Help with choosing my first recording equipment for home studioooooo!

A

Awie Day

New member
to be honest, i'm a staggered guitarist for about 10 years now and recently(about 5 months ago) i've been serious(still lack motivation) on playing guitar again and now eager to learn other instruments such as bass,drums,piano,violin,synths and other cool instruments. Now i kinda get the vibe on building my own studio because of the things that i discover with my playing and the itch of creating my own music. i play mostly metal but i'm incorporating myself into blues, jazz, fusion, ambient music, electronica and other cool sub genres. the point now is, i need advice on the things that i've been eyeing lately, such as interfaces, DAWs, studio monitors, microphones, etc. can you help me one choosing the right ones? well, i already chose a bit of the important things in a typical studio but still skeptical with those. i need help with what i need, missing in my amateur home studio, and the things that i don't need.

here are my prospects:

focusrite scarllet 18i20
shure sm57
rode nt1-a
alesis monitor1 active mkII
mixcraft 6 pro studio
Toontrack Drum Fundamentals Metal Bundle
Livid Alias 8 - USB Control Surface
monster cable trs-trs/xlr-xlr

i guess this will be everything and i will be explaining why i chose these equipment.the sm57 will be used to mic my cabinet speaker and the rode nt1-a will be used for recording vocals. i'm hooked with those because of the great amounts of good feedback on them. but any other suggestions?

the reason i chose the alesis active is for me to have an amplifier and a speaker at the same time because it's going to be my first time in setting up my own studio and i find it very economical and practical versus the passive monitor+amplifier variant because there are people saying that cheap monitors and amplifiers will only give you that so-so sound and sometimes horrible compare to some good actives. but in the future, if i find that i've been missing something in my sound with those actives, i'll get myself some good passives and amplifiers if i have the money for it. but i still need opinions and
other equipment suggestions because that's only me. haha!

if you'll notice, i didn't include any mixers because i noticed some people doesn't really need it and some say that they only get some unwanted hiss and noise whenever they add mixers to they rig. any opinions on that? and do i still need to exclude the mixer? lol
with my DAW having a mixer with it, i included a controller just in case i'll be recording without an external mixer and also just for convenience's sake. any ideas with the Livid Alias 8 - USB Control Surface?


the reason i chose the mixcraft 6 pro studio is because of the price, simplicity, and being user-friendly. but all in all, it's price actually. lol. but i've been eyeing for protools 11, sonar x3 producer, ableton live 9 suite, presonus studio one pro, propellerhead reason 7, steinberg cubase 7.5. any suggestions on these DAWs with the capability within their price range?

For cables, i chose Monster cables. are they good enough for their price and functionality? any other suggestions?

any other rig suggestions such as mic amps and keyboard controller? for the mic preamps, a lot of people is saying that vintext x73i is quite good for it's functionality and signal processing. though it's too pricy for the likes of myself. haha.

anyway, that's it for now. hoping for your reply guys.

cheers!

-awie
 
I'm totally new to home recording, so I can't really give input on individual parts... but what stands out to me is that you are buying mixcraft because it is cheap, yet you plan on buying a $500 interface. Do you need that many inputs and outputs? What are you going to be doing with this home studio? If just recording yourself, you can go with a smaller interface.

The mics you are getting are expensive as well. If you want quality that's cool, but I got a condenser/ dynamic set of 2 mics brand new for $70. Sure they aren't as good as $200 mics, but I bet you nor I could tell a difference in our recordings with the two.

A note about the DAW's, I was initially scared off by cubase as the full version is hundreds of dollars... but I'm just a guitarist recording some guitar tracks, and some vocals, so there is no need for the full version. I'm using cubase elements which costs $100 and is super clean, professional, and has a lot of help available online and on youtube. If it were me I'd spend the extra $25 on cubase elements over mixcraft.

Monster cables are overpriced in my opinion. I feel one is just paying for the name 'Monster Cable'.

I think the biggest thing you can do to help others help you is to share what you are going to do with this studio.

Oh, and audio interfaces have mic preamps built in... you shouldn't need separate ones.
 
Awie Day said:
here are my prospects:

focusrite scarllet 18i20
shure sm57
rode nt1-a
alesis monitor1 active mkII
mixcraft 6 pro studio
Toontrack Drum Fundamentals Metal Bundle
Livid Alias 8 - USB Control Surface
monster cable trs-trs/xlr-xlr
Click to expand...

I would rather go with a this:

Reaper > mixcraft - it's an amazing, inexpensive piece of software.

No control surface - The Livid looks really good, but I have another non-moterized controller too for simple tracking and it get very annoying when changing tracks and the faders are not at their respective positions in relation to the track. Just do it in the box and save yourself the extra money for better monitors or Owens Corning 703 insulation for your bass frequency management (if you have a dedicated room to do it in - or even not!)

Many people will laugh at me for this, but....

Livewire Elite cables > Monster - why? I had some RF issues at a location I used to record in. I tried Mogami, Monster, and Livewire Elites (I think they are the Guitar Center brand). The Livewire Elites did a better job then anything I've ever used before. They are heavier, but that is because they have more copper and rubber insulation. That is all I use now.

Monitors:
Try out a bunch of different monitors. Years ago, I had the unpowered Alesis M1 MKII, and they were OK. Things have changed with them being powered, so I can't say what they are like now. I like Tannoy 501a's for inexpensive monitors. They are discontinued and have a new model out now, but maybe you can find some on clearance. Other people like the KRK rockit 6 series. It's really a personal preference that you have to hear. Make your "mix tape" of noise, sweeps, tunes, and talking and compare at a store (remembering that their "listening" room isn't probably tuned and may have weird frequencies popping out at you).

I can't give an opinion on the Scarlet.

Those mics are good. You may want to get the Rode modified by Michael Joly.... I've never used him for mods, I do them all myself now. But people seem to like him. There are other people that mod too. I own a mic by Dave at Advanced Audio (great sounding AKG CM12 clone). JJ Audio is another one... Otherwise, keep what you got and build your collection from there.
 
Hi Awie,

The Scarlet is a fine interface but do you really need 8 mic inputs yet? But my main criticism, if I may, is on the choice of monitors relative to the rest of the spend.

Those Alesis jobbies might be very good for the money but I think you need to think of a minimum of £300 for a pair of active monitors and double that if you can. Mention was made of Tannoys and you can't go far wrong with those.

And keep some pennies back for room treatment.

I would cut the AI spec down to 2 mics and 2 line inputs. You mention drums but eschew a mixer? Well, a modest 4input mixer into the above AI plus the other two mics should give you a very flexible balance on a kit.

Such AIs are the Scarlet 8i6, Native Instruments KA6, and very good offerings from Tascam, Roland, Steinberg, M-Audio.

DAW? Yes Reaper but the KA6 comes with Cubase...THERE's a quid or two saved!

Dave.
 
@citizen77

i see, i'll give a shot for the reaper. since it's more inexpensive than mixcraft. also the livewires, because of the price too. familiar with ProCo?

never heard of Tannoys but i'll search some reviews about it. maybe it'll be add as another prospect. haha. KRKs are good from what i've read. to the monitors, i guess it's a matter of mix and match. don't you think?

for the mics, that's great if you think so too. not really from around your country if i'm going to try out some mods of Michael Joly too bad.

anyway, thanks for the suggestions and opinions. i'll keep in mind all of that.
 
@jigfresh


i know it's a bit stupid for that DAW-Interface thing. can't blame me for having that poor sense of judgment. lol. besides, before i wrote this i'm skeptical with what i came up with.

anyway, i'm going to use the home studio for producing my own music and also exploring the world of music producing, not just recording single instruments, etc. after tinkering with the ez drummer for quite sometime i'll buy myself a drum kit(not a drummer but definitely want to learn how to play the drums) and with and interface of many inputs/outputs i'm able to mic and it's the part of exploring things.

i know the mics were expensive but i'm at ease with the quality that they have in them.

well, i'm still skeptical about these DAWs because i'm not that familiar with them.

Yeah monster cables. anyway, what kind of cables do you use?

i know there are mic preamps on it. i'm just asking other people's opinion on that product.
 
@ecc83
i see, this seems nice. maybe i'll go with the 8i6 or KA6. i'll see to it that i'll check the Tannoy.

thanks dave.
 
the bottom line is. maybe i'd be damned if i spend too much for my first equipment. don't you think?

i changed my mind. but skeptical though. here's the changes:

native instruments KA6
Tannoy Reaveal 601(601 has both passive and active. so what to choose? and if choose the passive one, do i still need and amplifier? or is it good with the AI alone?)
still the sm57 and rode nt1-a
ez drummer fundamentals metal bundle
ProCo or Livewires

thanks!
awie
 
Last edited:
Awie Day said:
the bottom line is. maybe i'd be damned if i spend too much for my first equipment. don't you think?

i changed my mind. but skeptical though. here's the changes:

native instruments KA6
Tannoy Reaveal 601(601 has both passive and active. so what to choose? and if choose the passive one, do i still need and amplifier? or is it good with the AI alone?)
still the sm57 and rode nt1-a
ez drummer fundamentals metal bundle
ProCo or Livewires

thanks!
awie
Click to expand...
Hmm? I installed a magazine DVD freebie of Ezedrummer...Absolute SOB to get rid of! I was cleaning bits out of the registry for days!

In anycase I would hold fire on it until you have the NA KA6 installed and all its software bundle. Cubase has a synth in it. Dunno what the drums are like but MIDI can always be improved with better samples! Then NI give you a Kontakt Player and about 3G of samples IIRC.
You MIGHT save yourself a few bucks! Spend it on room treatment.

Yes you will need an amp and a good one, probably 100W per channel, if you go for passives. I would ALWAYS advise noobs (WTGR) to go for actives, if only because they have built in protection.

Dave.
 
I got myself some of these cables for mics, and I have a vox coiled cable for my guitar.

Amazon.com : GLS Audio 12feet Mic Cable Patch Cords - XLR Male to XLR Female Black Cables - 12 feet Balanced Mike Snake Cord - SINGLE : Musical Instruments

If you get the KA6 it comes with a version of Cubase. You could either just use that for no additional cost, or upgrade to Cubase Elements for $50. I really like the amp simulator in cubase elements, not sure if it comes with LE 6 (the version that comes with the KA6).

The mics you chose are great in my opinion... they were the ones I would have got, if I wasn't so cheap. :)
 
ecc83 said:
Hmm? I installed a magazine DVD freebie of Ezedrummer...Absolute SOB to get rid of! I was cleaning bits out of the registry for days!

In anycase I would hold fire on it until you have the NA KA6 installed and all its software bundle. Cubase has a synth in it. Dunno what the drums are like but MIDI can always be improved with better samples! Then NI give you a Kontakt Player and about 3G of samples IIRC.
You MIGHT save yourself a few bucks! Spend it on room treatment.

Yes you will need an amp and a good one, probably 100W per channel, if you go for passives. I would ALWAYS advise noobs (WTGR) to go for actives, if only because they have built in protection.

Dave.
Click to expand...

woah, thanks for reminding me that. now i can see myself saving tons of dollars. lol.

what do you mean by "midi can always.."? do i need a midi controller or what?

anyway, i have a question. you mentioned that tannoys are good but the question now is what model? i'lve researched some products but i don't know what to settle with 601A or 502 active. does the size of the speaker matter? anyways, maybe i'll get to that passive monitor with amp after tinkering with the actives. also, do i need an isolation pads for the monitor?

and for the room treatment, my room for the studio would be just the size of any typical small bathroom so it's rather small.

any suggestions on absorption,isolation, bass traps and diffusion besides auralex? do i need anything else for the room?

thanks!
 
MIDI? Right,
I am no expert here OR musician but software like Ezedrummer produce sequencies that trigger samples of drum sounds (we have BFDs Eco, a very decent "lite" program) now usually that sequence data is MIDI data (but don't bet on that!) and it can be used to trigger any other instrument or same instrument but of better sample quality.

For example. My son used to record his piano parts (with a MIDI kbd but that matters not) in Cubase using the Cubase piano sound. He is a fussy B! And was not happy with the sound quality and so exported the data and played it in Modartt Pianoteq. That same data could just as easily triggered the sound of a synth or a Tibetan nose flute!.....Takes a while? Yes! He would spend fekking HOURS on the computers!

Monitors: The size of the bass driver and the cabinet (cannot be judged in isolation) usually determine the maximum output level and the Low Frequency extension and by the latter I mean that frequency where the SPL has fallen (usually by 3dB) below the midband level.

Now, you might think you want a flat response down to 20Hz! Well, you ain't gonna get it this side of $20k and even then you would need an enormous room to listen in (wavelength at 20Hz is 55 feet!) and not only do small rooms not support LF they are also very "lumpy" in their response. The figure is debatable ad. n. but there is not much you need to worry about below 60Hz. As for sound levels? You should monitor at around 83dBSPL but that might be too loud for others in the house some of the time but do Google "Calibrating studio monitors". If you want a starting figure, our room is 12x12.5x8.5 feet and the Tannoy Reveal 5As are more than loud enough.

Information about room treatment and materials I shall leave to those FAR more knowledgeable that I.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
MIDI? Right,
I am no expert here OR musician but software like Ezedrummer produce sequencies that trigger samples of drum sounds (we have BFDs Eco, a very decent "lite" program) now usually that sequence data is MIDI data (but don't bet on that!) and it can be used to trigger any other instrument or same instrument but of better sample quality.

For example. My son used to record his piano parts (with a MIDI kbd but that matters not) in Cubase using the Cubase piano sound. He is a fussy B! And was not happy with the sound quality and so exported the data and played it in Modartt Pianoteq. That same data could just as easily triggered the sound of a synth or a Tibetan nose flute!.....Takes a while? Yes! He would spend fekking HOURS on the computers!

Monitors: The size of the bass driver and the cabinet (cannot be judged in isolation) usually determine the maximum output level and the Low Frequency extension and by the latter I mean that frequency where the SPL has fallen (usually by 3dB) below the midband level.

Now, you might think you want a flat response down to 20Hz! Well, you ain't gonna get it this side of $20k and even then you would need an enormous room to listen in (wavelength at 20Hz is 55 feet!) and not only do small rooms not support LF they are also very "lumpy" in their response. The figure is debatable ad. n. but there is not much you need to worry about below 60Hz. As for sound levels? You should monitor at around 83dBSPL but that might be too loud for others in the house some of the time but do Google "Calibrating studio monitors". If you want a starting figure, our room is 12x12.5x8.5 feet and the Tannoy Reveal 5As are more than loud enough.

Information about room treatment and materials I shall leave to those FAR more knowledgeable that I.

Dave.
Click to expand...

i don't get what you are pointing about midi but thanks for the effort in explaining. don't worry, i'll find out soon enough :)
 
Anyway, about the room. the room i'm planning to have my studio is 7.5 feet wide, 9 feet is the height and 11 feet long(door to the edge of the room. is that good enough for a home studio? btw, i'll be using a pair of Tannoy 501a and 2x12 Cab for my guitar. any advice regarding the dimensions? i've also looked at auralex. they have this "room analysis" so they can help me what materials i have to choose and where to place them. anyone experienced the help they are giving? thanks!
 
Auralex makes acoustic foam. A little is ok to tame highs, but you really need broadband absorption panels (bass traps). Read all the info in the 'small room acoustics' thread I linked above.
 
jigfresh said:
GLS Audio 12feet Mic Cable Patch Cords - XLR Male to XLR Female Black Cables - 12 feet Balanced Mike Snake Cord - SINGLE : Musical Instruments
Click to expand...

took me a while to reply. lol

anyway, have you tried using the GLS for your guitar? i mean, using it to mic your guitar amplifier? i'm thinking of trying both the GLS and the Live Wire. for microphone vocals and guitar.
 
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