Please review my equipment and offer advise

  • Thread starter Thread starter deepwater
  • Start date Start date
D

deepwater

New member
I'm new to the recording scene and would like to get some equipment recommendations that could improve my current setup. I'm not a rich man, but I don't live off of Rice and Tomatos. I like to get the best bang for my buck.

So here is what I have.

1 Mackie CR1604
1 Alesis HD24
1 Event PS5 Monitors
1 Behringer Compressor
1 Art TPS
1 DOD 15 Band Eq
1 Lexicon MPX500
1 Audix OM3xb
1 Shure BG5.1
1 Shure SM58
1 Shure SM57
1 AKG C3000b

I'm not happy with my Mix or Monitors.
 
if you add a nice LD condenser mic and killer preamp, you'll have a pretty good seutp. :)

my recommendation,
mic: SP C1
preamp: Grace101 or RNP
 
or if you are willing to live off of tomatoes and rice for a while you may even get a Great river MP1NV.
 
Given the gear you have, I would get a "better" condenser mic (too many to try to recommend a specific one) and a decent mic pre. I would record everything direct to the HD24 and only use the Mackie to monitor, mix and add effects.

I've never used the Event PS5's so I can't really comment - but if you don't like the monitors, certainly there are any number of options - The Mackie 824's seem to get the most consisant rave reviews.

Other than that there is nothing in your gear that I would turn my nose up on.
 
Nah, I'd make do with the AKG mic through the Mackie pres, for the time being, until you get happy with your overall mix - you're probably not happy with your mix because those monitors are tiny, tiny things, and Events aren't known for their bottom end (more like, for the lack of it). You probably can't get a decent mix because you can't hear what the heck is going on in the bottom end, and you're getting these super-boomy mixes from trying to overcompensate...

Go check out some decent monitors with 8" drivers, that's what I'd do. Spend a lot of time listening to them, get really used to them, and constantly compare your mixes to a familiar mix (favorite cd, or something). Buying a new mic or new preamp or box of any kind isn't going to help your overall mix.

Says me.
 
What are you trying to record? Live bands? Acoustic treatment investments are a huge bang for the buck.
 
You could use some better condenser mics, and better eq.

Trading up for a Soundcraft board would give you step up in terms of the EQ on your Mackie and DOD.

A pair of Oktava mc012's would give you nice versatile pair of small-diaphragm condensers for drum overheads and/or accoustic guitar.

A nice large-diaphragm vocal mic along the lines of a Rode NTK, Blue Dragonfly, Shure SM7, etc. would give you a much more pleasing vocal tone than what you're probably used to. Or you could kill a couple more birds by picking up an Electrovoice RE-20, which is good for vocals and a whole bunch of other things.
 
Before you go spending a ton on mics get a roland mmp-2 mic modeling preamp and try that puppy out. You wont believe what this thing can do as far as mic emulation and preamp models!
That doesn't even touch on the way you can adjust eq, distance, filters , compression expansion and high quality a/d converter and much more.
I got one from americanmusical.com for $339 it was called b stock but its brand new. they have a 45 day trial for whatever you buy. what have you got to loose? I dont know if they have any left or not.
Now that I've seen what this thing can do I'd pay full price if I had to replace it!
I wont be buying any mics anytime soon :o

Im still figuring out how to get the most out of it but I have to say that my raw mic recording has improved 200%
 
Get a better LD Condenser as #1. Your other mics and the rest of the setup looks fine, but the C3000b is no good.
 
not a bad way to start

you should never feel bad that you own a big pile of consumer pro audio equipment. we all have to start from somewhere.

i think that your first hunch is right. now is the time to sell your events and get better monitoring. some mackies or genelecs should do you fine. (824s or 1030a). should run about a grand used. totally worth it.

next i would say try to get a really fancy input chain going. starting at the mic then to the pre.

that way when you start upgrading you can actually hear and appreciate the improvement. and i believe that with better monitoring your learning curve will be steeper.
 
Ditch (sell) the AKG C3000B and the Behringer Compressor.
You can get enough $$ for a Fmr. Audio RNC and something
like a Studio Projects B1 for what you sell them for.

Chris
 
completely STOP using the dod eq...stop....dont use that scratchy-assed compressor either...now mix to taste.....aahhh isnt that better...you can begin the never-ending cycle of gear insanity by buying buying buying...but you really would do yourself a favor by learning to use what you have...it will be frustrating for a time but if you quit in the middle and think 'i gotta have new gear' you'll only make the same mistakes with better gear....what you have is better than a lot of others except for those two pieces i mentioned....i would get a better set of monitors....but be prepared to pay a LOT for a good flat set....mackies are not 'flat'...flat would be dynaudios or the adams....audix makes a very decent pair of not so colored monitors for less than any mackie....until then mix very quietly on those monitors,quit using the weakest links in your chain and use the smallest amout of eq you can to make it sound right......luck and peace
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top