a light at the end of the respective debt and GAS treatment tunnels!

 

[aaronmcoleman]

Like they said before...fix the debt firs! haha.

Once that's done, I'm starting to realize simple is better. I never bought much, but I was always searching for the best gear, then I realized when I got my hands on it it didn't change much. So, I'd go with some decent mics and a decent preamp, and some sort of interface with 8 inputs (if you think you'll ever need that many), and that's it for starters. I"m using Reaper ($40) to record, and loving it and its plugins. I don't think I'll need anything more for a good while. One good LDC mic and a couple SDCs to get started and record away!