ez_willis
.
I thought this might be helpful for people just starting out. It's about asking the right questions to get the answers you 're looking for.
What Should I Buy?
By Mike Metlay
Sponsored by PRESTA Digitation, LLC
We often get letters from our readers, young and old, that amount to the same question: “What should I buy?” In RECORDING, we do our best to educate you so you can make informed decisions on your own, and one strategy we’ve found that works well is to ask pertinent questions about what gear you’ll really need.
Jot down answers to the following questions; you don’t need a lot of detail, just a few words or a sentence each. Your set of answers should help demystify the process of selecting the setup that’s best for you.
1. Whom am I recording?
Myself? My band? Other musicians and bands? Corporate clients? Advertisers? Houses of worship? Knowing how many signals at a time must be recorded is the first major step toward designing your rig; each signal will need processing, a mix input, and most likely a mic of some kind. Buy as much as you’ll reasonably need, and no more.
2. What am I recording?
Vocals? Guitar? Bass? Drums? Keyboards? Brass section? Vocal group? Choir? Orchestra? More than one of the above, all at once or one at a time? You’ll need a basic idea of how to mic these different sources to get good results. Knowing that will influence what mics you’ll need, how many of them, and what processing they may need.
3. How do I like to assemble my music?
Do you like to piece things together track by track, or do you or your band prefer the spontaneous live-to-stereo approach? The former will be aided by more extensive tools for overdubbing, bouncing, and editing tracks; the latter may well require nothing more than a lot of simultaneous inputs, and you may be able to save money if you don’t plan on doing a lot of individual instrument editing.
4. Where do I plan on working?
Will you have a permanent studio set up in your home? A studio that needs to be stored when not used, to free up living space? A rig that travels easily to the homes of fellow band members or to a common rehearsal space? Or do you plan to record live shows? Portability and reliability will play a larger part for some situations than others.
5. What is my studio’s final product?
Raw tracks for use in another band member’s DAW? A demo tape to duplicate and send to A&R reps? A practice/rehearsal recording to help my band practice new material? A CD to sell at gigs? Making a “finished” product means specialized equipment and skills—from a simple CD recorder/burner to a full CD-R duplicator/printer.
6. How much can I spend, now and later?
This should be the last question you ask. Understand your needs before you start pricing things; it will help you prioritize what you must have before you can get started vs. what can wait until later.
http://www.recordingmag.com/tips.html
What Should I Buy?
By Mike Metlay
Sponsored by PRESTA Digitation, LLC
We often get letters from our readers, young and old, that amount to the same question: “What should I buy?” In RECORDING, we do our best to educate you so you can make informed decisions on your own, and one strategy we’ve found that works well is to ask pertinent questions about what gear you’ll really need.
Jot down answers to the following questions; you don’t need a lot of detail, just a few words or a sentence each. Your set of answers should help demystify the process of selecting the setup that’s best for you.
1. Whom am I recording?
Myself? My band? Other musicians and bands? Corporate clients? Advertisers? Houses of worship? Knowing how many signals at a time must be recorded is the first major step toward designing your rig; each signal will need processing, a mix input, and most likely a mic of some kind. Buy as much as you’ll reasonably need, and no more.
2. What am I recording?
Vocals? Guitar? Bass? Drums? Keyboards? Brass section? Vocal group? Choir? Orchestra? More than one of the above, all at once or one at a time? You’ll need a basic idea of how to mic these different sources to get good results. Knowing that will influence what mics you’ll need, how many of them, and what processing they may need.
3. How do I like to assemble my music?
Do you like to piece things together track by track, or do you or your band prefer the spontaneous live-to-stereo approach? The former will be aided by more extensive tools for overdubbing, bouncing, and editing tracks; the latter may well require nothing more than a lot of simultaneous inputs, and you may be able to save money if you don’t plan on doing a lot of individual instrument editing.
4. Where do I plan on working?
Will you have a permanent studio set up in your home? A studio that needs to be stored when not used, to free up living space? A rig that travels easily to the homes of fellow band members or to a common rehearsal space? Or do you plan to record live shows? Portability and reliability will play a larger part for some situations than others.
5. What is my studio’s final product?
Raw tracks for use in another band member’s DAW? A demo tape to duplicate and send to A&R reps? A practice/rehearsal recording to help my band practice new material? A CD to sell at gigs? Making a “finished” product means specialized equipment and skills—from a simple CD recorder/burner to a full CD-R duplicator/printer.
6. How much can I spend, now and later?
This should be the last question you ask. Understand your needs before you start pricing things; it will help you prioritize what you must have before you can get started vs. what can wait until later.
http://www.recordingmag.com/tips.html