Building Home Studio....Willing to spend $$$ in the right spots.

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LocalNative

LocalNative

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Here's the story...I've recently built a new house and have a small dedicated room for the studio. I realize I won't get top production value due to limitation on the room size but I'm willing to spend in the right areas to make the best with what I have. I'm not trying to sell a platinum record, just make demos and EPs for myself and local bands that are the best I can do.

What I have:
Remedial software (Audacity) on a PC. (I'd prefer to upgrade this after I secure most of the other purchases, unless you think this is a mistake, feel free to advise.)
-I have fairly decent mics including (Blue Spark condensor mic for vocals and SM57 & SM58 for various uses)
-I have a nice Presonus full tube pre-amp.
-currently using M-audio fast track interface.
-JBL LSR305 Monitors

What I need:
A high quality EQ/Mixer. I prefer external vs a software and also prefer it to be passive.
Software upgrade (which will likely involve a new PC/MAC)
Upgrade to interface and possibly pre-amp.

I am not afraid to spend money on high end stuff as I know a ton of local musicians that respect my abilities and I could likely make at least some of the money back fairly quickly. Based on the above, what are some high end passive EQ/Mixers that you would recommend. (Under $1000).
-Are there any other real choices than Pro-Tools? I don't want to involve myself in that world just yet, but I think it's inevitable!

Thanks for any input!
Brian
 
Also, any advice on sound deadening would be appreciated. It's a small-ish room with bare drywall on every surface at the moment.
 
Broadband absorption and plenty of it. Everything else on your want list pales in comparison to the importance of getting the room in order. 8-12 2'x4'x4" traps would be an ideal starting point.

There are some other upgrades I could think of, but again, nothing is more vital at this point.

Software is easy -- Reaper. I think the private license is $60.

Passive EQ's are notoriously expensive and the "high end" units are 4-8x your entire budget. Summing mixers are "cherries" while you desperately need to work on the cake.
 
What they^^^ said. Reaper. Bass traps. forget the external mixer. Upgrading from the M-Audio would be next - cponsider how many simultaneous separate tracks you want to be able to record at one time.
 
Thank you guys for the advice! It helps that you generally agreed on my initial targets. I am definitely interested in Reaper DAW and if the EQ is of decent quality that would kill off a lot of my concern for the external. I guess I was angling for the external passive EQ/Mixer due to a lot of reading I was doing on some Indie bands....but you're probably correct when stating that it is probably unrealistic within my budget.

Massive Master,
On a side note, the $1000 I put on for the budget was for the one piece. I would put my total budget prob in the $10K range (not including what I have in hand). 10K toward improvements. If the software is that reasonable, I'd consider that a done deal. I'm going to do my homework on the sound absorption. Any recommended sites to make the absorption purchases?
 
On a side note, the $1000 I put on for the budget was for the one piece. I would put my total budget prob in the $10K range (not including what I have in hand). 10K toward improvements. If the software is that reasonable, I'd consider that a done deal. I'm going to do my homework on the sound absorption. Any recommended sites to make the absorption purchases?[/QUOTE]

Build your own traps, there are a lot of videos out there, here is one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSogByPUezc

here is one source I found for the material:

Mineral wool or rockwool Acoustic insulation - Acoustimac

now here is what they cost if you buy them:

Primacoustic London Bass Trap - Black | Sweetwater.com

:D
 
I can build them for about 30 bucks a panel, about 40 for the bass traps.
 
LocalNative said:
(snip) passive EQ/Mixer (snip)

(snip) On a side note, the $1000 I put on for the budget was for the one piece. (snip)

(snip) If the software is that reasonable, I'd consider that a done deal. (snip)

(snip) I'm going to do my homework on the sound absorption. (snip)
Click to expand...

I almost have to wonder if we're talking about two different things, but passive EQ's are generally crazy bucks. I've seen very few under $5k. SPL's Passeq would be one for instance that's (slightly) under.

Summing mixers on the other hand... Love 'em -- But you'd need to blow the whole $10k on DA's and AD's to make it really worthwhile. And if you're going to blow $10k, blow it on upgraded monitoring and the room. Nothing else matters worth a squat compared to your room and your monitoring chain.

Reaper... If you can't make one of the greatest albums ever recorded with Reaper, it isn't the software's fault.

Seriously though -- Now that we know some numbers. Get some decent monitors. Spend *at least* $1k and get into something relatively decent. Focal Alpha 80's, VXT8's... Put *at least* another $k into trapping. Personally, I'd put half the budget into the monitoring and trapping. And you're going to need a decent controller, preferably with a decent DA (it'll be the most important DA in the rig). Upgrade the interface to something that can handle a few more inputs. You don't have to go nuts, but something like a MOTU 896mkIII ($1k) wouldn't hurt. And upgrade the mic selection -- A NT1a, SM7b, FatHead II can *all* be had for under $1k.

You can knock this out of the park and have plenty left for something for yourself.

Might I suggest a nice watch...? A Steinhart 'Ocean Black DLC' with a Swiss ETA 2824-2 Elabore automatic movement is only around $400 shipped to the US. You want analog goodness? There's nothing like an auto-winding watch in the classic Submariner style.

Sorry - Mine came in a couple weeks ago and I'm absolutely smitten with it.

Back to the shopping list -- Monitors - Trapping - Interface - Mics - Cables and what not - $5k. Add that watch and you're still under $6k. Get the basics in there. *Then* start worrying about outboard. And don't get me wrong here -- I'm nuts about my outboard. But it's the speakers and the room that even allow me to hear it. Without that vital connection, everything else is pretty worthless.

'Cept the watch. I actually see people selling those for hundred over retail. Not selling mine - Just sayin'...

Heh... Watch forum shot below (yeah, I can be geeky).
 

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MM,

Hilarious and informative. I've already made the play at Reaper and started planning for the room upgrades. I appreciate your help man, really. It's funny how little I know about setting up a decent studio at home when I've always had really nice gear and played in some very nice rooms around the Midwest and Southeast. I guess when your gigging you only care about the performance and sound at the moment...I should've picked up on so much more.

As for the watch...the check is in the mail so to speak. Could I interest you in a stunning new car to support my cause?

x6.webp
 
Forget passive gear. As a technician it is a contradiction in terms to me.

In any case a passive EQ (say) is no good unless sourced and sunk by top line gear with top "pro" output and input levels and Zeds. Even then you can't just hang any old length of cable on it with impunity.

Dave.
 
ecc,

Sounds like a slippery slope of cash that I may not be ready for all at once. Thanks for the input. Once I get software and room taken care of I will start the painful one expensive piece at a time upgrade. Based on what has been discussed. What would be your first purchase outside of DAW and room materials?
 
"What would be your first purchase outside of DAW and room materials? "

Well, this is "dream time" for me but I would put as much Wonga as possible into monitors.

The current SoS carries a review of the Barefoot MM45 a "budget" version of their bigger monitors (the ones with the woofers in the side) at a smell under £4000! But choice of monitors is going to be a function of room size (I shall leave it to the acousticians to decide what is a "big, medium or small" room!). The sort of levels you want to listen at (but! FFS heed Massive's Missive on CALIBRATION!) and the genres you might handle.

Of course you cannot audition any monitors until you have a least a DAC! I would not sweat this, a decent £200ish AI from Focusrite, Native Inst, Roland, Presonus...etc is going to be very close to perfection. Then, you won't hear any shortcomings in converters (even if they exist!) until you have monitors beyond reproach and a "perfect" room...Catch 22?

Dave.
 
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