Newbie Studio Setup URGENT.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Loyct
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Loyct

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Hi guys. I'm a newbie musician wanting to setup a home studio to produce my demo.

Here's what i have decided on :

-Presonus firebox (2 mic pres, cranked gain 57db). SPDIF, with analog+midi line I/Os
-SM57 dynamic.
-Cubase LE (comes with firebox)
-Reason 3.0
-AKG headphones
-Still not sure about monitors. Need cheap but decent ones (do i need one or two?)

I'd be recording vox, acoustic and electric guitar, DI bass to the intstrument pres on the firebox, programming bass, drums, strings and all that good stuff in reason.

It would be a rock/metal album.

PC SPECS

PENTIUM SYSTEM

PROCEESSOR/COOLER/MAINBOARD
Pentium 4 3ghz FSB 800mhz 2mb Cache
Zalman/Cooler Master Hyper 48
Asus P5LDS + Firewire (A) card [2 FW, 6USB, 3 PCI -1]
S$682 [US426]

RAM
DDR2 1 gig, 512mbX2, 533mhz Corsair RAM
69 each, S$136 [US85]

CASE+POWER SUPPLY
Antec Sonata II 450W
S$229 [US143]

HARDDISK
Western Digital 7200rpm, 8mb Cache, SATA/SATA II
80 gig + 160gig
S$ [US158]

VIDEO
Creative 3D Blaster X300 128mb
S$99 [US62]

OPERATING SYSTEM
Xp Home.
S$139 [US87]

DVD-RW
Sony 16x Dual Layer Internal
S$89 [US56]

UPS
S$69 [US43]

TOTAL SGD : 1627
TOTAL US : 957

AMD SYSTEM

Change processor+ram+mainboard
-Athlon64 3800 2.4ghz
-Cosair 512X2 ram DDR
-Mobo unsure, but compatible and ASUS too.

The rest remains

TOTAL SGD : 1658
TOTAL US : 1036


I'm leaning towards the AMD right now. What's the difference? We do not need to DL patches for the processor right? So there'd be no after-sales mainatanace needed on my part if i choose the AMD?

Plus, i'd change the vid card. Sapphire x300 Pro 128mb sounds good?
And also, get a TI FW port.


Thanks.
 
Considering i'd be buying it in perhaps 3 days time, and i don't want to spend on the wrong items, it should be urgent.

I'd be getting a condensor on my next upgrade.

The other components are alright right?
 
By "monitors" do you mean monitor speakers or visual screens? If speakers, yeah, you need two of them.

Again, why urgent? You've said you will be buying it in three days, but why? If it is important to you that you purchase the right items, why must it be purchased in three days? Just curious.

Just my 2 cents, but if this urge is truly "urgent" for you, I'd recommend paying for studio time. However, I'm assuming you have little to no recording/mixing knowledge. If you do have decent skills already recording and mixing, and have the time and patience to do it on your own, go for it. Just don't expect quick (or good) results if you're jumping into this for the first time.
 
aaroncomp said:
By "monitors" do you mean monitor speakers or visual screens? If speakers, yeah, you need two of them.

Again, why urgent? You've said you will be buying it in three days, but why? If it is important to you that you purchase the right items, why must it be purchased in three days? Just curious.

Just my 2 cents, but if this urge is truly "urgent" for you, I'd recommend paying for studio time. However, I'm assuming you have little to no recording/mixing knowledge. If you do have decent skills already recording and mixing, and have the time and patience to do it on your own, go for it. Just don't expect quick (or good) results if you're jumping into this for the first time.
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Yep, that's what i have been told. Its my first time. I've worked work audacity before and have messed with some EQ and reverb, but nothing too great.

Its urgent as i have to present before my parents exact details before the purchase, and i have to present working, compatible equipment after the purchase. Its their money and their requirement.

3 days is jsut an estimate, i need to get the exact quotes in 3 days.
 
If you live in the States, check out www.newegg.com for your PC hardware, some of the prices you listed are just silly. As far as graphics card goes, get an Nvidia 6600GT, 30 bucks more and it's a ton better.

EDIT - CPUs don't need updated patches, etc.
 
Silly? As in overpriced? This is the standard market rate for Singapore though. I merely converted it, perhaps a little inaccurately.
 
You can get 512 sticks of PC3200 in the US for 34 bucks each. Sony DVDR-W 38.99, etc, etc.
 
I've got no choice, this is probrably the lowest i can go right now.

Also, you use intel for recording and amd for gaming. How's intel for recording? i've always heard the amd does it better
 
Please take your time before buying anything! I'm sure your parents would rather you spend their money after researching this thoroughly. Buy a book or two on home recording so you'll know WHY you need each component.

When I first saw this topic, I immediately though "URGENT!!!!! I just signed up for the school talent show, to play a guitar song. I don't know how to play the guitar and the show is next week. What do I do?"

Learning how to record is just like learning an instrument. It takes time (and $$$) so think carefully before spending money. I don't think any purchasing should be "urgent" (at least if you want to do correctly)
 
Intel/AMD are apples and oranges. The decision for using AMD for gaming and Intel for recording was purely situational because I used what I had laying around at the time of construction. As far as one or the other being better, depends on specific chips. You can't accurately say that in general AMD is better than Intel or vice versa. You can say with 100% certainty that X AMD chip is better than X intel chip and vice versa. The draw to AMD is for overclockers, because most AMD chips are easier to OC and handle it better, plus AMD tends to run a bit cooler. As far as recording goes, it's going to depend on the specific chips, I've used enough of both AMD and Intel to say that whichever you go with is going to suit your needs. Assuming you get something that is fairly up to date. Your best bet is to compare CPUs before you buy. Look at things like L1 and L2 cache, hyperthreading or hypertransport, FSB, Clock speeds, 64 bit or not, dual core, etc.
 
To gordone - Yes, i've done research, and those i mentioned are what i'm ready to buy. Will upgrade to 3 gig or 4 gig ram, with condensor mic and reference monitors.

Creamyapples - Do you think i'd need Dual core?
 
I'm using a single core Intel prescott 2.8 in my recording box and it works just fine, I can't see utilizing dual core with recording alone. I can't see utilizing a 64 bit chip while recording at present either. As long as your box is solid, good parts, care and attention in putting it all together, and you install all of your software and update it all immediatly it will run fine at just about any decent speeds, etc.
 
So all i listed shouldn't have any obvious conflicts if i do my after purchase maintainance frequently?
 
fraserhutch said:
And that was urgent??????
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I'm with you on this man, I absolutely HATE it when noobs get on here and say shit like "URGENT" "EMERGENCY" "HELP ME" or any other bullshit like this. Please all noobs that read this STOP IT. All caps words like that need to be saved for when someone seriously needs a question answered that day or ASAP. Like if someone where in a recording situation and something came up they need an answer to right away. I hate sounding like someones dad but this has to stop when its not urgent. I guess it just bugs me because when I was a kid we had pagers, not cell phones and there would always be that one dumbass that would page you 911 to ask what was up.
 
Sorry for the intensity, but i was prepared to buy the entire setup on that day, and had to get the price quotes, so i needed to know whether this was suitable for me.
 
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