$3000 budget, need advice

[chipwits]

I have $3000 budget and need the following:
(for recording male vocals (country/western), fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin)

1. 4U Computer Case w/ some sort of quiet system (liquid or whatever) - have existing intel atx computer.
2. 2 x 6u Stackable/Portable rack shells
3. Sound Card (only need 2 channels)
4. Good Mic Preamp, 1 channel is enough, 2 is better (Seventh Circle Audio Mic Pre kit good way to go? can get the Neve clone first)
5. Good Microphone or Two.
6. Decent 15 foot cables.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Chipwits

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

1. Personally I'd look at just making your existing PC quieter. Proper sound isolation cases cost big money. That alone would most likely swallow up most if not all of your budget

eg: http://www.quietpc.com/us-en-usd/products/rack/acoustirack

You could spend $400-$500 on a quiet atx case, quiet fans, hard drive enclosures, quiet PSU etc. It really depends which parts of your machine are noisy.

Or if your handy with tools you might be able to build a soundproof box yourself, I recall seeing a design soemwhere on the web but I forget where, sorry.

3. The M Audio audiophile is a pretty good, cheap card. if you wanted a step up in quality you could look at RME or Lynx.

4. The seventh circle pres are supposed to sound pretty good although i've never used them myself. Personally I'd buy my own rack case seeing as you only need 2 channels, I think you'd need a 2U case if you were building the N72's as the trannies are a little high to fit inside a 1u.

Or if you wanted to go the DIY route you could also look at Hamptone or JLM Audio, they both do very highly regarded 2 channel pres with all the parts you'd need.

 

[chipwits]

Thanks Kevin. I think I read somewhere that the power supply unit for the Seven Circle Audio chasis is free if you buy both the chasis and a n72. If so, probably good idea just to go with the seve audio chasis. Also, I could add a couple each of the other preamp models they have at a later date, to have some more variety in premaps (ones with more/less color etc). Would be nice if they came out with more modules (they have four different ones now including the neve clone).

I was considering the M-Audio Delta 1010. What ya think? Versus the audiophile card. That way later if I had like 6-8 channels of various preamps, I wouldn't have to be patching the cables?

Thanks again,
James

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

Yeah if you're going to need more than 2 ins then the 1010 would be a good choice, I used the 1010LT (no breakout box) for a few years up until quite recently, excellent really considering the price.

Fair enough on the chassis, I just wouldn't like a couple of lonely little pres in there and a load of holes. Still if you reckon you might get some more anyway then why not? I think Tim talked at one time about doing a chassis for 2 or 4 modules but I don't think it's taken off. I guess it's in his interests to encourage people to buy lots of SCA pres!

My next DIY preamp project is going to be a couple of channels of the JLM baby animal, I just finished a 2 channel valve amp designed by Gyraf in Denmark:

 

[Reggie]

Since you are working on a bit of a tight budget (at least if you are looking to go the "quality" route), I would recommend building something like the Green Pre to cover your immediate preamp needs. That way you could put more dough into a killer interface and a couple killer mics. I would go Lynx or RME, and there are so many choices on mics it is rediculous. Might throw an AKG 414 or AT4050 in there; a good pair of small-diaphram condensors...


Dude, that G9 looks really wicked!!!

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

Dude, that G9 looks really wicked!!!

Thanks man.

Yeah thumbs up for the green, very clean pre and costs very little to build.

 

[Reggie]

Yeah thumbs up for the green, very clean pre and costs very little to build.

Well, speak of the devil! There is a very nice green pre right thar. ^^^

 

[chipwits]

How does that DIY Green Pre compare to Neve, Great River, etc?

 

[BigRay]

How does that DIY Green Pre compare to Neve, Great River, etc?

Sounds like you are caught up in the name game.

anyway...for conversion, I would get the Mytek Stereo 96(800.00)
for mic preamp--DAV BG-1 or BG-2(700.00 or 1400.00)
cables...this lady= sharon3545@optonline.net is fantastic ..she builds a very HQ product, and her prices are the best I have ever seen. I bought 3 30 ' pairs and 3 10 ' pairs for less than 90 bucks.
cases..the SKB cases are good and modular.
soundcard....esi juli@!!

microphone....AT4050 and 1 shinybox 46 ribbon...
www.davelectronics.com
www.shinybox.com
www.mytekdigital.com

 

[chipwits]

Thanks BigRay.

I called up Endpcnoise.com and got some advice for a case. Antec Take 4: http://www.overclockersonline.com/index.php?page=articles&num=320 .

They also recommended all Zalmann for quiet cpu cooler, case fans, and video card cooler.

Guess I'll go with the samgsung spinpoint drive. like 2 x 80gb (one for os, one for recordings). They are supposed to be virtually inaudible (like 2 or 3 db).

With all the Zalmann fans, the antec case, and these hardrives, they say I shouldnt' really hear much at all. Much better than my 50db or so Intel vacuum cleaner of a fan and whiny old isa hard drives.

Thanks, I'll look into those pieces you recommended.

James

 

[BigRay]

no problem!

Thanks BigRay.

I called up Endpcnoise.com and got some advice for a case. Antec Take 4: http://www.overclockersonline.com/index.php?page=articles&num=320 .

They also recommended all Zalmann for quiet cpu cooler, case fans, and video card cooler.

Guess I'll go with the samgsung spinpoint drive. like 2 x 80gb (one for os, one for recordings). They are supposed to be virtually inaudible (like 2 or 3 db).

With all the Zalmann fans, the antec case, and these hardrives, they say I shouldnt' really hear much at all. Much better than my 50db or so Intel vacuum cleaner of a fan and whiny old isa hard drives.

Thanks, I'll look into those pieces you recommended.

James

 

[chipwits]

for conversion, I would get the Mytek Stereo 96(800.00)
soundcard....esi juli@!!

Would this sound much better than Delta 1010?

Chipwits

 

[BigRay]

Would this sound much better than Delta 1010?

Chipwits

the mytek is in a whole new league from the delta.

 

[chris-from-ky]

I'd get an API A2D, a Royer 121, an Audiophile 2496 soundcard for the existing PC, and build your own racks.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

How does that DIY Green Pre compare to Neve, Great River, etc?

I've never used either a Neve or a great river so i couldn't tell you. The circuit is based on the pres in the Amek mozart console if that tells you anything? No tubes or trannies so very clean, no colour or character to speak of. Not in any way bland or sterile though, a very nice sounding pre. Dirt cheap to build too, i think two channels cost me around £150 including case and knobs and everything.

 

[Minion]

I also recomend the Grren Pre for a Good DIY Project....If you source the Parts Correctly and etch the PCB"s your self you can Build one for about $75 per channel.....

I am just about finnished a 2 channel Green Pre I just have to solder a couple components and mount everything in the Case I made...

There are poeple on the Prodigy Pre Forum that will sell you PCB"s and Parts Kits and there is extensive documentation on the net of how to build them and there are several versions of this Pre, each with different Features, The one I am building is the First Version which doesn"t have a LED Meter or Phaze switching or a Trim knob but it does have Phantom power and up to 66db of Totally clean Gain...From reviews I have read they are some of the Cleanest pre"s to can Get .....

If you need info on doing this Project just ask....


Cheers

 

[chipwits]

Delta 1010 good enough?

I've gotten my first mic selection down: ShinyBox 46MXL. And also have my
mic preamps picked: Seventh Circle Audio C84, J99, N72, A12.

Besides room treatment and a few more microphones, I am down to now deciding on what A/D converter to go with. I've been recommended Mytek 8x192 and Lynx Aurora 8, but these systems cost between $2000-5000.

If I have good mic's and good preamps, will the Delta 1010 suffice for professional studio recordings? It is less than $500. Or do I need to fork out
that extra few thousand?

How would top produced albums sound if the engineers were forced to use a Delta 1010? =P Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
James

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

How would top produced albums sound if the engineers were forced to use a Delta 1010? =P Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
James

Ha that's a good question. I can only speculate but I suspect 99% of people couldn't hear the difference. As you've noticed an upgrade in converters to high end costs serious money and the improvement in sound does not correlate with the extra money, they don't sound $4,500 better.

Sure if a few years down the line you decide you want to become a professional, commercial outfit then you might want to consider some high end conversion. But for now I think it'd be a bit of a waste of money, there are more critical things you could spend your money on (acosutic teatment and monitors).

And I'm glad you mentioned acoustic treatment, that's more important than mics, pres and converters etc. Good monitoring too.