Outboard Gear & Mobile Recording...

[lurgan liar]

Rack Gear - Compressors, Limiters, Multi Band Compressors, Guitar FX, Gates, Eq, Reverb, Delays ....

Here's my gear:

Interface

RME Fireface 800

Monitors

Warfedale 8.2 Pro Actives

Microphones

MXL 992, 993
Studio Projects B1
Shure SM58 x 4

Software

Sonar 5 Producer Edition
Waves Diamond Bundle

...

I guess what I should really be asking is ... If this was your gear list....what would you want to buy next...who is the weakest link?

OR Maybe I should be concentrating more on finding a proper room with good acoustics for recording instead of spending money on outboard gear , or additional mics ....At the minute I am recording bands where THEY practice ....in garages, lofts, sheds etc...

However i am addicted to this recording, mixing, mastering phenomenon and i want more gear , Gear, GEAR!!!!!!!!! what should i buy next!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!

[SonicAlbert]

My first thought is to get some better mics.

[lurgan liar]

What mics would you suggest? i know Neuman are supposedly the best ...however i've heard it said so many times before that you could have the best most expensive solid gear there is available ...but if you use it in a shed or garage you might as well be using a webcam microphone in an isolated soundbooth...

[studiomaster]

Consider Audio technica and Rode mics...they hold awesome budget mics...

[lurgan liar]

Originally Posted by studiomaster

Consider Audio technica and Rode mics...they hold awesome budget mics...

Yeah i'm considering the Rode NT1A ??? would you recommend?

[studiomaster]

Umm...depends...you're going to be recording vocals and guitar?

[studiomaster]

By the way, what monitors are you using? I would personally focus on having a good monitoring system as well as room treatment....just my opinion though.

[lurgan liar]

Originally Posted by studiomaster

By the way, what monitors are you using? I would personally focus on having a good monitoring system as well as room treatment....just my opinion though.

Can't believe i never posted up my Monitors:

Wharfedale 8.2 Pro Actives

my inital post has also been updated ....

Originally Posted by studiomaster

Umm...depends...you're going to be recording vocals and guitar?

Yes If i was to upgrade my mics it would be to get better sounding vocals and acoustic guitars... do you think Rode NT1A is the way forward for me?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

One can never have enough microphones or a good enough monitoring chain (monitors and room especially.)

A lot depends upon your budget.

Frankly, the NT1A, while different, I don't beleive is going to be a *huge* difference from your current B1 and MXLs. Any mics that I might recommend as being signifigant steps up from what you have now start at about $300ea plus (e.g. Sen 421, EV RE20, MXL V69M, AT 4040, etc.)

If you are looking at a $200 spending limit, I might consider getting at least one - if not two - SM57s. Hard to believe you don't have at least one yet, and they are invaluable for stuff like snare miking and git amp miking. And then perhaps a second B1 or matching MXL just so you have a matching pair for coincident pair or stereo OH or room miking.

But something else I'd seriously consider is room acoustics. I know you mentioned that you usually record in your client's practice spaces, but for a couple of hundred bucks you could build some portable corner bass traps and movable gobos, and maybe get a couple of moving blankets, all of which you can carry with you on location and be able to control your sound somewhat, which can make a huge difference in vocals quality, acoustic instrument quality and bleed reduction.

G.

[lurgan liar]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

One can never have enough microphones or a good enough monitoring chain (monitors and room especially.)

A lot depends upon your budget.

Frankly, the NT1A, while different, I don't beleive is going to be a *huge* difference from your current B1 and MXLs. Any mics that I might recommend as being signifigant steps up from what you have now start at about $300ea plus (e.g. Sen 421, EV RE20, MXL V69M, AT 4040, etc.)

If you are looking at a $200 spending limit, I might consider getting at least one - if not two - SM57s. Hard to believe you don't have at least one yet, and they are invaluable for stuff like snare miking and git amp miking. And then perhaps a second B1 or matching MXL just so you have a matching pair for coincident pair or stereo OH or room miking.

But something else I'd seriously consider is room acoustics. I know you mentioned that you usually record in your client's practice spaces, but for a couple of hundred bucks you could build some portable corner bass traps and movable gobos, and maybe get a couple of moving blankets, all of which you can carry with you on location and be able to control your sound somewhat, which can make a huge difference in vocals quality, acoustic instrument quality and bleed reduction.

G.

I always intended gettin an SM57 but i read so many posts on this forum saying that the 58 was basically the same as the 57 if you screw the ball off... is this a myth...? or have i been misinformed again ...

as for acoustics ...I know i should be going in this direction first ..but the truth is I just dont have the space at home or available to me at this time...

I guess i have to decide which is the best move ... better acoustics versus more expensive mics ...

[SonicAlbert]

A couple mics I'd suggest for you are the Audio Technica AT-4040 and the Shure SM-7b. The 4040 is inexpensive and yet is excellent quality. The Shure SM-7b is a workhorse type of mic and would be good for screamer rock vocals. Another good all purpose mic is the EV RE-20. Flat response and good off axis pickup, good for vocals or instruments, the RE-20 is a solid pro mic.

Four SM-58's seems to be enough of the SM-57/58 thing.

As far as the acoustics versus mic thing:

You say you are recording bands where they are, not at your own place. So there's not much point in spending money on acoustics, is there? Better mics and a wider mic selection will help you wherever you record.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by lurgan liar

I always intended gettin an SM57 but i read so many posts on this forum saying that the 58 was basically the same as the 57 if you screw the ball off... is this a myth...? or have i been misinformed again ...

It's not a myth, but the interpretation of what that means is a bit off.

The 57 and 58 both use the same dynamic capsule (the fact that they charge $10 more for the 58 has always seemed a bit disingenuous to me, maybe RAK can chime in on that one.) The difference is in the design of their heads. The 58 is of course the ball which is designed to propigate a fairly flat, fairly omnidirectional response. The head on the 57, OTOH is designed to provide a classic cardioid response. Simply taking the ball off of a 58 will not provide the same response and pickup pattern as a 57 will.

G.

[TragikRemix]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

(the fact that they charge $10 more for the 58 has always seemed a bit disingenuous to me, G.

they don't anymore, they're both $99

i'll find my used ones for $50... already have three. i want a 421 now!

[Alexbt]

I'm told that most retail music stores will always knock down the price of 57s or 58s. And there's always clones. I have 3 57 clones (I can't remember the name exactly!) that I got from an eBay shop--Orange County Speaker. They're great and I got 3 brand new for the price of one new 57. Definitely recommended.

57s are ALWAYS useful, so it's good to have a couple. I actually like the sound of 58s on vocals, but I find they pick up far too much excess in the room.