Would like some feedback on my gear....

  • Thread starter Thread starter vrmarlar
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vrmarlar

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Heyall,

I got some gear advice from alot of you a while back and have finally saved up and gotten everything I need for my first computer-based studio. Just thought I'd list what I had and see if some of you may be so kind as to give me a little feedback, suggestions on what I have or what else I may need.

Dell Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz, 256M RAM
M-Audio Audiphile USB/MIDI Interface
M-Audio Audiobuddy mic preamp
Shure SM-57 w/ boom stand
A very nice pair of Sony headphones
Altec Lansing Surround Computer Speaker (Dell's upgrade special at the time)

I initally wanted to get a Studio Projects VTB-1 preamp, but the guy who sold me the Audiophile convinced me this was just as good.....was he truthful?

Anway, this studio is for personal use mainly......want to lay down acoustic guitar, banjo, perhaps elec guitar and elec bass, and several vocal tracks with maybe some mild percussion at first. Then maybe build a little as I learn the basics.

I have the Cakewalk software and have played with it only long enough to figure out to lay down tracks and mix them a little. Was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on which software has the simplest learning curve for this type of recording??

Much appreciated

Rich
 
someone told you to mix with computer speakers & headphones?

1. Exactly how good of a mix are you trying to produce?

2. Is your budget shot?
 
No, no one told me to mix through computer speakers and headphones, although I was told that both would work fine as monitors. As far as the quality of the mix, I do not care for it to sound like it was recorded in a big studio. For now, its just fine if my recordings have a "crude" homemade sound. What I have been able to record with and fool around with so far sounds pretty decent coming through those things, in my opinion.

As far as my budget, it is not necessarily shot at the moment. This is going to be a hobby that I will invest whatever I can in when I am able to. So, if there's something I need, I'll just add it on when I can. Right now I just want to learn the ropes a little more so I'll be able to make more informed decisions when buying new stuff.

Since I have practically no experience with this I just put my faith in people such as you on this website to lead me in the right direction, and that is what I have done so far. And its all so fascinating to learn.

I hope I'm doing an OK job of explaining myself.

Thanks,

Rich
 
Rich

The Audiobuddy preamp is good, you didn't get sold a lemon.

What I would question is your choice of USB. You're not running on a laptop so why would you want USB instead of a PCI card?

Did you look at any of the oyher M Audio cards?
 
My advice in general would be:
Ask before you buy. And I don't mean ask the salesman.

I have to agree with Bulls Hit on the Audiophile question.
And monitors would indeed be a good next buy.
When you're reluctanct spending money on yet another set of speakers remember that you not only benefit from monitors while mixing. Just listening to your favourite cd's is much more fun when you can hear all the details you couldn't hear before. That's how I look at it. If I had to sell off all my gear (not that it's much but still..) the monitors are the last to go and they're not even that special. (Tannoy Reveal Passives)
 
OK....here's the deal with the USB. It was a gift from my girlfriend. I had asked for the Audiophile 2496 sound card, but apparently it was not in stock and the saleman assured her that this was even better. This threw me for a loop b/c I am not familiar with USB. Should it not be used as a replacement for a sound card if you are using a desktop?

Anyway, she listened to the saleman and got me the USB. What sucks is that all sales are final. But I can return it for store credit and get them to order me whatever I want.

I'll definitely start looking into monitors, but like I said, I am only in the stages where I want to learn how to lay down the tracks and get good with tinkering with the software. Then I think I'll be ready to invest in some good monitors for mixing. The speakers I have are not just your average computer speakers. I think they sound pretty good, or at least sufficient for the stage I am at.

So, should I return the USB and insist on the 2496 or some other sound card???
 
ditto to christiaan.

I was trying to mix on headphones and computer speakers for a while...i just didn't want to spend the money...I didn't think it would make that big a difference...I thought a had a good ear for mixing.

Well I finally got some $300, EVENT TR5, and now I see what everyone has been saying. I had to redo ALL my mixes, and everything about them improved.

If you can spare $300 right now, I'd say go ahead and drop it and get used to mixing and hearing things correctly.

Cheers
 
monitors

ive bought too many monitors in my life for various studios.
if you get a chance go to the newbies section on the bbsand read my newbie article on monitoring. i think you'll find it usefull at this stage. the article is now i think on page 2 of the newbies section.
my advice - dont spend a LOT . all monitors lie irrespective.
best value for money are yorkvilles imho.
 
Thanks for all your help.....but what should I do about the USB vs. sound card?
 
Rich
If you can return it and swap for the Audiophile PCI card, then go for it.

Also another 256MB of ram wouldn't hurt
 
I would also say swap it for the pci card...should be a bit cheaper as well...
 
Thanks for all the advice. I plan on swapping for the sound card. Should I stick with the Audiobuddy or should I return it and get the studio projects vtb-1? Someone had told me this was the about the best buy for the money? Or do both perform about the same?

Rich
 
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