another "what should I buy" thread

[Nick_Black]

ok, what (in your opinion) is the most important (in order)

EQ
Compressor/limiter
headphone mixer
anything else

currently i have nothing in my rack (I don't even have a rack )
I am currently just relying on plugins. but I much rather have external equipment.

[mentalattica]

My opinionated list (anything else):

1. Skill
2. Room
3. Pre
4. Mic
5. Converters

Something like that. If your only asking about what you listed, that's based on you needs. I don't think they have a VST headphone amp yet though

[mrbowes]

Depends on your style of mixing...

Sometimes less is more.

What do you feel your lacking from the current sound?

What's your budget for said hardware?

Are you mic'ing or DI'ing most sources?

Do you even need a headphone amp???

If you're convinced on going outboard, the most important thing will be your patchbay.

[Nate74]

Originally Posted by mentalattica

1. Skill

Holy crap! Where can I buy that?

[tc4b]

Originally Posted by Nick_Black

ok, what (in your opinion) is the most important (in order)

EQ
Compressor/limiter
headphone mixer
anything else

currently i have nothing in my rack (I don't even have a rack )
I am currently just relying on plugins. but I much rather have external equipment.

Based on my own very biased opinion, my most valuable piece of outboard is my RNC. I have developed my own particular little ways of recording, as has probably everyone here, and mine includes conpressing vocals on the way in (some here consider that a sin, but wtf, whatever works for you, I say). Whatever piece is most valuable to you will depend on your style and preferences.

Why, exactly, are you going outboard? What does ITB lack that you're looking for?

[giraffe]

Originally Posted by mentalattica

My opinionated list (anything else):

1. Skill
2. Room
3. Pre
4. Mic
5. Converters

Something like that. If your only asking about what you listed, that's based on you needs. I don't think they have a VST headphone amp yet though

my (not so humble) opinion.
1. well tuned good sounding source material
2. well tuned good sounding source material
3. well tuned good sounding source material
4. well tuned good sounding source material
5. well tuned good sounding source material
6. skill
7. room
8. room
9. room
10. skill
11. mic
12. pre
13. eq
14. compressors
15. converters
16. lava lamp.

[Nick_Black]

Originally Posted by giraffe

my (not so humble) opinion.
1. well tuned good sounding source material
2. well tuned good sounding source material
3. well tuned good sounding source material
4. well tuned good sounding source material
5. well tuned good sounding source material
6. skill
7. room
8. room
9. room
10. skill
11. mic
12. pre
13. eq
14. compressors
15. converters
16. lava lamp.

1-5 check.
6, lacking a bit.
11. check
12 check
13. k
14, k
15, k.
16. on the way

yeah, I see your points, I indeed do need more skill with mixing. the reason I wan't thease things are:

headphone mixer: for when recording in seperate rooms, or if i don't wan't the amp on while playing drums.

EQ: the only 31 band EQ plugin I could find made "clicking noises" for some reason. and you have to wait wor it to render before you can preview it with the rest of the mix. plus it looks cool

compressor. the plugins are good sounding, but again you have to wait for it to render before you can preview it with the rest of the mix. plus it looks cool

the reason overall i would like an outboard is that i can send the track I'm working on thrue a seperate channel and the other channels thrue another channel so the band I'm recording can hear the changes i make, as I make them, and give thier own opinions on it.

Originally Posted by mrbowes

Depends on your style of mixing...

Sometimes less is more.

What do you feel your lacking from the current sound?

What's your budget for said hardware?

Are you mic'ing or DI'ing most sources?

Do you even need a headphone amp???

If you're convinced on going outboard, the most important thing will be your patchbay.

I feal like a good ear is missing from my sound, becouse when i use plugins i can only edit one track at a time, and hope to god that when added to the other tracks it sounds decent (but usually doesn't)

budget is round $200-300 each.

I'm doing both for guitars and basses, and micking drums. (and vocals, I don't know how to DI them )

I don't nesasarly need a headphone AMP but I do need a mixer than I can send diffrent tracks to diffrent headphones.

patch bey is taken care of already.

thanks.

[Cult_Status02]

Originally Posted by mentalattica

My opinionated list (anything else):

1. Skill
2. Room
3. Pre
4. Mic
5. Converters

Something like that. If your only asking about what you listed, that's based on you needs. I don't think they have a VST headphone amp yet though

I think I'd personally say Mic, Converter, Pre. Mostly because you'll need a good mic to capture the source, and a good pre, but I think unless you have a good converter, having a great pre is not needed, but then again, I guess with any of those 3 elements, if you have one great piece, the other two pieces need to compliment it. So, I think I might actually say "3. Mic, Pre, Converters."

[iqi616]

Originally Posted by Nick_Black

EQ: the only 31 band EQ plugin I could find made "clicking noises" for some reason. and you have to wait wor it to render before you can preview it with the rest of the mix. plus it looks cool

I'd take this off the shopping list. In 20 years of recording I've never needed a graphic EQ.

[mentalattica]

Originally Posted by Cult_Status02

I think I'd personally say Mic, Converter, Pre. Mostly because you'll need a good mic to capture the source, and a good pre, but I think unless you have a good converter, having a great pre is not needed, but then again, I guess with any of those 3 elements, if you have one great piece, the other two pieces need to compliment it. So, I think I might actually say "3. Mic, Pre, Converters."

I see your point and it's validity, it's really a toss up depending on circumstance and taste. Both being hypothetical since I haven't heard either combo: I would think a 57 would sound great through a Great River (vs.) a U87 sounding decent through an ART Tube MP...lol (not that that's a common or even realistic combo)...

Nick what software are you using and what plugins? There shouldn't be any reason you would have to render the effect to hear it, you can probably use it as an insert depending what your using.

[ofajen]

Originally Posted by Nick_Black

ok, what (in your opinion) is the most important (in order)

EQ
Compressor/limiter
headphone mixer
anything else

currently i have nothing in my rack (I don't even have a rack )
I am currently just relying on plugins. but I much rather have external equipment.

I'd put ASC Studio Traps ahead of any piece of electronic gear, then one or two accurate mikes and a pair of reasonably clean, quiet preamps. With that, I can usually do without the rest. But then, I'm weird. YMMV.

Cheers,

Otto

[bigtoe]

this sounds odd...but a good rule of thumb is not to buy anything until you know what you need. you find that out thru experience and necessity. if you have to ask...be grateful, as you probably don't need a thing and if you do you might not know what to do with it anyway...so go record more until it hits ya!

Mike

[Nick_Black]

mentalattica, I'm using cubase- and goldwave (prmaraly) and whatever pugins I can download. i don't need to render to hear the effect, but i do need to render before i can hear the affected track in with the rest of the mix (especially when using goldwave)

and I hear alot of people taking about converters, what exsactly does a converter do, I've been mixing for about 3 years now and I don't think I've ever used one. (well, the first year and a half I only had some pirated software and a dollar store mic...)

and may I ask why so many other studio's have outboard equip?

thanks for all those who have replied!

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by Nick_Black

ok, what (in your opinion) is the most important (in order)

EQ
Compressor/limiter
headphone mixer
anything else

currently i have nothing in my rack (I don't even have a rack )
I am currently just relying on plugins. but I much rather have external equipment.

Good Monitors. Get good monitors. Monitoring good, recording good, monitoring bad, recording bad.

Good monitors allow you to have good recordings in a good room with good mics and good eqs, good pre-amps and a good console.
It is all goodly.

Oh, I forgot, start with a good rack. Good racks allow good equipment to be mouned good. Get a woodgrain one or build it yourself with good tools.

[Nick_Black]

I've got a decent pair of monitors (ysm2p's) and I'm planning to build my own rack.

and why are so many people basicly telling me to keep with the plugins, while so many studio's use outboard equipment. I'm not saying that thier suggestion is not valid, It's just. whats the reason people get them?

[mentalattica]

Originally Posted by Nick_Black

mentalattica, I'm using cubase- and goldwave (prmaraly) and whatever pugins I can download. i don't need to render to hear the effect, but i do need to render before i can hear the affected track in with the rest of the mix (especially when using goldwave)

and I hear alot of people taking about converters, what exsactly does a converter do, I've been mixing for about 3 years now and I don't think I've ever used one. (well, the first year and a half I only had some pirated software and a dollar store mic...)

and may I ask why so many other studio's have outboard equip?

thanks for all those who have replied!

You use converters everytime your record

To hear the affected track with the rest of the mix just use the effect as an insert.

Some people prefer outboard and some studio's have been around for ages before plugins were introduced. The reasons vary depending who you ask.

[MOFO Pro]

Originally Posted by Nick_Black

well, the first year and a half I only had some pirated software and a dollar store mic...

And Now? Pirated software and a fifty dollar mic...

[Nick_Black]

Originally Posted by MOFO Pro

And Now? Pirated software and a fifty dollar mic...

yeah, something like that. but it's good practice though for when I do get expensive stuff. (most of the stuff I have right now is from e-bay, or home-made)

Originally Posted by mentalattica

You use converters everytime your record

oh, you mean like mics and such, that converts ither air to electrons and in your pc from analog to digital, ect. ok, thanks.