So here's my $520 Beginner Studio...Feedback Appreciated

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neffi7

New member
i am new to recording and am just about to buy my first equipment to begin working. so here's what i have

Sennheiser HD280 Pro Headphones - $120
M-Audio Audiophile 2496 Sound Card - $100
M-Audio DMP3 Preamps - $180
MXL 3000 Condenser Mic - $120

i have a Dell Pentium 4, 1GB Ram that i will solely use for recording...and yes i don;t have monitors in my budget as of yet....but they will come in soon..i plan to use the headphones for mixing (i know i'm crazy for this) plus my roommate already complains about my music with ordinary pc speakers...so i might as well learn more with this until i get a place on my own...i have a few books to help me get started on this as well and 1 of them recommended the Sennheiser HD280 Pro Headphones is very tolerable for mixing.

anyways , u guys pls let me know what u think of these setting to begin with or any adjustments i can make with my budget...thanks
 
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i personally would suggest getting an interface vs. a sound card and a pre.

but many around here like the dmp3.

you can get an interface with a preamp/phantom pwer for less than a sound card and the dmp3.

just my thoughts though
 
Have you chosen a DAW yet? If not, try out REAPER. Easy software to use thats cheap after the 30 day trial. It would be good for you, assuming your just going to be doing analog work.
 
liv_rong said:
i personally would suggest getting an interface vs. a sound card and a pre.

but many around here like the dmp3.

you can get an interface with a preamp/phantom pwer for less than a sound card and the dmp3.

just my thoughts though
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You can but separate gives a lot more flexability. You can upgrade one part at a time, and if one part breaks, the other parts fine. Also, you're more likely to get better quality, imo.
 
Looks good to me. :) Can't comment on the microphone as I've never used it. But I own the DMP3 and 2496 and they are both capable of making great-sounding recordings.

I've also heard those headphones are really nice.

When you budget your monitors, you may want to invest in a headphone amp like the Presonus HP4. Then you can have multiple pairs of headphones as well as your monitors hooked up at the same time. Just a suggestion though...
 
appreciate all the feedback guys...seems like a take on so far

do u guys know if the preamps come with cables? or do i hvae to buy the cables myself?
 
neffi7 said:
i heard the cables play a role in how good the quality of ur music comes out........do u know any recommended good cables?
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I'd say cables play probably the smallest role in sound quality, unless of course you're using the wrong cables, the cables are broken, or are just generally crap. I use sssnake from thomann, because they're cheap and do the job, but most cables should be fine, as long as you get the right ones. Search about balanced and unbalanced cables though.
 
neffi7 said:
i heard the cables play a role in how good the quality of ur music comes out........do u know any recommended good cables?
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I was told by a designer that cables don't really matter that much in quality & brands of vs how you run the cables (and cable's shield). The majority of cables would work fine just as long as they are shielded good (some are shielded both with braids & foil)... unless it's just absolute junk.
 
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neffi7 said:
i heard the cables play a role in how good the quality of ur music comes out........do u know any recommended good cables?
Click to expand...

I was told by a designer that cables don't really matter that much in quality & brands of vs how you run the cables (and cable's shield). The majority of cables would work fine just as long as they are shielded good (some are shielded both with braids & foil)... unless it's just absolute junk.
 
neffi7 said:
i heard the cables play a role in how good the quality of ur music comes out........do u know any recommended good cables?
Click to expand...

I was told by a designer that cables don't really matter that much in quality & brands of vs how you run the cables (and cable's shield). The majority of cables would work fine just as long as they are shielded good (some are shielded both with braids & foil)... unless it's just absolute junk.
 
Mindset said:
I was told by a designer that cables don't really matter that much in quality & brands of vs how you run the cables (and cable's shield). The majority of cables would work fine just as long as they are shielded good (some are shielded both with braids & foil)... unless it's just absolute junk.
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Triple post. Also forgot to mention, length plays a role. The shorter the better.
 
neffi7 said:
i have a few books to help me get started on this as well and 1 of them recommended the Sennheiser HD280 Pro Headphones is very tolerable for mixing.
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well nobodies shat on that idea yet so are they actually good for mixing (like neutral) cos that cud save a bit of money...
 
Ridickolas said:
well nobodies shat on that idea yet so are they actually good for mixing (like neutral) cos that cud save a bit of money...
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Can't recommend from experience, but they get good press on the internet and these boards as being very accurate.

Harvey Gerst also recommended them when I asked him for some good, accurate headphones to use. I'm going to buy these as my next pair.

neffi7 said:
guys i been searching for the MXL 300 Condenser mic but I could only find MXLV67G Studio Condenser Microphone
http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MSEMXLV67G

they look alike..do u know if this is the same mic? i cant tell the difference
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There was just recently a thread about this mic and there is a clip of it used on a piano. Not sure if it's the same as the other mic, though.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=251416

Hope this helps.
 
See if you can get yourself an external hard drive. You can use it to store all of your files. Keep the programs on the internal disk and all your project folders on the external. (Plus it makes for easier transport & safer if hard drive crashes) I recomend Glyph or LaCie. 7200Rpm or faster.

As far as cable, I use a lot of Monster- but I'm in the process of switching over to Mogami Cable. Although any cable "will work" , the radio shack brand will definitely compromise the quality of your music over time as those cables often degrade faster than others. I used those types of cables myself for years and I just got tired of replacing them. Monster is cool, but the technology is kind of subtractive which I don't agree with ( but thats a whole other discussion).

Honestly man whatever you can afford, get it. If you wanna get bulk speaker wire or make your own cables you could do that too! Do a search.
 
I use the Senn Hd280's in my studio, 1 pair for mix and 1 pair in the drum room. They are a comfortable set for mixing, and they give good placement of instruments in the pan or sound stage. The bass/low end is quiet compared to some other headphones that maximize the low end sound, this seems to be better for headphone only mixes because you tend to bring the bass up some to hear it better, which actually makes the bass/low end sit better in a mix when played back on other systems, of course they are no replacement for your reference monitors you plan on buying, but for getting use to your gear they'll work fine....btw you should only be paying $99 for these headphones, you can use the rest of $$ for some cables :)
 
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