whats your 2020 setup?

CoolCat

Well-known member
I ran a last test in 2019, my ears said go with the Dynamic SM58 + Cloudlifter.
The Tracks all compared and it sounds as good and is so quiet, and works well with the Realtime Plugs.
I can do DIRECT INJECT..also.. it just worked the best in a poor acoustic room with close walls. imo.

SM58 over the SM7b is ok with me too. I just couldn't hear the difference, a little mix/ITB EQ and verbs covered. As for my LDC's, all are great but they have sensitivity issues in the "non treated room" also didn't really standout much either after post treatment of the track.

Then the JDI DI was for fast DIRECT INJECT Guitars for when I want no mouse... (but can also get soaped with Realtime Plug-Ins)
yeah....I spent the extra $$$ on a Jensen transformer JDI for no real reason but hype.

all else is going going gone. the rack pieces just weren't needed after numerous comparison tests all year to the plugins.


So the 2020 setup here is basically simplified down to two DI boxes; a Cloudlifter and a JDI box.

SM58+ Cloudlifter for Vocal
JDI DI for Bass, Electric, and Acoustic/electric

:listeningmusic:
 

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My UAD Apollo has been around for many years now. It's going strong and I do not plan to change anything in the studio.

However, this past summer, I picked up a Behringer XR18 mixer to mix FOH for my bands. I had the opportunity to record my "dad" band with it during a gig. It came out pretty damn good. So, I'll be looking to do more of that in 2020. Maybe do some recording and video work for other bands.
 
I may get a new computer, or give up. Honestly, the upgrade to Mojave or latest update to Logic Pro X on my old 2012 Mini has it acting up on old projects that just to work fine. Nothing else has been added to the system, and it's kind of pissing me off. The problem with a new or even refurb Mini or maybe iMac is that it will come with Cataline and won't have FW support for my old Saffire Pro, so then I'm looking at a new interface, and it's starting to add up to the point I think I'll say screw it and revert back to just recording on one of the Zoom at home and drop files into the old(er) MacBook Pro (still on High Sierra). Wah, wah, wah. I know, first world problems, but as I am closing out my 7th decade, my tolerance for these things has dwindled remarkably. (And, while I'm at it, "Get off my lawn!")

Slowly been dropping little pieces here and there out of the stash of little used things - only a really cheap electric and microcube left in that realm. Sold a couple Shure betas I realized I hadn't used in a year, and for which I have other options. Probably will dump a couple more SDCs, as I tested an inexpensive pair I'd bought over 5 years ago to record some classical stuff and never used again, and realized they work just fine for what I do at home. Got rid of the first batch of stuff I had used for "mobile" recording (Zoom H6, individual splitters and other little boxes), etc., etc.

I just have a couple more mental hurdles to get over and I think I'll be down to about a half-dozen mics, just the F8n and a few odds and ends before mid-year. Of course, once the days get longer my mood may shift, so we will see. (Winter has started off badly.)
 
I know, first world problems, but as I am closing out my 7th decade, my tolerance for these things has dwindled remarkably. (And, while I'm at it, "Get off my lawn!")

Likewise.

I'm still on XP which has served me remarkably well over the years. I have two XP computers for music, each with a Firepod. I also have a Laptop with Win7 that I use for remote recordings. The Firepods are also showing their age.

I either have to make a leap into W10 and retire the Firepods, or retire from recording myself. I'm not sure I have the energy to recreate twenty years worth of plugins and other music paraphernalia into a new system.

I did inherit a Presonus StudioLive from a friend of mine, which is useful as a backup interface. However, it is somewhat erratic (which is why he was happy to get rid of it).
 
In terms of recording bass and guitar:

Bass--->BBE bmax bass preamp--->profire 2626 (needs to be replaced, starting to shit the bed)--->built in 2016 PC--->Cubase pro 10

Guitar--->Pedals of choice--->Mesa DR/5150--->crate Vintage 30 birch cab--->SM57--->profire 2626--->PC--->Cubase pro 10

I've never gotten on well with amp sims. I do like an amp sim inside ez mix by Andy Sneap called 90s rock bass, but beyond that I'm not that into them past doing some scratch tracks. My stupid toneport UX2 died this year as well so I'm planning on snagging either an IR cab loader pedal, or a torpedo captor, or just snagging an old pod bean (HD or X3 since I want the s/pdif port) to replace the UX2.

I'm leaning toward the captor though.
 
Likewise.

I'm still on XP which has served me remarkably well over the years.it).

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Or if it is broke, (ARP Quadra) save up and fix it. :-) Most of my gear is at least 20-30 years old, including an XP box and a TASCAM MSR-16.
 
I upgrade and keep old stuff working. I think I am right about where I want to be as far as my recording setup at this point. I really upgraded a lot of stuff last few years and it's helped my work a lot. I really only want a couple of little things at this point. Maybe collect some more mic's.:rolleyes:
 
I have an old PC running Windows. Keeping my Ableton 9.X (mainly because I am use to it). I keep Reaper around, but I like the comfort. I did upgrade my Waves to like three and purchased their maintenance plan for a year. I find for what I am doing, I have about 10 plugins I use, my old guitars and I don't play that well, and have a Rodes mic and DI just about everything.

That is pretty much how it will stay unless I get really deep into recording. Which at this point would have to be recording someone else. I am about to put out my 6th album and running out of steam and material. I was putting out stuff about every year, now I am doing every two years and even that is hard to do these days.
 
My 2020 set up is exactly the same as my set ups over the last few years. Now that my older son has a Squire strat and Blackstar amp with some interesting settings, I might utilize that from time to time as a second guitar and additional amp.
One thing that I derive great joy from is getting the most out of the least. For example, with an electro/acoustic 6 and 12 string, my son's shitty Spanish guitar and a mandolin I'm nicely primed for acoustic stringed tracks, particularly with the different ways of miking and using pick ups and inputs. The limitations of shittiness of sound have challenged me into making them into something I really like. As an additional sound, I'm going to try to mic an unplugged electric with the pre~amp boosting, just to see where that takes me. I've never really been a gear head and I've never been prone GAS. If anything, I'm an imaginary gear head.
I realized a long time ago though, that all the experimentation in the world can't cover a shitty song !
 
yeah, "get the most from least" is why im in the closet studio. I have larger rooms higher ceilings that supposedly helps for some reason (I dont quit understand). I can do what I want here, but the ease and scratch tracks i figure is what my setup is aimed at and the small room seems to work best.

Headphone & Headphone amp for monitoring in 2020...
I have 3 sets of actives sitting around not plugged in. DYNAUDIO, KRKV6, YSM1...I have some old Radio SHack passive Optimus Metal cased ones..in the garage rotting away if not already. The 1980's hifi system has been unplugged but not made it to the garage pile yet but then what to do with the dusty cassettes, minidiscs, DAT tapes and ADAT's..? lol
 
My tube analog bass and guitar stuff, mostly ADA.

My digital end, Roland. VG-99 V guitar midi system. V bass midi system, and V synth XT for the Fantom X Keyboard.

The interface UA Apollo USB.

Daw, Reaper.
 
Last year I gradually got rid of pieces that see very little use so now I'm down to 24 analog inputs. I could do 32 with another DAC but I haven't found a need. Most bands can be tracked with 16 if you like that live interplay you get when tracking everyone at once, but usually it comes down to drums and bass live and scratch instruments for the "connection". I suppose it depends on the type of material. I'm still doing bands of some sort. A lot of rock 'oriented' stuff, bluesy, R&B ish, straight ahead guitar stuff.....with singing.

A big change for me was buying a new bass amp for my live rig. Not only is it a help to my old tired back but it sounds great. It allowed me to add the old SWR Interstellar Overdrive to the recording rack. Instant bass now. ALWAYS sounds like what's being played on the bass thats being played. I have yet to have to add anything other than my usual compression and touch of EQ at stems for bass. Plug it in....hit red light...done....next
 
I've got too many components to list them all...but as far as new stuff going into 2020 I've got a great pair of AKG C414 XLS that are proving to be great additions. I just used them as drum overheads for the first time a couple of nights ago and wow, they sound great. I upgraded my computer to a Ryzen 9 3900X recently, so that should prove to be more than capable of handling audio and video editing duties through this year. And last night I just bought a Panasonic Lumix G85 as a second camera to pair with my Lumix GH5 for shooting videos. I'm pretty well set for the year, although we all know that GAS can strike at any time, so no telling how long my setup will remain in its current state :)
 
I find the conversation interesting so I'll expand a bit:

-I'm still using cubase pro 10 but plan to upgrade to 10.5 once it's been out a while.
-I'm still using a profire 2626 (m-audio) but the drivers are starting to become more and more unstable so I plan on snagging the new quantum 2626 (presonus) which connects via thunderbolt 3. I use a presonus Digimax D8 with it and find the xmax preamps to be adaquit for my use.
-I was using a toneport UX2 connected via spdif into the 2626, however that died. The new plan for replacement is to snag a two notes torpedo captor and just run my amps silently for the same purpose. The tracks were always scrapped for amps anyhow.
-My current computer is an intel i7 6700K that I built in 2016. I may upgrade the cpu this year but not 100% on that. My computer still feels snappy as fuck and I've never felt the need to overclock it.
-If I can swing it I would also like to get some darkglass in my studio. Right now I have a different rack mount bass preamp but I really like the sound demos of the X7 ultra.
-No plans to upgrade or buy any more microphones. Completely happy with what I have.
-No plans to upgrade or buy any new instruments or amps... although I do want either an AC15 and a 2X12 cab.
-Honestly other than cubase I have no plans for new software either.
-I'll probably build several more guitar pedals this year because I greatly enjoy the hobby.

I guess we shall see but my home studio is dialed in pretty damn well at this point other than the increasingly glitchy legacy interface hardware.
 
Ive been selling the few pieces I had sitting around not being used. Enough reading and posters who do this recording stuff full time seem to agree, in a stht-room hobbycloset noisy neighborhood....just use dynamics. so the remaining mics are gone.
Falling off the no-gear new years resolution by the first week of January, I took back the most beautiful mint condition joe meek VC1 with transformer that BAE uses and this thing was MINT!! and GC has for $279!!….but I thought, hey Im not collecting gear and I chose my simple Cloudlifter over it.
All the preamps and anything laying around is going, its like cleaning out a closet...er….my studio is a closet...so literally Im cleaning out my closet?

I have two tube pieces Im having the most trouble parting with, RODE NTV (loaded with Jensen transformers WIMA caps ect..mint condition) and the UA LA610 tube Special Edition 1 of 500 made with all the transformer upgrades and nos and top end parts..... I might keep them, but probably wont use them much?
That's my spoils of a decade of testing and comparing rabbit hole chasing GAS ADD stuff....what a long strange trip its been......lol
 
Ive been selling the few pieces I had sitting around not being used.
I started doing that last year.....not that I had much ! But I hate having anything around that is surplus to requirements. I'm just about to sell my Behringer Hellbabe wah~wah pedal. I bought it many years ago and I've probably used it 4 times, if that. It's actually got quite a good rep but I just don't like it. In the past I've had 3 wah pedals, two of which were ultra cheap shit, and one of those was in a state of close to disrepair....but I loved their sound and responsiveness. The other one had 6 settings supposedly best with particular genres and to this day I don't know why I sold it. But all three were better than the Hellbabe although none of them were as heavy duty and durable. The Hellbabe is certainly well made ~ but it just doesn't respond to my touch like the others. It's like a prostitute as opposed to one's wife ~ sure, it's probably way more varied in what it can {or is prepared to} do but without the tenderness and past intimacy one requires !
Enough reading and posters who do this recording stuff full time seem to agree, in a shit room/hobbycloset/noisy neighborhood....just use dynamics
I've found that even where noise can sometimes be an issue, condensers {even those that pick up back, front and sides} have a part to play. It's just me, but sometimes, I love hearing the background spill and unless in moments of silence or near silence, when everything is playing together, is rarely heard. When listening to certain professional recordings where the individual tracks are isolated, I've often been surprised just how much background noise there is, but one rarely hears it on the actual proper record.
 
This past year I swapped interfaces in my mix room. I had been using a Nady mic pre unit into an Alesis HD2424 via light pipe to a Steinberg PCI card, and I replaced it with a Tascam US1800. That opened the door for me to upgrade the mix machine to a 64bit OS, but I haven’t pulled that trigger yet. It also saved me 3 rack spaces, though I lost 4 ins and 4 outs.

I think it was also just last year I replaced the Behringer headphone amp that I use as a monitor controller for a new one of the same model. I also moved more speakers into the mix room, but haven’t actually mounted or connected them except for a quick test.
 
Falling off the no-gear new years resolution by the first week of January, I took back the most beautiful mint condition joe meek VC1 with transformer that BAE uses and this thing was MINT!! and GC has for $279!!….but I thought, hey Im not collecting gear and I chose my simple Cloudlifter over it.
All the preamps and anything laying around is going, its like cleaning out a closet...er….my studio is a closet...so literally Im cleaning out my closet?

That's my spoils of a decade of testing and comparing rabbit hole chasing GAS ADD stuff....what a long strange trip its been......lol

I'm with you! No more gear. I'll spend my money on liquor, cigars and women!

$20 for a cigar
$75 for a nice bottle of bourbon
$200 for a hooker
$300 for a room

Ah but the hidden costs are there....

$500 for the bailbondsman
$1000 court fine
$5000 lawyer fee
$30,000 to replace car at the bottom of the pond
$250,000 lost to wife in divorce settlement

Maybe I'll rethink all this an buy a few more microphones and some Roxul!
 
for drums Im getting help here.... great site.
Free Drums Tracks | wikiloops.com

I have an old 1994 BOSS DR5 thats been around for decades but its not used much anymore, except a click track... sometimes I wonder if new drum boxes sound better, with new samples and all that 24/192 jazz.
 
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