Setting up our office/studio...

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akronite

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Hello, we are leasing a building in which to set up our office/studio. The only problem is, we havent built the studio yet. I am looking to spend around $5,000 to $10,000, but I need to buy everything in a bundle, hopefully from a place with a decent financing plan. I am looking to go Pro Tools, with a large mixing interface, along with a high powered audio pc. I have a midi controller, and sounds. I will also be looking for a good microphone, and a portable pre-built booth. I have all of the production equipment that I need as of now, being software (reason, cool edit, midi controller, sample disks, turntables). If you could help me out, point me in the right direction, it would be more than benneficial, and I do appreciate any responses. Thanks!
 
Once you start researching, you'll realize you don't have anywhere near enough money to buy what you need.

A portable Pre-Fab booth from Whisper-room alone, will cost you $3500 or more... depending on what size you need.

A "high-powered" PC capable of running pro-tools and various other audio programs.... Mac G5 is the best in my opinion, kiss another $3000 good-bye.

Pro-Tools digi02 which includes the interface and a half-decent pre-amp will run another $3500....

You still don't have a mic, monitors, cables, headphones, patchbay, etc...

I suggest you start reading up on what it is you're trying to do, and figure out where you can cut corners in price.
 
Ahh, Pro Tools LE.... I thought you wanted to run a business studio where people paid you to engineer...?

LE is a decent program, it's designed for home use though, it's not Digidesign's idea of a professional DAW. By going with LE, you'll lose a few aspects of the Digi02 obviously, but you'll need to spend a large portion of that $7000 remaining, on other equipment.

As for the booth, you can construct a good one for around $500.00 if you do it yourself. Check the Studio Building and Display forum on here, lots of good information, and "How to's" in there.

Now, if you decide to go with Pro Tools LE, you're going to need to upgrade your Mic-Pre, and if you're planning on running a project studio as a business, you're going to need a serious pre, and a serious mic...

Honestly, if your going to go with LE, I'd actually recomend you downgrade the DAW to something like Nuendo, or even Adobe Audition... You'll achieve the same performace with it as LE. I'd build a custom PC, at least a 120 GB HDD, a P4 3.0 Ghz, with a 733 FSB, with at least 1 GB of DDR SDRAM, you'll need a serious sound card as well, I'd recomend an Aardvark Q10 if you're planning on doing any serious tracking...

With the custom PC and soundcard, you're looking at about $1500. Add Nuendo at about $1500 and you've spent your $3000 and have achieved well more than you can with Pro Tools LE, in my opinion. If you want to save on the DAW, then Downgrade to Cubase SX, or even as low as Adobe Audition... you'll knock the price down by $1000 or more from Nuendo.

As for the Mic, and the Pre... this is your most important piece of equipment at this point... So why start low-end only to upgrade later on? I say get the best first, and never have to worry about upgrading, while accomodating Singers, Rappers, and anyone else you might have come by... Go with a Korby Convertible.

http://www.korbyaudio.com/kat4.html

The price tag is hefty, at $6000.00 but, you may be able to get a break on that. Ask your local dealer... I've had personal experience with this mic, and it's unbelieveable how well it replicates the 4 different mics. Spend the last $1000 on a mic pre, and you're set... Read up on mic pre's though, I'm no expert in that arena, but I know you can find some seriously good pre's for Under $1000.00 so, do your research.
 
Oh, by the way... The Digi02 used in the Carillon system is not the same system being used in Pro-Studios...

I know the Studio in Vegas where my homie is an engineer, they use the Digi 01, with Pro Tools CCi or something like that... It's nothing like Pro Tools LE, and it's designed for Professional Studios...

Also, this is all MY opinion, so take it with a grain of salt...lol..

I'm not a fan of Pro Tools systems. They're nice, but you can do a LOT more for the same amount of money in my mind... :)
 
Well, I truly appreciate all of your help. You have been very descriptive. Right now, we are only looking to accomodate artists that we ALREADY record. We are currently using:

1.4 ghz pc
512 ram
cool edit pro 2.0, t-racks, reason 2.5, Sonic Foundry Cd Architect
Mackie 1202 Mixer
Several Midi Controllers
2 Stanton Str8-50 Turntables
A pair of hand-me down monitors
A closet converted into a vocal booth, using a Rode Nt-1 straight into the Mackie's built in mic pre.

I am basically needing the pro-tools for the name, as materialistic as that sounds. We deal with a lot of rapper who don't care as much about the sound, as much as they love to brag about being in a "Pro Tools" studio. I was looking at the AKG c414, but the Korby looks nice as well. A bit pricey, but I don't see it as something un-financeable. I appreciate your response!
 
Well, then I must ask this... Why even bother?

If it's all in a name, get the free version of Pro Tools software, and advertise based on that.... Build a propper recording booth, upgrade the mic, the pre, and the monitors, build a new PC, and call it a win.

Don't spend money for the sake of spending money... If all they care about is recording in a Pro Tools studio, simply show them the open version of Pro Tools software, and move on...lol..

Speaking as someone who's recorded in a professional pro-tools studio, I highly prefer my home studio recordings...

It's like fashion, why buy Paper Denim Jeans, when my Phat Farm get the job done, and actually feel better?

In the time it takes you to make an ROI (return on investment) on that $10,000 you could have been banking plenty of cash to fund other projects...
 
Great idea. One question, is there a way to sync an external control/mixing surface to cool edit?

I feel you on the Phat Farm analogy.
 
Along the lines of what Change of Poets was talking about rappers and the gear they expect you to use such as the Korg Triton ya i got one but shit u can get better sounds from a SoundBlaster Live audio card IMO. And the Akai MPC ya i got one but i can do the same thing i can do on it and more with Cubase, Sonar or any other multitracking software. Both pieces even though they have there uses are nothing more than props in my home studio because rappers in general are not open minded will swear up and down i used a Whatever to make a beat when all i really did use it for was a high priced midi controller.
 
akronite said:
Great idea. One question, is there a way to sync an external control/mixing surface to cool edit?

I feel you on the Phat Farm analogy.
Click to expand...
Technically you can synch an external controller with with Cool Edit by SMTP but, I don't personally know anyone doing that. I assume the Tascam 1884 is capable of doing so (http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--TASFW1884) but I'm not sure...

I know for a fact, Cubase SX is capable of doing so. One of my friends is doing so in his studio, with a Mackie device and a MIDI controller.

The bottom line is what though? How it sounds...

So, as long as it sounds professional, who cares how you get there?
 
I'm responding to this post just a few hours after taking a possible client over to a associates home studio to record, due to the fact that I recently moved and haven't setup my system yet. My buddy uses Pro-Tools with the digi02 interface. I use Vegas 2.0 on a Pentium 2 system. After we left we all agreed
that the session didn't go so well due to his system continuing to stop playing because of some buffering settings that he just couldn't get right. I know I would have did a way better job if only I was setup.

What I'm saying is I got the gig because of the stuff they had heard from me, and not even knowing that I didn't use Pro-Tools.

My buddy's studio just be upgraded from the digi001, plus the price of a new
Sam Ash purchased $1800.00 computer, and the results I'm getting from a $100.00 computer, a first generation 20 bit Layla soundcard, and Vegas 2.0 is blowing his results out the water.

I plan on being setup in about another week, and I told them I would re-record the session for free, and this will prove to me once again just how over hyped Pro Tools is.
 
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