Why is it?

StudioHermit

StudioHermit

Complete Amatuer
It may just be me. But it seems, I spend more time trying to figure out accoustic treatments, where to to put this, how to position that, and what new stuff I need (but can't afford) than I do recording. Does it get better? Or does the desire for a bigger, better studio, and newer, cooler equipment continue until you are broke? And you still don't get any recording done.
 
Sure there's that. Like the stereotypical 'HiFi guys as much into the rig as the music?
Where's the music fit in? On one end of the scale we can be making a rig for recording other people always wanting to build and improve on it, or more pure musician- where it's not all about 'the sound'.
Me I totally straddle the two- love to play, love the gear, tools, the art and science of it (bought more than I need likely but that's ok) But I also find it's a damned site easier to play, or record other people than record myself.
 
StudioHermit said:
It may just be me. But it seems, I spend more time trying to figure out accoustic treatments, where to to put this, how to position that, and what new stuff I need (but can't afford) than I do recording. Does it get better? Or does the desire for a bigger, better studio, and newer, cooler equipment continue until you are broke? And you still don't get any recording done.
Click to expand...

It really comes down to what it is that your goal is in your situation, and the limitations you have.

Just recording some demos, or writing songs? Room treatment and quality gear, probably not so much an issue.

Recording for a worthy product that means something to you, that you wish to share or sell? Well, your experience and education will be more valuable than anything, but room treatment would be the first step after realizing it is necessary. This would be obvious to you, because of your 'experience and education'.

"Does it get better"?; Well yes, every little or big upgrade makes a difference in the end product. Do you ever get over GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)? No, and you never will. But, experience will tell you what is needed.

IMO, if you can't get a 'really good sounding' recording with your basic interface, decent mic, good DAW, and free effects, then you need to work on either the sounds you are recording, or the techniques to get there, before worrying about upgrades.
 
I think what you really have to do is do both at the same time; Upgrade while making music.

If your room isn't perfect, keep recording/mixing anyway and you can make the best tracks you can for right now.

It's unlikely that you will stumble upon a lump sum of cash, so many upgrades have to happen in time, little by little. As your room and gear get better, your skill will also be improving to match the potential in said gear and room. If you spend all your time upgrading, what's the point? Your tracks will still not be what you desire.

I'm in the same boat, and have by no means a great space to work with, but that hasn't stopped me from recording and mixing. My tracks are getting better every time. In time, I'll upgrade more, and I'll be doing that much better. Just like you, and probably everyone else, I can't wait for the day that I have something to proudly call "a studio", but I love working none the less. Keep with it my friend!
 
To quote an excerpt from the book: How To Set Up A Home Recording Studio by David Mellor. Chapter 2 (Equiping The Home Studio).

Golden rules for the home studio.

1. Never sell.
2 Never upgrade.

Golden rule number 1 is only to buy things that you can use until they wear out. Buy a good mic and it will last you 20 years. Buy a mediocre mic and it will always be mediocre, even on the day you buy it.
---------------------------------------------------

Whether this is practical advice in this day and age, I'm not sure. Sometimes you have to go with what you can afford and upgrade as and when funds allow. Though I can see the point he's driving at, when he says in rule 2: "Buy a good keyboard and in years to come it will be a classic". Evidently he wasn't writing this anticipating our modern age of computers, where a ten year old computer is... well, just a classic heap of junk.

But this problem isn't peculiar to home recording by any means. As an artist, who relies on airbrushes and compressed air to paint, there is almost the same thing going on in my art studio as there is in your recording studio. There is still maintenance of machines and hand-pieces, fume extraction and projection methods to take care of. There will always be some more sophisticated tools I can buy if I want them and I'm always tweaking something to try and make life easier. But I think, just the same as in a recording studio, once you have reliable and trustworthy tools, good lighting and a working environment to account for your style and output - you can carry on for a good twenty years or more with roughly the same set up.

I think, when it comes to room treatment that it's a case of get it right first time and you shouldn't need to change anything until you move. I think the problem many of us beginners have, is that we don't know exactly what we're doing when we start - so it's an ongoing learning process for us.

Regards

Dr. V
 
Thanks guys, seems that I need to accept what I have available, and get back to why I started this in the first place, "the love of the music". While I am not a "great" guitar player or song writer, I do enjoy it. So, i just need to work on that and worry less about the room and gear. As I once read on here, all the best gear doesn't make you a better musician. Thanks again, Guys.
 
I would say enjoy the music, enjoy the gear, enjoy the tweaking and above all - enjoy yourself.

There's on old Buddhist saying which basically says that if you are always looking towards the mountain top you will miss the beauty of the changing views on the way up. This is universal to almost every aspect of life.
 
I am in the gear doesn't matter camp. I'm not making records, just enjoying myself. A decent interface, a couple mics - but most importantly practice and decent in tune instruments are what make it work for me.
 
In a lot of cases it's easier to blame the gear for poor sounding results than it is to blame yourself and so go questing for the magic bullet that will turn you into an international hit maker overnight. Once you get to a certain level of gear the results that theoretically can be achieved is very high

once you learn that improving your material, improving your performance, improving your mic positioning, improving your critical listening, understanding how to make it all fit together is the most important thing, you will have a drastic impact on what your produce.

Once you get to that point you still get gear lust but it's more along the lines of making your workflow better or that X piece of gear really is "better" than what you have. Rather than "well if I had XYZ my recordings would automatically sound 10 times better than they do now, because what I have now is too low end and is the cause of my poor sound"
 
Indeed, there is always more and new stuff.
But there's also a point where you have enough equipment to make 'decent' recordings.
I've invested quite a bit and I'm happy with what I have so I told myself I won't buy anything new until I have an album ready recorded with the basic material I have now.
This way I don't keep telling myself 'I can't record this guitar or that drum part because I don't own that piece of equipment so It wouldn't sounds as good as my favorite album I listen to everyday'.

Anyway, It keeps me going, experimenting and evolving. And that's what it's all about.
 
I buy a lot of second hand gear from others that buy the newest and latest all the time. I am usually only one or 2 generations behind anyway and I buy it for half the cost. Some of my gear I have had since the 1970's and it's still going strong. Remember if it could record a great recording last year why is it not good enough this year. Thank goodness for the guys that keep selling gear to buy the latest, they keep me well stocked in gear.

Alan.
 
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