Huge Question

T

TMHill

New member
I've browsed these boards for some time, and believe you to be a useful bunch of guys - so I'm hoping you'll help me out with stuff I'm new to. I am an experienced composer who understands a great deal about sound, but I just haven't been around studios enough!!

I'm building a project studio at home. I don't want to be able to record rock bands or orchestras. I do occassionally want to record indiviual musicians playing accoustic instruments, or singing. I also want to be able to record spoken voice and other vocal effects. HOWEVER - the main thrust of my work is MIDI, and I want to be able to produce CDs in the digital domain that are as high quality as they can possibly be - on a budget (say, £2500)

I currently have:

PC - 850 Piii, 256kRAM, Cubase, Sibelius, Soundforge, Wavelab, Nero. SB Live soundcard

Keyboard - crappy thing used just for MIDI input
Microphone - Shure MIC. Can't remember exact name - cost about £150 a coupla years ago


What I THINK I want:

PC - New Soundcard

MICs - Two new ones - one for voice, one for others.

Keyboard - full size weighted with all MIDI controllers

Sound unit - Proteus 2500 - maybe a couple extra ROMs

Drum Machine - something with a WIDE range of percussion sounds and an easy interface!!

Effects unit - not sure what's available, but I don't mean a reverb box, here. I mean a synthe processor that lets me bugger around with cool FX until I like it!


I'm so sorry, in advance, to ask a million (and one) questions, but I think you see I need some guidance. If you have an opinion on any ONE thing in this post then I'd really like to hear it. If you know anywhere in England that doesn't rip you off when you buy stuff, I'd appreciate that too (at the moment, Turnkey seems good...?)

(See this post as an opportunity to suggest a complete set-up if you like!)

Many many many many many many many many thanks in advance

Tom
 
OK, here's my 2 cent's (1 schilling's) worth:
1.) PC, an 850 PIII is a good start, I'd get some more RAM, bring it up to at least 512M.
2.) Keyboard. Take your pick here:
http://www.8thstreet.com/catalog_ty...gory=MIDI_Controllers&Division=Keyboards/MIDI
I own 2 Fatar keyboards, full size, weighted keys. They serve as controllers in my studio. I'm not sure about "8th Street" and overseas shipping, but it'll give you an idea.
3.) Sound Unit. I don't know the Proteus well at all, but I use a Roland JV2080 with an "Orchestral II" expansion card. I've been very happy with it!!
4.) Mics. These things come in so many shapes, sizes and flavours, its hard to recommend them. But for voice, I'd look into MXL's V67, Studio Projects C1, really, any high quality LD condensor mic. For the instruments, get a pair of shure SM81's. (my recommendation)
5.) Drum Machine: I use the Alesis DM5, and control it thru one of the Fatar Keyboards I have. But that's just me, I'd rather play drums thru a full sized keyboard, than some tiny little pads.
6.) Effects Unit. I can't really recommend one of those, I use the plug-ins in my Audio Software(Nuendo) Good H/Q stuff!
7.) you're going to need a pre-amp for those LD condensor mics as well. You can find sevreral in the $500-$700 dollar range that will do very nicely.

These are just my recommendations, based on what I have, and what I have used. Other members may have other/different ideas.
 
Thanks for your opinions, Michael. I checked out the link and the keyboards look good - I'm particularly liking the Fatar SL880 & SL990.

Re: 512RAM - I have been using 128 and just yesterday doubled that. The only thing that seems slow is the time it takes for algorithmic calculation such as applying a SoundForge filter. If this doesn't bother me, then is there any other incentive for bunging in more RAM? (All studio PCs seem to be overloaded with the stuff, and I've never really understood why)

Good point on MICs/Pre-amp - they may have to wait, then, since I don't want to falsely economise and I haven't got £1000 for those just yet.

Alesis - check. Someone a while ago said about the dm16 (i think) so I'll have a listen to a few. Do you know if they have a good range of ethnic drums too?

Many thanks again
Tom
 
TMHill said:
Thanks for your opinions, Michael. I checked out the link and the keyboards look good - I'm particularly liking the Fatar SL880 & SL990.
Click to expand...
I have the Fatar SL990, and a Fatar Studio 90, both are full sized, 88 keys, velocity sensitive keyboards. I've been very happy with both. The SL990 has only one midi in though, no midi thru, so to chain more than one device, I'd need an external midi interface. Not a problem for me, since I have 2 keyboards, but something to consider when you decide to buy one.

Re: 512RAM - I have been using 128 and just yesterday doubled that. The only thing that seems slow is the time it takes for algorithmic calculation such as applying a SoundForge filter. If this doesn't bother me, then is there any other incentive for bunging in more RAM? (All studio PCs seem to be overloaded with the stuff, and I've never really understood why)
Click to expand...

Well, it will make processing faster, but unless and until you start recording several tracks 10,12, more, you'll be glad you have the extra RAM. Cubase is kind of a RAM hog too, it likes as much as it can get!

Good point on MICs/Pre-amp - they may have to wait, then, since I don't want to falsely economise and I haven't got £1000 for those just yet.
Click to expand...

The symbol in front of your amounts is for GBP (Great Brittan Pounds) is it not? So $700USD is about $400GBP. Right?

Alesis - check. Someone a while ago said about the dm16 (i think) so I'll have a listen to a few. Do you know if they have a good range of ethnic drums too?
Click to expand...

The DM16 is a 16bit drum machine. Not really a bad thing, but I'm guessing you could find a unit with a higher resolution, for not too much more money. Again, I use the Alesis DM5, which I think is 18 or 20 bit, and has 21 preset drum kits in it. Some of the kits have those ethnic sounds you speak of.
 
Tom - there a new range of Virtual keyboards coming out that you can have in your puter and access through VST in Cubase or DX in Sonar.

You can get a full B3 Hammond as a virtual keyboard from Native Instruments. Sounds and looks just like the real thing :)

http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?home_us

There are new virtual samplers like Halion from Steinberg and Gigastudio from Tascam I think.

Do a search for virtual keyboards on this site

cheers
John
 
I'm thinking $700 = £400 for the Pre-amp, then add a couple of decent MICs (and factor in that you can guarantee prices are higher over here than the US) and £1k isn't far off, no? Maybe I could get away with £800, but accoustic is still the smaller part of what I'm doing - so I'm happy to spend that on (say) the Proteus 2500/2000 and wait for the right MICs.

(That said - the wife just got a tax rebate. For £800... honey? HONEY!! Did I mention how much I looooove you?????)

Cubase - yes, you're quite right. But I don't do any multitracking (and if I ain't got the MICs then it's even less likely) yet, so that's ok.

Gotcha on the SL990 - I have your linked shop emailing me details about the SL880, so it may be more appropriate for me.

Ok - Alesis: I will certainly check out your module. Again, you're right about the res. 16bit is noticably poorer in the kind of stuff I do (very exposed, bare sounds) Never heard of anything operating on a bit system not divisible by 8, tho'!

Thanks (again!) - in one day I feel I've come a long way closer to understanding where I want to be in a month or so's time.

Tom
 
John - I definitely want a physical keyboard with every MIDI control. A Virtual keyboard is kind of essentially what I have been using so far - coupled with either my own sounds, or those from various other sources, used as soundfonts.

The issue I have is that I then have to use Sibelius to go back through the notations of scores to add dynamics and articulation, then use an analytical tool like Cubase to do the slightest pitch bend or other modulation!

Cheers, Tom
 
The Roland Studio Pack with a digital mixer, effects and 8x8 sound card is a great deal for $700. The reverbs and compression are pretty clean. It would make a good foundation to work with.

You can do a lot of weird effects with different programs like CoolEdit and SoundForge. CoolEdit is also a great program for simple digital recordings.

Everyone is big on software synths but they always sound a little stale to me.

If you want truly convincing percussion sounds without recording them live you may be better off using loops.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top