The next step

Elmo89m

Elmo89m

New member
For the first time in a year i have some money to update my DAW. I only have 300$ dollars put it is something and i want to be careful.

Here is what i already have:

Mxl v67G
2x sm57
shure drum mic kit with 3 drum mics and a pg52 kick mic
amd athlon 1900+, 256 ram, 14 GB hd (i know it sucks but it works)
sm pro audio 8 channel preamp (i paid 99$ for it, it sucks)
Behringer truth monitors
delta 1010LT


Thanks for all opinions
 
the only time i would ever use that though is when tracking vocals

i was looking at the Art pro channel, then i would have a good vocal pre and have the compressor

THe other thing i am considering are some rode NT5's to mic overheads and XY mic acoutic guitar. Are there any other, better SDC mics for about the same money or less?
 
What are you recording, exactly? If your vocals are important, you'll upgrade your mic. AT4040 is good in your pricerange, and I like it on accoustic guitar too.

The RNC is awesome, I could see getting that. If it were me, I'd go mic first. You won't really know how bad your pre sucks until you use a better mic.

Oh well, that's just me.
 
Pretty much everything i record (me and my band and bands i have befriended) sound like Radiohead bred with Alice in Chains
 
I would look at some RAM perhaps, if you are having latency issues..maybe not. you say yourself that your preamps suck...you might want to look there. is there anything in particular that you are unhappy with in your recordings??
 
the truth is my recordings sound really really good for what i have, but when compared to a studio recording my mixes sound cluttered and not as lively. I've been around this board for a while so i know complaining that my mixes don't sound pro with a couple grand of gear will get me grilled. Im not asking for pro quality, i just want to get 300$ closer to pro quality.
 
Elmo89m said:
the truth is my recordings sound really really good for what i have, but when compared to a studio recording my mixes sound cluttered and not as lively. I've been around this board for a while so i know complaining that my mixes don't sound pro with a couple grand of gear will get me grilled. Im not asking for pro quality, i just want to get 300$ closer to pro quality.
Click to expand...
That's not necessarily totally true. In fact, if I were to hazard to guess, the 'cluttered' part of your description is most likely due to the mix and not giving each instrument space in the mix more so than tracking.

My $0.02.
 
I don't know how your MXL compares, but I just bought a Rode NT1a, and it's made my vocals sound much better. I was using an MCA SP1 - it was a big improvment. It was 200 plus tax. You could get that, and a ART TubePac for about 300.
 
Elmo89m said:
Im not asking for pro quality, i just want to get 300$ closer to pro quality.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if such a thing really exists at that level. What you'll likely wind up with is you spend $300, but only get maybe 5 bucks closer if that.

.
 
I know this isn't what you want to hear

because even though you are wary of how to spend the money, the fact is you've got $300 burning a hole in your pocket. ( My dad is laughing somewhere, knowing that I just said that :D ) You desperately want to buy some gear.

OK, I haven't heard your stuff and I don't know your whole setup including methods etc., so I suppose I can't really say with certainty what's the best next step, but here's my best guess: room treatment.

One thing I'm definitely developing an opinion on. You've undoubtedly heard it said that someone with skill can make a better recording with crappy equipment than someone without skill can with great equipment. I'm increasingly becoming aware that the same individual can make a better recording with crappy gear in a great sounding room than he can with great gear in a crappy sounding room.

Or maybe not, but it sure seems that way to me. As they say, garbage in=garbage out.

Now I know, it's not as much fun to show off your broadband absorbers as it is your new KSM32, but you've got to decide what you want to do - make better recordings, or show off to your friends.

And I'm not picking on you, because the vast majority of us here (myself included), no matter what our age, are guilty of the same thing from time to time. We'd rather have cool new wheels for our shiny badass truck than more money in our 401k. You can't show off your 401k to your friends, but if you're smart, that's where it will go.

Anyway, maybe you've already got the treatment thing covered and I just wasted more time and bandwidth, but if not you, then I'm sure somebody out there needed to hear this.

Not that anyone will listen.

Off to the basement for me. Time to work on the 'studio'. :rolleyes:
 
OK, 2 more quick things

1) You will use a compressor on a whole lot more than tracking vocals. If you're like most guys, you'll over-abuse it on absolutely everything. But if you want to tame drums and bass, and get an in-your face guitar sound, as well as up-front vocals, then you will most likely need a compressor.

2) What fraserhutch said, sort of. You've probably got too much crap occupying the same spaces, and you need to carve that up. On the other hand, tracking skills can go a long way towards making that less messy.

Going now. Good luck and have fun, because that's what this is supposed to be all about.
 
Im planning to move soon so i don't think now is the time for room treatment. But i do agree 100% and if i could fo that i would.

I dont really want to buy a mic that is only a 100 dollars more than the one i have.

I agree that i need to eq a little more to make room for everything.

I have software compression that i do use and i don't see how a compressor would help me, other than, as i said before, when tracking vocals.
 
Another thing you might consider is modding the PR8 - I have one too, and they are a great platform for modding and learning about preamp electronics. Look into it and check out Black Lion Audio...

Jacob
 
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