What else do I need?

[vedo]

I need some expertise on designing my home studio. I have most of it put together. I need to know what I'm missing. I have a budget of 20,000.

Any suggestions?

Microphones
Quantity Make Model Product # Price
2 Shure sm58 $200
4 Shure sm57 $360
1 mxl 990 $50
1 mxl 991 $50
2 Shure beta 58 $300
6 Shure PG Drum mic kit $400
1 AKG Perception 200 Condenser $160
1 Rode NT2000 $600


Recording
2 Yamaha MSP5A near field monitors $500
5 AKG / Presonus Studio pack head phones $300
1 Dell Precision 670 (Enhanced) $2,900
1 Dell Ultrasharp2405FPW 24" Monitor $1,100
1 Mackie Onyx 1620 16 channel Mixer
$900
Hardware
1 Mackie M-1400i Power Amp $600
2 Mackie Onyx 800R 8 Channel Pre-Amp $2,000
1 Furman Power Pro R Conditioner $300
1 Furman PB 48 Patch Bay $130
1 Aphex 204 Aural Exciter $200
1 Aphex 622 2-Channel Expander Gate $700
1 dbx 223XL Stereo/Mono Crossover $180
1 dbx 166XL Dual Compressor Limiter $250

Misc.
5 Pro-co 15' 1/4" TS instrument cables $125
6 Mogami 50' ft XLR $540
2 Musicians Friend Low- profile mic stands $30
2 Ultimate MC-40 Mic Stand $60
10 Musicians Friend mic clips $30
4 Mogami 15' ft XLR $360
4 Behringer DI-100 DI-BOX $160
10 Musicians Friend Cord-lox cable control $20
10 AP Audio APC-125 12" Patch Cables $25
1 AV Link 49' 24 Snake Return $250
50 Phillips Rack Screws $10
1 MAP MDV-DL Work Desk w/chair $600

Software
1 Cakewalk Sonar 5 Producer $500
1 Motu 2408 mk3 PCI $950

PRE-TOTAL $15,840
TAX $1,228
TOTAL $17,068


Thanks,

Vedo

 

[jkokura]

I need some expertise on designing my home studio. I have most of it put together. I need to know what I'm missing. I have a budget of 20,000.

Any suggestions?

Microphones
Quantity Make Model Product # Price
2 Shure sm58 $200
4 Shure sm57 $360
1 mxl 990 $50
1 mxl 991 $50
2 Shure beta 58 $300
6 Shure PG Drum mic kit $400
1 AKG Perception 200 Condenser $160
1 Rode NT2000 $600

I would say this isn't the what I would say you should get. You don't have a decen pair of overheads or a cgood kick drum mic! If you have 20 grand, you can get WAAAAY better mics than this. Scratch the MXL's and PG's andthe AKG...I would even scratch the Beta 58's and the Rode...If I were you I would get:
1 SM58, 3 SM57, 1 AKG D112, 2 Oktava MK012, Beyer M201TG, 2 MD421, 1 e609, 1 Rode NTK, 1 AT 4050...Don't know the total cost, but this is pretty much what you need: A few good dynamics (PG's don't cut it), a pair of SDC's (those MXL's don't cut it), and a good LDC (the NT2000 is alright, but the NTK is better in my opinion).

Recording
2 Yamaha MSP5A near field monitors $500
5 AKG / Presonus Studio pack head phones $300
1 Dell Precision 670 (Enhanced) $2,900
1 Dell Ultrasharp2405FPW 24" Monitor $1,100
1 Mackie Onyx 1620 16 channel Mixer
$900
Hardware
1 Mackie M-1400i Power Amp $600
2 Mackie Onyx 800R 8 Channel Pre-Amp $2,000
1 Furman Power Pro R Conditioner $300
1 Furman PB 48 Patch Bay $130
1 Aphex 204 Aural Exciter $200
1 Aphex 622 2-Channel Expander Gate $700
1 dbx 223XL Stereo/Mono Crossover $180
1 dbx 166XL Dual Compressor Limiter $250

You've got a lot of useless and redundant stuff here. Why are you getting an Onyx mixer and some Onyx pres? You don't need both unless you're recording 24 simultaneous channels! Why are you getting a crossover? you don't have any need for it? You mention headphones, but no headphone amp?

A basic home studio has these basic elements, and you seem to have everything you need on the list, but you don't have everything equal in my opinion: Mics-cord->preamp-cord->interface-cord->computer-> Software
Think of a studio as only as strong as your weakest link...

The software you mention below and interface you mention are good, but you're getting a whole lot of gear up here that you don't need and you could get better equipment. I would recommend you rethink why you're getting everything...and think about building your own computer as well - get an AMD 64 system with dual ram and lots of it, a big hard drive or two and a burner...that's gonna be good enough, and you can get a system that's great for about a grand.

I think the Motu interface is good, but if you spend a little more (and you can) and knock some other things off the list you should get better interfaces, and then you pre's will do their best. Look at the Apogee converters like the Rosseta and 16x series.

So instead of what you're getting I would recommend: the Rosetta 800 (1 or 2 depending on how many ins you want), 1 Mackie Onyx 800R, the patchbay and power conditiner, a headphone amp like the Beri HA4700, 5 pairs of MoreMe headphones, Cubase SX 3.0. Then I'd look at getting some dual or individual pre's...some much higher quality than the Onyx (which are phenomanal by the way) - like some Avalon or Great River or...the list could go on a long time.

Misc.
5 Pro-co 15' 1/4" TS instrument cables $125
6 Mogami 50' ft XLR $540
2 Musicians Friend Low- profile mic stands $30
2 Ultimate MC-40 Mic Stand $60
10 Musicians Friend mic clips $30
4 Mogami 15' ft XLR $360
4 Behringer DI-100 DI-BOX $160
10 Musicians Friend Cord-lox cable control $20
10 AP Audio APC-125 12" Patch Cables $25
1 AV Link 49' 24 Snake Return $250
50 Phillips Rack Screws $10
1 MAP MDV-DL Work Desk w/chair $600

Once again you've got some redundant gear here. You should have about 8 mic stands, and since mics usually come with a mic clip you don't need to buy all those mic clips. What do you need 4 DI's for? Also, get quality DI's like the Jensen equipped Radial JDI's. The Mogami cable's good cable, but if you want a project go and buy your own cable and ends and learn how to solder. You can get as good or better cables than the Mogami with a little effort and $200 bucks. Same with all your cables actually - the signal chain is only as strong as the weakest cable...

Finally, one of the most important things that you've TOTALLY missed out on is your room! You NEED to have some proper sound absorbers in your budget...check this out http://johnlsayers.com/HR/index1.htm and this http://johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php and this http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html there's some GREAT info for you there.

Anyway, it's your money, you can do what you want, I'm just saying you might want to be careful. You might end up mad at yourself later on IMHO, and I don't want you to waste the good budget you've got! I would kill for that budget!

Jacob

 

[xstatic]

As far a smics goes... it looks like you have a lot of low end redundancy in your mic list...
How about a kick mic - $200 (beta52, senn 602 Audix D6 etc...)
3 sennheiser 604's - $300
2 MXL 604's - $200
2 used AKG 414's - $1000
2 cheap ribbons - $400
Soundelux U195 - $1000
2 sm 57's - $200


A custom built computer with 32" LCD TV for a monitor - $2500

2x RME Firefaces - $3000
$800 on your choice of monitors
Allen Heath Mix wiz - $1000
Sytek 4 channel preamp - $850
2 Channels Great River - $2000
UAD package for computer - $1000
2 RNC's - $400
2 DBX 1066's used - $500
The headphone package you listed - $300
Cakewlak Sonar 5 - $500

That look sto me like a quick down and dirty but nice little startup system for about $16000

That leaves you $4000 for cabling and acoustic treatment and anything else you want or need. Keep in mind you should not have to pay sales tax if you buy this stuff on line or used. As far as cables go, I can get you better prices on the mogami cables, and about the same price as the cheap ones you have listed, but much better cables for that same price.

I am sure that if I spent more time thinking about it I could come up with a better way of spending $20k, but this was all off the top of my head. The system that I mentioned in this post also seems like a much better quality system for similar price, more flexible, and pieces that will retain value and grow with you better. Of course that is all just opinion in the end.

Good luck

 

[vedo]

Thanks

As you can tell...total Newbie.

Basically, just took a blind stab at what I've heard in my recording techniques class. Thank you for the info....I still have a rough time figuring out what I want. There's just so much to choose from I have got a lot of work cut out for me.

Thanks,

Vedo

 

[James HE]

Didn't your mother ever tell you to not go spending all the money she gave you in one place?

Just get a few things, work with them, learn them, then ramp up to all that gear. Cut it down to the essentials.

monitors. You have the budget now, so get some good ones. spend a grand or 2. You'll have them forever.
soundcard. Even if you get the best now, someting will be "better" a few years down the road. Get something to get your feet wet. MOTU or RME - just pick the one you think looks the coolest. (and has enough channels for what you want to record)
computer. Build it yourself and get a good big screen or 2.
software so many options, try some demos.
mics. Buy a multipattern LDC (AKG 414, AT 4050, CAD M179) a pair of SDC's (MK012, AT4041's, 603s/604) a few or 4 SM 57's and a good Kick drum mic. (B-52, D112) and maybe another LDC or a ribbon mic. I suggest the multipattern, cause you get to experiment and learn about the patterns this way. very cool. You'll always be adding mics to your collection, after a little experience, you can make more informed, and more personal choices about which you buy.
mixer/pre amps I'd say go with a mixer right now, handy to have around and you should learn your way around one. The Mackie Onyx should be fine. After using this for a while, get some out board pres for more pre-amp options.
cables and stands you need cables, you need stands and lots of them.
headphones and amp get whatever you think you'll need.
you could hold off on a patchbay for a little while. If you suffer without it for a while you will appreciate it more when you have one. Before wiring up a patchbay, you need to know your workflow, and at this point you have no idea, so don't even bother.

my list above is still overkill for someone starting out. just take baby steps and you'll be fine.

 

[Dags]

Hooley Dooley, vedo!
Looks like the only thing you're missing is the band to record

Dags