Mic - Preamp Combos?

B

btref

New member
I am setting up a Hip-Hop studio in a medium sized bedroom and I have a budget between 3-4 thousand dollars

For a microphone I am debating between the Rode K2 and the Nuemann TLM 103, any experience with these?
Also, should i consider replacing the stock tube with a better one?
I heard great things about the FMR RNC-1773 compressor, it is also very cheap - is there a better alternative?


I would really appreciate if you veterans could give me some advice.
Thanks for your time
 
SM7B is a great choice for most any vocals...that's the first one I'd grab for rap vocals...I don't do rap, nor have I recorded a traditional rapper, but the SM7B is inexpensive and really nice for that kind of stuff. Condensers are more expensive, but dynamics can sometimes be just as good or better, and in the case of loud screamers or rapping, I think the dynamic wins 90% of the time for me.

I have an RNC and don't use it too much. It's a nice compressor, but it's clean and transparent and most DAW compressors will do as good a job in the box.

What else do you already have? are you gonna be recording full bands, or just vocals and samples? how much experience do you have? you have an interface and monitors?

I wouldn't go spending a ton until you have some good solid experience and know what you're doing and know what you want. Keep it simple for a while.
 
Ive been recording using garageband on my macbook pro with a 200 dollar USB microphone for about a year now, and i decided its time to move on to bigger and better things. I purchased logic pro and I plan on taking some introduction courses on how to use it this summer.
I also have a pair of M-Audio monitors.
I have an MPD 32
I intend on recording mostly vocals and few samples.
I also plan on soundproofing the room with bass traps and other tools.

As for my experience, Ive been rapping for about 5 years now, and recording for 1 year (in my tiny closet). I am very comfortable with my current set-up, but i feel like theres is not much more i can do with my current equipment and setup. I am moving into a new place this summer, which will allow me to record in a medium sized bedroom.

I will be the first to admit that I have absolutely no recording or mixing experience with any sophisticated DAWs or equipment, but I am determined to learn through my own experience.

With this information is there any other advice you can give me?
I really appreciate the feedback, you clearly have a lot of experience.
 
Ok, learning Logic will get a lot of what you want (compression, EQ, effects). Logic has some really nice stock plugins that will do as well or better than an RNC. So that should help a ton. That will be one of your two biggest improvements.

A better mic would probably be nice. I still like the SM7B for $350. MXL V67G is an inexpensive condenser $100. Get both and you'll have a really nice vocal mic collection. this will be the other of your two biggest improvements.

A good interface would be nice too ($250-500). How many inputs do you want/need?

I'd also get a nice preamp too. I'm not sure what would be best for hiphop and rap though. I like Neve style pres (GAP pre-73 $300), but I'm not sure how they'll do for rap. Others can probably help more.

Bass traps will probably help...I've never done any acoustic treatment in any of my recording spaces so I can't comment much, but you can get great sounds in poor rooms. Sound proofing is pretty much impossible or mega expensive. So go the studio building section and ask about acoustic treatment.

So, for under $1000 you can get a great set of mics, a great pre, a great interface...and you'll need monitors ($250-500). So there are some suggestions and some more ideas that you'll need to consider and ask some detailed questions about. Just check out the forums for a month and you'll see a few interface and monitor threads that should help a lot. I wouldn't get much more than that until you have a clear idea what you want and why.
 
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