What do you really NEED?

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RyanEmerson

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What do you really NEED to produce semi-polished songs?

I'm a high school student on a very limited budget, preparing to go to college, and a father of one.

I'm dumping a lot a bunch of my extras, such as guitars and amps I don't need, and am selling my year-old BOSS BR-1180 as well.

I plan on buying the BOSS BR-1600 but will change my mind if any of you can suggest to me some alternatives that are in or not much higher than the $1500 price-range. User friendliness is something I want, but I'd much rather have quality so as long as I have a reference guide and something to work with.

For equiptment, I don't have much.

I have a beautiful '83 Japanese Fender Start, a cheap Squire acoustic, and two so-so AKG D 8000 mics. For an amp I have a Fender Deluxe Plus 90-watt, and I have an Alesis Quadraverb GT that's about ten-years old that makes an incredible effects procvessor, and a midi pedal for it.

What I'm really looking for are suggestions on:

(a) A nice recording unit (I'm used to the BOSS BR-1180, so favoring the 1600 now)

(b) The cheapest mic for the best quality.

(c) Info on whether or not I need a compressor if both my Quadraverb and (hpefully) whatver recording unit I jave already does.

(d) And your thougts on making your own cables, and what the qaulity can be if you do it right. Is it worth it?

(e) What's the biggest bang for my buck on monitors, what do you suggest, and what's the absolute lowest-priced one acceptable?

I want to really start laying down some tracks later this srping, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

You guys rock.

Thanx!
 
What do you really NEED to produce semi-polished songs?
Click to expand...

Experience, and a base of good quality gear.

(a) A nice recording unit (I'm used to the BOSS BR-1180, so favoring the 1600 now)

(b) The cheapest mic for the best quality.

(c) Info on whether or not I need a compressor if both my Quadraverb and (hpefully) whatver recording unit I jave already does.

(d) And your thougts on making your own cables, and what the qaulity can be if you do it right. Is it worth it?

(e) What's the biggest bang for my buck on monitors, what do you suggest, and what's the absolute lowest-priced one acceptable?
Click to expand...

(A) - Too personal of a choice - The sound quality is so high on most units now that it almost strictly a choice of features.

(B) - Same thing. I've been finding mics for $200 that are outperforming mics at $1000 in many cases. A search of the forum will find you several suggestions...

(C) - Get rid of the Quardraverb. Even the QII is too noisy. And, you can never have too many compressors.

(D) - If you're using a lot of cable and you're handy with a soldering iron, go for it. You can use higher quality cable and still save over even the cheap stuff at the music store...

(E) - My "personal" choice for inexpensive monitors - The M-Audio BX8's. Excellent adjustability to the environment, tuneable to fit the room. Lots of headroom, good clarity. HOWEVER - Monitors are the MOST personal choice... Go out and try everything you can find in your price range before settling on a pair.

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
 
Have you considered keeping your recorder and uprgarding the preamps/converters with outboard equipment? I'm not sure that moving from the 1180 to the 1600 will give you better sound. It will most likely give you more tracks, more simultaneous inputs, and a CD burner. Check to see if your BR1180 preamps can be bypassed either via analog or digital. If you can upgrade, check out the RNP (FMR's Really Nice Preamp). They also make a decent low-end compressor (The RNC). You can get both housed in a rack mount for under $700. For mics, check out the AT 40 series (4040, 4050, etc.) and get an SM57 if you are micing an amp. And, Finally, look at he Yorkville monitors. They seem to be a consenus pick around here, although I've never heard them. So, as Shep Proudfoot says, I can't vouch for them!
 
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