Rate my incomming Home-Studio gear!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zorlee
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Zorlee

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Hi!
I'm going to buy some home-studio gear, and I'm wondering if this will allow me to get a good quality sound with me (drums) and with my band (not played at the same time, but for example bass and drums, the guitar and keyboard and the vocal - not everything on the same time).

- Delta 1010lt PCI soundcard (Does this soundcard have a good driver or is it to old? Would you recommend it?)

- Behringer mixer (16 channel, 8 mic inputs)

- Good Studio Program

- Drum mics (Shure SM57 on snare - the only thing I'm sure about. Please post some good but not that expensive overhead links, so I can check them out!)

- Cables (Okey... How do I link the mixer to the soundcard when I want to mix the drums individual? I know there's a "signal" output behind every mic input, so do I take a cable from there to the soundcard, and voila? Or must I do something different??? Please help!)


Would this give me a nice starter homestudio (not pro quality but really good wuality, semi quality). If I tune correctly, have good enough mics and the mic plasement and the mixing is good. Will I a really nice sound out of my Yamaha Recording Custom 9000 set?
Please help me, and answer!!! Only serious answers from people with experience is allowed!

Zorlee... The Studio newb :p
 
Please help me, and answer!!! Only serious answers from people with experience is allowed!
Click to expand...

.. and here I am.



Second thought.. better ask Bluebear.
 
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The gear is certainly more than enough to get started -- but the performance of the gear far outweighs your skill level at this point, anyways.

Your decision on what to buy should also take into account that as your ears develop (hopefully - if you're serious about it!), the performance of your gear becomes more criticial, and stuff that was "good enough" no longer is and you end up having to replace it in a relatively short amount of time. Contrast that to spending more now and buying pro level gear that will last (sonically) for as long as you're involved in recording.

It also all depends on how invovled you feel you'll be in recording 10 years or so, from now... if it's just a casual hobby, then spending huge dollars on gear doesn't make sense either.......

Food for thought.....
 
Thank you!

Well... I though of that thing you mentioned (Your decision on what to buy should also take into account that as your ears develop (hopefully - if you're serious about it!), the performance of your gear becomes more criticial, and stuff that was "good enough" no longer is and you end up having to replace it in a relatively short amount of time. Contrast that to spending more now and buying pro level gear that will last (sonically) for as long as you're involved in recording.) and I think that the gear I have listed is gear that will last a while, don't you think? Like you said, the gear is over my skill point, but don't you think at least the soundcard will ceep up a while??
I hope so... I know that the Behringer mixer isn't THAT good, but answer honestly:

Will I get good quality/cool sounds from the gear!? - that includes good mic's...
 
Zorlee said:
...but answer honestly:
Will I get good quality/cool sounds from the gear!? - that includes good mic's...
Click to expand...
No - not for a long time -- if you're new to recording, you've got quite the learning curve ahead of you to get even "good" results. You should have no problem getting bad to mediocre results fairly quickly, buyt that again has nothing to do with the gear.....

It's your skills will be the determining factor for a while yet.......

I would say just jump in and get working on it with what you've ordered -- at least you'll pick up a bit of knowledge that will help you make more gear decisions later on.... and yes - that soundcard will be ok for a while, as will the SM57.... don't expect great things from the mixer, but it's enough "for now".......
 
Thank you very much...
But I haven't ordered yet, but I have told my local music dealer the items I want and he will order it in to the store soon. So you would recomend buying this? I'm new to recording, but I want cool sounds :) So... If you think I can be able to get good quality with the gear when I have recorded for a good while the please tell me, and if not, tell me what to buy!
 
How many tracks do you plan to record simultaneously? And how many mics total? I ask because I think the Behringer mixer pre's are quite noisy (only tried the UB series personally). I would look into a Soundcraft M series mixer if you have the money. They have direct outs on every channel. Even the Yamaha MG pre's are much quieter than the Behringer. BUT, I think you will do fine with what you suggested. As Blue mentioned, the learning curve is very steep when you are starting off.
It's a very personal call when you ask whether you should save up for higher quality equipment to start with. My personal opinion is no. The first time I tested mics, I could barely hear any difference between a Neumann and a Behringer B-1. So I got the B-1. After about a year of learning techniques, I have realized some of the limitations of my gear and am looking to upgrade. Am I mad I started with cheap gear? No way.
OK, I'm sorry that I am rambling now. My two cents:
-1010LT should be fine. I think it has RCA inputs, so look into a snake that has TRS->RCA for mixer->soundcard
-look at the mixer suggestions I had earlier
-no idea what you mean by good studio program. I bought Mackie's Tracktion and prefer it over Sonar and Cubase. Its also gobs cheaper.
-I am not knowledgeable enough to suggest drum mics. You can get away with recording with just 3. Do a search for "recorderman" on this forum.
Hope that helps. And good luck with your purchases.
 
Thank you very much for your help! I love it when I get answers when I need it :D

Well... Ceep posting suggestions! :)
 
DRUM MICS!!! sm 57's r pretty much good enough for the toms too, and not many people have tried it, but some gaff tape around the outside of the head of the sm57,makes an xlnt hi-hat mic, as for kick drum, try a AKG D-112e, they are pretty much a standard kick drum mic unless ur wanting to spend a heap of cash, as for overheads, you could get away with a standard vocal condenser that will serve you a dual purpose!
 
pitbull said:
DRUM MICSsome gaff tape around the outside of the head of the sm57,makes an xlnt hi-hat mic
Click to expand...


I would think all this will do is screw up the response of the mic and leave you with a sticky sm57. Covering up the holes turns the mic into a psuedo omni and I don't know why you would want an omni on hihats.
 
zorlee re recording program. powertracks pgmusic.com.
mates great with a delta sound card . if you think i'm lying talk to a guy called rharv a user on the powertracks forum at pg.
it will give you as good sound quality as your sound card and engineering skills will allow.
only 29 bucks for superb 48 track audio and midi recording.
the midi sequencer alone is worth the price.
also check out CAD mics sometime. i also like anything beyer for mics.
 
Blue Bear puts it very nicely. :)

In general you have enough to really learn what you are doing and eventually push that gear to the limit and make below average recordings. Like BB said--it's good enough for now.

Learn to push what you have to the max. Very few of us have access to all the tools we want. I know I don't, and even after I spend 40k on new equipment there are still dozens of things I want that I can't justify--like 1200 dollar Royer ribbon mics, a pair of Neumann U87's, the Cranesong STC-8 and so on.

If you apply yourself hard you'll outgrow that stuff in about 2 years, and then you can think about upgrading and maybe opening up your own place and charging people money for your skills.
 
Cloneboy Studio said:
Blue Bear puts it very nicely. :)

In general you have enough to really learn what you are doing and eventually push that gear to the limit and make below average recordings. Like BB said--it's good enough for now.

Learn to push what you have to the max. Very few of us have access to all the tools we want. I know I don't, and even after I spend 40k on new equipment there are still dozens of things I want that I can't justify--like 1200 dollar Royer ribbon mics, a pair of Neumann U87's, the Cranesong STC-8 and so on.

If you apply yourself hard you'll outgrow that stuff in about 2 years, and then you can think about upgrading and maybe opening up your own place and charging people money for your skills.
Click to expand...

This really helped me! Thank you man!
And thank you guys for your answers! I now trust that I'll get good enough gear! Zorlee...
 
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Zorlee said:
Hi!
I'm going to buy some home-studio gear, and I'm wondering if this will allow me to get a good quality sound with me (drums) and with my band (not played at the same time, but for example bass and drums, the guitar and keyboard and the vocal - not everything on the same time).

- Delta 1010lt PCI soundcard (Does this soundcard have a good driver or is it to old? Would you recommend it?)

- Behringer mixer (16 channel, 8 mic inputs)

- Good Studio Program

- Drum mics (Shure SM57 on snare - the only thing I'm sure about. Please post some good but not that expensive overhead links, so I can check them out!)

- Cables (Okey... How do I link the mixer to the soundcard when I want to mix the drums individual? I know there's a "signal" output behind every mic input, so do I take a cable from there to the soundcard, and voila? Or must I do something different??? Please help!)


Would this give me a nice starter homestudio (not pro quality but really good wuality, semi quality). If I tune correctly, have good enough mics and the mic plasement and the mixing is good. Will I a really nice sound out of my Yamaha Recording Custom 9000 set?
Please help me, and answer!!! Only serious answers from people with experience is allowed!

Zorlee... The Studio newb :p
Click to expand...

Don't want to throw you way off course but you might want to take a look at the Aardvark Q10. I have two of them, and while it took a little while to get them running well, I have been very pleased.

The thing I (personally) liked about the Q10 solution was that I was able run without a mixing board. This was a cost advantage to me, also a space advantage, and wound up being a nice sound advantage too, in that the built in preamps in the Q10 seem to be better sounding (just clean, nothing breathtaking) than the beringer stuff.

So, for $800 you get 8 ins and outs with preamps, 4 with phantom power to plug right into your computer... All you need (absolutely, no question NEED) are cables and mics and you are ready to go.

This way, you can spend the rest of your money on things like nicer mics, sound treatment for the room, preamps, software, external signal processors...

I do not want to claim that you (or I for that matter) will have equipment on par with professional studios, but you can record some nice sounding music.

Here are two links to examples of what I have done in my first two recording projects (The Dr. Spark stuff is still in process, only the drums are final, everything else scratch. The Dan Whitaker stuff is done and mastered(mastered by DRT))

Dan Whitaker Country Band: http://www.danwhitaker.com/yourfinal.html

Dr. Spark http://www.soundclick.com/bands/3/drsparkmusic.htm

Since getting my Q10's I have added a RNP, two RNC's, a lower end Joemeek compressor/pre and a pile of great mics that I have picked up from ebay.

For your overhead question, I really like my Oktava 012's... They are about the cheapest mics I have bought, but they sure worked well as overheads through the RNP.

Hope this helps,

Email me if you have any other questions that you think I could help with.

Jim
 
It also depends on how much live work you want to do. The Aardvark may allow you to go mixerless in the studio, but it won't help you out much live. I own a MOTU828mkII. I originally thought it might have some live use for me, but it never leaves my studio.
 
Zorlee, I have almost the same gear that you are planning to buy. I agree with BB you better save and go for "not so cheap" gear. I have a behringer mixer UB series. It was ok when I bought it, now after 2 years I think my skills moved a little forward, my ears are looking for better quality so it´s time to upgrade. If you ask me to buy or not, I say save more money and go for better quality, this goes for mics and mixers, I have no regret with my Delta 1010lt.

TS
 
pitbull said:
DRUM MICS!!! sm 57's r pretty much good enough for the toms too, and not many people have tried it, but some gaff tape around the outside of the head of the sm57,makes an xlnt hi-hat mic, as for kick drum, try a AKG D-112e, they are pretty much a standard kick drum mic unless ur wanting to spend a heap of cash, as for overheads, you could get away with a standard vocal condenser that will serve you a dual purpose!
Click to expand...

Has anybody ever tried an AKG C-1000S as an overhead? In a pinch I have made due with two of these, a D-112, and a 57 on the snare. I think they sound great, for my raunchy blues-rock anyway.
 
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