Roughly $1600 budget - What to do

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Websteria

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Hi all,

I'm trying to set up a decent home studio to just do recording of myself, and some of my friends. I want the results to sound as good as they can for the $.

Here's what I've got now.

M-Audio Firewire Solo
Studio Projects C1 condenser mic
Shure SM57 Mic
Powermac G4/Logic Express

I'm thinking about selling the M-Audio and putting some more $ together to replace it with something.

RME Fireface/800
MOTU 896HD
etc.

OR

Buying a cheaper audio interface and getting a decent preamp

OR

keeping the M-audio and getting a kick ass preamp.

What's the best bang for the $?

Thanks!
Jeff
 
If I had $1600 in my pocket and didn't know what to do with it I'd certify myself crazy. Sounds like you should do some reading.

You didn't mention monitors, acoustic room treatment, ......lava lamp!
 
I don't currently have any monitors, using headphones.

Can't do any room treatments as this is in my bonus room which is also the home theater room.. Are there any other alternatives to full room treatments?

I know what I want to do with the $, I just want to get an idea of if it's the best thing to do with the $.

My first thought is to get the RME Fireface and some monitors.
 
I'd definately have the monitors at the top of the list. Without them you will NEVER be able to translate how your mixes will sound anywhere else.

As for acoustical treatment...if it's the home cinema room then all the more reason to treat it. There's plenty of info on making your own bass traps, diffusers, etc on this site as well as John L Sayer's site and the SAE site. Obviously you're not looking to sound proof the place but tuning the room will go a hell of a long way towards helping you interprit what's going on in your mixes.

You know if I had to start over I'd probably make them two my top priority. Room acoustics and decent monitors. You'll get better mixes with a cheap mic and a tape recorder in a treated room with monitors than you will with the latest Pro Tools HD system with racks of vintage mic pre's and tube mics mixing through headphones with the room untreated.

Do you honestly think you are gonna hear a difference upgrading your convertors through headphones enough to justify the money spent when other areas are needing sorted out?

Just some food for thought. As I said, I know exactly what I'D do with the money but then I'm on here every spare minute I have searching and reading and searching and reading and reading more. That's helped me to not come on here asking how I should spend my money.
 
> if it's the home cinema room then all the more reason to treat it. <

My thoughts exactly. I have a laptop with firewire sound card in my well-treated HT so I can mix surround.

--Ethan
 
LemonTree said:
You'll get better mixes with a cheap mic and a tape recorder in a treated room with monitors than you will with the latest Pro Tools HD system with racks of vintage mic pre's and tube mics mixing through headphones with the room untreated.
Click to expand...
A little excessive but I see your point. :p
 
I know I'm gonna take some heat for saying this, but for the best bang for your buck, research and find a decent studio in your area. I know this is home recording and I like to help anyway I can, but if you want the best recording you can get for $1600 you want to check another studio.
 
Websteria said:
I don't currently have any monitors, using headphones.

Can't do any room treatments as this is in my bonus room which is also the home theater room.. Are there any other alternatives to full room treatments?

I know what I want to do with the $, I just want to get an idea of if it's the best thing to do with the $.

My first thought is to get the RME Fireface and some monitors.
Click to expand...
If it’s a home theater room I see no reason not to treat it. Heck you may even get a better sound out of your home theater system. You can model it after a theater. You know with the curtains on the walls.
 
Send me $1500 and I'll tell you what the best mic under $100 is.

Done and done.
 
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