Request for opinions on the proposed setup

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T

terrapintaco

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I've been doing a lot of reading and learning about home studio/recording options and i'm just about ready to
make a final decision, and any insight or comments would be welcome.

Background: I've recorded on a handful of records over the last 8 years, from bedroom studio to pro studio from analog to
digital. In each case the producer/engineer did all the "work". I picked up some familiarity but I am definitely a newbie
when it comes to doing it myself. I've been reading Home Recording for Dummies and that's been useful. Thus, I'm looking
for a system that is fairly easy to setup and use.

My Vision: I play in rock / folk-rock bands as a diversion to real-life.
For my next record I want to invest in recording gear instead of paying a studio. This way hopefully I can make records for
years for less than the price of 1 single project. My immediate plan is to go to a studio to get drums and bass tracks, but down
the line I would like to learn enough and have enough mics etc. to do the whole thing myself. I don't expect my records to be exactly the same quality as a pro studio, but I'd like them to sound very good.

My needs: I need a system where I can have the drums and bass recorded elsewhere then input into my system. I want to do the Vocals, keys, guitars and other extras at my home studio. Someday I'd like to do drums at home too.

My proposed setup:
1. I'm leaning towards a PC system, since I work with PCs everyday, and I'm interested in using the PC to play around with sampling and digital effects. I plan to buy a new PC w/ dual HD and 1GB RAM, and probably Windows 2000 (unless there's a reason to go XP). I'd use this computer just for audio recording. Can I also do Video editing w/o compromising the system?

2. Software: I'm leaning toward Cakewalk Sonar at this point.

3. Mixing Board: Mackie 1642-VLZ Pro- I know I want knobs to turn and levers to push , but I'm a little confused whether this is the right thing I'm looking for. Will I be able to use this board during mixdown? And can I use this to also send to PA speakers in my studio for live practice/playing? Should I be looking for a Control interface instead?

4. Monitors: I'll get headphones, but I'm wondering are there studio monitors that would be loud enough to amplify vox and keys while playing with bass and drums and guitar (at a fairly low level) when we practice in a 16x16 room?

5. Mics: haven't decided yet on what to get (will depend on what's left of my budget).

thanks for your time. Please let me know if I'm forgetting something major here, or any other advice.

Peace,

TT
 
Sounds like a reasonable list. A couple of direct answers and comments:

My needs: I need a system where I can have the drums and bass recorded elsewhere then input into my system. I want to do the Vocals, keys, guitars and other extras at my home studio. Someday I'd like to do drums at home too.
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You might want to check out what "elsewhere" is using. If it's a pro studio, as you mentioned, there's a fairly good chance that they'll be using Pro Tools. You'll have to do stuff like export the individual tracks from the Pro Tools session and import them into SONAR, and then back again if you ever take what you've done and go back to the studio with it. It can be done, but you might want to investigate the situation and satisfy yourself that you can work the way you want to expeditiously.


I'm leaning towards a PC system... Can I also do Video editing w/o compromising the system?
Click to expand...

Depends on what you mean by compromising the system. Yeah, you can do video editing quite nicely with the system you described, a video capture card, and a good video application like Vegas or Premiere. But if you work on videos too you'll be filling up hard disk space left and right, which might conflict with your desire to have enough disk space available for all your needs. But you can certainly functionally do audio recording and video editing on the same machine.

Will I be able to use this board during mixdown?
Click to expand...
Sure, if you want to mix in the traditional way.

And can I use this to also send to PA speakers in my studio for live practice/playing?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Should I be looking for a Control interface instead?
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Perhaps "in addition to" rather than "instead." A control surface will allow you to have tactile control over mixdown within the computer. And a traditional analog mixing board also serves the impotant function of collecting your inputs together as well, with mic preamps and such, and with the way you want to work, you'll probably need one. So you might want both devices in a perfect world.

I'll get headphones, but I'm wondering are there studio monitors that would be loud enough to amplify vox and keys while playing with bass and drums and guitar (at a fairly low level) when we practice in a 16x16 room?
Click to expand...
You'll really want to have a good pair of monitors. Almost any good-sized ones should be loud enough if you indeed are playing a a pretty low level. Of course you'll need headphones too to minimize bleed from the speakers into the mic
 
If you want to edit video and do audio, your one stop solution is Vegas. Vegas is probably the best video editing program you can get on PC that doesn't cost thousands of dollars (ie, Avid). It compares quite nicely to Final Cut Pro (the latest craze in prosumer video) and costs half as much. Plus it has the best UI of any multitrack audio app, IMO.
 
Vegas is awesome, but it doesn't do MIDI sequencing, does it?
 
I use a Mackie 1202...the 12 channel model, and I have used a mackie 24 channel 'elsewhere' lol...the Mackie boards are a very nice choice.

I may have read right over this in your post, but you will need some kind of sound card to get the stuff into the computer...maybe a Delta 1010 or something....someone else could recommend things better
 
Vegas is awesome, but it doesn't do MIDI sequencing, does it?
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Nope, the only drawback. There's been rumors at the forums on Sonic Foundry's site that the next version will have MIDI sequencing, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
Mackie mixing

Use the mackie to mixdown... Cool... You got outs?
You will need 1 out per mixing track. (Maybe 2 Laylas or Motu's with 8 outs each).
If you are going to limit to 16 tracks of mixdown though, you may not need the computer. One of the best things about the computer is mixing down 38 tracks at once! Thats why I got it.
Good luck!
 
Re: Mackie mixing

rj said:
One of the best things about the computer is mixing down 38 tracks at once! Thats why I got it.
[/B]
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Amen!
 
Good questions..

Greetings,

The more I hang around here, the more I learn the "whys" to my questions more then the how (which i also learn sometimes)

If I am understand this, the plan is to go through the mackie into the computer. Then back out of the computer, into the mackie, mixdown, and save as a stereo file on the computer. If this is true, why has nobody mentioned about converted back to analog? is it so insignificient that it ain't gonna matter much? I have always figured if you spend the $$ on the good converters you would have to be taken kicking and screaming back to analog



SirRiff
 
If this is true, why has nobody mentioned about converted back to analog? is it so insignificient that it ain't gonna matter much? I have always figured if you spend the $$ on the good converters you would have to be taken kicking and screaming back to analog
Click to expand...
I don't think one extra D/A A/D conversion is going to make a noticeable difference.
 
I'll have a single Delta 1010 to start with. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, if I want to mix using the Mackie 1642 VLZ Pro, I'll be limited to songs that are 8 tracks or less, because the 1010 has 8 outs.

So I should be thinking of the Mackie board as a method of getting music into the computer via the 1010, but once it's there, use the software mixers (since i'll have many songs with 16-24 tracks, maybe more).

The main benefit of the Mackie in the recording process is to use its mic preamps, right?

thanks everyone for your help


TT
 
So, if I'm understanding this correctly, if I want to mix using the Mackie 1642 VLZ Pro, I'll be limited to songs that are 8 tracks or less, because the 1010 has 8 outs.
Click to expand...
Yup.
So I should be thinking of the Mackie board as a method of getting music into the computer via the 1010, but once it's there, use the software mixers (since i'll have many songs with 16-24 tracks, maybe more).
Click to expand...
That's what I would do.
The main benefit of the Mackie in the recording process is to use its mic preamps, right?
Click to expand...
For your purposes, that sounds correct. If, on the other hand our were using more of a modular system, with a separate hard disc or analog recorder, and lots of outboard gear, the mackie has other benefits, such as effects sends.
 
I think you should look into Nuendo, for you video and audio.
 
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