Need a little advice please!

  • Thread starter Thread starter joeyrox
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joeyrox

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I am new to recording and i am trying to set up a (sort of) studio in my house. i have a low budget and i found this package deal on a website. i'm just wondering if it would be a good way to go for an upstart such as myself, or if its a complete ripoff. the price is $299.



All the basics to get tracking.

Includes MXL 990 condenser mic, 2 Nady CYM-2 dual condenser mics, 3 - 20' Lo-Z mic cables, On-Stage tripod mic stand with boom, AKG K 66 headphones, and a pair of M-Audio DX4 monitors.

The MXL 990 has a silky sweet high-end while retaining tight, solid low and midrange reproduction. The 20mm gold-sputtered diaphragm creates a professional sound suited for digital and analog recording. Attractive vintage body style with champagne finish. 30Hz-20kHz frequency response. 130dB maximum SPL.

The AKG K-66 headphones stand out from the "good value" crowd. They combine excellent comfort with superior sound and feature a self-adjusting headband, soft leatherette ear pads, and lightweight, flexibly-suspended earphones that are semi-open to give you an airy sound. Large, high-performance 40mm transducers ensure superior sound quality and listening enjoyment. Frequency response: 18Hz to 22kHz.

The M-Audio DX4 monitors each feature a custom-tuned cabinet, optimized drivers, and an advanced crossover to ensure the highest-fidelity sound of audio monitors their size. Features 18W per channel delivered to a 4" LF driver and a 1" HF driver in a custom-tuned cabinet, plus a front-panel volume control, 1/8" stereo headphone jack, and a mid-cut switch. OptImage wave guide technology assures improved stereo image.

any info is very much appreciated!
 
Depends what you want to do. It's worth saying that that's a LOT of gear for hardly and money. However, nothing in that set is really what you'd call a 'keeper'. Every bit in there you will end up wanting to upgrade at some point. There are other factors too - what are you recording to? If it's a PC using an AC97 onboard soundcard, you will wish you had one decent soundcard (M-Audio Audiophile 2496 or E-Mu 0404) and one half-decent preamp (Yamaha MG10/2 mixer or M-Audio DMP-3 preamp) rather than three quite cheapy mics, some low-grade 'monitors' and some headphones that you could get buy with just using your walkman ones for now.

However, if you just want to buy it and get on, go for it. If you want to improve in the future, buy one or two decent pieces early on and build from there. It's a similar question to whether someone records on a PC with all separate parts, or buys a standalone studio-in-a-box. You can get a lot for your money, but you won't have much joy selling bits on when you start wanting to upgrade.
 
I will be recording to a PC using a TASCAM US-122 USB Audio/MIDI Interface if that makes any difference. As a finished product i'm not looking (or listening) for a very crisp polished sound... more of a rugged old rock deal.
 
You might be alright then. It would certainly fill out the rest of the stuff you require, apart from possibly a half-decent dynamic mic such as a Shure Sm57 or Sennheiser E835 for guitar cabs and some percussion. Just don't expect miracles from it because, as I say, none of these are 'keepers' in that sense. :)

Nik
 
joeyrox, in your first post you basically just quoted advertising in your descriptions of those items in the bundle. You should do specific searches for each of those items on this site and see what users say about them, it might help you get away from making judgements based on advertising claims.

Some thougths:

You mention using the TASCAM US-122, but as far as I know it only has two mic inputs. So it seems to me that the way you intend to record is to use the Nady mics for drums and other instruments, and the MXL for vocals? Since you only need two mics at a time, having three cables is sort of a waste.

Also, if you want that rugged old rock sound, you should probably use rugged old rock gear. So that would mean getting something like a couple of Shure SM57's and maybe an SM58. The 57's go used for $50, and are still used very commonly on rock recordings. The Shure SM57/58's are keepers.

MXL makes a mic called the V67, the green one, which I think is a better mic than the 990 although it is still in the budget category. The 990 is kind of a throwaway mic if you ask me.

You might also want to take a look at the low end Roland or Edirol speakers.

The point is, you can put that kind of package together for yourself, and end up with better gear for pretty much the same money or just a little more. I mostly don't care for the choice of mics in the package, and that's probably the most important part.
 
I agree with the above post. Not really much of a deal in that package. You can do better. The monitors, I'm afraid, will be way under powered, and I would not go with anything under 50w.
 
I don't disagree with either of these posts ... but within the limits I gave, I stick by my advice too!! Is he wanting to get the absolute best for buck together, or does he want to get everything he needs together with minimal time investment in doing all the research etc?

It's not a package I'd buy myself, but I can understand that it works for some people. :)
 
my main problem is budget... i'd love to be able to spend thousands of dollars on a set, however my financial situation prevents me from spending much more than $300. I'm really just looking for something to get by with until I have the sufficient funds to start accumulating higher quality equipment. Right now i would just like to get the best set up i can with a set budget.

I believe i'm going to look into that MXL V67, and maybe a SHURE SM 58.
What kind of monitors would you all suggest for around 100 USD?

Thanks for all the feedback and i hope that it keeps coming. I love it!
 
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