Home studio gear / pc / daw / mics etc.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alexfromestonia
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Alexfromestonia

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Dears!
Looking for home studio gear to buy. So would be interesting to know what are you working with.
Pls describe you studios.
Thanks!
 
It would be far easier if YOU describe what it is you want to accomplish with your home recording studio.
 
^^This, plus the folks on the board are all over the place with the hardware. If it has been built, somebody on this board has it.

Give us your goals and be as detailed as possible and there are plenty of folks who can guide and assist. Don't worry to much about the language, we will work with you to help out. I assume you kept it simple because of language. Do the best you can and we will be patient (most of us anyway).
 
What are your expectations? What are your objectives? Live recordings? Podcasts? Songwriting? Pro Audio mixing for hire?
What is your experience? What do you already have?
Giving a decent equipment list can take a lot of time.
Have you read through the stickies about Interface Comparison Chart? Introduction to Multitrack Computer Interface Recording? All the stickies in the Microphones section? and most importantly, Small Room Acoustics?
Read this thread as well, LINK

My personal studio (I am foremost a songwriter, but play all sorts of instruments) starts with about $1500 in acoustic treatment and includes a W7 PC with Reason and Cubase (for Steven Slate Drums), Tascam US1800, Two Samsung monitors, M-Audio M3-8 & KRK Rokit 5 for near field reference, Kawai CE220 piano, Alesis DM10 Studio drum kit, guitars, a Michael Kelly bass, Roland Cube30 amplifier, Yamaha B100 bass head run through Peavey 1820 cab and mikes, cables, stands. Powered by LCR2400 line conditioner and maintained via APC 1100W uninterruptible power supply.

Depending on your budget, start with room treatment to kill bass in the corners and at least primary reflections, then get an interface to suit your needs (2 channel to 64+/midi/SPDIF/ADAT/????). Start with a mike that suits your needs, or if you're doing full blown recording, a mike locker that includes a stereo pair (SDC), condenser (LDC), couple dynamics (Cardioid/Omni/Hyper/???) and possible a ribbon for great vocal pickup. DISCLAIMER: I don't have all of those mikes. My locker is 3 mikes strong, but I've done serious recording in serious studios that had great equipment.

Hope something here helps. BTW, read people's signature lines (under their posts) and you'll see a bit of what their kit is like.
Happy Recording :D
 
Keep in mind that the "Killer Attack Chihuahua" is non-negotiable. /\/\

:)
 
Thanks for comments, guys!
My target is non-commercial songwriting mostly. Styles: Pop, Trance.....etc
So far I have Windows based PC, Lexicon Alpha, Roland Fantom, Yamaha-hs80m monitors, DAW - FL Studio 10 (but I do not like it - too complicated)
Currently looking for mic to buy.
What do I miss?
 
Have you tried Reaper or Reason? Both have free trial downloads. Reaper is only $60 to register, Reason is around $400, but it is super simple and intuitive and possibly the best at EDM/Trance. There are other free DAWs out there, Dark Wave Studio, MuTools, Traverso, Ardour, LMMS, etc. Give a few a try.
AFA a microphone, the standard locker for a newb is SM57 and one inexpensive, but good, LDC. AT 2020 and MXL 2001 are both good options for around $100. SM57 will run you another $100. If you have more budget, get a pair of SDCs, like a matched set of Rode M5's (around $200), or even a nice ribbon for excellent vocal reproduction.
Just remember, when you're starting out, cheap mikes will sound pretty okey dokey, but once your ears start getting in tune, you'll want better and better. The sound differences from $100 mikes to $250 mikes is noticeable, but from $250 to $500 a little less, and from $500 up, it's getting kind of subjective, and you start looking for certain properties, or colors, in the mikes. Don't shoot for a Neumann U87Ai right off the bat. You'll need to get your ears to that level.
Like I said before, I do mostly songwriting and my locker consists of an MXL 2001 and a pair of SM57s (I only have two because I found out the first one I bought was a clone). I don't have need for a matched pair (nice or not) because I rarely record acoustic anything, and my drums come from keyboard or electric drums. I just need to mike the occasional cab (SM57), voice (2001) and really rarely my acoustic guitar (both mikes).
 
BroKen_H said:
Have you tried Reaper or Reason? Both have free trial downloads. Reaper is only $60 to register, Reason is around $400, but it is super simple and intuitive and possibly the best at EDM/Trance.
Click to expand...

When it comes to EDM/Other, I still contend Ableton with its Push or another controller is probably as good as anything out there. I wouldn't say it is the best, but it is amongst the best. Plus it has the added value that it is focused for live use. Which really make it as much an instrument as it is a DAW.
 
dynamic mics pick up less room tone (a bigger factor in typical acoustically untreated boxy-room home studios) than do condenser mics. the shure SM57 is a good (and relatively inexpensive) work-horse multi-purpose mic which you can use on vocals, drums, guitar cabs etc.
 
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