What else do I need?

[seancfc]

hey everyone, whats up I'm in the middle of making a basic home recording studio. I have my M-Audio Fast track 2 interface with my Audio Technica AT2020 mic. Do I need or should I get any mixers? All I have on my interface is a gain knob, its kinda boring and doesn't do much exept from turn the volume of my mic up and down..

I still feel as if I'm missing something. I have my stand,pop screen, shock mount and headphones that cost £10. I think I made a mistake though.. I NEED alot better ones than these for vocal recording!! any recommends?!

please give me some ideas on what to get and what I NEED.

 

[Capt Hair]

The AT2020 is a good starting microphone. You could do a lot worse . What are you currently using for a DAW aka what software are using to record to on your computer?

That is your basic set up though, mic, preamp/interface, and then a DAW to put it all into to edit. You don't need a mixer, that's essentially what your DAW is for, it's for mixing "in the box" or "in the computer" as apposed to doing it on an actual mixing board.

Another addition that you'll need is monitors and room treatment.

 

[seancfc]

The AT2020 is a good starting microphone. You could do a lot worse . What are you currently using for a DAW aka what software are using to record to on your computer?

That is your basic set up though, mic, preamp/interface, and then a DAW to put it all into to edit. You don't need a mixer, that's essentially what your DAW is for, it's for mixing "in the box" or "in the computer" as apposed to doing it on an actual mixing board.

Another addition that you'll need is monitors and room treatment.

Ok. Thanks so much for replying. I appreciate it I'm using Cool edit pro. But I don't like it. I want Pro tools. But it cost to much money. I think its something like £200 or something :/

Why do I need a monitor? I have a laptop with a screen..lmfao.

How can I get a really good software that is cheap or can I get pro tools for free off torrent? SHHH. lol.

 

[Dogbreath]

Ok. Thanks so much for replying. I appreciate it I'm using Cool edit pro. But I don't like it. I want Pro tools. But it cost to much money. I think its something like £200 or something :/

Why do I need a monitor? I have a laptop with a screen..lmfao.

How can I get a really good software that is cheap or can I get pro tools for free off torrent? SHHH. lol.

monitors = speakers. Preferably as flat of response as you can get. Ya don't want your mixes to "sound good" per se....ya want em accurate. The room has a big part in how accurate you hear your mix.



And beware the cracked software talk round these parts. Heavily frowned upon.

 

[Washburn100]

For software, most DAWS have a home version that sell from $50-$100. SonarEssentials I think is $49.95 and gives you everything you need. Another good one is Reaper which is free to try, and if you like like it, you pay a very small fee, more if you use it commercially.

 

[Capt Hair]

Ok. Thanks so much for replying. I appreciate it I'm using Cool edit pro. But I don't like it. I want Pro tools. But it cost to much money. I think its something like £200 or something :/

Why do I need a monitor? I have a laptop with a screen..lmfao.

How can I get a really good software that is cheap or can I get pro tools for free off torrent? SHHH. lol.

Monitors aka, speakers. Much more reliable and clear when your mixing than headphones or god forbid the built in speakers on your laptop

If you happen to be in school you can get the student rate for Protools, it's essentially half off and you get 4 years of free upgrades, check out sweetwater's website.

 

[JoNathanDaTruth]

hey everyone, whats up I'm in the middle of making a basic home recording studio. I have my M-Audio Fast track 2 interface with my Audio Technica AT2020 mic. Do I need or should I get any mixers? All I have on my interface is a gain knob, its kinda boring and doesn't do much exept from turn the volume of my mic up and down..

I still feel as if I'm missing something. I have my stand,pop screen, shock mount and headphones that cost £10. I think I made a mistake though.. I NEED alot better ones than these for vocal recording!! any recommends?!

please give me some ideas on what to get and what I NEED.

Go to bestbuy and get some sony studio monitor headphones.. they are great...and they are only 20 bucks... for software check out audacity... it is free open source software.. very easy to use...they have great support forums... a ton of tutorials out there... and it holds it own next to protools (will prolly get flamed for saying so)... blows cool edit away... I started with audacity, and have used cool edit, auditions, flstudio and protools... I use protools and audicity exclusively... they are a lot of things thatg I do in audicity cause it is easier.... good luck and let me know if you need any otther help...

 

[JoNathanDaTruth]

PS before you go spending anymoney on software or anything for that matter you need some decent studio monitors and that is going to cost your a few bucks... check craigslist and pawn shops... look up reviews on amazon before you spend....

 

[Bobbsy]

No, no, no.

You will be better off with speakers for your mixing than any headphones available. If you can't find/afford actual monitors, audiophile grade hifi speakers purchased second hand are another option. If you try to mix on headphones, you'll quickly find that your mixes sound very different when played on other systems--you can learn to compensate for this but speakers are a better bet for beginners.

Second, you need some software before you start doing anything so you need to get that out of the way early on. Fortunately, you can get 4 week trials of several of the main contenders. I'm personally a fan of Adobe Audition (which is what Cool Edit became 8 or 10 years ago) but you should definitely also try Reaper--free to try and only $60 if you decide to buy it. I'd strongly suggest you don't just dash out and buy Protools even if you can afford it--I used to use it at work but never came to actually like its user interface.

What else do you need? With a decent mic and interface, (and the software and monitors talked about) nothing major. However, some small bits to consider would be mic stand, pop screen (if you do vocals) mic cable and interconnect cables for whatever you choose in terms of monitors.

Then just lots of practice (and hopefully enjoyment!).