Choices...which do I buy first?

H

hoursonend

Member
I am getting quite serious about recording now, I've got the following equipment which I use at the moment:

- MXL 990
- MXL 991
- PIII 733MHz PC with SBLive! Platinum soundcard
- Beh MIC200 tube pre (Needs replacement?)
- Sennheiser E835
- Vox AD30VT valvetronix
- Yamaha FG312 12 string guitar
- Yamaha P80, PSR2100, Technics KN1000 keyboards

I would really like to buy the following stuff, but I don't know what should come first:

- DMP3 pre (€159)
- MXL V69M (€299)
- Yamaha AW16 (€985) --> (or the new AW1600)

What would you suggest for me, I'm on a limited budget. I'm really looking to improve vocals, but I don;t know what I should buy first: the V69 or the DMP3. I think I can get decent vocals out of my 990, so a dmp3 would be the cheapest solution? I _was_ actually saving up for an AW16, but now these things need my attention, and the AW16 is probably a few months away from me (money wise). :(

And then there's room treatment, oh my god.....

Suggestions?

edit: I don't know why it got posted twice....
 
I'd get the DMP3 and a Shure SM57.

For ~$300 vocal mics, also consider the Shure SM7(b).

A good pre-amp will make all of your mics sound better.
 
Yeah, get the dmp3 along with the rest. And you'll also have to consider what software you'll be using.
And for the love of god, please, get a different soundcard than the sb live!
It's absolutly horrid, it's that simple. And what about monitors? Get some used KEF coda 7's* to start you off, that's where I begun and it worked well for a along time.
Apart for that it looks good! Hope you'll make some kick-ass tunes.

*= not exactly monitors, but very detailed and full-sounding. I bought my pair from a respected engineer who, before building a real studio, had used them for all his mixing needs. Still got mine for reference as I really know how they sound.
Oh, and I am a bit drunk as of this moment.. Please forgive any incoherence and/or misspelling you might encounter. Cheers!
 
Save up and buy a VoiceLive or a Voiceworks (rack mount version). In addition to the harmony, you get killer effects, pitch correction and an excellent pre-amp. This is one of the best purchases I have made and I've made quite a few. :)
 
ragata said:
Yeah, get the dmp3 along with the rest. And you'll also have to consider what software you'll be using.
And for the love of god, please, get a different soundcard than the sb live!
It's absolutly horrid, it's that simple. And what about monitors? Get some used KEF coda 7's* to start you off, that's where I begun and it worked well for a along time.
Apart for that it looks good! Hope you'll make some kick-ass tunes.

*= not exactly monitors, but very detailed and full-sounding. I bought my pair from a respected engineer who, before building a real studio, had used them for all his mixing needs. Still got mine for reference as I really know how they sound.
Oh, and I am a bit drunk as of this moment.. Please forgive any incoherence and/or misspelling you might encounter. Cheers!
Click to expand...

I'm using hifi speakers (JBL TLX series), and a sony hifi amplifier. I also use my Sennheiser HD490 headphones while mixing. I've already made some recordings using Cubase SE, which has suited me well. I will post a clip soon in the mixing clinic.

As for the soundcard: I don't want to spend money on another 1 or 2-track card, so if I buy something, It'll be an 8-track or something like that, but those are again expensive.....
The line-in on the SBLive Platinum (it has a pront panel with digital I/O, spdif I/O, and several analogs: RCA and jack, plus midi I/O), is actually quite decent.

thanks for the replies so far :)

Stan.
 
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An even cheaper alternative to the DMP3 is M-Audio's AudioBuddy. Two channel mic/instrument pre with phantom power. The way I see it, the Audiobuddy doesn't have much features, yes, BUT! .. what it DOES do is offer a SUPER clean and quiet signal that you can then put into your Cubase and give it whatever sound you want. You can use it both for Microphones AND instruments. It's I think around 80 - 100 bucks US or so. Give that a check.

Again, phantom power, two channels, and both instrument and mic inputs. Straightfoward and cheap ;) Hope this helps.
 
stanjanssen said:
What would you suggest for me, I'm on a limited budget. I'm really looking to improve vocals, but I don;t know what I should buy first: the V69 or the DMP3. I think I can get decent vocals out of my 990, so a dmp3 would be the cheapest solution? And then there's room treatment, oh my god.....
Suggestions?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if an upgrade to the dmp3 will significantly improve your vocals. It's likely to better than the Behringer pre but will it knock your socks off? You might try working on your vocal setup by adding a pop screen or experimenting with the way you adress the mic (or how the mic is positioned with respect to your mouth, chest, forehead, etc.). It's also worthwile to look at how room treatment affects your vocals. Could you setup some type of improvised vocal booth or experiment with singing in different room configurations. Lambo (above) suggested a vocal harmonizer. Have you also considered adding extra vocal tracks yourself rather than relying on a harmonizer? Or doubling your vocal track by cutting and pasting it using your sequencing software. And, if that's doesn't help, it's worth looking into a good compressor and sweeting the voice tracks with some reverb. The bottom line is simply that there are numerous things that can help vocals, some of which can be found in little black boxes and some that are just the result of technique or room treatment.
 
a question for YOU

what kind of music, and what are you recording? Is it just your voice and an acoustic guitar, or a rock band, or friends with horns, a string quartet, or what?
 
I actually do my harmony tracks myself, yes. I usually record myself playing acoustic guitar (MXL 991 + 990), electric guitar (vox ad30vt + MXL 990 + Sennheiser E835), and vocals (MXL 990). I do the rest (piano, bass, drums) using soft synths, or I record direct (Yamaha P80, PSR2100).
I just don't have the space for a vocal booth in my room I'm afraid... :o well I could try it... Ideal would be something I could fold up (hinges at the corners?) and put on the attic when not in use...

I am going to look into room treatment these weeks...

I think I'm going to get the DMP3, as it's not hugely expensive, and I going to have to get a decent pre once anyway so...

well thanks a lot so far :)
 
Middleman said:
Sound wise, nothing is going to change significantly unless you upgrade the sound card. That would be my goal.
Click to expand...

Well, that was why I was looking for a hd recorder. The computer I'm recording on isn't mine, so I always have to put it in my room and so. It isn't the best PC (read first post), so I would need more RAM and stuff. That was why I was looking for the AW16.
 
So you've probably read the thread in the microphones section, got the DMP-3.
What would be my next logical step?

Things I'm looking at:
- MXL V69M: I can get this one real cheap: €195 new, the complete kit

- A better soundcard. This is were the big money is I think: I'm using the SBLive Platinum w/ breakout box. I'm thinking: IF I'm buying a new soundcard, I would do it right, so I would get a 8 channel thing or so, so I can do some serious multitracking for my band. But those cards are really hundreds of euros :o. And another thing: my recording pc probably can't handle heavy multitracking, so I would have to invest in more RAM (now 256), or maybe a new pc altogether. I don't have this kind of money available now :o. Then I might do with a 2-channel USB or FireWire card, or maybe a PCI card. Please recommend, something, I was looking at spending MAX €150 - €200 on this... And what difference will an upgrade to my soundcard make, really? Will a new mic be a more important thing for me to buy at this point?

I could also go the HD recorder route, what would you recommend? I'm really in this pinch between buying something for myself or for my band, as I will track max 2-3 tracks at the time, but if I want to record my band with my gear, I might need more channels?

- Room treatment. My room is not disturbingly bad, but I'm sure there's room for improvement. How expensive would some basic room treatment run? tens or hundreds? or more?

I appreciate all suggestions :)

Stan.
 
Or should I just fuck on with what I have until I've got some real money to blow? I'm getting the feeling I'm spending too many 'little bits of money' on stuff, and I'm afraid that the quality will suffer?

Perhaps I should just be more patient... :rolleyes:

Stan.
 
stanjanssen said:
Or should I just fuck on with what I have until I've got some real money to blow? I'm getting the feeling I'm spending too many 'little bits of money' on stuff, and I'm afraid that the quality will suffer?

Perhaps I should just be more patient... :rolleyes:

Stan.
Click to expand...

There's a lot of truth to what you are saying here that gets lost on a lot of people.

Quality lasts, whereas cheap gear often times ends up being money thrown out the door.

I woudl argue to be patient, get one good quality piece at a time, and learn what you like as you go.

the first time around I did the cheap gear route - in retrospect I wish I had known of a place like this at that time. Essentially, if I were to do it again, I would not go that route. Sine then I have bought a GOOD piece here and there, as I could afford to.

My advice is this: when you buy gear that's "good enough for the money" (i.e., cheap but useable), you must realize that that's usually a compromise. I want gear I can grow into, and that will not become obsolete in 6 months.

(Let the anonymous negative rep points fly, you cowards!)
 
fraserhutch said:
There's a lot of truth to what you are saying here that gets lost on a lot of people.

Quality lasts, whereas cheap gear often times ends up being money thrown out the door.

I woudl argue to be patient, get one good quality piece at a time, and learn what you like as you go.

the first time around I did the cheap gear route - in retrospect I wish I had known of a place like this at that time. Essentially, if I were to do it again, I would not go that route. Sine then I have bought a GOOD piece here and there, as I could afford to.

My advice is this: when you buy gear that's "good enough for the money" (i.e., cheap but useable), you must realize that that's usually a compromise. I want gear I can grow into, and that will not become obsolete in 6 months.

(Let the anonymous negative rep points fly, you cowards!)
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I was thinking now...
Anyway, I don't think I made a bad decision with the DMP-3, I think I won't need a better pre for the next few years or so...

I guess I'm going to save up, practice some more on my guitar, enjoy making music, record with what I have for the sake of it, learn stuff on acoustic treatment, and try to advise people around based on my own experiences with recording and equipment. :)

Stan.
 
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