My system help!

[slash81291]

ok im a noob i admit it.

im looking at analog/digital systems and im looking at the behringer MX9000

what else do i need? how should i wire it?

my goals are to have it like

for recording..
all instrument mics/vocal mics/direct input instruments i.e. keyboards > (do i need a PA before the mixer?) > Mixer(then to monitors for musicians)> computer. for recording..

then for practicing

then to just jam go all mics etc > (PA if needed?)>mixer > monitors / PA speakers



is there anything else i need? what od i need to connect the mixer to the computer? what sound cards/progams etc..


thanks a ton!!


Mike

 

[Kryptik]

You'd be much better off with an A&H MixWiz 16:2 over the Behringer. You lose eight channels and all your groups, but the sound quality is much better. Then all you need is maybe a firepod, or a delta 10/10, or some interface for you're computer.

I don't entirely understand what you're trying to do, or what your budget is. Is this just for recording, live, or both?

 

[slash81291]

oh sorry! I heard alot of bad things about the Berhinger. just wanted to also see what you guys thought of it.

well i need mroe than 16 channels. like 20 preferablly. it will be for recording only. but also used with a PA for our band practices.

my budget on the whole studio but not construction is about $8000

it will have one vox/iso booth that will have 1 vocal mic/ 1 instrument mic for overdubbing or whatever it may be. the room with have 3 mics for rythem guitar amp/lead guitar amp/bass amp. then 5 mics for drums. then 4 vocal mics, (lead guitar side/rythem side/lead vox/drummer) then 1 used for keyboard. then an extra sm 57 for any random instrument or just on hand incase it is needed.. that equals 16 channels.

so i guess 16 channels is enough. so in that case what is a good 16 channel mixer for about 1500 MAX.. that would leave about 6500 for the rest of the equip.

 

[slash81291]

OOPS FORGOT TO ADD!:

also somewhere in the system i would need to have monitors. 3 for the live room. then about 5 head sets. now the monitors would be plugged into the PA right? now would it go

Instrument>Mic>P.A.>Mixer> anything to connect mixer/computer?> computer

and coming fomr the P.a. are the monitors and 2 other speakers at the ends of the room (these only used for practices not recording.) headsets for recording if they are needed.

so would these require more channels on the mixer or just the P.A

 

[slash81291]

also: i want this system to be able to record the whole band at once, or also doing seperate tracks at different times over the existing tracks, or overdubbing. or that kind of thing. in case i think of something to record, i can just track my idea seperatly instead of at once incase the guys cant ome over ..

do i need Midi technology for this?

any help with my system?

 

[Kryptik]

If you didn't have to track the entire band at once I'd suggest differently, but I have everything below and they work pretty well for a home setup.
Allen and Heath GL2400-424
Motu 24io
Behringer 8CH Headphone Amp
Cubase SX3
Mackie Control
Wharfedale 8.2a Active Monitors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This totals around $6000, but if you do your shopping right, you could probably get everthing for around $5000-$5500.

Put the rest into a couple of good mics.

If you didn't have to track the entire band at once you'd could get much better quality. But here you get a mixer for your PA and you can take a direct out from each channel on the mixer into the motu so you don't have to mix as you go.

Expect to spend a good $250 on cables though.

If you are not going to use the setup for any live shows, I might suggest getting a pair of Allen and Heath MixWizard 16:2s instead of one 24 channel mixer.

The quality you're going to get with this setup isn't going to be great. It'll be decent, but I wouldn't expect a million dollar CD out of it.

If you're a noob, I might suggest starting a little smaller so you're not out so much if things don't work out.

Also, something you can do is record rhythms live and overdub the lead parts. You'd need fewer channels and with that budget, you could get fewer, better quality, components than what you'd get with a lot of relatively cheap components.

 

[Kryptik]

so i guess 16 channels is enough. so in that case what is a good 16 channel mixer for about 1500 MAX.. that would leave about 6500 for the rest of the equip.

The Allen and Heath MixWizard 16:2 is about a grand.

 

[Kryptik]

Oh, to use the Mackie Control, you do need a midi interface.

I use this.

 

[Kryptik]

Hooking it up
------------
Recording Chain
-Plug the mic into the mixer.
-Connect the direct out from the mixer to the Motu 24io
-Connect the motu 24io to the computer. (The motu comes with a PCI card that you install in your computer.)

PA Chain
-Connect the monitors to their amps
-Connect sends 1-3 outputs from the mixer to the monitor's amps
-Connect the Main PA speakers to their amps
-Connect the main L channel from the mixer to the amp running the Left speaker
-Connect the main R channel from the mixer to the amp running the right speaker

I think that covers it? And only took me four posts!

But I would suggest thinking about what exactly you want out of the setup. Are you just looking to record practices, get a good production, demos, something to sell?

 

[slash81291]

well i know not to expect amazing quality, but i do want to make something out of it. Like sell it locally, record practices, .. some CD's and promos and stuff. Belive me for the past 3 years i have been using a sm57>computer>audacity so anything will really help to make more profesional quality recordings.. obviously.

Like mabye if I am doing it this way i should look at a tascam digitial mixer, or that kind of interface because i like the feel of having a board to adjust then using the mouse...

But anyways, the way it is going so far is that i want to achieve this:
a Practice room / Live room that can be used as the live room.. boxed off from everything, acousticly treated etc. I did my HW on the construction, not the equipment. Ok then i will have one ISO booth for recording vocals/overdubbing for guitar or bass or acoustic or whatever it may be. so in total there will be between the iso/live rooms 5 vocal mic's (sm58's) Then between the iso/live room 10 sm75's for instruments.. thats 15 mic's, then one direct input instead of a mic for a keyboard.

so i guess a 16 channel mixer would work.

now i need to pick between analog an digital, what would have better sound quality for my budget? what would you recomend? what PA should i look into for the monitors etc?

can someone make a diagram that shows the chain like



mic/direct input>P.A.> mixer? or what if im using the tascam >computer
^
Monitors from the PA for when we practice.

then where do i put head phones in for playback or for over dubbing?? mixer? Pa?


help please?


thanks

Mike

 

[slash81291]

also what should i look at fo reffects? really all i can think of that i need would be a compressor?

 

[slash81291]

also- i forgot to add but for recording, i want to be able to record all 16 tracks simultaneously but then have the ability to go over and overdub/put other tracks over it.



like can someone help me decide how many tracks i need? and then i need to be able to record like extra tracks of like lead guitar at a seperate time over what was already laid down.

... my AIM screen name is slash81291 if someone has time and would like to help me with this and explain to me how i should go abouts doing this./what i need e.t.c please IM me on it.

Mike

 

[slash81291]

ok how about this..

All i want out of this mixer is recording. I want it to be able to record simultaneously 10 tracks. Then have 6 others that i can use to overdub, or add keyboards later, or add lead guitar over the basic mix. So with this i can use it part with Midi to track over an existing mix right? i can also record intruments simultaneously with this right?. I am in the process of setting up a home studio. so bear with me

also to conect this what i would do would be...

Instruments/mics > FW1884/FE-8> computer?

Do i need to have a P.A.? I would like to have a P.A. in the mix so we can use the room for practice as well as recording. Like have basically 3 monitors on the floor of the live room for musicains. have one head set in the ISO booth for vox/ One in the control room. then 2 speakers there.


any help for a confuzed noob?

 

[Kryptik]

ok how about this..

All i want out of this mixer is recording. I want it to be able to record simultaneously 10 tracks. Then have 6 others that i can use to overdub, or add keyboards later, or add lead guitar over the basic mix. So with this i can use it part with Midi to track over an existing mix right? i can also record intruments simultaneously with this right?. I am in the process of setting up a home studio. so bear with me

also to conect this what i would do would be...

Instruments/mics > FW1884/FE-8> computer?

You have the connections right, but that tascam is only going to give you eight tracks simultaneously. I'm not sure what you would do to get ten tracks, though I'm pretty sure it is possible with the tascam. You'd have to get a 2 channel converter with adat or s/pdif outs.

Do i need to have a P.A.? I would like to have a P.A. in the mix so we can use the room for practice as well as recording. Like have basically 3 monitors on the floor of the live room for musicains. have one head set in the ISO booth for vox/ One in the control room. then 2 speakers there.


any help for a confuzed noob?

The P.A. isn't nessicary for recording. Use headphones for monitoring while you're recording.


Something else you may want to consider, is you may want to invest in a couple of mics better than 57s and 58s and a couple of good preamps.