Minimalist studios?

gmiller1122

gmiller1122

Addled but happy
Just curious --

Is there anyone here who is NOT a gearhead -- that is, you choose to keep things relatively simple in terms of gear -- not out of necessity or lack of funds, but more because you A) Don't like clutter, B) Feel it just gets in the way, C) Have decided that 'less is more', or D) Other....

I'm just beginning to plan a home studio and am reading as much as I can and looking at as many pics as I can, just soaking it all in....Thanks for the feedback.

G
 
I hate to say it, but...

that is probably where most of us ... started...

and then you want to get better, do more things, acheive more professional sound, etc, etc, etc...

but it IS the starting point, and a Good one at that!!!

mine was a simple tascam 414, a very simple, but excellant learning tool...

ever know a guitarist who didn't want another guitar, or a different amp ?

What could I do with ?????

careful, it's a trap - but it's fun - keep it that way, at whatever level is fun for you.

b-h
 
GM,

> Is there anyone here who is NOT a gearhead <

Yeah, me. I used to have a ton of gear, and I sold it all about four years ago. Now I do everything inside the computer using Sonar Producer with plug-ins, and I couldn't be happier. The only gear I have is a little Mackie mixer for mike preamps and basic monitoring, and of course power amps and loudspeakers.

--Ethan
 
I used to have a ton of gear, and I sold it all about four years ago. Now I do everything inside the computer using Sonar Producer with plug-ins, and I couldn't be happier. The only gear I have is a little Mackie mixer for mike preamps and basic monitoring, and of course power amps and loudspeakers.
Click to expand...

Ethan,
My kinda guy! Though I'm still figuring gear out, I'm slowly understanding the difference between what looks cool and what is actually worth the time and money and space!


then you want to get better, do more things, acheive more professional sound, etc, etc, etc...
Click to expand...

b-h,
Thanks for the input. Yeah, I started out thinking I'd need only 2 guitars -- an acoustic and an electric. I now have 6, plus a mandolin. I try to "trade up" at this point -- I make deals w/myself to sell one before I buy another. So far, it's working.

I've also gone from a 414 to nTrack to now a VF80 (using nTrack to mixdown).

I'm more content with my current set-up than ever before. I know I'll add more stuff in time, but I'm trying to keep it simple -- I hate clutter, and when there are an infinite number of combinations to consider, my head starts to spin and I absolutely hate the whole mess.

Finally, when I think I need something new, I sincerely ask myself if it's just a distraction from actually writing and recording. Usually, the answer is yes!

Thanks again for the thoughts, guys. Anyone else?

G
 
I am a minimalist. I kinda get warm fuzzies when doing things on the cheap. I use a $60 Digitech RP50 "modeler" instead of an amp. I've got a $100 mic. I use $90 software. I run Win98se, for cryin' out loud. I use the reverb and other fx that are in my software. But I did decide I needed good monitors.

I won't buy anything else until I know I can't work around to where I'm going some other way.
 
Yes gmiller I feel exactly the same way...sometimes it seems it would be so much easier if there was only one kind of recorder to buy, one kind of mic to buy, etc...(I just became interested in Direct Input boxes and looked on musciansfriend.com and they have about 25 different kinds to choose from). Besides the frustration of having to choose from so many posibilities, I have also suffered from gear lust, or what I sometimes call the "fever"...Although having limited funds over the years I have managed to buy hundreds of dollars of gear that I hardly use or don't know how to use...I can see the possibility of ones falling into the trap of gauging their musical progress on the amount/type of equipement they have and not on what they are actually producing. I have been most productive using a Roland XP-50 workstation keyboard for sequencing and a Yamaha MT50 4-track cassette recorder to mix in (with the sequences from my keyboard) my friends' guitar playing and for vocals. I have recently gotten some digital gear with mixed results. The "band for the buck" is getting ever better, but when you buy something new you have to take into account having to learn the new equipement (the "learning curve")...I guess you have to jump into recording somewhere (preferrably a place with which you are comfortable) and let real need dictate what you add into the mix (instead of just letting illogical urges guide you)...one small consolation (if you do buy something that just gathers dust) is that usually you can turn around and sell musical gear and get half or more of your investment back (especially if you don't wait too long and it becomes obsolete). This is what I tell my wife (I tell her it is a much better investment than cloths or shoes, which generally have no resale value)...
 
addicted gearhead but happy

This is really a sick confession, but I walk around my local electronics store, intentionally through the WI-FI section, and leave feeling a little buzz. Geesh, what's wrong with me?
 
I have a minimalist studio by necessity. Five of us (soon to be six) live in an 1800 ft2 house, so I could only spare 100 ft2 for the studio. Thus, all of the gear (including computer) is in a nice glass front stereo cabinet that I built an 18u rack inside with mic & headphone jacks on side panels. Monitors are wall-mounted, as are guitars. My mixing desk is about 18 x 26, just large enough for an LCD monitor, wireless keyboard & mouse. I can move the desk anywhere in the room for tracking, and back to the ideal spot for mixing.

The latest upgrades are quite nearly done, I'll post some pictures in a month or so.
 
mshilarious --

I hear you. Space is tight. I'm in the corner of our office. So, essentially, my work area is 6x6. However, if I only had more time, space, and money....hmmm....???? Then I could REALLY distract myself from actually playing music!


mawtangent --

Good points! I really don't like electronic gear. All those wires! And, yes, the learning curve is problematic. I thought this would all be so easy... But, that curve is getting less annoying as I pick up ideas/concepts along the way. I guess I'm just really conscious about NOT getting into the gear more than the music. Keep it simple, stupid, right? But damned if they aren't intertwined! Dammit.

Thanks for the input, folks.

G
 
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