I have 700 bucks to blow

[Cowbell Bill]

Here's My gear. Tell Me what I can use.
Logic 8, new mac pro, 2 screens, Mackie controller. In the rack unitor 8 channel interface, line 6 pod xt pro, lexicon mx 400, avalon 737, motu 896 8 channel, mackie 1200 amp. 4 headphone unit, keyboard 88 key N1 synth, Boss drum machine big deal! Alesis studio monitors. For the drums. Pearl 5 piece studio masters. Mics. sm57, bete 52, 2 shure 88'2 for overhead, 3 sennheiser md 421's for toms. octavia for hi hat. into Allen and heath 16.2 board with presonus 8 channel comp. Vocals neumann tld 102. 6 guitars 1 bass. Taylor, Fenders, Gibsons. Paul reed Smith. I write rock. Yes, Who, Genesis. I received some gift cards to G.Center. Just looking for some input. Thanks

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

It looks like you got things pretty well covered except maybe for some more variety for high end vocal and detail mics other than the 102, but it's hard to find much in the way of new stuff in that regard for $700 (I don't think GC sells used/consignment mics.)

You haven't mentioned anything about the room(s) you do your thang in. Acoustical treatment and/or CR setup would be my questions at this point. Diffusers, bass traps, monitor placement, mix desk ergonomics, lava lamp, if/as needed.

If you're Ok with all that already, then I'd see if any of the GCs in your area have any decent consignment analog multitrack tape decks laying around, for "that tracked sound" that digital and plugs in post just can't duplicate. For $700 you should be able to get a deck, a couple of tapes, cables and possibly even a nice cleaning/calibration job from a decent analog technician.

G.

 

[Gidge]

Here's My gear. Tell Me what I can use.
Logic 8, new mac pro, 2 screens, Mackie controller. In the rack unitor 8 channel interface, line 6 pod xt pro, lexicon mx 400, avalon 737, motu 896 8 channel, mackie 1200 amp. 4 headphone unit, keyboard 88 key N1 synth, Boss drum machine big deal! Alesis studio monitors. For the drums. Pearl 5 piece studio masters. Mics. sm57, bete 52, 2 shure 88'2 for overhead, 3 sennheiser md 421's for toms. octavia for hi hat. into Allen and heath 16.2 board with presonus 8 channel comp. Vocals neumann tld 102. 6 guitars 1 bass. Taylor, Fenders, Gibsons. Paul reed Smith. I write rock. Yes, Who, Genesis. I received some gift cards to G.Center. Just looking for some input. Thanks

Yeah, Im not seeing where there are any holes...

unless there is something you keep saying "I could do better if I had.." about, I would just keep the certificate for little things that come up like headphones, cables, strings, etc..

 

[miroslav]

It's amazing how many "little things" we need in a studio environment.

I've often spent a few hundred clams on odds-n-ends...cables, picks, splitters, music stands, tape, interconnect adapters, etc...etc...etc.

If you're not hurting for any one major piece of grear...take a look around, you probably could use some of that smaller stuff.

 

[Cowbell Bill]

Hey guys thanks,
The room is a few months away. Maybe 20 times $700 I'm thinking. I'm an analog guy myself, unfortunately seems people I work with will ware out a tape before it's right. With all the new software out there I'm beginning to thing the Korg N1 is becoming an just expensive controller ( kinda like My wife ) anyway Strings, Piano, Horns package that won't have any conflicts with logic 8. Thanks

 

[dintymoore]

The Neumann KM84's, or modern versions, are nice and maybe sell some your ok mics and get a pair.

 

[Cowbell Bill]

Yea I've got maybe 4 or 5 duffel bags packed with cables. Tuner cleaner. ton of crap. BTW I'm pretty happy with the 102 mic thru the avalon 737.

 

[Cowbell Bill]

The Neumann KM84's, or modern versions, are nice and maybe sell some your ok mics and get a pair.

Hey Dinty Which ones Ya think

 

[dintymoore]

Hey Dinty Which ones Ya think

The only versions I've used are the KM84's, but I know they came out 35 years ago and there's newer versions. Neumann is one of the rare companies that some of there new stuff is actually better than what it replaced (what a concept).

The Neumanns bring a quality you can't get with the other mics. I'd beeline for a pair and shitcan the Shures in a heartbeat. I have a pair of SM81's I have never used because I got the Neumanns a few weeks later.

In the early 90's I bought six KM84's for $1500 from a church in Phoenix, kept 2 and sold the rest to friends for $262 each. The church was pulling them out and replacing them with new ones and how much do you want to bet they bought Bete 58's.

Alan Parsons told a friend of mine the KM84 was his favorite mic. It's an incredibly useful mic - it sounds like your ear more than any other mic I know. They're fantastic drum overheads, great for backup vocals (makes them thin so they don't compete with the lead vocals), great for acoustic gtr, snare, flute, unbelievable for shakers... wonderful mics. The only thing they don't have is bass, which is good in a way because it's like a pre-eq.

The sound a violin makes, the rosin on the bow scraping the string sound, that's what KM84's sound like to me. It's kinda fuzzy in a very cool way. The SM81's sound smooth in comparison.

About 10 years ago in either Money or Forbes magazine they actually listed Neumann mics as a good financial investment. My Neumanns and my Isty K's are probably the only things I have that have gone up in price.

I paid $300 in 1989 for a 3 MB memory upgrade for my Atari... it was 1 MB internal memory to start with!

 

[Cowbell Bill]

KM 184 wow like $ 850 ea.

 

[Cowbell Bill]

what do you guys think of this one
http://www.eastwestsamples.com/details.php?cd_index=1071