Another Newbie Setup

  • Thread starter Thread starter magichj
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magichj

New member
I know you get these questions all the time, but the ones I've seen are for things other than what I want to do. Here is the deal, I am a singer/songwriter/guitarist who wants to record some music to give to a friend (owns a radio station) and see what happens. I know computers front and back, can spend between $500-700, and already have an idea of what I need. Basically if anyone can answer my questions or set me straight on what I'm considering please feel free.

The Plan:

1. Buy interface for Computer
Looking at Waveterminal 192M has phantom power and 4 preamped ins.

1.5 Buy new Hard Drive. Probably 7200RPM 50GB

2. Buy software
Seriously need help on this issue. Been looking at Cubase and Cakewalk. Don't really know where to go.

3. Need a good recording Mic.
I've got mics already, just need a good compresion mike for vocals and such. What should I get? How much should I look to spend?

4. Mainly a question on if I still have money, but I might need speakers. I have headphones already, and my computer has a nice system on it. Do I need more speakers just for this?


Thanks for any help anyone gives. I hope to be up and running by June 04 and have first song recorded by September. I'll keep you posted :)
 
Yo Magic Man:

Vocal mic to look at: AKG 3000 [I know it is a clear mic as I have one in my studio] Another mic to check out, one that isn't advertised a whole lot is the AKG4000. Have read it is a fine mic.
You might spend a few bucks on a good mic pre -- The Grace Design 101 is a good box but it only has one input/output but it will give you quality sound through most mics.

The Audio-Technica 3060 colors the voice -- the one I tried didn't impress me at all -- sent it back the next day.

Monitors: A low-cost pair of Yorkville passives will give you a nice sound and let you set up the tracks you record in good fashion.


As I use a SIAB, Yam 2816, I can't comment much about PC recording.


Good luck,
Green Hornet





:cool:
 
1. I dont know much about Waveterminal but this seems like it should do the trick. Most people around this forum have MAudio stuff. My Delta1010 is quite finnicky and MAudios customer service sucks but the product, when working to its full potential is quite nice. In any case, if youve looked at alternatives to Waveterminal and youve settled on Wave then thats cool.

1.5 Make sure you buy a quiet one. Do some searches on the net and board. Some drives are quieter than others.
 
2. Cubase is good for MIDI/VST. If you are doing straight up recording look into CoolEditPro which has good features, is cheap, and easy to learn. Search around the board for great comments about every package imaginable
 
3. Check out http://www.hr-faq.org for starters. I will have to say that some people have reported the C3000B to be somewhat brittle. I have recorded with it but didnt overanalyze what was going on. It seems to do a good job with hiphop, and with my singing it didnt do anything horrible. However, Id suggest you definately look at other alternatives depending on your voice.Some lower priced condensers (Audio Technica 3035 for instance @ $150-$200, some of the Marshall mics which can be found under $100) can be pretty nice if used on the right voice. Same thing goes for some dynamic mainstays such as the Shure SM57/58.
 
4. Computer speakers, hifi speakers, etc. are not well suited for recording. The reason is that they are hyped in certain frequencies to make things sound nice. Thus, when you mix, you think you need less of those frequencies (and more of others) to sound right.When you transfer the song elsewhere (outside your system) it can sound pretty beat. I have had numerous shows on radio and I didnt play along of sent in CDs because they were mixed too poorly.Can you get by with headphones, I say yes to some extent (if they are good headphones). Should you look for monitors, absolutely. Headphones really shouldnt be used for mixing.
 
Look into Yorkville YSM1Ps if you dont have an amp ($400)

Good luck, and thank you for posting in the Newbies section. Shows you are a little more intelligent than the average poster in these woods.

Sorry for all the posts. My internet connection with this board is really messed up and it wont let me post anything more than a couple lines.
 
Thanks

Thanks for all the posts. If anyone here has used a Waveterminal please let me know how you like it. I've done research on the technical specs, but haven't seen much user input. Just looking to get a good start. Thanks again for all the help.
 
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