Please Help!!!! Just Starting, Have 1K and a Mac!

[nadeemb]

I would like to set up a home recording studio, but I am very confused on the necessary equipment and brands needed. I understand that one would need at least the following: interface, microphones, headphones, pop filter, monitors and software.

* I have a Powermac G5.
* I have a Casio midi keyboard and a fender strat guitar that I would like to integrate.
* I would like to have some decent vocals.
* I would like to be somewhat future proof to add more gear.

I’m looking for help with this to guide me in the right track with a budget for about $1,000.

 

[Dave Cook]

First question is on the powermac, I looked it up quick and they all said less than 1G RAM, is that the case with yours?

 

[itaughttremonti]

-Tascam 1641 or ZoomR16 (just for you moresound ) althought the Zoom will take a bigger chunk of that budget.
-Room treatment: don't ask my opinion on this one, not a clue really...but it is important.
-A couple good mics: you can go as simple as an ES57 and ES58 ($30 apiece) or you can go big here. Depends on where you want to start.
-Some decent monitors: haven't bought any myself, but are vitally important when you're mixing to have a good set.
-Accesories: depends on what you already have, if anything.
-Software: I'm not sure if anything comes with either of the two interfaces I suggested, but if not...Reaper is free to try and $40 to buy. If you don't pay you can still use the whole program...but it's $40...that wont dent you too bad.

 

[Dave Cook]

Second question is do you plan to mic a amp for the strat, or do you want to go direct with it?

 

[nadeemb]

First question is on the powermac, I looked it up quick and they all said less than 1G RAM, is that the case with yours?

Mac has 2.5 GB of RAM

 

[nadeemb]

Second question is do you plan to mic a amp for the strat, or do you want to go direct with it?

May do mostly without a amp, but not sure yet.

 

[nadeemb]

-Tascam 1641 or ZoomR16 (just for you moresound ) althought the Zoom will take a bigger chunk of that budget.
-Room treatment: don't ask my opinion on this one, not a clue really...but it is important.
-A couple good mics: you can go as simple as an ES57 and ES58 ($30 apiece) or you can go big here. Depends on where you want to start.
-Some decent monitors: haven't bought any myself, but are vitally important when you're mixing to have a good set.
-Accesories: depends on what you already have, if anything.
-Software: I'm not sure if anything comes with either of the two interfaces I suggested, but if not...Reaper is free to try and $40 to buy. If you don't pay you can still use the whole program...but it's $40...that wont dent you too bad.

Thank you so much for your help...this will be a great start!

 

[Dave Cook]

Cool on the Mac. as said above Reaper would be a great starting point, for the $ it's the best thing out there IMO. A Shure SM57 mic for your guitar $110ish, a SM58 for vocals, about the same price. A MIDI to USB cable for your keyboard, they are cheap, a USB interface like a Lexicon, Tascam, Line 6 toneport(there are 100's of them). You can download countless VST instruments for free to use with the keyboard, and it's very easy to get them into Reaper.

All that stuff would still leave you almost $500, and aside from the room prep(I know nothing about that either), you would be in business.

 

[itaughttremonti]

If you look in the classified ads on the site, there are a couple PreSonus Firepods for sale and I would reccomend those as well. For $250, seems like s good deal to me.