Buy ONCE, avoid crap and buying twice!

[ambi]

I want to buy some good/decent gear and get it right the first time. From my budget i've prioritized the importance of different pieces of the signal chain, and different things i need, and i've come up with this so far.

Anything you'd remove from there, or replace? This is a starting point and in the future i'll add to it. but i'll be using this for a while. I can always rent pieces here and there for whatever purpose.

I estimated Canadian prices beside the components.


RME Multiface hammerfall - $1450
yorkville ysmi - $340
rotel ra-02 amplifier (for passive yorkvilles)- $660

Marshal MXL603s pair - $299
Studio Projects B1 - $130

Maudio DMP3 - $350

Cables - $200

Sub total - $3420
total - $3920


So i'm looking at about 4g's canadian. I already have Logic Audio 5.0, a bunch of plugins (waves gold bundle), sound forge, fruity loops, an ART Studio MP, and a Shure sm58. Everything else up until now i have rented when i needed it. The RME was a recent addition to the list today. I was going to go with a Delta 44, but i've heard such awesome things about the RME i thought it was a worth while investment, and worth cutting a few things from the list for. I knew sometime in the future i'd have to upgrade the delta for a high quality 8 input card, if i was going to record projects for friends or anyone else. Typically i won't use more than 2-4 inputs at a time, usually just 2 (hence me starting with just one DMP3, and renting a mackie board for others incase), but i figured converters are so awesome it's worth it.

I was going to get one of those new Numark turntables and a vestax 05 pro mixer, but those were just toys. 1300 Canadian for toys, that would be an RME multiface right there. I also had a FNR RNC on the list which i dropped to cut costs down a little. But i will buy one of those eventually (sooner than later).

With all of that stuff, (ooh plus a midi keyboard controller), logic audio and good plugins and a fast computer, i figure i'd have a decent setup. I could rent a few mics and a mackie board and with that i think i could do a full on project, if i had the operatunity.

What do you all think? Are my priorities wrong here? Missing anything crucial? Pick the wrong mics? This is just a test list which i expect to change, i'm not set in my ways so feel free to pick apart and bash.

 

[schnoops]

the only thing I can tell you is that the rotel is excellent. I bought a rotel last month, it still needs some time to get some tougher lows and mids, but it sound really flat and accurate. A bit cold some would say, but I like it. I use it with Triangle Titus 202 bookshelf "reference" speakers, wich are really fast, flat, and have detailed highs, good bass for the size, and it's pure delight for a reasonable price.

some would rather go for the Triangle Comete 202 speakers with a bigger woofer, but they seem to be less focused to my ears and get a little boomy on dub or reggae tunes.

 

[Tnglwd_Stu]

I got a Studio Projects B3 last week and it's excellent.

 

[badassmak]

hey ya, I'm kinda eyeballin those yorkies too. For about the same price, so I am saying I think that is a good deal. I haven't even started looking at amps however, is it really neccesary to throw that much coin into an amp? (like I said, I haven't even started looking, so thus far I am completely unknowledgable on the subject, cept I have merely heard of Hafler amps)...if so maybe I am better off getting the actives.

 

[badassmak]

dude check ebay, there is some bidding around 50$ for a set of those monitors...dunno if theyll ship to canada but, in case your looking.

 

[ambi]

Ok sweet i'll take a look.

Well the rotel is a nice hi fi amp, so it's a little more money. You can get a hafler TA-1600 for about half price, but i don't know if it has a volume control on it, or if it's just an amp. I need a volume knob, and headphones. I won't be using a mixer so i need this to control the levels of the Speakers. And it's not neccisary, it's just nice. I can always add a set of hi fi speakers and drive them with it as well later on. For me it' s a good option, but probably not the best for a typical home recording setup.