Need Help Upgrading Home Studio

S

SuperCharger

New member
Sup y'all!

I've been doing basic home recording for a while, but I'll soon be the owner of a Roland TD-8K V-Drum set, which will be used for direct recording (rather than using Fruity Loops). The drum kit is going to be put in my bedroom, which is a loft (atic for US?) conversion, so there's plenty of room up there. At the moment I record everything in this very small computer room, which isnt ideal for obvious reasons.

Any way I'm going to turn my room (or atleast one side of it) into a recording/practice studio. I already have a PC up there which I'll use for multi-track and mixing etc.

I'm currently recording guitars through a Line 6 Pod which is ok for some stuff, but other than that I use a SM57 to mic my Marshall, which I think I'll use more often now as I can crank the amp up more being upstairs outa the way with no complaints from parents :-)

The Pod and SM57 (and soon the drums) go through a Behringer Eurorack MXB1002 mixer and then into a Soundblaster Live.

I also use the SM57 for accoustic guitars and vocals.

As for software I'm using Sonic Foundry Acid Pro for multi-tracking and Sound Forge for some editing.

So what to get next/upgrade?

Me thinks......I need a condenser mic for vocals, a compressor to go between my mixer and soundcard, and maybe some new monitors rather than my JPW Goldmonitor speakers and amp.

I'm also swaying towards a new soundcard, but I'm not sure whats going to be so much better about a new one? Will the recording quality be any better, and I don't need loads of inputs, one is all I need.

Is my SM57 ideal for micing amps? Or is there something better out there?

What mic would you recommend for vocals on a budget of about £300 ($540 ish)

And last but not least, does other multi-track software offer better recording quality than my current.


Any advice would be great.

Thanks
 
wat to get next

ill give u a couple great choices... first off... u need a new soundcard.... check out the delta 44 or 66... ( around 250-270) .. not exact... but a new soundcard will make a HUGE difference... i used to have a soundbalster.. then got a delta 66.. and the difference was amazing.. but now i have a digi 002 r for more ins.... also... a nice vocals mic... for 300 or so u could get a new audio techica 4040... VERY nice mic...now for a compressor... a RNC ( really nice compressor made my FMR).. will get u some awesome compression for 200 bucks...i have one.. and am very happy with it.... now monitors.. umm... i have read some good talk about the studiophile monitors... i dont own them tho... but the delta 66.. rnc.. and at 4040 i have or have owned.. and are GREAT choices for a home studio. later - LBC
 
Thanks LBC

I've been looking at some Delta 44's on Ebay, and there going for less than $100....nice.

As for the compressor I'm having trouble finding it, what's the full name of it?

And is my SM57 going to be ok for micing my guitar amp?
 
Super Charger,

I have to say that you are in a good position. You have your requirements low and you haven't been slammed with too many gear options just yet. I wish I could start all over again and buy the right equipment FIRST! I could spend hours explaining my many gear changes and why, but it all boils down to the simple fact that once you get what you want to get you NEED MORE! Well, at least that's how many people get, you may not. Anyway here is my recommendations!

Go for the Digidesign M-Box. It gives you 2 pre-amp inputs of very high quality, some of the best A/D D/A conversion you can get with today's sound cards. So right off the bat you kill to birds with one stone, the pre-amp and the soundcard. The M-Box will run you $450 from Zzounds.com.

You only have about $90 left so get yourself a decent vocal mic for the price. A condensor will work fine with the pre-amps in the M-Box because it supplies phantom power. Check the "Mic Forum" here at HomeRecording.com for opinions on your mic choice.

Now... the M-Box comes with the very popular Pro Tools LE which is all you need for multitracking, which also get's rid of your need for a compressor. The main consideration you will have is getting a computer that will be compatible with the M-Box (check specs on OS/Memory/HD etc).

I really don't want to say that this is the route that you should go, but if I were in your situation I would. I would then save my money and get me a pair of decent monitors. Check the monitor forum for more opinions. When it's all said and done you would have yourself a very tight and well equipped little studio!

Does this help?
 
Thanks for Omen

You said the M-Box comes with 2 pre-amp inputs, which is very good, but I already have a Behringer mixer with built in pre-amps, or are the M-Box one's alot better? Plus I still want to use a the mixer so I can plug in several things at a time, i.e drums keyboard & mic's. Also you said getting Pro-Tools will rid my need of a compressor, does this program offer real-time compression (as in does it whilst you record rather than apply to the wave file afterwards)?

And is the SM57 my best option for micing guitar amps, or is there a better mic available?

Thanks again
 
Super Charger,
One thing that has the biggest effect on the sound you are recording is the quality of the mic pre amp you are using. The Behringer ones do not sound particularly good. You owe it to yourself to spend as much as you can on decent mic pres. The M-Box ones will be a lot better, although you may want more than just two decent pre amps, that depends on how many tracks you want to record simultaneously.

As for a decent cheap studio condenser mic for vocals, acoustic guitar, etc. try a Studio Projects B1 or if you want to splash more cash a C1 (probably the best for the money). The SM57 is perfect for mic'ing your guitar amp, although personally I find the POD in conjunction with the Line6 Edit software is far more versatile and convenient than any mic/amp combination. Using the POD is the easiest way to prevent your guitar tracks sounding like a poorly mic'ed amp.

I would suggest avoiding compression when recording tracks unless it is being used as a specific effect. Apply compression when you mix.

As for studio monitors the best budget ones at the moment are probably the Behringer Truths (active).

Pete.
 
charger,

as Peter Lancaster stated, you really should avoid tracking with compression unless there is a specific effect your going for or unless you reall, really know what you are doing. It is very hard and nearly impossible to reverse the effects of compression after it has been recorded.

The pres in the M-Box are way better than those in the Behringer. Although you can still use the mixer for your other stuff (ie drums, line-level guitar, etc.).

The reason I suggested the M-box is because it contains the high quality pres for 2 channel recording, which I thought was what you were shooting for. I personally need 16 tracks at once and it what cost me a whole lot of $ to get that set up with pro tools. In you situation you could get the M-box which comes with Pro Tools and all you would have to then buy would be monitors and possibly better/more mics.
 
i have a behringer mixer.. i use a couple of the pres along with the 4 in my digi 002 when i use more than 4 mics... theres a audible diffrerence between the 2 pres.
 
Compressors and Eq's are great. I'm using one each on my guitar sound now, pre-mixer. It's been recomended to me to have EQ's all over the place. I'm just having fun experimenting right now.
 
Ok, real quick caus I have to go......

Weakest link - Your soundcard. Delta stuff is mucho betta. Delta 44 is good, but no S/PDIF, so can't sync to other cards to expand. If you can get a Delta 66 for not much more, it gives you more options for the future. Also, consider the Audiophile.

Skip the compressor for now - do it after tracking, in software.

M-box......could be good option, check it out.

Mic pre's - Very important, and yours aren't very good. If you get a couple of different ones, rather than two of the same, you'll have more colors to paint with. The sound you get is a combination of the mic, the preamp, and the A/D converter(soundcard), so a couple of mics, plus a couple of different pre's gives you more options.

Lastly, get a condenser mic...you'll be amazed!

-RD
 
Ok Im a little confused at to what I should get right now, but.......

I'm thinking along the lines of a Delta 66 and a new mic pre amp.

But I'm not sure what mic amp to get, and do they come with controls such as bass, treble, level etc like you'de find on a mixer.

Know of any good mic pre-amps for less than £150 ($280 ish)?

Oh and I'll deff be getting a condenser mic.

The M-Box sounded tempting but after doing some reading I'm not sure if my PC will be compatable with it.

Thanks
 
SuperCharger,
From the looks of your set up you only need a single channel mic pre for recording vocals, acoustic guitar, mic'd guitar amp, etc. Something like the Studio Projects VTB-1 (£100) would be good. You could also use this as a DI for bass.

Some mic pre amps come with lots of controls (e.g. Focusrite Platinum Voicemaster Pro) others come with virtually nothing (e.g. Grace 101). I always prefer to get the best sound by mic placement and then use EQ and compression when I mix. Anything you do to the sound before it gets to your computer is irreversible. I don't like taking that sort of risk with what I'm recording.

I would strongly recommend the Studio Projects C1 (£150) for your mic and the Behringer Truth B2031 (£280) for monitors, because you need good monitoring or else you can't record, mix or master well. A home hi-fi set up just doesn't cut it because it's not accurate and detailed enough. They're designed to flatter the music. Studio monitors are designed so that you can hear everything that's wrong.

Pete.
 
Thanks alot I really appreciate all the help.

Do you know of any good online music shops where I could find such equipment? Ebay is always an option but sometimes its nice to buy things new :-)
 
SuperCharger,
Be very careful with your calculations if you are buying from the USA. Although the exchange rate is very favourable you will have to pay import duty (3.7%) VAT (17.5%) shipping (approx $50) credit card charge for foreign transaction (2%) carrier charges (approx 5% of import duty and tax) (i.e.companies like DHL handle all of the customs paperwork for you, but charge you for doing so)

For example lets say you buy something from the USA for $100 with $50 shipping/handling charges.

Credit Card charges (2% of $150) = $3.00
Import Duty (3.7% of $100) = $3.70
VAT (17.5% of $103.70) = $18.15
Carrier Charges (5% of $21.85) = $1.09

Therefore your $100 product costs $175.94. At an exchange rate of £1=$1.80 that's £97.74.

Also be aware that US power is not three pin 240V and UK power sockets are fairly unique (UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore). At the very least you'll have to buy a power cable, at worst some way to convert 240V to 110V.

My rule of thumb is that only if the product is unavailable in the UK or if the US cost (in numbers, not currency) is significantly less (e.g. $500 USA £800 UK = worthwhile, $500 USA £500 UK = pointless) is the purchase worthwhile.

UK online shops you can try are

The Guitar, Amp & Keyboard Centre

Digital Village

Turnkey

Pete.
 
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