Hey, What should i get with my budget

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andycerrone

andycerrone

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Hey, I'm new. Well not new to recording, but buying and having to find what I like, etc. So I've got like, a $250 budget to just start off a studio. I'm planning on getting an sm-57, but since i obviously can't afford monitors (or at least good ones) I want to get a nice pair of headphones to mix with. Right how i've been using a cheap Nady mic through my laptop and recording direct on Adobe. And after, I'm not sure what else I would be smart in buying. Maybe a pop filter and another 57 or would I be better off getting a different kind of mic? I play mostly rock and jazz, and want to record a whole bunch of my own stuff, and eventually build my way up. Any suggestions?
 
What instruments do you record? do you do vox?

First advice is to get a better soundcard.

I'm also new and with a 250$ budget its not really enough to get that. My starting budget is 1000 American, and will upgrade asap. My total final cost is estimated to be 2.5k american.
 
What are you trying to do? Generally you'll be paying for your results. At 250, your results won't be great. At 1000 your results might not be great! at 3 or 4 grand you'll get much better results. That being said, you can do whatever you want to do, as long as you realize that you aren't going to get pro studio results...

There are many elements to a home studio. You've got your source, the mic/DI, cords - XLR, instrument, trs - preamps, interface (soundcard), software, effects, plugins, monitors, room acoustics, and that's just the surface stuff! There's mixing experience and mastering costs, and then you'll want to upgrade it all after your first demo!

Good luck, and feel free to ask away if you've got questions! Glad you've joined us here.

Jacob
 
andycerrone said:
but since i obviously can't afford monitors (or at least good ones) I want to get a nice pair of headphones to mix with.
Click to expand...

Monitors?? I'm doing my mixing with a boom box and the detachable speakers that come with it. I have a good pair of headphones, but I don't use them for mixing. I use the boom box. You can wait on monitors.

Just starting out, the things that can make a big difference, for not much money...

Computer interface/sound card How you gonna hook that SM57 to your laptop? An interface makes that easy. Your laptop probably has only one input, and one output. Even the cheapest interfaces will give you double that and most will have a half decent preamp, which your laptop probably does not have, at all.

Real recording software Many interfaces come with software. Buy the interface and take care of this concern, too. I don't know what the "Adobe" product is you are using, but it probably doesn't allow you to use compression, or eq, or......... Get real software.

An SM57 is usable in some applications... vocals, instrument amp cabinets, anything that you can get the microphone close to without the proximity effect driving you nuts. But, when thinking of the not too distant future, put one decent quality condenser mic on your list.

So far, I've spent less than $500. I'm making recordings... I'm making CDs. Like the guy said, it doesn't sound like pro stuff, but it's not too shabby.
 
hey, sorry, i play guitar, drums, bass, and sing. i've got a nice marshall jcm900 stack with an sg standard, a nice old 1960 ludwig club date kit, and one of those old 1980's peavey fridge cabs and head with a lotus bass. I want to do basic reocrdings for rock pretty much, and i'm planning on eventually... way in the future, making it very professional if possible. and Adobe is "Cool edit pro". So that's my situation, whatever you guys think would be the best next step would be awesome. Thanks so far!
 
If you're recording drums, you're going to have to spend alot. Firstly, laptops might not be strong enough to do a full band. Those 3 thousand dollar 32 bus mixers should be a little expensive right now, perhaps you should consider getting a firepod or RME Fireface if you could afford it.

Basically, with drum recording, get nothing less that 4 inputs, XLR mic jacks.
You also need more than 1 sm57 for drums.

Here's how its layedout

Guitar --> Amp --> Mic'd [SM57 for guitar cabs] --> XLR Cable --> Mic Preamp -->
Audio Interface/Soundcard --> Computer --> Output to monitors.

You could get an interface with preamps already, or you could get seperate ones.

With drums, you'd need to have at least 3-4 mics, one kick, one snare, one overhead, and the other on toms. Each mic (cymbals, snare, kick) will be recorded onto diff channels.

So, in a nutshell, if you're recording drums, you'd need

Sm57 X3 [w/o drums, you could go with one]
Condensor mic (for acoustic guitars and vocals)
A soundcard or audio interface [with at least 4 inputs]
Mic preamps (if they SCs or AIs don't come with it)
A powerful computer
Sequencer (like cool edit as you've mentioned) [make sure this can record at least 4 tracks simulataneously if you want to record drums]

You'd mic the guitar cabs, mic the drums, vox and Direct-In the bass. There, you've got a basic rock band layout.

THat's all i go for you, i'm still learning too, and if i gave any wrong advice, the seniors here will be glad to correct.

Hope you Get what you need and want.
 
Thanks a lot, that was really helpful. I think my next purchase will be a condensor mic, for the time being. Which means I've got around $150 for a condensor mic. I can spend a bit more if there's a mic that's THAT much better for the price, but I don't want to spend $400 + really. Any suggestions?
 
Also, I'm getting a Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro, so I don't know if that will make a difference on what con mic you'd suggest. Thanks!
 
The Studio Projects B1 is around 100+, and the C1 is around 200 i think.

You also could try the Rode Nt1, those 3 are great condensors.

Edit : I just saw the mackie post. Does it have phantom power? (assuming its a mixer or AI).
 
Yeah, it has phantom power. Also, I'm now starting to think that whatever I get for a condensor will be primarily for acoustic stuff, for the time being. So what would you suggest for that?
 
The Rode NT1 or SP B1 would be good for acoustics, as far as i know.
 
Well what I'm still wondering is, is there a certain "mix" of equipment that sounds particularly well? Like an Sg and Marshall. You get the idea. I hope.

Thanks!
 
There should be, but i'm not experienced enough to tell you.

Of course, marshall + gibson is a killer combo, but its up to individual artists to decide their own sound. I've seen fenders with marshall and they still get a great tone.
 
There are all kinds of gear combinations that sound a particular way - and when we like that sound, we tend to think of that as the "hot setup." What's really happening is our ears are learning and we begin to discern stuff we had missed before. It's all good and all part of the process. At an entry level budget, issues like which combination of gear is "better" don't matter much.

What matters more is getting a decent basic setup that you can work with and learn from. I have a pair of SP B1s and echo what you've seen in this thread; they are versatile and I like them quite a lot. I like the idea of a small Mackie mixer as well - you will learn a lot from using it and it will always be useful.

Sitck with the basics, experiment, read, listen, and all that jazz. It's a hell of a ride! :cool:
 
So how does the B-1 relate to the C-1. Like, is the $100 worth it? Or is it just like, a completely different kind of mic in what you'd use it for.
 
And also, since i haven't gotten the ACTUAL mackie yet, I don't know what I'll need for cables, i've never really messed around with it. The only time i've ever gotten to really use "real" equipment (other than the typical like fostex 8track digital recorder) it was all set up and all professional so i couldn't even see any wires. I'm sure I could figure it out, but i'd rather get prepped for it cause i knwo i'll be anxious to use it. I'm planning on hooking it up to my laptop, but sometime I want to get a Mac because in my opinion i've always heard better results from mac users. So if I do switch, is it a different wiring connection? Well probably the ports, but otherwise? Thanks!
 
I'm also a entry level n00b, and i got a PC recently for DAWs. Personally, i don't really feel comfortable with macs, but its your choice though.

There are pros and cons for macs, eg you can't use EMU, but can use MOTU.

Do a search of the equipment you'll need, then compare it with PC or mac.
 
Is the C-1 worth the $100 over the B-1? I'm actually bidding on a C-1 on ebay right now, it's around $90. So, before it goes up to, ya know, like.. over $150 i'd like to know if it's worth the extra cash. Opinions?
 
The Studio Projects C1 was one of the first decent mics available for $200 and is still well liked at that price range. Many other good brands have since developed in the same market segment, so you have more choices available to you. Some of that - a lot of it- will come down to personal preferences.

I believe that $200 continues to be a fair price for the C1. I'd recommend you start with a SP B1 only because it is relatively tough, versatile and costs less. But either one packs a wallop for the buck.

I would be very, very careful about buying condenser mics on ebay, particularly used mics. These things are fragile and if someone dropped it before you get it, you have a dead or dying mic and no experience to know what the problem is. This is NOT like getting some band's SM57.

As you're getting your feet wet, I'll suggest you leave ebay alone entirely for this one and get a mic at a store you can drive to, and a warranty card you fill out right at the counter. This is entry level stuff - don't pinch pennies and buy someone else's headache.
 
Thanks so much, I think I'm going to get a B1, and see how it works out for the time being.

Edit:
So, if I get the B1, should I be concerned in getting a better soundcard? What I'll have is the Mackie mixer, possibly the B1, an SM57, and my laptop with the soundcard that came with it (nothing good). And if so, what should I get on a limited budget? And how much of an effect would a better soundcard have? Lastly, would I have to install it or would it be external, and would I be able to do it myself without a lot of knowledge of the inside of a computer (especially a laptop)? Sorry for all the questions, but I know like nothing.
 
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