Im sure you guys get tons of these...

[custom>standard]

...but i would really appreciate some help.


I am planning on purchasing some recording equipment to capture some good guitar sounds. From that point, i plan on recording drum's and bass's. I plan on getting a Shure Sm57, Cubase SE, and an M audio Mobile Pre. Will this work out well? It will come out to round' 370$.



Thanks

[metalhead28]

Originally Posted by custom>standard

...but i would really appreciate some help.
I am planning on purchasing some recording equipment to capture some good guitar sounds. From that point, i plan on recording drum's and bass's. I plan on getting a Shure Sm57, Cubase SE, and an M audio Mobile Pre. Will this work out well? It will come out to round' 370$.
Thanks

Well, an SM57 is certainly capable of good guitar sounds if you have a good guitar and a good amp to go with it (and good playing).

The Mobilepre may be a little limiting, but not a bad interface to start with. Don't expect to get pristine, larger than life sounds out of it and you'll be okay.

As far as recording drums, would you plan on expanding your arsenal quite a bit first? You'll definitely want a few more mics to get a decent drum recording, and thus more inputs / mic preamps.

[jkokura]

it's a good start for now, but be careful you don't buy something you'll regret. Do your research and you'll be fine. A+ on the SM57 and Cubase though. Everyones got a 57 or a dozen, and I love Cubase.

Jacob

[custom>standard]

ya the thing im wondering about with the preamp is that it wont be enough for recording other things. Can anyone recommend another preamp that will be of good use to me in the future? (i dont wanna spend more then 200$ on it). But also with the monile pre ill be able to take it around for little stuff in the future.



And also can i record bass with a 57?


And, wht should i use to record with, my vaio laptop, or my hp pc? Or should i look for a shitty cheap comp and do everything ont here?

[Newbie dude]

Record bass direct.

[custom>standard]

o yes i did not think of that. (bass recording)




so do you think i should buy a mixer? OR should i get this now and upgrade to a mixer later? Mixers have the preamps in them right? or if your doing it "properly" would you have a mixer and a preamp?



Sorry that was confusing. Help is much appreciated.

[Creamyapples1]

Originally Posted by custom>standard

so do you think i should buy a mixer? OR should i get this now and upgrade to a mixer later? Mixers have the preamps in them right? or if your doing it "properly" would you have a mixer and a preamp?

I think that's more preference than anything else. Do you need a mixer? not really, since you can do the mixing and what not from the program (in most cases) The pre-amp thing is probably a good idea though, any way you slice it. Personally I like the sounds I get running all my outputs to a board and rack gear, but that's my preference. As far as "properly" goes, that could be argued a number of ways as well. It's all relative to what you want out of your recordings, and what you plan on recording, and what you plan on doing with them afterwards.

[custom>standard]

bump- can anyone recommend a better preamp around the same price?

[jkokura]

you don't need a mixer in my opinion...just a good pre. Try out the M Audio DMP3 - one of the best bang for buck pre's under 200...

Jacob

[treymonfauntre]

recording drums is a real downer, it eats the life out of your budget if you're just starting out

[blazingstrings]

If you wanna step up a bit in price M-Audio Firewire 410 is nice and give you up to 4 ins.
Or I am hearing that Presonnis firebox is cool.

-Blaze

[custom>standard]

Thank you very much for the responses guys


The M-Audio Firewire looks awsome but its too expensive, maybe i should just save more. It is my first stuff though so i maybe i shouldnt spend a too much money....


The DMP3 looks good awell, for my price too. Is it better than the mobile pre? The dmp3 isnt an audio interface though, do i need that? What really is an audio interface?


i have such noobish questions.

[Nick98338]

If you are recording electric guitar (the cab), then the SM57 is OK. I cannot agree with an SM57 for acoustic guitar, however. Not direct, anyway. If you use the acoustic guitar through an amp, you can use the SM57 to mic the amp. That works well.

[custom>standard]

Ya i probably wont be recording acoustic. My gear is Gibson Sg Special runing through a Carvin Mts combo.

So what is an audio interface? The mobile pre comes with one and the dmp3 doesnt have one. So should i get the mobile pre?


Theres quite a few different cubase's. Im looking to spend 100$ on one. Wich one to get? Ive also heard that sonar is better, should i look into that?


Also, what are some good websites for looking at gear?

[custom>standard]

Bump/ how about sonar? Is that something is hould look into? Is it over 100$ and is it worth it?

[IronFlippy]

Cubase, Sonar, it's all preference. They work equally well.

Many good things are said about the DMP3. I have not used one. I have a Yamaha MG10/2 mixer going into (eventually) an Audiophile 24/96 sound card. A sound card is a type of audio interface. The Mbox is also an audio interface that communicates with the computer via USB (or Firewire, can't remember right now). The purpose of an audio interface is to do analog to digital conversions for input, and digital to analog conversions for output. The better it does this, the better the sound quality.

HINT: if you're on any sort of budget, then wait until later to get gear for recording drums.

I say get the 57, cubase/sonar/whatever-you-choose, and the DMP3. If you really want to record drums, then the DMP3 won't have as many inputs as you may need, so you'd need a second one. Then the final link in the chain is the audio interface. The M-Audio Delta series are good for multiple inputs.

I hope I cleared it up, rather than (pardon the pun) mixed it up for ya.

[custom>standard]

I love your avatar. And thank you very much for the response.



Meh, the the delta's are like 150$, + the dmp3 is too much. were as if i just got the Firewire 410 i would have the interface and 4 ins, for cheaper. I gotta asve like 160$ now : - /. So i think im decided (hopefully). Its Cubase Le, 57, and firewire 410.

[robbieb]

Well im pretty new to this, im using a carrillion pc with a mackie onyx, alleisis have brought out a firewire mixer that sounds pretty good, as recording guitars you can do know wrong with a Line 6 pod, they sound fab through a desk.

[custom>standard]

Ya pods sound great, but i dont really want one...


So along with the 57, firewire, and cubase, what else do i need? headphones and cables? What cables do i need and i really dont feel like spending a lot on headphones. ( i mean cheap as possible )

[custom>standard]

Bump......

[custom>standard]

extra bumpage

[travelin travis]

Have you checked out the presonus firebox? It comes with Cubase LE, also. From what I've heard so far, it's a better choice than the m-audio 410. I think you can only use 2 analog inputs at once on the 410. Somebody chime in if I'm wrong. The firebox has 4 simultaneous inputs and I hear that the 2 pre's on it are pretty damn decent.

There's a dealer on ebay selling the firebox for $300, free shipping, and you have a choice of a free gift. I would pick the v67g mic, which sells for $100, as the free gift, and trade it straight for a 57 if you don't like it or sell the v67g and buy a couple of the 57 GLS clones. If you like it, keep it and buy a couple of those 57 clones and you'd have three decent mics to work with.

Here's the ebay firebox dealer:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PRESONUS-FireBOX...QQcmdZViewItem

Cheap phones? Sold by a well respected member of this BBS:

http://www.itrstudio.com/moreme.html

The ebay dealer for those GLS 57 mics, cables, and stands:

http://stores.ebay.com/www-SpeakerRe...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

As far as cables and things, you need a cable/stand for each mic, and a pop filter if you will be doing vocals.

Later you could add in a 2 channel pre or mixer and another mic or two to make use of the other two inputs on the firebox. Personally, I think 4 inputs would be useable for tracking drums at home.

[cpc]

if you order the mobile pre from musicians friend you get a free mxl 990 condenser mic, which supposedly works well for acoustic guitar and is "decent" on vocals.

[travelin travis]

i've owned a 990. it's not bad on acoustic. it's too boxy sounding for vocals, imo.

[custom>standard]

Ooo, the firebox looks like a much better choice cuz it comes with cubase. So my desicion (hopefully, i think im stressin to much on gear) is a firebox and a 57.

Now i have to calculate how much it will cost for the pop filter, mic stands, cables, and headphones.


What is a general price for each one of those?

or

What should i get if im willing to spend 20$ for a stand, 20$ for a pop filter, 15$- 20$ for a cable, and 30$ for headphones. Basically 100$ total.