What Kind Of Mixer????

[hottsauce_21]

Funny

thats FUNNY i don't remember me asking anyone how to use, like what knobs and stuff to set it on. I just asked what was good equipment.

 

[Son of Mixerman]

IM going to disagree with Bruce Baby on the Book idea. Its an idea that Dave Collins keeps beating me with. I think what the hottie needs is what Bruce has, that books don't provide.
Hands on education. Some people, don't get books, it has to do with learning styles. Once you find your learning styles you learn much faster. Books are more helpful after a real demonstration or internship. Im willing to bet if someone was willing to mentor this young fella, he would have the time of his life and maybe be a great engineer someday. If you go ask alot of the older AE's youll find alot of them started at the 17 to 18 range when they had tons of time, an open mind and parents to feed them. I started as an intern so Im partial to the hand on, the books help me only because I have a reference frame to work with. If he was close Id spend my time to help the lad, just like I was helped as a lad.... who lives close and is able to help?

Peace,
SoMm

 

[chessrock]

Alright, I'll help out the hotster, but he better be willing to clean my place up every other day and do my laundry.

Look hotflaps, you have to know what the Christ you're doing before you know what to buy. Otherwise you're going to wind up buying a goddamned chainsaw when all you need is a freakin' can opener.

After listening to that "Let it Rain" demo you posted, my first recommendation would be to get yourself some singing lessons -- like fast. Seriously. My dog still won't forgive me for playing that one.

Second, find someone who knows what the hell they're doing, whom you can also trust, and ask them what you need. This means you have to use your skill of making friends. I suppose anyone can do that, but keep in mind that friends don't like it when people ask them to do everything but wipe their ass for them . . . so this might present a challenge for you. You also have to use your listening skills in order to absorb and comprehend the advice they give you. This could possibly pose a whole extra set of challenges for you, I'm guessing.

Also, if you plan on keeping this person as your friend/ally, don't play that Rain song for them. I'm not going in to reasons right now, just trust me on this one.

Once you know what you need, read some product reviews and come to places like this and do a KEYWORD SEARCH to get some opinions on it. Once you feel confident about it, use your best judgement and take the plunge.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Re: Just a thought?

Bruce and Jake, I know you wouldn't talk this way to a client if he was in your place asking these questions.

Maybe I am missing something?

Do a search on any of his posts....!

The first couple of my responses were bang-on... it's when he started being a dipshit that I gave up on him....

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

IM going to disagree with Bruce Baby on the Book idea. Its an idea that Dave Collins keeps beating me with. I think what the hottie needs is what Bruce has, that books don't provide.
Hands on education. Some people, don't get books, it has to do with learning styles. Once you find your learning styles you learn much faster. Books are more helpful after a real demonstration or internship. Im willing to bet if someone was willing to mentor this young fella, he would have the time of his life and maybe be a great engineer someday. If you go ask alot of the older AE's youll find alot of them started at the 17 to 18 range when they had tons of time, an open mind and parents to feed them. I started as an intern so Im partial to the hand on, the books help me only because I have a reference frame to work with. If he was close Id spend my time to help the lad, just like I was helped as a lad.... who lives close and is able to help?

Peace,
SoMm

I agree - an runner/internship spot would go a long way to help someone learn the ropes..... BUT - you can't have the pissy attitude he seems to have about it. The world owes him nothing, and he will be continually reminded of that until he loses the "want-it-all-now, screw-the-experience" posture.

Guys like that make horrible runners!

 

[crazydoc]

Re: Thanks

i don;t know much about recording, all i have is a cheap soundcard and a $20 mic with sheets of papers with words on them.

Then I don't think a book is going to help much - those things have lots of sheets of paper with lots of words on them.

I think the mentoring is a good idea, but if you're as much of an asshole in person as your persona on this board no one's gonna tolerate you for more than a second after you start calling them dumb fuck nerds when you don't understand something.

Good luck.

 

[nwsoundman]

I think spending 3 or 4K on some gear to learn with is OK. Better to spend your money on gear than a suck ass school. If he comes to the BBS's and learns from other people that made bad gear purchases he should be able to buy some decent stuff and learn to record. I give him some credit already because he learned how to operate a DAW to some extent. He knows he over used plug ins. So to me I think he is on the right path.

Give em a few weeks to see if he learns anything.

Kirk

Hotsauce - A small Mackie will be usefull down the line when you step up to a bigger and better mixer. You can keep it around for cue mixes. I might then look at getting a RNP, RNC, and some box like a Lexicon MPX500 or so. Don't think about the Finalizer. You will also need a decent multi channel soundcard if you are tracking to the PC.

Now you can go and ask what this stuff is and learn something.

 

[RWhite]

I'm going to go CStockdale one better. Here's what you should do -

Buy an Audiophile 2496 card ($130) a Shure SM-57 mic ($90) and a Behringer 6 or 8 channel mixer ($100-130). Use your Cool Edit Pro. Then buy the book that Bruce told you about.

Now you are out about $300, which is less than the tuition cost of most college classes. Now listen carefully: EVERY BASIC FUNCTION NEEDED IN THE RECORDING / OVERBDUBING / MIXING / MASTER PROCESS CAN BE DONE WITH THIS RIG. Consider this a $300 investment in training equipment.

Then start with your book, start recording tracks & doing overdubs. The Audiophile is a 2 channel card, but you can play back your work in mono and keep overdubing tracks one at a time until your computer says "uncle". There are free software plug-ins you can download for effects.

If you spend three months working every day with that rig, you can learn many basics, and more importantly learn enough to ask intelligent questions about more advanced topics. And you will have a good idea what to buy as your more permament recording gear. The 2496 sound card and SM-57 mic will remain useful, the mixer may be useful (they are good keyboard & monitor mixers) or you can sell it on ebay.

I don't mean to sound insulting. But as an example, I've been dabbing in recording since about 1978, and I'm still learning stuff all the time. You can pick up a lot of info arround here just by reading posts.

Just my humble opinion...

 

[ds21]

I don't believe I'm answering this.

But if you have a music store near you, go to them, and take a look at some of the "all in one" studio boxs (ask them they'll know what your talking about, and it's a lot easier to talk to someone in person where they can actually show you the stuff), once you get one you can get back on the internet and do a search for a forum for the box you got, then you can get specific help for what you have. And don't go hog wild and spend alot of money, you mentioned going to school for this...save the most of your money for school... and go!

 

[Son of Mixerman]

I agree - an runner/internship spot would go a long way to help someone learn the ropes..... BUT - you can't have the pissy attitude he seems to have about it. The world owes him nothing, and he will be continually reminded of that until he loses the "want-it-all-now, screw-the-experience" posture.

Guys like that make horrible runners!

Sorry, I was ignoring the attitude issues.


Your hitting the nail on the head. Attitude is the number one reason for learning or not learning. If you automatically assume you can't learn, then its likey that you won't.
How many of us would be 1/2 decent drivers if we had taken the "Ill just figure it out on my own attitude". Lots of accidents and maybe even some death involved. Its best to open your mind and let the info inside.


SoMm

 

[Fusion2]

>hotstuff

you operate a computer correct? you searched this forum up correct? try a search of "audio mixer" at www.google.com (search engine) and then "audio recording" (then just read) and see us in a week or so...

whodathunkit...

you may feel compelled to buy a book after reading up on what your asking about...

the web/net has 90% of the info you seek, "to start" seekaway...

 

[A1A2]

hottsauce_21,

it seems like you know nothing about recording, which is ok, but I really think you should start from the very basics. use whatever you got and just start recording, then try to find out what you need yourself cuz we can give you a "book" of stuff to consider, and you still wouldn't know what to buy and etc.

here is the chain if you are 100% clueless:

mic->preamp->soundcard->software->monitors

don't get fancy and start looking for processors and whatnot, just get what you think is the weakest link in that chain, and work from there.

good luck

Al