My $1000 budget studio(input wanted/needed)

  • Thread starter Thread starter AddisonXI
  • Start date Start date
There's a GC I'll have to go check out then. Thanks for the advice!
 
I have KRK 5s at home. They does the job well enough. 8s would be even nicer. I tested some monitors at GC and decided to go on with KRK 5s.
I also use M-Audio Fast Track Pro at home. Not bad. For Mic, I went with AKG, but you got your pick. So thats great.

Do you have a DAW or did I miss it?
 
Ive been trying to set aside some time to read about room treatment. It's a small room(I think 2 concrete walls, 2 dry wall). All that will be in there is recording equipment And 2 racks of clothes. Yea. My wife is letting me use our makeshift closet bedroom for my studio.
 
Reaper is going to be my DAW. I guess. Lol. Seems to be the best deal. I think whichever audio interface I buy will.come with a lite version of pro tools or abelton
 
saads said:
I've said this before and I'll say it again. I don't know why people like the sound of KRK 5's.
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Because they do. They have their own ears, minds, likes and expectations.

ThandaPani said:
I have KRK 5s at home. They does the job well enough.
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Like him.

AddisonXI said:
The problem is I don't know what sounds like a bad, decent, or great set of monitors. I am starting from 0 percent knowledge on the technical side.
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This is a point I keep making over and over. Most people that are asking questions about monitors aren't really in a position to know the ins and outs about monitors because if they were, they'd not be asking questions of internet strangers........progression is inevitable as is upgrading unless you are fortunate enough to hit bulls eye first time round.
If monitors are supposed to be relatively flat, at least in comparison to ordinary stereo speakers, then wouldn't playing music you're used to on ordinary speakers sound kind of duff on monitors ? A question of my own !
 
Hmm. Interesting. So you're basically saying Any speakers will seem like an upgrade because my ears usually only hear music from crappy computer speakers or from my car?
 
What equipment do you think it would be best to buy or not to buy used? I'm sure if it is gently used or in good condition it would be fine with certain things(like the Audio Interface), but can't really tell unless you have it or use it.
 
AddisonXI said:
What equipment do you think it would be best to buy or not to buy used? I'm sure if it is gently used or in good condition it would be fine with certain things(like the Audio Interface), but can't really tell unless you have it or use it.
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I've always had a thing with not wanting to buy used headphones.
or mics. Just for my own hygienic concerns.
I also don't want to buy monitors used in fear of them being worn or something.

When I do buy used, I try to go with refurbished items.
 
AddisonXI said:
There's a GC I'll have to go check out then.
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Man, I come to Memphis often to visit family and stuff.
Closest guitar center I know of is in Jackson, MS.
You got a list of music stores or something in the area?

I've normally kept my shopping limited to germantown.
 
AddisonXI said:
Hmm. Interesting. So you're basically saying Any speakers will seem like an upgrade because my ears usually only hear music from crappy computer speakers or from my car?
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I think it'll be natural for you to know what an audio upgrade sounds like.
I remember when I bought some sennheiser hd202 headphones, I KNEW how things can sound better. After finally listening on something more legit than my sony earpods and laptop speakers.
A new clarity and depth was added to the music.
Then I bought some Shure srh400 headphones and noticed the upgrade in those, now everything else sounds "muddy".

So, essentially, yes, the next best thing you listen on will sound way better than the last thing you listened on.
Assuming of course that it is indeed better.
Which is all in your ears, no one elses... most of the time :p
 
I'm pretty sure there's a Guitar Center..well, not exactly Memphis but in Bartlett. It's close enough. Wouldn't be more than a 40 minute drive from where I'm at. Just a hop, skip, and jump away.
 
AddisonXI said:
Hmm. Interesting. So you're basically saying Any speakers will seem like an upgrade because my ears usually only hear music from crappy computer speakers or from my car?
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It was a question really. The accepted wisdom seems to be that you don't want monitors to make your mix sound 'good', you want monitors to give you an honest representation of how your mix sounds. Hence people talk about them being different from hi fi speakers because they're supposed to be 'flat' rather than enhanced like hi fi ones. Lt Bob has pointed out many a time that this is something of a myth and I'm not going to argue with him. But if monitors are flatter in their response to music and we're used to hearing our stuff on enhanced speakers or even crappy ones, would testing them out by playing our regular records/CDs tell us anything ? All the enhancement would make those songs sound different. Or would they ? I remember listening to some Deep Purple stuff on my friends monitors at his studio just before I got into mine and you couldn't hear the bass. I really strained to hear it. It was like Roger Glover hadn't been there. I recall being really worried at the time because I'd yet to use monitors. So I'm curious as to whether or not it would do any good.
 
Hmm, well I guess I'll find out. Still learning the concept of monitors and "flatness". I'm really just looking for something to get started. And the KRK 5's or 6's will suffice just fine. Hell I'm sure even the Alesis M1s would too. None the less, that sounds like a very interesting question. Maybe one day we'll get an answer. ^_^
 
Here's something thats helped me out:

jimmys69 said:
I think the best advice, after spending $300+ on room treatment, may be to just buy the most expensive pair you can afford at this point. Learn what they tell you about your room by using them. Only then can you actually form an opinion for yourself. Anyone Else's advice is just personal opinion that you really need to form for yourself. You can then use your first uneducated choices as alternate reference monitors as I do. :D
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Thank you. That is a good idea and well put. I need to invest in some room treatment.. Not sure how much I'll need.. I suppose I'll have to guestimate. A bass trap or two and some foam to decorate the walls. It's not too big of a space which I think means it needs to be treated more. I think someone told me I can use racks with clothes on them as make shift bass traps. Not sure how well it will work. All this will be a lot easier to answer when I finally get the equipment. Until then I'm just on the outside looking in. :( But plenty of time to work up as much technical knowledge as I can.
 
AddisonXI said:
Thank you. That is a good idea and well put. I need to invest in some room treatment.. Not sure how much I'll need.. I suppose I'll have to guestimate. A bass trap or two and some foam to decorate the walls. It's not too big of a space which I think means it needs to be treated more. I think someone told me I can use racks with clothes on them as make shift bass traps. Not sure how well it will work. All this will be a lot easier to answer when I finally get the equipment. Until then I'm just on the outside looking in. :( But plenty of time to work up as much technical knowledge as I can.
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Well, when I treated my room, the first thing I did was try to tame the "echo".

Then I realized all the foam made it sound "muddy", so, i took some off and now it sounds juuuust right. I also have this HUGE foam mattress over lay backed up on this really big ass window. It makes a pretty solid bass trap, and the way my room is, making bass traps in the corners isnt ideal.

I didn't make the room completely dead like so many people do. I HATE seeing people with their "studios" completely covered in foam it makes me claustrophobic because i just know it sounds like ass.
I "tuned" it

and learned that sometimes less is more.

...I also replaced the carpet with laminate flooring :D which opened up the sound SOOO much. The mid-range mush is gone from the drums
 
I think I may draw up floor plans to the room I'll be recording in and get some professional advice here before I toss the money for it. ^_^ It's pretty simple. I get more pumped everyday about building this studio!!
 
Oh yeah, and the biggest epiphany I had was to stop intertwining "room treatment" with "soundproofing".
I realized that not only is soundproofing virtually impossible in most home studio situations (while room treatment is always possible), soundproofing does nothing for me in the studio. It just makes people outside not hear the music.

And I want people to hear my music :mad:
 
After reading about how powerful LDC mics are, it has me slightly concerned.. I want the SE 2200a but if it's as good as I read I might have problems keeping unwanted sounds out. But I WANT it dag nabbit. Regaaarrrdddless, I will get it and probably end up buying those sound reflectors(not sure of the exact name, but you know what I'm talking about) In due time my friends. We got DEATHSTAR. Hmm, wish I could create musical equipment with that name as the company.
 
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