totally new and very dumb

  • Thread starter Thread starter guhlenn
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guhlenn

guhlenn

Oh REALLY????
hi,
I'm new, what a coincidence i'm in the newbies section, and just want some advice BEFORE I go and start buying stuff.
I play in a band with 2 guitarist 1 bass 1 drum and a female singer. now we want to forget about the horrors of commercial studios and i'm trying to fugure out what we need. Remember were poor and dumb!
I 'm thinking about ADAT but is it good and what will I need next to the adat and mixing console? (and: is it expensive ;-))
hoping you can help me out.
 
Well, it depends on what you mean with "expensive". Most people would say ADAT is expensive, yes...

If you haven't done any recording before, I'd recommend buying some kind of portastudio. What you want depends on your budget. A reasonable place to start is with at least 8 channels. That ends up somewhere between $500 and $1200 or so, and you'll also need at least two good microphones, which is a couple of hundred more.

If thats within your budget you would have a good starting place. Otherwise there are ways to go cheaper...
 
thanks,
i'll be a bit more specific.
the portastudios seem like they just won't cut it though thats just my gutfeeling.
i don't want to be stuck with something and the adat system can always be expanded it seems.
going to a studio will probably cost us $2000 so that's what I got to spend. remember though that I will need to have everything for aproximatly that. a computer and that kind not included just basic recording.
We need to record at a high quality as we're selling the stuff we make so it gotta sound good and not have a boundary in sonic quality. i'm thinking of buying second-hand, what do you think?
 
I don't have a problem with buying second hand. Others here have. It's a matter of religion. :)

Remember, when you pay $2000 to go into a studio you usually get access to a recording engineer that knows what he is doing... If you really have no experience in recording I think it will probably take you half a year to a year of your spare time to learn how to get a descent sound out of any equipment. It's great fun though, but if your goal really is to have a commercial CD, it quite possible to do it, but going to a studio will be much faster. On the other hand, once you have shelled out all the money for the studio and learnt recording, you can make a lot of albums pretty cheap...

Anyway, with your budget I would probably go for one of the high-end 16-track digital portas. An ADAT with a mixer to match is probably more than $2000 new. Second hand I think you would get it for under $2000, but then you still need microphones, compressors, effects, cables and all that stuff. A good 16-track digital porta will end up somewhere in the $1000-$1600 region, and then you really only need microphones and you're ready to go. So a 16-track porta (which one I don't know, maybe a Fostex VF-16 [$1199], they seem to have gotten rave reviews all over) and a couple of good mics (ask in the mic forum, but an SM-57 [$80] or two and two Rødes NT2s [$200 each]) would cover the basic ground I think. It should be possible to record things with this that is good enough to work commercially.

Or what do you other guys say?
 
I'm aware of the fact that my sound wil be a nono for some time but i'm lookin at the long term here. that's why i'm so into the adat thing.
i've looked at some porta studios and can get one for $300! (tascam 488 i believe) but every review has this sort of pityfull tone in it that yes it is great for it's price but ....
i just don't wanna be stuck with old shit doesn't deliver in the way I want.

I figured out that i need a compressor to here's what i think i also need:
preamp for the mic's: 12r(?)mixer preamp of Alesis
some 8-track adat thing
compressor.
multieffect unit (got one already, marshall jfx-1)
stereo

please add what i forgotten or ever even thought about!
 
i forgot to mention that i'm a control freak and I mean FREAK! so the thought of being limited by a machine is horror to me.
 
If you don't want any limitations in your studio and it's equipment, prepare to shell up something in the vicinity of $100.000 to $millions. :)

All portastudios are not equal. As with most things you get what you pay for. A Tascam 488 for $300 is pretty cheap, but thats an 8-track analog CASSETTE porta.
The Fostex VF-16 is a 16-track digital HD recorder with digital mixer and digital effects.
 
A different option

Rent for a week some equipment after you have extremly well rehearsed your material.
Hire an Engineer to come to your house/studio for a week.
Pay him/her by the hour (strike a good deal), and have money left over to

Another option is to record the drums only in a studio (remember be well rehearsed). It is well worth your money. Take the tracks home and record the rest.
Mix- master in the studio.
 
Guhlenn,

I agree 100% with everything Regebro has suggested for you. You seem determined about the ADAT thing. Don't be. The Fostex VF-16 is absolutely the best option for you in your price range, along with the other pieces Regebro mentioned. You are concerned about being limited by a machine. By the time you become proficient with the VF-16 and all the other particulars of home recording, your only step-up will be to spend really big bucks on a semi-pro studio. And remember, you will never get a "truly" professional sounding recording ( you can get close) unless you go to a pro studio with a pro engineer working with millions of dollars of equipment. That's my two cents.

Mark
 
hi thanx again for so many replies,
i'll look into the fostex. the reason i'm so obsessed with the adat thing is that i'm totally new (i've found this page and started to read...) and everyone was raving to me about the ADAT. it's not stubborness (i doubt if that's spelled correct) i'm just naive. what a thing to say about yourself hey?
i was going to ask for reviews but i'll guess i'll move to the fostex forum.
Than x for all your advice!
greetz guhlenn
 
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