My Studio: Ugly Chicken Studio - comments please

  • Thread starter Thread starter jonobacon
  • Start date Start date
J

jonobacon

New member
Hi all,

Just thought I would post some details of my studio that I have got going in my house.

It's a fairly simple affair - just a bedroom in our house; there is another room that I am considering using as a recording room but it doubles as a spare room.

Anyway, here is a pic of me sat in my studio:

jonostudio_high.jpg


The set up is as follows:

Studiomaster 24 / 8 / 2 desk
Athlon 750 / 320MB RAM / 24GB Disk / SB Live

This can be seen below:

studio_deskpc.jpg


As for guitars/amps I use:

Jackson Randy Rhoads RR3
2 x Jackson Kelly Pro's
Mesa/Boogie Triaxis
Mesa/Boogie Simulclass 2:90
Korg Toneworks
Crybaby
Various Boss stomp boxes
NEW - POD 2.0 (on it's way - ebay buy)

At the moment I am just building the studio up, and I am currently using Cubase 5 VST/32 and Magix Audio Studio for recording. These seem to work pretty well together, and although I have bought a Neutrik patchbay, I am yet to figure out how it works and get my gear patched together. I am also looking into Aux inputs in my desk - I havent had a need for them so far, but I am exploring everything I have at the moment.

Well - that is pretty much it - I have a few things I would like advice on if you would like to post:

- Which compresser should I get - I have none at the moment.

- What do you all use for mixdown? Should I get a second PC and mix to that?

- I really NEED to upgrade my sound card - the SB Live is a bit tired now. Is the Delta 1010 the best for the job?

More pics are available at: http://www.seraphidian.co.uk/studiopics/

Cheers,

Jono
 
Very cool sir. I run a StudioMaster myself. Definately you'll want to think about upgrading your sound card. Something with multiple ins and outs will really open up the possibilities of your mixer and software mixing.
Compressor wise, it depends. For around $200 US and FMR RNC would be really nice.:D I'm not a big Behringer fan but I picked up a Composer Pro for $100 US and it ain't to bad at all for the money. I like the DBX stuff too.
Mixing down, and I am mixing through the console, I go back into the sound card input and record 24/44.1 back to the computer.
Looks like you have a pretty cool setup my friend.
 
You might try and get your monitors in a slightly better position. It looks like the sound from your monitors is getting blocked by the board. You might do a search on this site for "acoustic treatment" or "treatment".
 
Yep gotta get those monitors up a bit. You want the tweeters on the monitors as high as your ears when you are sitting in front of them.

The speakers and you should form an equilateral triangle. So if you about 5ft say form your monitors than the monitors would have to be about 5 ft apart.

Try doing a search for monitor placement.

Have fun
Tukkis:D
 
Tukkis said:
Yep gotta get those monitors up a bit. You want the tweeters on the monitors as high as your ears when you are sitting in front of them.

The speakers and you should form an equilateral triangle. So if you about 5ft say form your monitors than the monitors would have to be about 5 ft apart.


Have fun
Tukkis:D
Click to expand...

I was going for the same reply here, if you want a fair stereo image; atleast widen the space between the speakers, they're to close to one and other. And lifting them a few inches!
This was the first thing I though when seing your photo, the rest will do fine I guess....
 
Thanks for the kind comments folks. :D

Monitors are a big issue for me at the moment, and they are by far the weakest par tof my setup. I am mainly using the little speakers on top of the bigger ones as they sound much better - I dont as of yet have any "proper" studio monitors.

Any suggestions? They would need to be pretty cheap and I am based in the UK so if you have any suggestions for a cheap place (preferably mail order if outside the Midlands) for some monitors that would be cool.

One question though - on my desk I have two XLR female sockets which are labelled for output - is this for the monitors or for a two track recorder of some description? I am currently plugging my monitors into a dedicated monitors socket on the desk.

Cheers,

Jono
 
Those are +4 balanced outputs. You can send them to your two track recorder (computer, DAT, R to R, whatever). That desk should have direct outputs on every channel as well as inserts that can be used as outputs for multitracking.
 
That desk should have direct outputs on every channel as well as inserts that can be used as outputs for multitracking.
Click to expand...

Each channel has got a line in, XLR in and a send/return jack. Each subgroup has got an output - I send everything to subgroup 8 at the moment as I have a single input sound card.

Only thing I dont understand - what do you mean by inserts that can be used as outputs for multitracking?

Cheers,

Jono
 
An insert is an in and out all in one jack the 's configured right after the mic preamp/gain pot and before the EQ/fader section of the channel strip. You can grab signal at that point to send JUST that channel to a multitrack recrder. This generally works out much better than the busses for a single mic as you go through much less mixer circuitry on the way to tape which makes for a better recording. One disadvantage (not much of one as far as I'm concerned) is no EQ controll going to tape. In my opinion though this a plus as it makes you listen to mic position and EQ your sound by moving and optimizing positioning.
 
Ahhh I see - I assume that is what the send/return jack on the channel strip is.

I am gonna get some recordings online fairly soon - I am just waiting for my POD 2.0 to arrive and then I will be putting some cash away for a delta 1010 - I assume with the delta 1010 I can output each track to a track on my desk which can then be EQ'ed and volume adjusted more easily.

I am learning fairly smoothley - MIDI is an interesting issue and I am playing with MIDI drums in cubase - I still have some volume issues (cant get the MIDI volume loud enough), and I am not sure how to convert MIDI to audio without using the +4 outputs to send the mix to a seperate PC/tape drive.

Anyway...these are the things I need to learn. Thanks for the help!!
 
Ive been using the +4 xlr's for my mains? I have another set of outputs that are -10 rca into my PC like a 2 track, 24bit/96khz sound card. Maybe its my setup, but the +4 xlr outs are master fader l/r out only.
Never ceases to amaze me how people approach what wire goes where and still get the job done.

I think its all going to work out fine. Everyone here goes through the same evolution in their studios. Im constantly learning new things moving stuff and rewiring. Save for the monitors first. Then worry about the Delta1010 after that.

What kind of music are you into?

SoMm
 
Ahhh yeah I see what you mean about the wiring. I have to admit that I was massively confused at first - I bought this desk of Ebay and had no idea how to use it.

Monitors are definitly the order of the day and the target of my next pay packet - one question though - it seems that I have a single 1/4" jack for the monitors (I am currently using some knackered old PC speakers that go into it at the moment) - is this the norm for monitors or should there be some other jacks or XLR's on the desk for better connection?

As for music - my main forte is metal. I play guitar, bass and drums and do vocals and I am running my own solo project as well as my main band Seraphidian (www.seraphidian.co.uk). I am really into thrash/death/black metal but I am also well into blues/rock and dirty old rock and roll such as AC/DC.

I am gonna be sticking some songs online fairly soon, but I am waiting on the POD to get a better distortion sound.

Jono
 
The monitor out jack takes a TRS 1/4" or phone plug (Sorry, not sure about your terminology in the UK) that feeds the Left & Right mix signals from your board into your amp and then on to the speakers. The wiring for the TRS is Tip = Left, Ring = Right and Sleeve = Common. You'll need a Y cable to go into the L/R imputs on your amp. It should be a single TRS phone plug from the console to two XLR, TS phone plugs or RCA plugs, depending on what kind of imput your amp has.
 
Hi Mike,

Thanks for the info. This sounds about right - I have a single 1/4" jack that goes to a Y lead to my speakers. I am happy that I at least wired it up right. :D

Fingers crossed it shouldnt be too long until I get some decent non-colouring monitors. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top