Next investment..

[andycerrone]

Ok, well I just finished a huge ceiling tile job and I've got a huge check coming, and I feel the urge to put some lovin' into my studio. I wanted to get the RNP, but I want to wait until I can get a good price on one, so that doesn't look like I'll be getting it for a little while, anyway. Anyways, right now this is my gear list..


Compaq Presario SR1500NX, 320 gig external hard drive, Mackie 1202 VLZ Mixer, Alesis M1 MKII Active monitors, MoreMe Deluxe Studio Headphones, Sony MDR-V150 Headphones, M-Audio MobilePre, Studio Projects C-1, Sennheiser E609, (3) SM-57's, Matched pair of Naiant MSH-1O's, (4) Naiant MSH-1C's, Naiant MSH-1K, Delta 1010, RNC, Alesis 3630 Dual Compressor, BBE Sonic Maximizer, OZ Audio HR-4, Korg DTR-1000 Tuner, and a Lexicon MPX 100 Dual Channel Effects Processor..

I know my pre's and my mics are the weak spots right now, but I'm not sure where I want to go with mics, or if there's anything else I should be considering moreso than those. Suggestions?

 

[TelePaul]

I think you have a lot of very useable mics andy. WHat does your room look like? Is it time for some acoustic treatment?

 

[MessianicDreams]

I think you have a lot of very useable mics andy. WHat does your room look like? Is it time for some acoustic treatment?

i think acoustic treatment is a good suggestion. you've got a workable mic collection, if you're happy with your amount of i/o then i think the next step is to spend a few hundred bucks on acoustic treatment.



how much dosh have you got to spend?

 

[Dogbreath]

Yup...nuther vote for acoustic treatment if you don't have it already. Made a big difference in my stuff.
Luck to ya man....

 

[andycerrone]

Well I've got up to about 400-500, and I don't really want to get into any room treatments because my room is my bedroom, and it will be for about 3 more years, then I'm off somewhere else, and I don't know what I'll need. I've been trying to stay away from doing acoustic treatment until I know more about it, which is a painfully slow process. I was considering building some bass traps, but I really don't have the time right now to do another project (I just built a standing rack case). Anything else you'd recommend?

 

[danny.guitar]

I can't really think of anything for $400-$500 that would make as big of a difference as room treatment.

I think maybe an isolated area/booth for vocals, guitar, or whatever would really help and you wouldn't have to spend all your cash on it either.

That would leave you a little extra money to save for a new mic, pre, or whatever.

Room treatment doesn't have to be permanent, and whatever you do to the room you have now can easily be moved into another room.

What is it about your recordings that you're not happy with? That would help narrow it down to what would be your best investment. But I still think room treatment would make a huge difference at the littlest cost.

 

[andycerrone]

I can't really think of anything for $400-$500 that would make as big of a difference as room treatment.

I think maybe an isolated area/booth for vocals, guitar, or whatever would really help and you wouldn't have to spend all your cash on it either.

That would leave you a little extra money to save for a new mic, pre, or whatever.

Room treatment doesn't have to be permanent, and whatever you do to the room you have now can easily be moved into another room.

What is it about your recordings that you're not happy with? That would help narrow it down to what would be your best investment. But I still think room treatment would make a huge difference at the littlest cost.

Well, now that I've gotten some recording under my belt for a bunch of different styles, I really know where my weaknesses arise. My pre's need to be upgraded, and I know and can tell my room needs to be fixed up a little. I just really didn't want to get some kind of acoustic treatment that I wouldn't be able to carry over to where I move to next. My room is like, 16x12 or so and I've got relatively low ceilings. I've learned how to record drums to work with the room, but I'd really like to improve the vocals. I don't really have a way to build a vocal booth, so what I've been doing, and has been working pretty well, is to hold a towel around the mic about a foot in each direction except for where the vocalist is, and it's worked pretty well as of lately. I have a feeling once I get this big preamp upgrade, whenever that is, the weaknesses in my room will really show. What could I do to improve that?

 

[andycerrone]

Ok, well, I just got a great great deal on a RNP and an RNC, so, now I think I'm good. Thanks anyway, all.

 

[Supercreep]

Lots and lots and lots of fiberglass.

Try superchunks - you know you want to.

 

[rayc]

Andy,
With those mics, partricularly the Naiants, you've a very good & versatile bundle. Pres I don't know enough about - remember I buy from you!

 

[jdier]

Ok, well, I just got a great great deal on a RNP and an RNC, so, now I think I'm good. Thanks anyway, all.

Andy I am sure you will love your new gear. Just a thought for your next purchase, perhaps an upgrade on your ADDA converters.

I think you could do a lot better than the delta 1010.

With your Mackie pres the 1010 was probably the weak link. Now you have a fine mic pre. If it does not deliver the goods I think you will know it is time to upgrade the 1010.

 

[andycerrone]

Andy I am sure you will love your new gear. Just a thought for your next purchase, perhaps an upgrade on your ADDA converters.

I think you could do a lot better than the delta 1010.

With your Mackie pres the 1010 was probably the weak link. Now you have a fine mic pre. If it does not deliver the goods I think you will know it is time to upgrade the 1010.

Well, turns out I didn't get the pre. I did, however, get the rnc from someone else. Long story short, a dud ebay thing. Anyways, I just got some fiberglass panels, which I'm going to be making over the course of the next two weeks during free time, so I'll have those done soon, and hopefully then I can really buckle down and try to upgrade gear. Still looking for that pre, and after that shall be a new interface, although I'm unsure of what I would want to upgrade to from that, I don't want to go with the Motu because I don't like that the pre's are built into it. What would you suggest?

 

[ssscientist]

I don't want to go with the Motu because I don't like that the pre's are built into it. What would you suggest?

I would suggest that it's idiotic to reject a piece of gear on the basis that 'the pre's are built in'. MOTU makes premium quality gear and so do many other manufacturers these days. I've gotten spectacular results out of the mic preamps built into my Mackie 1202vlz and you can too.

In my humble opinion, the piece of gear that would do you the most good is this. There is a mild learning curve, but once you get the hang of it it's useful on everything but drums --- and maybe on those too.


.

 

[andycerrone]

I would suggest that it's idiotic to reject a piece of gear on the basis that 'the pre's are built in'. MOTU makes premium quality gear and so do many other manufacturers these days. I've gotten spectacular results out of the mic preamps built into my Mackie 1202vlz and you can too.

In my humble opinion, the piece of gear that would do you the most good is this. There is a mild learning curve, but once you get the hang of it it's useful on everything but drums --- and maybe on those too.


.

How big is that thing? I am in the process of making sound absorbers (in fact, I made my first one last night and it came out really nice, I must say), which, in theory, should do about as much as that.

 

[ssscientist]

How big is that thing?

Here's an cut+paste from the Sound on Sound review -

"The Reflexion Filter, from mic manufacturer SE Electronics, is a compact and portable acoustic absorber, designed primarily to reduce the amount of room ambience picked up by a microphone during recording. It may also assist a little in isolating the mic from other sound in the room, such as the noise from computer fans or spill from other performers. The Reflexion Filter can be fitted behind almost any microphone by means of the included stand clamp assembly, which also incorporates a support for your mic or shockmount. This means that you require only a single mic stand to hold both the Reflexion Filter and your microphone, but as the assembly can end up being quite heavy, it is important to set up the stand so that the weight is evenly distributed over its base.

"To achieve a worthwhile amount of acoustic absorption within a limited thickness, the Reflexion Filter comprises six main layers, contained within a punched-aluminium frame that allows sound waves to pass through it while adding some useful diffusion. Once it has passed through the holes in the aluminium, the sound encounters a layer of absorptive wool followed by a layer of aluminium foil, which absorbs more energy. Behind this is an air space, kept open by rods passing through the various layers, followed by a further layer of wool. Additionally, there are four pieces of specialist acoustic absorptive material attached to the inside face of the structure, which further absorb and diffuse sound."

As far as it's size, it's large enough to fit on a mic stand but small enough for the vocalist to see over.

I don't want to discourage you from making fiberglass panels because you can never have too much isolation/soundproofing, but this device is something special. I've always had problems with vocals not sounding their best in my acoustically deficient space --- until this came along.


.

 

[andycerrone]

Here's an cut+paste from the Sound on Sound review -

"The Reflexion Filter, from mic manufacturer SE Electronics, is a compact and portable acoustic absorber, designed primarily to reduce the amount of room ambience picked up by a microphone during recording. It may also assist a little in isolating the mic from other sound in the room, such as the noise from computer fans or spill from other performers. The Reflexion Filter can be fitted behind almost any microphone by means of the included stand clamp assembly, which also incorporates a support for your mic or shockmount. This means that you require only a single mic stand to hold both the Reflexion Filter and your microphone, but as the assembly can end up being quite heavy, it is important to set up the stand so that the weight is evenly distributed over its base.

"To achieve a worthwhile amount of acoustic absorption within a limited thickness, the Reflexion Filter comprises six main layers, contained within a punched-aluminium frame that allows sound waves to pass through it while adding some useful diffusion. Once it has passed through the holes in the aluminium, the sound encounters a layer of absorptive wool followed by a layer of aluminium foil, which absorbs more energy. Behind this is an air space, kept open by rods passing through the various layers, followed by a further layer of wool. Additionally, there are four pieces of specialist acoustic absorptive material attached to the inside face of the structure, which further absorb and diffuse sound."

As far as it's size, it's large enough to fit on a mic stand but small enough for the vocalist to see over.

I don't want to discourage you from making fiberglass panels because you can never have too much isolation/soundproofing, but this device is something special. I've always had problems with vocals not sounding their best in my acoustically deficient space --- until this came along.


.

Hm.. something to consider... I don't know if I want to drop that much cash into something like that until I see the difference these panels make.