Most Common Question Ever!

  • Thread starter Thread starter HyperSpace
  • Start date Start date
H

HyperSpace

New member
Ok. I'm familiar with studio stuff. But I don't talk with people about it at all, since I have no one to talk to. So I got a question for you all. It may be elementary but hey it's important to remember the small things!

Let's pretend I'm building a music studio. Let's not consider funding available, but the studio is reletive to the steps taken to increase studio quality in increments.

My studio has the following things:

1. Mics for vocals, acoustic instruments, and micing amps.
2. Individual effects for instruments, and amps
3. mic preamps where needed
4. Mixing board
5. PC sound in
6. editing software. hard disk recorder OR just a mixer/recorder combo
7. sound OUT to monitors and headphones

If that was my system, what pieces would you say are the next "wave" of additions? Not upgrades, but true additions.

And how about a second wave of additions?

My goal is to understand what are the main (perhaps 5 or less) pieces to add to this to, and then perhaps the next 3 to 5 pieces.

I know studios need to meet personal needs - but what I mean is, based on your understanding of studioes used to regular instrument recording - what do you usually find are the next additional pieces for generally "empowering" the studio further, controlling the sound more etc....
 
a comfortable chair
a compressor
some sort of reverb
an eq
more and better pres

i think those five things ought to do it to start. i would recommend good software and just use the plug in compressors and eqs and reverbs. they may not be ideal, but they're great to learn on and over time they can be replaced by good plug-ins and real hardware. for what most of us do eq's, reverbs, compressor/limters, and maybe gates are pretty much the only processors we need. avoid gimmikie stuff (i.e autotune, and amp modlers etc.) they may be useful, but there's better things to spend your money on at the begining.

i would start with a compressor (RNC or some other cheap but good), and a pre-amp (DMP3 or RNP) - then stick with the software plugs until you can afford more or until you find you really need something else.

and get a good chair... after one tracking or mixing session your butt will be aching without it.

basically there are not 'requirments' for recording except for a meduim and some way to get sound onto that medium. the rest just gets better sound onto better mediums. my recommendations above should be a good place to start getting good, but not perfect recordings.

good luck
 
Perfect, thanks. I thought that compressor and EQ were next steps, just wanted to see. Totally got you on the chair thing - I go through desk chairs like hell - I don't weigh alot but they keep breaking on me!!!!

"more and better pres"

What is pres? explain...

Also the reverb thing - is reverb really used generally on tracks? I mean obviously guitar reverb vocal reverb but as a general processor?

Only in small levels right?

Using software processor will be fine - I just like physically turning knobs etc.. but it's all good in the end.

Your answer is so helpfull - can you tell me what you think the next wave of additions would be? I know alot is prepference, but generally what do you find is used in various studios?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!


willovercome said:
a comfortable chair
a compressor
some sort of reverb
an eq
more and better pres

i think those five things ought to do it to start. i would recommend good software and just use the plug in compressors and eqs and reverbs. they may not be ideal, but they're great to learn on and over time they can be replaced by good plug-ins and real hardware. for what most of us do eq's, reverbs, compressor/limters, and maybe gates are pretty much the only processors we need. avoid gimmikie stuff (i.e autotune, and amp modlers etc.) they may be useful, but there's better things to spend your money on at the begining.

i would start with a compressor (RNC or some other cheap but good), and a pre-amp (DMP3 or RNP) - then stick with the software plugs until you can afford more or until you find you really need something else.

and get a good chair... after one tracking or mixing session your butt will be aching without it.

basically there are not 'requirments' for recording except for a meduim and some way to get sound onto that medium. the rest just gets better sound onto better mediums. my recommendations above should be a good place to start getting good, but not perfect recordings.

good luck
Click to expand...
 
A lot of instruments and great sounding rooms. Seriously, nice guitar combo and stack amps. A few different types of accoustic and electric guitars, a piano, a nice woody live room a good dead guitar and vocal box....I could go on for days.

Besides the things you listed, experience and a good sounding space are the most important upgrades.

Options are good but even knowledge can't make guitar sounds, you need guitars.
 
I didn't really mean along those lines at all. I meant specifically in the control room only. A piano is useless if I'm recording heavy metal or rap. I meant generalized equipment.

Thanks for the attempt though........


jake-owa said:
A lot of instruments and great sounding rooms. Seriously, nice guitar combo and stack amps. A few different types of accoustic and electric guitars, a piano, a nice woody live room a good dead guitar and vocal box....I could go on for days.

Besides the things you listed, experience and a good sounding space are the most important upgrades.

Options are good but even knowledge can't make guitar sounds, you need guitars.
Click to expand...
 
Well, you left out probably the most important things. Like a properly designed and treated space to record in. If you're looking for professional quality, this will be a large space with high cielings, non-parallel walls, floating floors, a proper mix of reflective, diffusive and absorptive surfaces (& don't forget the cieling), specialty HVAC system which can heat/cool & ventilate properly without raising the noise floor, massive walls & dead space for "sound-proofing", isolation booths/drum room for separation, a well designed control room, 1000s of feet of high quality audio wiring, a well thought out power distribution system with conditioning (and/or UPS) proper grounding and preferably tranformer isolated service. Once that's all in place (plus some more amenities which aren't strictly necessary from an equipment perspective, but are from the perspective of the human beings that will be working there) THEN you can start worrying about putting equipment in it.
You'll find that the room costs a lot more than all the equipment combined - unless you're a carpenter/contractor with an architect who ows him a favor and suppliers & crew that will give you massive cost breaks...

Scott
 
Yep - All this is taken into account. But this is the obvious stuff, I was more so looking for answers to the area (inside the control room) that I don't undertand.

However thank you much for posting. I have seen one studio with the seperate drum room only, and I loved it. Makes sense so that the drums can be layed down first, alone but can be played with the other instruments at the same time.

I saw metallica recording their drums alone but with the other instrument playing along - but in the same room. Of course the drum mics might only barely pick them up - but shoot spare no expense right?!?

Indeed an excellent studio build could triple or more the cost - especially with an AC system and carpentry from scratch.

Unfortunately when I first begin my studio for contract record producing I will most likely have to ghetto-rig most of your ideas because the money simply won't be there.

I'll minimize all noise with anything I can - but the studio will build as the business builds.

I'll be catering to people who can't afford the hourly rates, such as college and perhaps HS bands who want to get a very good (not professional) quality recording to show for their work - but can't pay thousand bucks or more....
DigitMus said:
Well, you left out probably the most important things. Like a properly designed and treated space to record in. If you're looking for professional quality, this will be a large space with high cielings, non-parallel walls, floating floors, a proper mix of reflective, diffusive and absorptive surfaces (& don't forget the cieling), specialty HVAC system which can heat/cool & ventilate properly without raising the noise floor, massive walls & dead space for "sound-proofing", isolation booths/drum room for separation, a well designed control room, 1000s of feet of high quality audio wiring, a well thought out power distribution system with conditioning (and/or UPS) proper grounding and preferably tranformer isolated service. Once that's all in place (plus some more amenities which aren't strictly necessary from an equipment perspective, but are from the perspective of the human beings that will be working there) THEN you can start worrying about putting equipment in it.
You'll find that the room costs a lot more than all the equipment combined - unless you're a carpenter/contractor with an architect who ows him a favor and suppliers & crew that will give you massive cost breaks...

Scott
Click to expand...
 
I didn't see monitors mentioned anywhere.... If you don't have great monitors already, buy them right away, and learn their sound.
 
pres=pre amplifiers

they boost the microphones signal and are absolutly required before sending the sound into the recording medium. different types of pre-amps are just as important as different types of microphones and different types of guitars etc.
 
A Playstation.

But seriously, a Digi 002R. These things look unbelievable for the price, Firewire connection, 4 mic pres, plus the usual crap that went into the 001 - I'm gonna get one as soon as the Windows software gets released.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top