Is it possible?

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Hello. I realize this question is subjective, but is it really feasible to produce a "radio worthy" or "professional grade" recording using a DAW? I know its possible with setups using Protools and other high-end equipment. Do you think its possible using the following:

-Well built PC @ ~500 Mhz w/solid name-brand hardware.
-$250-$400 software
-Mid-range soundcard like the Layla24, Delta 1010, or Gadgetlabs Wave/824
-outboard mic preamps (has to be in the $300-$500 price range, I can't afford a Neve!)
-good quality mixer w/ clean low-noise preamps (sorry I can't be more specific)
-various lower-end mics. Such as a MD421, NT1 or similar, AKG C1000, SM57's, etc.
-$500-$700 monitoring system

I could go on and list other misc. stuff like cables and headphones, but I don't want to take up too much space.
The music would be mostly acoustic (folk and celtic sounding). So...is it possible? I realize it might be hard to say since so much more goes into creating a good recording and the gear above is not very specific, but any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks
 
depends....

I hear alot of stuff on the radio now that dont sound too good...so I say, yes and no. Depends on what your shooting for.


ametth
 
It doesn't list a country of origin for you, so I'm hoping you've heard of Michael Jordan.

Is it possible for him to make the shots and moves he can on a makeshift dirt court with ragged nets and questionable backboards?

Yep.

Is he gonna be better with Scottie and the crew and a real court?

Yep.

Can you make a radio ready recording in a good quality home studio?

Yep.

Is it likely?

Depends on how good you are - not at playing the music, but at getting the most out of the equipment you do have.

Could Daniel Lanois get a radio ready recording out of that home studio?

Yep - but he probably wouldn't let it go out because he would know that he could do much better at ... insert name of mega-studio here.

foo
 
Good! I'm a little more encouraged now. BTW, foo, I'm from the USA; northeastern Alabama to be a little more specific. I like your analogy.
My problem now is just chosing the right gear and using it to its full potential. I'll not ask any more questions here since I want to avoid a thread within a thread, but any suggestions on a complete setup or gear would be welcome. I am on a budget though (like most people on this board apparently!), which is set at about $3000. Thanks for all the input!
 
Why I said yes and probably why Ed said no is because it depends on whether you know what you are doing - both Ed and I could make it - but you?? we don't know! :D
 
Do a search through the Newbie's portion of this site. There has been much discussion of how to set up a recording system.

There is much to consider - the first question is:

Is your $3,000 for everything, or do you already have some of the things you're going to need?

Like a computer, fer instance?

foo
 
Yeah, what John said....

What IS "radio worthy", or "professional grade"?

Radio worthy is anything you hear on the radio. I hear stuff all the time on the radio that doesn't sound all that hot (from an engineering aspect). So certainly, just about ANY recording is "radio worthy", it just has to be on the radio.

Professional grade? Isn't that anything where someone made money doing it? :) Hey, I am in compitition with many "professional" studios that put out demos that sound like they were recorded on a boom box.

Remember this. Excellent audio gear has the potential for better sound. Even if it is used poorly, it will still sound pretty decent.

Cheap gear can certainly give you a respectable, maybe even an excellent sound. But like John asked, are you up to the task of learning how to maximize it's use? You may or not be, but I can assure you that if you don't have a lot of experience as an engineer, you have a very long learning curve ahead of you. Do you have the patience to work through all the audio problems you are going to come across, all the while keeping a positive attitude about spending more time trying to figure out how to get the sound you want then actually performing it? That is what you face.

If you were to go look at my studio's equipment list, there is little on it that is really high quality. Yet, I do okay I suppose on making client very happy with the sound they get when they record/mix/master with me. But then again, I have been doing this for some time now, and have worked through many of the challenges that the newer engineer faces with coming up with sounds that people want to hear.

I could give you a Studer 24 track, and an SSL console, and a whole slew of Manley, GML, Crainsong, etc...processors, and Lexicon effects, and you still probably couldn't get as good or a sound out of it as I may be able to with a Fostex 4 track cassette machine with a Radio Shack mic unless you have the experience on that gear, or more to the point, being able to hear what actually sounds good on the system you are working on.

So yes, you COULD get excellent recordings with what you listed. But whether you WILL is a whole other subject...;)

Good luck.

Ed
 
Thanks for these other replies. foo, I plan on building a computer purely for digital recording. $3000 is a bit conservative, and I'll most likely exceed that mark alot before its all over with. I'm going to try to stay as simple as I can to begin with since, like you said, sonusman, there will be a LONG learning curve in this art using the gear that I can afford. I have made a fenzied effort to absorb all that I can about recording for the past year and a half, but I don't think I'll get much farther without having some hands-on experience and letting my ears aid me in my learning process.
Thanks for the assistance guys,
Eric
 
i'm getting in late on this one but i have to reply.first,let me tell you that it may say "newbie"by my name here because i haven't made a lot of posts(i guess that's how it works),but i am definately not a newbie at the recording game.i work full time out of what i call my "pro home studio" and it wasn't easy to get here.it has been a 5 year adventure this time around(i had an 8 track analog garage studio in the early to mid '80s,then got out for awhile).so,to the question"is it possible?"....absoultely.is it easy?hell no!you are absolutely right about having to get your feet wet sometime and get some hands on experience.thats how i learned,uh excuse me,am still learning more every day.i serioulsy doubt that there is a written set of "broadcast standards" for recordings.if there are,i would love to see them. so what makes a recording "radio ready"?i am going to piss some people off and say that it is mostly the music.does it have to be well recorded,mixed and mastered.that is important too,but does it move you,stir emotion,make you want to hear it again because it is a good song?is it well performed?does it sound natural or mechanical.you definately want to learn to craft your recordings as well as you can,but be careful not to let the quest for "engineering perfection" sterilize the music and turn its wonderful colors into lifeless shades of gray.don't go to the opposite extreme and record a bunch of slop and expect airplay. what i am trying to say is i think a good album is a healthy balance between excellent music and excellent recording tecniquein the end analysis,you are making the recording for the general public to listen to on real world systems.can you make it as sonically accurate as a major studio with millions in gear and higly experienced engineers?no....do we know(us here at the site) the difference?yes....do audiophiles with $20,000 in a stereo system know the difference.yes,but they are never happy with anything anyway,so who cares about them.does john smith and jane doe with the $100 boombox or decent car stereo,or the $500 dollar home stereo know the difference?probably not,if you did your best and the recording is clean and well balanced.they know if they like the lyrics,or the singer or whatever.gee this is getting long.just go ahead and dive in and get your feet wet and don't be afraid to break "the rules" in search of that sound that describes your art..........peace
 
Thanks for the encouragement, strmkr! I wholeheartedly agree with you about the music and its performance being more of a priority than the engineering itself(not that this is unimportant by any means!). I've already stated that my music is mostly folk and celtic sounding, so I intend on strumming some heart strings.
 
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