$2000

G

GroovyGroundhog

New member
Hey everybody, I'm new here. I'm about to graduate from college and I'm trying to get into serious recording and I want to spend about $2000 to get myself up and running. I've already got a computer (running Windows) and instruments. So, what would you all suggest I get? I was thinking maybe I could by this PreSonus recording package from Musician's Friend (here's a link to it ). Any ideas?
 
Do you need all those inputs at once? I think you might be able to shop around in musiciansfriend and find something more towards what you want. What kind of music are you looking to record and besides your computer, what software are you using? I think that might answer a lot of this question. $2000 is a good amount to get set up, but you gotta spend it wisely.
 
I'm doing rock-ish music. I've got an old copy of Sonar 1 I've been playing around with but I plan to upgrade the software too. What's good? Should I look into an external mixer board?
 
How many inputs are you thinking you'll need?
Will you be recording a drumset? or full bands? or only like 3 things at most?
 
I've got Sonar 1, but it's dying. It keeps crashing on me. I like Sonar's layout more than Cubase, but I'm will to switch. Is Pro Tools good? My band's producer recorded us using that. If the latest Sonar is good, I'm inclined to stick with it.

As for inputs, I really would be recording only several tracks once. I don't see putting an acousting drumset in my apartment, but I might invest in an electric one. I take it electric drumsets require the same number of inputs as analog ones?

Also, where should I be focusing my money? I know I need microphones, but is it more important to have a top notch PC interface or good software? Are drum machines worth the money and can you get realistic sounds out of them?

The only equipment I have right now is a computer, guitars, a bass, a keyboard, and various other minor instruments.

I've been doing analog recording with my band forever but I don't know anything about the sampling and digital recording world except for playing with Sonar and recording through my laptop's soundcard.
 
I've got Sonar 1, but it's dying. It keeps crashing on me.
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I would figure this out first. If it's dying, I would want to know more before I went on.

Cubase, but I'm will to switch. Is Pro Tools good?
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They are all good. If you know Sonar I would suggest sticking with it, its a fine program.
Also, where should I be focusing my money? I know I need microphones, but is it more important to have a top notch PC interface or good software? Are drum machines worth the money and can you get realistic sounds out of them?
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Well, you gotta have software and a PC that can handle the job, this has to be first. After that I would go with the interface, you can build up mics over time. Drum Machines are almost absolute if you have a good computer, softsynths and samples rule the roost.
 
So I should stick to software drums until I can get some real hardware?

The reason Sonar is dying is because only one of my computers is running Windows right now it doesn't have the horsepower for recording. The computer I'm planning to use only has Linux on it, but I'm going to bite the bullet install Winows. I had plans to do Mac-based recording but I decided I didn't want to drop $3k right now. So, I know that whatever PC-based software I buy work (I have an intimate understanding of my big computer since I built it. I just hate windows, so I've been using Linux, which, unfortunately, isn't adequate for recording).

What do you prefer for interfaces? Should I go PCI or is USB/Firewire just as good? I'd prefer to do USB/Firewire because it keeps the components discrete, but I have no qualms about installing PCI hardware if it's better.
 
Oh, and you say Sonar is good? I just want to make sure if I drop a chunk of cash on software that it's worth it. How does Sonar compare to Pro Tools in quality?
 
GroovyGroundhog said:
I've got Sonar 1, but it's dying. It keeps crashing on me. I like Sonar's layout more than Cubase, but I'm will to switch. Is Pro Tools good? My band's producer recorded us using that. If the latest Sonar is good, I'm inclined to stick with it.

As for inputs, I really would be recording only several tracks once. I don't see putting an acousting drumset in my apartment, but I might invest in an electric one. I take it electric drumsets require the same number of inputs as analog ones?

Also, where should I be focusing my money? I know I need microphones, but is it more important to have a top notch PC interface or good software? Are drum machines worth the money and can you get realistic sounds out of them?

The only equipment I have right now is a computer, guitars, a bass, a keyboard, and various other minor instruments.

I've been doing analog recording with my band forever but I don't know anything about the sampling and digital recording world except for playing with Sonar and recording through my laptop's soundcard.
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COOLEDITPRO.
5 years of use, not crashed even once, absolutely no problems, most reliable program ever made.
 
How does Sonar compare to Pro Tools in quality?
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Apples and Oranges. The "real" pro Tools costs a fortune.

Sonar is excellent, I love it. All of them are good, it's all about familiarity and ease of use. Cubase, Sonar, N-track, Cool Edit, Pro Tools do the same stuff. Pro Tools is gonna be in bigger studios, but it's the other stuff (mics, preamps etc) that matter ( and of course your skill).

Sonar can do about anything you can think of.
 
GroovyGroundhog said:
Hey everybody, I'm new here. I'm about to graduate from college and I'm trying to get into serious recording and I want to spend about $2000 to get myself up and running. I've already got a computer (running Windows) and instruments. So, what would you all suggest I get? I was thinking maybe I could by this PreSonus recording package from Musician's Friend (here's a link to it ). Any ideas?
Click to expand...

JDSound has the FirePod with a free AT2020, a free (cheap) mic stand, and a free cable for $599. IMHO, that's a better deal. Since you buy it at $599 instead of as part of a bundle, with the JDSound deal, you can (at least in theory) also send in to Presonus for the free 4 channel headphone amp offer.

Assuming you have space, buy a set of M-Audio BX8s used for $300. Otherwise, buy a pair of BX5s new for $250. Then go buy a couple of Tama Mic stands and the MXL package. When you're done, you'll have spent about $100-150 more than the package above, but you'll have much better speakers, much better mic stands, and an AT2020. Better, you'll have a free headphone amp and a junk mic stand that you can sell for $150 and $15 on eBay, respectively. :D
 
Well, this is what I would do with that budget

(Monitoring Budget 20%) 400 max
Wharfedale 8.2a $340

I have these and for the most part my mixes sound right on any other system I've tried them on. Though I should say that I've really only had a chance to test them on six or seven different systems.


(DAW Budget 20%) $400 max
FireBox $300
I have a firepod that serves me well. It's not the best unit in the world, but for the price, you really can't beat it. I hear that the preamps aren't the same in the firebox. I don't know about the converters though. But the main reason for selecting this was that it comes with Cubase LE.

(Mic/Pre/acoustic Budget 65%) $1300max
FMR RNP $500
Neutral LDC $500 (KSM32, Well, I can't think of anything else.)
SM57 $100
Auralex Room Treatment Kit $200

All I have on this list is an SM57 and a few Auralex pannels. I do have an NTK, though I'd hardly consider that neutral. I do have an RNC which I think is good for the money. I listed a "money" mic and not a bunch of cheap mics because your overall recording quality is only going to be as good as your best signal chain. And yes there is alot you can do with one mic. I went for years with a Shure BG1.1 and a 4-track cassette recorder. Nothing really sounded good, but I did manage to capture everything I needed to. And one of the best drum sounds I've had was done with nothing more than a Rode NTK and a Beyer M201. The only thing that really didn't sound good were the cymbals, but they didn't sound good in the room either. On the Auralex, you may do better with 703. It's cheaper and is just as effective if not more effective. It just takes a bit more work to set up.


(Cables/stands 5%) $100 max
1 Amp Stand $20
1 Boom Stand $20
2 20ft Mogami Cable with Neutric Gold connectors home made $40
4 Balanced TRS 1/4" 3' cables $40

Ok so I went a little over budget here ($20), but these are sort of nessecary.
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Mic Methods:
Drums: SM57 on snare. LDC 3 feet in front of the kick facing up towards the toms. If you find the back of the kit is getting lost, move the mic back and boost the gain some.

Clean/Distorted guitar: SM57 in front of the grill. LDC where ever the cab sounds good.

Acoustic guitar: LDC where ever it sounds good in the room.

Bass: Well, that's tough with any mic. Same as above.

Vox: LDC in front of the singer or SM57.

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This is generally how I work.

Benefits: You have fewer channels to mix and you're mixes should come out better if you pick the right LDC. That LDC is important. It really shouldn't flatter anything. If it does it is colored and that color will build up at mix time. Sounds should sound like what sounds sound like. You'll probably have to settle on some color, just try to keep it to a minimum. I've heard the Shure KSM32 is good for this, but I've never worked with it.

Drawbacks: You only have two channels to work with. You really have no way to fix anything if you really have to. The source is that much more important too. You really can't try and find that one spot on a poorly tuned drum that might sound good. You also really can't bring the drums up to try and make them louder than the cymbals like you can with close miking. I haven't used the LE version of Cubase, but I know that the automation options are much more robust with SX. The manual with SX says all the other versions of Cubase only has touch fader automation which can be a bit of a pain IMO.

But as I said early in the post. This is what I would do with that budget. It fits how I work and is based on using techniqes that have and haven't worked for me in the past so take it for what it's worth.

Well, there is more I could post, but I have to go to bed.
 
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