Post Pics Of Your "home Recording" Studios

A1A2

I use maybe 8 of my sixteen channels. And never all at once. Just so I can have everything plugged in at once so I don't have to repatch. I really bought the mixer because I'm expanding. I'm in the very early process of building my studio. That mixer will last me forever. Even when I'm much further with this and I've gone to a 24 or 32 channel setup, I can still use it for mixing or for drums or something like that. 1604s always have a use. I just saw Thom Yorke mixing on a CR1604 in their movie last night.

I was origionally going to only purchase a 1202 or even a Behringer. I mean, any highschool kid like me would be in heaven with one of those. But I figured, "I might as well go all the way while I'm young and can afford it". So I did.

Overkill is so beutiful...
 
I agree that unless you are recording a live band with a lot of inputs, 16 channels is plenty unless you are using decks with 24 tracks or more and are going back through the board for mixdown and do indeed need all 24 tracks (which is very rare). Remember, we are in Home Recording BBS. In most cases, 16 channels and 16 tracks are enough, esspecially if you are using a daw. For example, my dps16 has 250 v-tracks. More than I'll ever need or most anyone else would ever need even in a big production. I also have mine setup with 10 inputs all the time to avoid patching, but I have never used all ten at one time. I usually record a bed first. Just the basics, then start tracking. The one thing that takes the most channels at once are drums. I use Yamaha digital drums (not a drum machine) with a stereo out. The submix is done in the drum kit brain. With 1 dummy lead vocal, 1 lead guitar, 1 rhythm guitar, 1 bass, and 2 tracks for the drums, you have a grand total of 6 tracks. So why spend money on a big board when that extra money could go for more important things like great mics and other outboard devices.

IMHO

Boardman
 
boardman:

you do have a point about not needing so many channels, but, I do think in the long run like Hokypokynose sometimes. Buy a good one that will last you awhile instead of constanly upgrading by small steps. Plus, you just might need all 16 channels if you were doing live mixing one day.
I was struggling with my Behringer because:

1) everyone talks about how it dies out within a yr or 2.
2) it gets so HOT

SO, I figure, I am using 5-6 ch out of 14, might as well get a stronger/smaller mixer for better quality. So, I was like, gotta get a good one, and Allen Heath and Spirit came in mind. After some research, I figure, a Mackie 1402 would do for now since I don't have that much cash at this moment....
 
A1A2,

As I said in an earlier post, I used to have a mackie 1604vlz pro. I got rid of it for my Behringer mx3242x. My B has an external power amp and it doesn't get hot at all. The mackie gets very hot and since the power amp is right inside the board, this is not good on surroundings pcb's and so on. Heat is not good and also having the power amp built into the board can cause unwanted noise. Anyway, the point is, that a 16 channel board is plenty for a home studio and in most cases even a public studio.

The only board upgrade I might make is to the new ddx3216 behringer all digital board. By the way, I'm not saying that mackie isn't a good board. I just perfer the behringer.
 
This is really a "home"studio. Just one little area of my apartment....

Since this was taken, I've added a TC Electronic Triple-C compressor.

Also, note in the second pic, I built a folding baffle to cover 2 sides of my CPU. The fans are a little noisy.

The rack rolls around and stores flat against the wall.

As you can see in the bottom pic, the entire desk rolls out from the wall so I have easy access to rear.

Also just purchased some Auralex panels which will be mounted to Masonite and hung behind the desk.

The whole thing can be taken totally apart very easily if I move.

Earl

studio001.jpg


studio002.jpg


studio005back.jpg
 
Michael Jones your setup is nice. Looks professional.
By the way, where did you get those sponge sound dampers I see on the wall? I can sure use them because I live in an apartment. Do they relaly help dampen the sound? ;)
 
pdlstl:

Nice job on organizing your cables! I often find myself trapped in wires....lol
 
amt7565 said:
Michael Jones your setup is nice. Looks professional.
By the way, where did you get those sponge sound dampers I see on the wall? I can sure use them because I live in an apartment. Do they relaly help dampen the sound? ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks AMT, I wish I had a better digital camera. The pic's really don't do the room justice.

The black sound dampening devices are 2'x4' panels of aurelux pyrimid foam set into wooden frames. (I bought them at Mars, less than $20 each.) I set them in frames so that I could nail them onto the walls rather than glueing them to the wall surface. I think the glue, or adhesive would be an incredible mess! Especially if you ever had to take them off.
There's about an 8" space between the black panels, and I took some purple saw toothed foam panels, cut them down to 12" and kind of force fit them between the black panels. Force fitting them required that the be "curved" to fit in between. They stay put very nicely, and work very well.

I have a large Grand Piano in this room, and the room is about 17'x20', with 9' ceilings, so reverberation and early reflections proved to be a problem in the pre sound dampening stage of studio use.

I think the acoustic treatment has done wonders for this room. While the acoustics are no where near professional studio standards, they have proved to be an excellent, inexpensive modification for the sound of this room. I have even had my piano tunner comment on the quality of the room's sound, noting in particular the lack of early reflections, and therefore, the ease in tuning the piano.

If I had it to do different, I think I would have used a combination of acoustic foam, and hard wood diffusion panels, but that would be for purely asthetic/artistic reasons.
 
DougD said:
Hey pdlstl,

Nice (SPICE) rack!
Click to expand...
ROFL!! I was going to say the same thing!
Seriously though; what a great digital camera he used. I can make out the tweed pattern in the chair's fabric! I can see individual frets on the guitars, and almost make out grill holes in the PC speakers!
What kind of camera did you use pdlstl?
 
Michael,

It's Sony Mavica FD95. 2.1 megapixel with 10 X's optical zoom and a 2X's digital doubler. These were $1000 when new but can be had for around $450 now. Of course I paid the $1000...grrrrr!

Re: wiring. I have always hated clutter and especially dealing with it behind electronic gear. That's why I bought a desk (Office Max) with wheels on it. I'm always needing to get to the back of my computer/recording gear and this makes things sooooo easy. Also, because the rack rolls around, I have complete access to the back of it as well. I also bought a ton of little plastic cable 'organizers' (Container Store) which tidy things up nicely.

Re: foam panels. Mars has a pretty good deal on an Auralex package. Regularly $379, now $99. Has 24 1'x1'x2" panels and 9 plastic Minifusors and a tube of adhesive. They were in stock at my local store (Arlington, TX) day before yesterday but also in stock at the online store. I'm also ordering some 16'"x16"x2" blue panels from Markertek.com. About $3.00 and change each.

Link to Mars/Auralex package:

http://www.marsmusic.com/store/product_template.jhtml?catid=&prodid=12464&primarySkuId=10737

Hope this helps.

Earl
 
atomictoyz said:
Hey pdlstl....is that a Peterson Strobe tuner in your rack! I
havent seen one of those in 10 years...

Peace,
Dennis
Click to expand...

Dennis,

Yep! Still as accurate as the day I bought it. And I drug it around on the road for several years.

You should check out their website:

http://www.petersontuners.com/

They have many new models available. They even have one with 12 strobe wheels!

Regards,

Earl
 
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