So I want to start a home recording studio...

[Neo Link]

My aim is to make a home studio with a budget of around $1,770 where I can make music on my spare time (not for a career), but with decent close-to-pro-sounding quality so that I can be taken seriously enough to maybe make a little income on the side. My material is most likely to gravitate towards progressive metal.

So far what I have is:

1. My Macbook Pro, OSX Leopard with 74 GB HD (because of partition to install Windows XP also with 74 GB), Intel Core Duo 2 2.4 GHz, GeForce 8600GT 512 MB vRAM, 2 GB RAM, and its factory sound card.

2. Line 6 POD X3 Live

3. Ibanez Xiphos XPT700, Washburn x10, borrowed Fender Squire bass, some old classical guitar.

I have a Randall RG25RXM 33w combo that is useless for a home studio and Selectron speakers that I briefly used as monitors with my POD X3 for a song I made in Garageband, but that cannot go on any longer. I was considering some bundles for Pro Tools, but once it was clear that I was going to need more MIDI support for playing virtual instruments and composing, I decided to go the Logic way until something proved me otherwise. This means I will not be using an MBox 2. I've been talking to my cousin who works in a local professional studio and he's been recommending me some stuff. So far the hypothetical inventory list for the studio would be:

1. Logic (he works with Pro Tools, but he said that for what I needed I'd best go with Logic)

2. M-Audio Fast Track (Pro, Ultra, or Ultra 8R, I'll probably go with Ultra)

3. M-Audio Studiophile BX5a Deluxe Active monitors

4. M-Audio Oxygen 49 MIDI keyboard (Or should I get Axiom 49?)

5. Shure SM57 instrument mic (Might not be very necessary until I get a new amp, something monstrous like a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier, could use it to mic acoustic guitars)*

6. Audio-Technica AT2020 condenser mic (for vocals, although I don't know if I'll be recording vocals anytime soon, as my material is most likely going to be instrumental, it'd still be good to have around just in case)

7. Toontrack's EZDrummer Drumkit From Hell for everything that has to do with drums.

8. If there's anything left on the budget maybe a bass of my own.

*I say this because I plan to plug the POD X3 through S/PDIF to the Fast Track Ultra, and that should be enough for all my guitar tone needs. One of my favorite artists, Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon, uses complete Line 6 technology for his guitar sounds, and he sounds pretty good to me.

So, with all that said, is there anything else I should know about? I think that with all the above I still should have room in my budget. I'd appreciate any other suggestions that can help me make the best studio I can with the money I have.

 

[RAMI]

So, with all that said, is there anything else I should know about?

Yes. Room treatment. Probably the most important, yet most over-looked aspect in getting the best sound on your recordings. Going by your list, you don't have one penny invested in it.

 

[Weasel9992]

Yes. Room treatment. Probably the most important, yet most over-looked aspect in getting the best sound on your recordings. Going by your list, you don't have one penny invested in it.

That's also where I'd start. Later on you can upgrade mics/preamps, but the room has to be sound first.

Frank

 

[Monkey Allen]

Yeah room treatment is a good idea...by the way...such a specific budget amount...what's up with that??

 

[Manslick]

If I had a cousin who works in a local professional studio, I'd just ask him or go there and hang out.

Dude you got the holy grail right under your nose.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Id avoid the AT 20 series If I could...for the same price you might do alot better with a used 40 series...the M-Audio monitors are pretty much the same price good monitors go for used...I see JBL pro monitors on Craigslist all the time for arround $200

Welcome to the money pit...Id see if you can get your cousin to let you clean up arround the studio...learn all you can from it...I interned for a while and it is better than the college classes you can take.

 

[Neo Link]

Yes. Room treatment. Probably the most important, yet most over-looked aspect in getting the best sound on your recordings. Going by your list, you don't have one penny invested in it.

I knew someone was going to mention that. There's a room behind my garage that no one uses and I could use it exclusively for the studio. But I have no idea how to prepare a room for recording. Any tips?

@ Manslick: I'd ask him if I can hang out, but I don't want to bother him.

@ darrin_h2000: I'll consider the alternatives, thanks.

 

[RAMI]

I knew someone was going to mention that. There's a room behind my garage that no one uses and I could use it exclusively for the studio. But I have no idea how to prepare a room for recording. Any tips?

I'd watch every video and read every article on this site: http://www.realtraps.com/videos.htm

Also, check out the threads in the "Studio Building" forum here on HR.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Be sure and realize too that many of those same products can be made with stuff you can buy at Home depot...you dont have to spring for that $12,000 package they sell in that video.

 

[RAMI]

Be sure and realize too that many of those same products can be made with stuff you can buy at Home depot...you dont have to spring for that $12,000 package they sell in that video.

True. It is a bit of an ad for his product (not that there's anything wrong with that). But you can make all this stuff with the right materials.

 

[Weasel9992]

I knew someone was going to mention that. There's a room behind my garage that no one uses and I could use it exclusively for the studio. But I have no idea how to prepare a room for recording. Any tips?

If you want to post some dimensions or a diagram I'd be happy to help you out there. Here's some general information to hold you over:

• Make sure you setup so that you’re firing down the longest dimension of the room.
• Your head should be placed 38% of the way into the room, centered between the left and right walls
• Your head should also be located at the tip of an equilateral triangle with your speakers. Start at a 5’ width and go from there.
• Use at least 4” bass trapping in all the corners, floor to ceiling if possible.
• Use 4” or 6” bass traps on the back wall; the thicker the better basically.
• Use 4” panels behind the speakers on the front wall
• The reflection points to the right, left and above your head can be treated with either 2” or 4” panels. I prefer 4” panels personally; you can never really overdo bass trapping.
• In the case of larger rooms you can use diffusion on the right and left walls near the rear of the room.

Be sure and realize too that many of those same products can be made with stuff you can buy at Home depot...you dont have to spring for that $12,000 package they sell in that video.

Absolutely true. You may not necessarily be able to get it all from Home Depot, but you can build your own acoustic treatments and save some money. $12,000 might be a little steep for your average home studio guy.

Frank

 

[JIMBOdrummer]

I'd watch every video and read every article on this site: http://www.realtraps.com/videos.htm

Also, check out the threads in the "Studio Building" forum here on HR.

thats a GREAT link. i just watched the ultimate home studio video its a ton of good info.

one funny thing... the shorter guy needs to get like botox injected into his eye brows. watch the video and you'll know y

still good sight