New Microphone Purchase HELP NEEDED ASAP

  • Thread starter Thread starter MasterRS
  • Start date Start date
Well, there's no doubt that the gear you've said you're buying will yield noticeably better results than the Samson mics. However, the technology is only part of it. The other parts of a "pro" sound are more difficult. First comes the space you record in. That Reflexion filter would help a lot in an untreated room--but professional studios spend more on acoustic design and treatment than the average house will cost you. Monitoring? To do a good job of mixing you need good monitors, again in a treated environment. Then comes a harder part--the skill and experience of the person using all the technology. The best engineers have been training and practicing for years--and probably have an innate skill to start with.

....and, finally, the hardest part of all. The "pro" recordings probably also start with a "pro" performance. If everyone could sing or play to professional standards.....
 
Yeah I get you Bobbsy. Well like I put before unfortunately im giving up my 2 bed room house to move into university halls while I study. So I'm going to be recording essentially on weekends in a hotel room (thats where im staying for 1 year in a hotel) so the room isn't going to be huge but I'm obviously going to play around with where I record and the reflection filter along with look up tutorials and do my reading. If worst comes to worst when I want to record I'll travel 50 mins or 1 hour to my managers and record in his soundproof studio with my equipment. I'm pretty happy with investing in the SE Package bundle you said Bobbsy as I think looking at the value of what your getting in correlation with the sound, reviews and what I want I will be happy with it. Plus I've taken in alot of reviews and what others have said and thought deeply about it before purchasing and with XLR I can go onto a different mic (collection) in a year or two if I waht to so its perfect really.Although my friend thinks that because the audio interface is USB he reckons the sound quality will be the same as the samson -gtrack USB mic but I doubt that.
I have been editing and recording my own songs for many years..I wouldnt say I'm a pro as am not big headed..but I wouldnt say I'm a novice..I have knowledge of nearly every recording software except pro tools..cubase 5..sony soundfordge 10..adobe audition..mixcraft 2..magix music maker premium 17..there along many I have knowledge of on many users. However in the past year Ive started using Cubase 5. Although im in the process of upgrading to Cubase 6 with the purchase of this new mic.
Also in terms of monitors..do you mean speakers or do I have to buy these two? Sorry just i dont wanna sound dumb but am completely new to this so what did you mean? Well..I today have sold my old student equipment and am only a couple of £s short from getting the £189 bundle you suggested Bobbsy..obviously its just the fact of getting an audio interface to go with it..as I'll have to put in another £110 which am hoping I can do the following week..but moving house is costing me £250+bills so it's all very expensive really. And I havent' seen any good deals on other good audio interfaces really. The ones I saw at £50 are now £72..and the other £85 which for second hand I think is a bit steep? Maybe u guys could recommend some good UK ones on ebay for me and post them? Thanks
 
A couple of things.... First off, your friend is wrong. Ignoring the space you record in, the microphone makes the biggest difference to the quality of the sound. The pre-amp section of the interface makes the second most dramatic difference. The A to D converters come a distant third--and the choice of whether the data enters your computer via USB, Firewire or directly via a PCI bus makes no difference at all. As discussed earlier, you'll have a better mic, a far better mic pre-amp and a better A to D converter.

As for monitors, yeah you need them. Do you need them enough to go without food when you move? Hell, no. Can you start recording and mixing without investing in them? Yeah...just use a set of headphones or computer speakers. The difference will be that you'll have to try out your mixes on as many different playback systems as you can and "learn" what things need to sound like in the mix to also sound good in your car, on your hifi, on your friends' hifis and on your iPod. You still have to go through this learning process with the best of professional monitors...it's just easier with better equipment.
 
Yeah its a good point. I need to get some speakers as I'll be doing it all through my laptop. So I need to invest in headphones really as well. Speakers im definetely going to get off ebay too you can get a good pair for £5 so its no problem really. Although my mum has some amazing ones for our other computer theyre subwoofers and hugeee. I would think about taking them but it's the space really (as ive stated in my staying in a hotel so space is pretty limited.) What do you think? Shud i go for the big dell speakers or get some small ones for £5 off ebay? In combination with headphones?
 
Maudio has no phantom power and the other one is used. You said you needed a warranty earlier.

All of this and first hand reviews can be found online.
 
MasterRS said:
Yeah thanks guys..
Click to expand...

I'm only trying to make light of the situation man. You have input coming from here as well as some uneducated friends. You are being sent in 'circles'. You have all the advice you need already in this thread. Even if you make a poor choice, you have made one. We all have.

No offense to you MasterRS. I like you. :D
 
I understand guys but I have asked questions about monitors in reply had no answer..and obviously im asking about audio interfaces as im no expert. But I get you. Just my worry now is I wont have enough..Ill have enough money to get the bundle for £179 but may have to get a cheap value audio interface
 
lol.I saw that. You talked about getting good speakers for £5. I duno how the rest of the board feels but i wasn't touching that with a big stick! :p

There is some good info for you in this thread, but if you ask a thousand people for opinions, you'll probably get close to a thousand different answers.
It's difficult but at some stage you have to bite the bullet.

Follow the advice in here and back it up with your own research and you can't go too far wrong. :)
 
Dood, I have spent near to 15G's in my little studio, and I have no where near enough money spent. It does not take that much to get a basic, quality start. The key is to get started. I started with $200 and a dream. I'm still dreamin. You have a good basis now to make a decision. You can always sell the gear later if you find it not meeting your needs. You will quickly find out what your needs are this way and gain your own knowledge and opinions from it. :D

Monitor question? I'll go back and look. :)
 
Steenamaroo said:
lol.I saw that. You talked about getting good speakers for £5. I duno how the rest of the board feels but i wasn't touching that with a big stick! :p

There is some good info for you in this thread, but if you ask a thousand people for opinions, you'll probably get close to a thousand different answers.
It's difficult but at some stage you have to bite the bullet.

Follow the advice in here and back it up with your own research and you can't go too far wrong. :)
Click to expand...

LOL. You beat me! Oh, now i know why I forgot about that monitor post. There is a buttload of threads about monitors on this site. I had never heard one involving a budget under 150. That would be a below minimum amount spent on the one thing that gives you any idea of what your other gear is doing to begin with. Yes, you could use some crappy PC speakers, many do, but you will pay a price mentally for trying to figure out just what the hell you are doing because you can not hear it correctly.
 
It's a big personal preference thing i think.

Is there anywhere you could go to audition monitors locally? Some kind of music store.

Take music that you know well with you.

This is definitely the best way to find what suits you.
 
You gotta try and work with them to form your own opinion. Without knowing what you need for your situation, I can only guess. For starters, I already recommended that $150 US is under the minimum that I would even start at. This is $150 each btw. You should probably start with much less than that until you are able to form your own opinions on what you think you need. For yourself. We are all great at spending other peoples money, but only you can decide for yourself how much is necessary-for you.
 
Yep thats very true. Well am going to see if my mum's still got the old ones for our Dell computer as they cost around £300 ($476)
 
Forgive me if i'm patronising you, but do you know why monitors are different from computer/hifi speakers like your dells?
 
I don't want to come cross as an ass here, but there is much research that one needs to do before buying anything. The first is to get a basic understanding of what it is you want to accomplish. I am willing to give advice to anyone who is willing to learn, but you gotta take some initial steps to Google up some basic info for yourself man. If we all answered every little simple question like this for everyone, well.... we just wouldn't do it anymore. It is one thing to ask a direct question about software or even opinions on a device. You really need to take the time to fully research some stuff for yourself.

I will personally look forward to working with, and learning from you in the future as well. :D

Here is a good place to start. :)
 
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