help!

[charliesanchez]

hey, im at uni doing a multimedia course and ive been set the following task but audio really isnt my strong point, anyone give me a hand?

the brief is

I want you to imagine that a friend has approached you for help. They wish to obtain facilities for recording. They have a budget of £500 and want you to help them choose a system.

Your journal entry should list the following

1) The subject of the recording, e.g. rock music, birdsong, spoken word etc.
2) The list of equipment, the price of each piece and the source. Please do not use ebay or other auction sites.
3) A 200 word justification explaining why your choice of equipment is the best use of your friends' money

im recording a singer with his acoustic guitar, obviously i dont expect to be told exactly what to get but just the key components would be great as i know nothing about mixers or recorders

thanks in advance

 

[scrubs]

If my currency converter is correct, 500 pounds is ~ $885 US.

Advice 1 (the best option, imo):
Tell your friend to buy some time in a reputable recording studio. That amount will probably get you a couple of days of tracking, plus mixing. The results will far exceed what he/she could do at home with that budget.

Advice 2 (computer):
Assuming you have a decently modern computer, you can record directly to that. You will need, at minimum:
A microphone (probably a large diaphragm condenser mic for acoustic + vocals)
A preamplifier (could be contained in a mixer, or a separate unit)
Cables
A soundcard (the computer probably has one, which you could use, but there are soundcards designed specifically for recording audio that are better quality)
Monitors (you will have to listen back to the recordings and "mix" them together)

Other things you might need would include acoustical treatment for the space you are recording in, good quality instruments, extra strings, headphones, etc.

 

[charliesanchez]

thanks ever so much, really appreciate that.

i would choose option one everytime but unfortunately they want a list of equipment. but also the computer would have to come under the budget so thats out the window.

so basically from what you're saying i need;

microphone - condenser

would a mixer/track recorder connect straight to the microphone?

 

[Zaphod B]

i have a question.

Is your nickname "Dirty?"

 

[scrubs]

Well, buying a computer does most likely take you outside your budget, unless you got a really cheap computer.

There are also devices like this that have built in microphone preamps, so all you would need is a mic and a cable. That particular unit doesn't have phantom power, though, which is needed for condenser microphones.

 

[Niimo]

i have a question.

Is your nickname "Dirty?"

lmfao!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Adam P]

How about a Tascam 414 Portastudio ($250), a pair of MXL 993 mics ($200), a M-Audio DMP3 ($160), M-Audio DX4 monitors ($150), a pair of MoreMe headphones ($25), and a pair of stands and some various cabling? It wouldn't be the greatest setup, but it certainly would work, and under the $885 mark that someone converted 500 pounds to.

 

[IronFlippy]

i have a question.

Is your nickname "Dirty?"

Do you have a relative named "Claudio"?

 

[IronFlippy]

How about a Tascam 414 Portastudio ($250), a pair of MXL 993 mics ($200), a M-Audio DMP3 ($160), M-Audio DX4 monitors ($150), a pair of MoreMe headphones ($25), and a pair of stands and some various cabling? It wouldn't be the greatest setup, but it certainly would work, and under the $885 mark that someone converted 500 pounds to.

Everyone always forgets to work mic stands into their budget, and cables for that matter. Good job.

I agree with Adam's post, except I'd switch the mics around a bit. Not entirely sure how well the 993 works with guitar, but I'd get a Studio Projects B1. There are a bunch of threads in the mic forum about acoustic guitars. Search there for the right mic.

 

[c7sus]

Spend the 500 pounds on hashish, sell it and make a tidy profit.

Then you would have enough to make a decent run at the question.

 

[charliesanchez]

(I prefer Jackass thanks! besides charliesanchez is a pseudonym!)

thanks for your replys

going with adams advice but with a condenser mic i've got;

Tascam 414 Portastudio £169.00

Behringer B1 Large Condenser Mic £63.54

M-Audio DMP3 £91.85

M-Audio DX4 Monitors £86.08

MoreMe Standard Headphones £19.91

Total £430.38 ($758)

which leaves me with £69 ($122) to spend on cabling, accessories etc...

any cables in particular i should go for? phono? jack to jack?

 

[Juggernaut]

Well you would need some XLRs for the mics, so Canare is a good brand, I use them my self and can get them for 20 dollars per 25 foot cable. Come to think of it Canare will do for what ever cabling you need. Check ebay there are often auctions for Canare cables, and sometimes if you ask a guy he will make the specific cables that you want.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Tascam 414 Portastudio £169.00

Behringer B1 Large Condenser Mic £63.54

M-Audio DMP3 £91.85

M-Audio DX4 Monitors £86.08

MoreMe Standard Headphones £19.91

Finding all that neat stuff under the tree on Christmas morning: Priceless!

Sorry, coundn't resist...thogh I'm not sure if that worn-out joke will be understood across the pond or not.

G.

 

[Adam P]

I agree with Adam's post, except I'd switch the mics around a bit. Not entirely sure how well the 993 works with guitar, but I'd get a Studio Projects B1. There are a bunch of threads in the mic forum about acoustic guitars. Search there for the right mic.

Well, obviously you don't have to use those exact mics. I was just looking for a pair of mics that fit into the budget and pulling prices off of musiciansfriend.com.

(I prefer Jackass thanks! besides charliesanchez is a pseudonym!)

thanks for your replys

going with adams advice but with a condenser mic i've got;

Tascam 414 Portastudio £169.00

Behringer B1 Large Condenser Mic £63.54

M-Audio DMP3 £91.85

M-Audio DX4 Monitors £86.08

MoreMe Standard Headphones £19.91

Total £430.38 ($758)

which leaves me with £69 ($122) to spend on cabling, accessories etc...

any cables in particular i should go for? phono? jack to jack?

Well, two mic cables. Depending on the quality of the cable, you can go with $10 store-brand cheapies, or buy some nicer Mogami or BLUE cables...depends on budget. Then I'd get a handful of short balanced TRS-TRS cables...two for connecting the outputs of the DMP3 to the recorder, and two for connecting the recorder to the monitors (unless its monitor outputs are on RCA jacks, in which case I'd use unbalanced RCA-TS cables). Then get a couple of tripod base boom stands. I have one from "Groove Pak" that seems to be fairly well made. It hasn't failed on me yet after 4 or 5 years of use.

Shit, I almost forgot! You're going to need a pop filter!