OK OK im about to lose my mind!!! some one help,FULL MAKE OVER

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EMP CEO

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ok heres where i stand as of now.

i have a delta 44 as my soundcard...
i use the akg3000 for my vocals...
i have low-lower end preamps art tube mp and a roland mmp-2...
i have a 8x6 walkin closet converted to a booth and is (for lack of better term) foamed up wall to wal...l

now keep in mind (all that is recorded in my studio is hiphop/rap) and it will ONLY be for vocals always no instruments or anything...

now i really am semi happy with the sound i am getting but problem is my style and vocals change from song to song,some songs i have a lower toned smooth flow,yet other songs i get alot more agressive and my vocals get alot more hi pitched....

NOW i was thinking about just overhauling my whole set up...price is not a huge issue but then again i don't want to spend more money just for the fact it should be better because i did so...i just want to get radio ready vocals and tracks..

i am loseing my mind but have narrowed it down to a few things..

as i said i have the delta- would buying a emu soundcard would that make much difference?

as far as mic i think im down to a neumann tlm103 or and i favor the RODE k2...

and where im stuck is PREAMP i was thinking of matching up the RODE k2 with a blue robbie preamp...?? is this a good combo would you think,because i also think of keeping the line the same and maybe getting the blue robbie with a baby bottle or blue bird not sure but as of now favor the RODE k2...

im at a last resort because i do not have a local place that rents equipment and once i buy im pretty much stuck....wether im in love or hate...

here u can get a idea as to the sound i am getting with my present equipment

http://www.erbalminded.com/AUDIOZ.htm (play-HEAT IN MINUTES)

this upgrade will cost me give or take 1500=2000 is it worth my move,will i be getting much better sound then im getting now? and keep in mind that the track was mixed and premastered..as to the best i personally can give....

any help as to what i should do would be appreciated more then you can think im at a lost end and cant figure which road to go down...if some one can enlighten me i would be greatful...

sorry about the book i typed up,but as you can see im in vent mode a little bit and am just eager to get something done...thanks alot!!
 
Not sure if you're going to like what I have to say or not, but at this juncture, I think you kinda' need a dose of truth / reality ...


And the truth is that if you want to be able to get something "radio-ready," it's likely going to take a lot more money ... and perhaps years of your time, before that becomes a reality, so relax a bit, sit back and don't be in a hurry. From the sounds of your post, you sound like there's a certain amount of urgency to this.

Now with the goal in mind of "radio-ready" tracks ... there's nothing wrong with your talent as a rapper -- that part sounds fine from what I listened to from your sample. Sonically speaking, the first trick is going to be getting you out of that damned walk-in closet, and in to something more open and at least somewhat professionally modified / treated. The stuff you hear on the radio isn't recorded in anyone's walkin closet.

Secondly, you're going to need yourself a real and fullblown, professional monitoring setup so you can hear what your tracks sound like and to make the right mixing decisions. The stuff you hear on the radio is not mixed or monitored on a home stereo or in anyone's bedroom. We're talking about a significant investment in time and money just to design and set up a proper monitoring system and environment.

Now finally, you're going to want to upgrade the whole mic / preamp thing like you mentioned ... but that's probably about the least of your worries right now, because that will be about your least expensive and least time-consuming upgrade. TLM 103 sounds good ... Blue Robbie is probably a fine mic pre, and there's plenty of decent ones out there that can get the job done. Now the compressor probably isn't going to be cheap, either, but frankly I know of some people who can get really kickass-sounding vocal compression using dbx 160X and some of the UAD-1 plugins, so I don't think it's going to be that imperative for you to plop down money on a distressor, although that wouldn't be bad if you could swing it.

The real bitch is going to be the monitoring system, and the design of the room ; getting you out of that walkin closet. It's time for you to "come out of the closet." :D

The most realistic thing for you right now would be to lower your expectations and settle for small incremental improvements, one at a time, and to have fun with it. If you're absolutely in need of major improvements right away, and radio-level vocals are a must ... then you know it's unavoidable, don't you? :D You're going to have to start asking around about studios in your area and get some recommendations on who's producing good stuff. You might be surprized -- the 2 G's you were thinking of plopping down on new equipment might buy you more studio time than you thought, and you could wind up with something you're really happy with. And you won't lose as much hair and years of your life in the process.
 
i appreciate the detailed feedback although it really wasnt what i was looking for,i was more concerned with the equipment aspect. And the reason is because i have never had a problem with my booth,the thing is i have been to local studios and they charge on avg. any where from 70-120 per hour and that's not counting mixing and mastering which can turn out to be a 2 hour booked session. And honestly when i have went there my booth is about the same size and is treated the same. I removed all shelves everything and then had the booth treated with auralex(i did the research at studios befor hand to see how they treated their booths) and did the same...

And this is a point i may have left out...when i went to studios and have recorded a song,they did have a better FINAL MIXED MASTERED sound in the final track,BUT the raw vocals where not to much further from what i already have so i figured i would up the equipment so that i could get the RAW vocals to be almost identical and then i could take all the final tracks and then have them mastered there which would cut down my cost in HALF....which may not sound like alot although it is because i am recording tracks for mixtapes,albums and so forth...

so for that reason alone my studio time lets round off to....$200.00.....thats recording 1 track and getting it mixed and mastered....so lets say 20 tracks....is going to ruffly cost me...$4,000.00 in the long run NOW if i just recorded them at home on my time,when and how i want...i could just pay 2,000 and get them mixed and mastered for that final touch...

And also i get random people that want to record a track and i make some income back off of that which i couldnt do otherwise.

so now with that said it may clarify my thought process up a little more and reasons as to why im trying to do what im trying to do.

i thank you again for your outlook. and appreciate your time but with this said maybe you can understand where im coming from and gear me more for the equipment aspect like i was trying to say in so many words up above....

thanks again man
 
I've heard the Grace 101 preamp and the TLM 103 make a good combo for Rap. I don't think the EMU would be a big improvement over the Delta 44 though.
 
yea i was wanting to know about that delta/emu comparison....

and i actually had tha grace 101 but i ended up selling it a week later...its a great preamp but honestly for me,this myte sound strange but it was 2 clean for hip hop in my ears...like was to clear i like a lil edge and warmness and the grace didnt supply any of that,i felt it was more maybe for an r&b singer...

that's one of my main reason im thinking of the rode k2 and the blue robbie because they are both tube and i heard that will give me that warmness and clarity at the same time im looking for...

im just wondering if maybe thats to much warmness if thats possible?

some one please that is familiar with the equipment i stated in my original post...please drop some feedback...

thanks!!
 
EMP CEO said:
that's one of my main reason im thinking of the rode k2 and the blue robbie because they are both tube and i heard that will give me that warmness and clarity at the same time im looking for...

im just wondering if maybe thats to much warmness if thats possible?
Click to expand...


Yea ... I've run in to that problem a lot. Too much warmness. It's really a common problem these days, so you have to be careful cuz that too much warmness thing is a bitch.
 
EMP CEO said:
And this is a point i may have left out...when i went to studios and have recorded a song,they did have a better FINAL MIXED MASTERED sound in the final track,BUT the raw vocals where not to much further from what i already have
Click to expand...

All the "not too much further"-ness adds up in the final track. Making 1 track sound pro is relatively easy. Making a completed mixdown with a bunch of "almost as good's" is a whole nother story.....

Listen too what Chess is sayin'..... :D
 
^^^ i understand that fully,this is why im trying to turn my ALMOST as good raw vocals,into JUST AS GOOD raw vocals...that's the whole reason i made this thread was to hope some one could guide me on the equipment that i stated im looking at up above in my orginal thread start...

and CHESS u mentioned you have ran into that problem befor,and thats what im worry about. SO do you think makeing my whole chain warm can be to much..because blue robbie and rode k2 should give a real warm sound..maybe to much like i thinking,you think maybe i should go with the neumann tlm 103 and the blue robbie..since the mic is more clearer crisper and hope for the robbie to add that touch of warmth im looking for?

i dont kno as you can obviously see fellas this is why im here aksing you...all knowledge that can be dropped is takein in,i feel like you can always learn something new...
 
You should read again Chessrock's comments. He has handed you some great advice but I think you passed it by.

The monitoring chain and room are everything. If you can hear it accurately you can make inexpensive gear do some amazing things. If you can't hear it accurately you’re turning knobs in a vacuum.

The radio sound would first be found in the preamp and limiter/compression while tracking, second in your ability to EQ and set up a mix, third in the limiter, EQ and compression settings during mastering.

None of this is going to do you any good if you cannot arrange music or perform adequately of course. It's a mix of many things.

If you spend $1000 on convertors and $1000 on monitors plus about $500 on your room, you could possibly have a competetive environment. You could spend less but you would have to be really, really good i.e. knowing the inadequecies of your convertors and monitors and compensating blindly for their shortcomings.
 
EMP CEO said:
and CHESS u mentioned you have ran into that problem befor,and thats what im worry about. SO do you think makeing my whole chain warm can be to much..
Click to expand...


I hear ya loud and clear. You have to be really careful with the warm stuff. Too much warmth and POOF ! ! ... there goes another almost great mix gone sour due to too much warmness.

What you have to do is learn where the "warmth threshold" is.

The warmth threshold is the point at which the level of warmth reaches critical mass. It's at a supreme point of saturation, where the body's natural tolerence for warmth is at it's peak of warmth pleasure.

If you exceed this threshold by even a small amount ... the warmth pleasure recepticals in the listener's ear will be over-excited, and you may wind up doing permanent warmth damage.

And let me tell you ... that ain't pretty. Everything starts sounding like it's being run through a BBE sonic maximizer.
 
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