HELP I CANT MAKE UP MY MIND.. and i REALLY dont wana make the wrong choice

SuaveRecords

SuaveRecords

Ninja kick the dam rabbit
ok, so...first off, PLEASE reply. (secondly i wasn't sure where to post this, and since it will most likely have a lot to do with mics, i posted it here.)
if i make the wrong choice here, im gunna kick myself later...hard.
i might be getting a good chunk of change, and i dont want to spend it the wrong way. ive been looking at mics, and other gear and i thought i should ask here what the best way to spend this money would be. since im sure alot of people here have been doing this longer than i have and, because of this, they will probably know what will be my best path.

as it stands right NOW i have: a custom drum kit, Taylor 710ce, Aphex 460, MXL 4000, MXL 603s, and the Audix D2s,D4 D6 and i5. and one 57. and im running Adobe Audtion on a Vista PC.

ok, now my one option, is get;

a few Neumann mics, like a u87,a couple SKM184's and a couple TLM-102's. as well as a new tayolr acoustic and taylor T5, an electric guitar as well, a stingray bass, guitar amps and bass amps and a DW kit, real piano and synthesizer and top that off with a Mac Pro computer

Option number 2 is: a full HD protools rig with c24 mixer, rack gear and maybe one or two mics.

my third option... is...well, its anything you guys can think of that would be better... maybe i should buy no instruments and just get alot of great mics and a less expensive protools set up? or just mics and a computer and spend the rest on sound treatments?

as it stands now i do record other bands (usually young people with cheap amps ,drums, and other gear) but i also do alot of my own recording. i write a lot of songs and i usually just have my acoustic and and my drums to work with... so ya..the instruments would be nice too... thats all the info i think you guys should need. if you need to know anything els let me know.

thanks so much for those who take the time to reply. :)
 
Last edited:
yes. i use to run the studio in Windsor but then i moved back to my home town Sarnia. and just as i moved back some one ells opened a studio. his father gave him the money and now he has one of Canada's largest recording facilities with protools HD... my prices are 100 times less, but its still going to be hard to compete
 
advice

screw the protools rig, and screw the neuman

what you need is quanity in order to get started

instead of neuman, go audio technica and rode

get a mac book or a g5, USED.

get a motu, or an m-audio setup.. buy a small digital mixer 16-24 channel

then you can use ... sonar, cuebase, logic, DP... (or protools if you HAVE to)


you can buy a 2 thousand dollar mic. what good is it if you dont have xlr cords, headphone cables or even a power strip to boot ?

all that cheap stuff adds up quickly. earn the neuman down the road.
 
DYBE said:
screw the protools rig, and screw the neuman

what you need is quanity in order to get started

instead of neuman, go audio technica and rode

get a mac book or a g5, USED.

get a motu, or an m-audio setup.. buy a small digital mixer 16-24 channel

then you can use ... sonar, cuebase, logic, DP... (or protools if you HAVE to)


you can buy a 2 thousand dollar mic. what good is it if you dont have xlr cords, headphone cables or even a power strip to boot ?

all that cheap stuff adds up quickly. earn the neuman down the road.
Click to expand...

well i have a lot of cords, an 8 chan' interface and such, and even if i bought that stuff you listed id still have tens of thousands of dollars left. kinda why im so iffy about blowing all of it on Protools. but ya you have a point i dont really NEED protools HD i guess its more about competing with the other studio in town. and as far as earning the neuman stuff, ive been recording for many years, not 50 years or anythign like that lol. i just couldn't afford to buy one untill this opportunity. and the mics i have now wont cut it for the sound quality i want. :( but i see where your coming from
 
Your signal chain is only as good as the weakest link. Example, a U87 into an MBox does not make much since, if you are planning a purchase. Much better would be the u87 into something like a API 500 series pre, or a vintech maybe (just examples) then an apogee converter.

Maybe a 24x24 protools rig with digital I/O and apogee converters, and an external clock.

If i had anything left over, u87, rode classic, pair of KM184s, and a pair of AEA R92's. Also, a small stock pile of SM57s, e604s, and an e609.

That will get the job done nicely.

Cheers!
 
DYBE said:
screw the protools rig, and screw the neuman

what you need is quanity in order to get started

instead of neuman, go audio technica and rode

get a mac book or a g5, USED.

get a motu, or an m-audio setup.. buy a small digital mixer 16-24 channel

then you can use ... sonar, cuebase, logic, DP... (or protools if you HAVE to)


you can buy a 2 thousand dollar mic. what good is it if you dont have xlr cords, headphone cables or even a power strip to boot ?

all that cheap stuff adds up quickly. earn the neuman down the road.
Click to expand...

?
WTF???

LOLOLOL!
 
ummm one suggestion

just spread the wealth around...Pres. Obama said so. You can send it paypal to....

no really, I would take a different approach. I wouldn't be in a hurry to spend all my cash on new gear. Sure some new gear may be in order but you're right, you will kick yourself if you drop it all on new gear and it doesn't make a LOT of difference.

Because of your prices, your market is different from the other studio. If you get the high end gear so you can compete with them your market will change and the only varible then will be skill.

Speaking strictly from a personal point of view: I would probably consider using some of the $$$ to improve my skills and then consider new gear.

If you are comfortable that your skills are competitive, then buy the gear that you need but be sure to invest some of the $$$ into advertising: web site, ads in magazines or on HR. Just my .02 worth. You gotta get the word out that you are there! Good luck.
 
ummm one suggestion

just spread the wealth around...Pres. Obama said so. You can send it paypal to....

no really, I would take a different approach. I wouldn't be in a hurry to spend all my cash on new gear. Sure some new gear may be in order but you're right, you will kick yourself if you drop it all on new gear and it doesn't make a LOT of difference.

Because of your prices, your market is different from the other studio. If you get the high end gear so you can compete with them your market will change and the only varible then will be skill.

Speaking strictly from a personal point of view: I would probably consider using some of the $$$ to improve my skills and then consider new gear.

If you are comfortable that your skills are competitive, then buy the gear that you need but be sure to invest some of the $$$ into advertising: web site, ads in magazines or on HR. Just my .02 worth. You gotta get the word out that you are there! Good luck.
 
Actually, I'd also skip the Neumann stuff and spread the funds around more evenly. You'd be much better off with a lunchbox and some great 500 series preamps, a few good mics (sm57's, and sm7, a D112/D6/Beta52, a couple of 421's, a couple of decent ribbons [Cascade?], and a stereo pair of multi-pattern LDC's [AKG C414's, Shure KSM-44's?], a great set of converters (Lynx and SSL are good values here), a great pair of monitors (tons of options here) and a treated room. You'll get much, much further that way than spending $3,000 on a mic and a shock mount.

Frank
 
+1 on what weasel said, converters, preamp s, room treatment, are a good investment software is kinda personal and there is not much sonic difference.(in fact I heard of some people that did some sort of testing and found that cubase sounded better than pro tools, wish I had the kinda golden ears that can tell the difference)
I also think that getting good instruments would make the biggest difference.Your defiantly on the right track on that front.
 
You didn't mention what you want to do. Nor did you say what your current situation is. Where do you see yourself after making this investment?

The one common denominator (in my opinion) is to have a good recording space, both tracking room and mixing/control room. Spend your money there first.

peace.
 
Chili said:
You didn't mention what you want to do. Nor did you say what your current situation is. Where do you see yourself after making this investment?

The one common denominator (in my opinion) is to have a good recording space, both tracking room and mixing/control room. Spend your money there first.

peace.
Click to expand...
i did mention what i want to do. i want to continue to record bands and myself. i want to upgrade in a way that will help me do this best, but im not sure what the "best" way is. so im hoping to get others input :) . and my current situation is that i have gear(the stuff i listed), im recording bands with what i have to work with (like i said, most bands bring in crap instruments tho), and lastly i feel i may need to spend money in a way that will help me compete with the local (larger) studio.

im not sure if thats what you ment or not?
 
Thanks for the input guys. ill keep it in mind. i cant do to much sound treatment tho, (im leasing the house so im kinda limited) but other than that the rest of you're suggestions are doable and seem like the right path to fallow.

im thinking some good mics, preamps, and some instruments.(and what ever sound treatment i can get away with) then with the rest i can advertise a bit and spend the money on upgrading areas that jump out at me.

if any one els has any ideas let me know. or maybe just thoughts on specific preamps or mics or w.e.

just so you know i do mostly punk rock and acoustic. not much metal and classic rock around here. :)
 
don't throw the gear away on digital it will be worthless in a short period of time. I'd go with a decent mac and a digi 003 rack so you have pro tools, then the rest goes to good mic preamps and mics. That is where the pro studio sound is. If you need a controller get a moterized 8 fader midi controller into pro tools. The c24 is 16 channels of crappy greenish focusrite preamps. Every studio I've been in we just used the c24 for playback and rough mixing. No audio went through the preamps they are ok, but you don't want 16 ok preamps. You want a few great ones. I'd get a good 8 channel a better 2 channel and 2 great single channel mic pres. If I was starting out I'd look for things like this

pc

tricked out pc or
mac g5
digi003
motu
later add apogee converters
or stand alone hard disc is you pass the 16 record inputs at a time

preamps

Focusrite ISA428 4 neve style preamps and 8 channel 192k converter
mackie onyx 800r clean 8 channel
focusrite isa1 single channel
ua solo 610 single channel
avalon m5 single channel
groove tubes brick single channel
grace 101 single channel
True Systems P-SOLO
vintech 1272 2 channel

Mics
rode ntk tube mic
and rode nt5s stereo small condencers
Shure KSM137 Stereo Pair
rode nt4
rode nt1a
rode k2
at 4050
at 4033
akg classic tube mic
block audio 195
Rode NT1-A-MP
akg c214
AKG C 4000B
akg solid tube
mxlv69 tube mic
mxl genesis tube mic


dynamic mics

sm57s
akg d112 kick mics
shure beta 52
Sennheiser MD421II
Sennheiser e609
 
Id get more SM57s...after all the pros all swear by the...or at them...lol.

U87 is great...but those pretty Blue dragonflys provide a decent wow factor too...and the C414's are very afordable used and pretty damn good.

The Line6 UX8 is all the pre and Interface you will need...and it comes with a free Abelton live...but you better have a decent computer...read about this one...Im suprised it isnt the piece of gear of the year on this board.

For amps you cant go wrong with Tech21 or line 6 combo amps...gives you the tone choices of many amps in one package...bass is really best direct in for several reasons so be ready to explain why to the bass players...the Line6 UX8 has a direct in with a slew of amp models...and modeling has come a long way in the last 5 years since the Pod...time to look back into it.

after that you can concentrate on room treatment...construction and such.
 
sound treatment on a lease

SuaveRecords said:
Thanks for the input guys. ill keep it in mind. i cant do to much sound treatment tho, (im leasing the house so im kinda limited) but other than that the rest of you're suggestions are doable and seem like the right path to fallow.

im thinking some good mics, preamps, and some instruments.(and what ever sound treatment i can get away with) then with the rest i can advertise a bit and spend the money on upgrading areas that jump out at me.

if any one els has any ideas let me know. or maybe just thoughts on specific preamps or mics or w.e.

just so you know i do mostly punk rock and acoustic. not much metal and classic rock around here. :)
Click to expand...

SuaveRecords,

A couple of hundred dollars will by you a lot of 1 inch rigid fiberglass. Cut it to appropriate sizes and wrap it in dollar a yard burlap glued to the aluminum facing. Hang some on the walls and ceiling and keep some loose to move around.

To make a two inch gobo just peel the aluminum foil off one of the pieces and then stack them together with the ramaining piece of aluminum on the back. Wrap and glue. The two inch gobo will absorb more bass.

Add some bookshelves on walls behind your monitors and fill them with books of different sizes. Instead of neatly pulling all the books to the front of the shelves library style push them all the way back so the spines are staggered. This will give you good diffusers cheap. And you can box it all up and take it with you when you leave.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top