Prioritize...mic, software, compressor, or sound card?

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paries

New member
I started a previous thread about starting out recording and found out my stuff was crap, but I'm not rich so I can't buy everything at once. What should I buy in what order and would you suggest anything different than what I'm getting for the same price? Right now I am currently using Eurorack UB1202 mixing board attached to my computer. I am using a Shure PG48 mic and a shareware version of Record Producer computer mixing software to record. What I'm looking at product wise is an AKG C 3000 B mic, Acid Studio recording software, PreSonus BlueMax Stereo Compressor/Limiter, and Audiophile sound card. Suggestions? :D
 
Unless there was something wrong with your room too I would say the mic. Your mic is advertized by Shure as a 'spoken word' mic. In other words one that would be used on podiums for speeches. It deliberately doesn't have the low or high frequencies that makes music, sound full. Nothing downstream can add what the mic never heard in the first place.

But unless you know that soon you would get the money for more stuff I would not put it all on one part of the chain. for example rather than spending it all on just one mic get something a little further down on the mic line and also a DMP3 preamp.
 
I'm using Altec Lansing speakers with THX and Dolby Digital, they came with a Dell package but I use headphones so it doesn't record over. Plus I know its the recording quality if thats what you're getting at cause I burn the songs to MP3's and compare it with other songs i've recorded at one of my friends houses.
 
Nope. Soundcard is THE priority. No point having a good mic or pre if you can't record a good sound from it. Then change your mic. From then on you don't need to spend any more money to make an ok recording - certainly demo quality. Honestly - get an Audiophile first, then something like an SP B1.

After that you can worry about more expensive preamps and then some proper monitors. You use them for mixing once your tracking (recording) is finished. But, once again, you can work with what you have. Just don't try to mix on headphones!

Don't get an AKG C3000. If you want to spend a bit more, consider a CAD M179 or maybe a Groove Tubes. I don't have either but they get raving reviews. The C3000 also gets raving reviews but they tend to be of the vehemently negative variety.

Don't bother with room treatment either unless you're serious about this as a hobby - click your fingers in different parts of the room and any time you hear a funny echo, such as opposite a mirror or along a wall, stick a blanket on a mic stand there to stop the flutter.
 
Mr Noisedude,

All the following is my humble opinoin.

Please allow me to explain a little. (Not to teach you anything, of course, but to clarify.)

I should have said don't use the PC's built in soundcard.

I am persuaded that most electronics are pretty good, and that they perform within, say, 97% of perfection. So the pres on my US122 are probably in the lower end of 97% range, and the esoteric pres may be as high as 99.5% of perfect. Similar numbers apply to A/D D/As, etc. A well trained ear can hear that.

Things in the transducer realm are very different. Mics range from real crap, 80% of perfect, to real good, as do monitors.

Therefore, mediocre electronics with good mics and monitors will produce a much better recording than mediocre mics and monitors with top-shelf electronics.

And no one knows what they'll get out of a crappy acoustic environment.

Again, MHO.
 
I guess I'm assuming he will change both the mic and the soundcard, in which case the card would be my absolute priority. I don't agree that the difference between a $0.05 converter will only be one or two per cent different from a $10 one. Just throwing out numbers based on the likely costs.

If, however, he was only allowed one upgrade ... well maybe I'd change the mic. But only maybe!;)
 
Yeah, I understand. I'm trying to think improvement per dollar, for example, in:

1. M-Audio vs. Multiface vs. RME ADI-8
2. Nady cheapo mic vs. Shure LDC vs. Neumann
3. PC Speakers vs. Fostex vs. HR824

I think if I had the Neumann and the HR824s I could live with the M-Audio. But I couldn't get squat done with the Nady and the PC speakers even with Neumann. Even better, can you imagine going to a studio and they have the RME and the Mackies, and pull out a Nady mic? :rolleyes:
 
I say the mic is your biggest priority now, then the soundcard, then monitors, then the pre, and then get a compressor. Your software doesn't affect the sound, so I'd say tackle that last.
 
The audiophile will work for awhile. So based on what you have.

preamp - used soundcraft mixer or one of the M series or for less a DMP3.
mic - AT 4033 (recommending mics is like telling you what car you should buy - you really need to take a few around the block before deciding)
compressor - RNC or used DBX 160x
monitors - studio monitors. You really can't make anything translateable to other speakers with those Altecs, unless you really understand what is happening with frequencies that you're not hearing.

This will at least get you tracking decent results. Other reccomendations for mixing I would make once you have stepped up a bit on your gear.
 
Mic first, I agree with Noisedude's suggestion of the CAD M179. Great all purpose condensor that will still get used as you build your mic arsenal.

And trust me, if you're getting hooked on this recording gig...there will be an arsenal.

mmmhhwumhahahahahaha

:eek:

War
 
As long as you are using the line-in and not the mic-in on the sound card (i.e. not using the on-card preamp) and recording just one or two channels at once you can go pretty far with an inexpensive soundcard. The reason is that pretty much the only thing you are using on the soundcard is the analog to digital conversion circuitry. Run a test to see if the soundcard is adding noise of its own. If not I would definitly fix the mic and preamp first.
 
Thanks guys, you've been infanantly helpful, I'm probably gonna end up with the CAD M179 and Audiophile in the near future unless there are any last minute suggestions.
 
You made a good decision. You should hear a big difference in the quality of your recordings. Next get a good set of monitors and a decent preamp like the dmp3 and you're good to go.
 
paries said:
Thanks guys, you've been infanantly helpful, I'm probably gonna end up with the CAD M179 and Audiophile in the near future unless there are any last minute suggestions.
Click to expand...

Don't bother with the Audiophile! The Emu 1212M will be the next great thing.

Tony
 
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