| The Ultimate Studio Building HOWTO |
Note: this is long! Grab a cup of coffee and take notes. 
I intentionally left out a lot of prices in this article because once you start getting into this price range exactly what you buy and how much it will cost produces a lot of different configurations and setups. Also I want you to go out and do your research on these items and products so that you can see them for yourself and get a better idea of what is what.
The Approach
What you want is simple. You want good sound quality. This article assumes you have between $500 and $3000 to spend on your gear all together. The beauty of having this kind of budget is that regardless of how much you actually spend, you can get your basic setup and then add in nice peices later. This article also assumes that you will be doing digital recording with a computer and that you already have a computer to use. Seeing as this is an internet forum I'd say that's a good bet. Aside from good sound quality, another important thing to focus on is Multi-Track Recording capability.
The Key Players
The three most important items in your digital studio will be:
The Interface
The audio interface - also known as the sound card - in your computer is perhaps one of the most important items in your studio. Good interfaces in the mid-level category range from $500 to $1500 This is really known as an interface and it doesn't have to live inside the computer - these non internal interfaces are known as "outboard" interfaces. You want a high end multiple input interface.
Notable interface manufacturers include: DigiDesign, Apogee, MOTU, PreSonus, M-Audio, RME and Echo.
The only items which will probably concern you from Apogee are "outboard" and are connected either by Firewire or USB. Good candidates from this group of products would include the M-Audio Delta 1010, the Echo Layla3G, RME Hammerfall 9652 and the Apogee Mini-Me. Go research these products for yourself and decide which one best fits your price range and desired purpose. The benefit of the M-Audio Delta 1010 and the Echo Layla3G is that they've got multiple inputs - eight I think - out of the box and you don't need to buy anything extra to use your inputs. You just plug in and go. The Apogee Mini-Me has very very nice gear inside, in fact probably the best gear available and has two inputs. The Apogee Mini-Me is also a plug and go style system. The RME has very very nice gear inside but doesn't really come with many directly usable inputs right away. One would need to buy a special peice of equipment for the RME known as an ADAT DAC. The RME however is likely the most versatile and expandable of all these cards and RME is German engineering. As such RME is generally revered by gear heads and the like. DigiDesign, the manufacturer of ProTools hardware and software makes a consumer level box called the M-Box which is similar to the Apogee Mini-Me. The M-Box also comes with the ProTools-LE software which can help cut down on costs considerably.
A Word on ADAT
ADAT stands for Alesis Digital Audio Tape. In it's original form it is an actual recording medium, like a cassette tape but using standard VHS tapes and its digital. Also instead of recording video signal onto the VHS tapes it only records digital audio. The caveat comes when you figure in the fact that ADAT records 8 full tracks of digital audio onto the tape. Along with the tape recorder Alesis had to invent a way to get all 8 of those digital audio tracks into the tape recording machine. Thus Alesis invented a special type of cable and plug called an ADAT cable. This is an optical cable which carries the signals for all 8 tracks at the same time. So if you get a sound card with ADAT inputs, each ADAT input is capable of handling 8 digital audio tracks. So if your sound card has 3 ADAT inputs that means you've got 24 tracks worth of inputs all at the same time. The RME Hammerfall 9652 is an example of a sound card with 3 ADAT inputs. This brings us to...
DACs
Digital Audio Converters. All sound cards have these built in. If you have an ADAT system you'll still need a way to convert your regular sound signal such as from a microphone or a guitar, into an ADAT signal, and you'll need a way to get that converted signal into an ADAT cable and into your computer. The Alesis AI3 is an example of a DAC which converts the regular signal into ADAT and would be a decent investment for a studio of this price. Apogee is famous for their DACs and their stuff is much better than the AI3. The Echo Gina and Layla also, have single ADAT connections, meaning you can squeeze an extra 8 channels out of them. So an RME Hammerfall 9652 plus 3 Alesis AI3's would give you a full 24 track multitrack recording studio and for a decent price. Or just get one AI3 at a time as you need.
I intentionally left out a lot of prices in this article because once you start getting into this price range exactly what you buy and how much it will cost produces a lot of different configurations and setups. Also I want you to go out and do your research on these items and products so that you can see them for yourself and get a better idea of what is what.The Approach
What you want is simple. You want good sound quality. This article assumes you have between $500 and $3000 to spend on your gear all together. The beauty of having this kind of budget is that regardless of how much you actually spend, you can get your basic setup and then add in nice peices later. This article also assumes that you will be doing digital recording with a computer and that you already have a computer to use. Seeing as this is an internet forum I'd say that's a good bet. Aside from good sound quality, another important thing to focus on is Multi-Track Recording capability.
The Key Players
The three most important items in your digital studio will be:
- The microphone and preamp
- The sound card in your computer
- The speakers and or headphones
The Interface
The audio interface - also known as the sound card - in your computer is perhaps one of the most important items in your studio. Good interfaces in the mid-level category range from $500 to $1500 This is really known as an interface and it doesn't have to live inside the computer - these non internal interfaces are known as "outboard" interfaces. You want a high end multiple input interface.
Notable interface manufacturers include: DigiDesign, Apogee, MOTU, PreSonus, M-Audio, RME and Echo.
The only items which will probably concern you from Apogee are "outboard" and are connected either by Firewire or USB. Good candidates from this group of products would include the M-Audio Delta 1010, the Echo Layla3G, RME Hammerfall 9652 and the Apogee Mini-Me. Go research these products for yourself and decide which one best fits your price range and desired purpose. The benefit of the M-Audio Delta 1010 and the Echo Layla3G is that they've got multiple inputs - eight I think - out of the box and you don't need to buy anything extra to use your inputs. You just plug in and go. The Apogee Mini-Me has very very nice gear inside, in fact probably the best gear available and has two inputs. The Apogee Mini-Me is also a plug and go style system. The RME has very very nice gear inside but doesn't really come with many directly usable inputs right away. One would need to buy a special peice of equipment for the RME known as an ADAT DAC. The RME however is likely the most versatile and expandable of all these cards and RME is German engineering. As such RME is generally revered by gear heads and the like. DigiDesign, the manufacturer of ProTools hardware and software makes a consumer level box called the M-Box which is similar to the Apogee Mini-Me. The M-Box also comes with the ProTools-LE software which can help cut down on costs considerably.
A Word on ADAT
ADAT stands for Alesis Digital Audio Tape. In it's original form it is an actual recording medium, like a cassette tape but using standard VHS tapes and its digital. Also instead of recording video signal onto the VHS tapes it only records digital audio. The caveat comes when you figure in the fact that ADAT records 8 full tracks of digital audio onto the tape. Along with the tape recorder Alesis had to invent a way to get all 8 of those digital audio tracks into the tape recording machine. Thus Alesis invented a special type of cable and plug called an ADAT cable. This is an optical cable which carries the signals for all 8 tracks at the same time. So if you get a sound card with ADAT inputs, each ADAT input is capable of handling 8 digital audio tracks. So if your sound card has 3 ADAT inputs that means you've got 24 tracks worth of inputs all at the same time. The RME Hammerfall 9652 is an example of a sound card with 3 ADAT inputs. This brings us to...
DACs
Digital Audio Converters. All sound cards have these built in. If you have an ADAT system you'll still need a way to convert your regular sound signal such as from a microphone or a guitar, into an ADAT signal, and you'll need a way to get that converted signal into an ADAT cable and into your computer. The Alesis AI3 is an example of a DAC which converts the regular signal into ADAT and would be a decent investment for a studio of this price. Apogee is famous for their DACs and their stuff is much better than the AI3. The Echo Gina and Layla also, have single ADAT connections, meaning you can squeeze an extra 8 channels out of them. So an RME Hammerfall 9652 plus 3 Alesis AI3's would give you a full 24 track multitrack recording studio and for a decent price. Or just get one AI3 at a time as you need.
| Microphones |
The Microphone Lesson
There are two types of microphones: dynamic microphones and condenser microphones. If you want a very detailed explanation of the pysical differences look it up on the internet. Dynamic microphones are the kind of microphones you find on stages. Condenser microphones are the kind of microphones you find in studios. This doesn't mean that dynamic mics never get used in the studio and condenser microphones never get used on the stage. It does mean that dynamic microphones are usually specifically designed for and thus are more suited to live stage performance and that condenser microphones are usually specifically designed for and thus are more suited to recording studio performance. A dynamic microphone generally has better rejection of unwanted sound sources. This means that things like drums won't interfere with the lead singer's voice and won't cause things like that nasty high pitched ear bleeding whine known as feedback. Dynamic microphones are also often less sensitive and don't have the kind of accuracy or high end response that many condenser microphones do. These things are never hard and fast, many a good expensive dynamic mic can easily rival a cheap condenser any day. Another thing to consider: you cannot find an excellent condenser microphone for under $1000 - it just doesn't happen. Good condenser mics are extremely expensive and that's the way it is. Sorry folks.
The Microphone Choice
There are many many great microphones, however you should know a few things. There are a couple of factors to consider when choosing a microphone. A few things you may not have considered. When you listen to a recording you are hearing the sound of the microphones, NOT the sound of instruments. The best most pristine sound occurs in the air between the instrument and the microphone. All microphones are electronic circuits and no microphones are 100% perfectly accurate. All microphones color the sound at least a little bit. The most important an often overlooked factor is that a microphone is just like any other instrument. It is a piece of gear that affects the sound quality. Thusly, I can recommend any number of microphones but YOU have to go out and listen to them! Just like a guitar just like a violin. Try before you buy. Always. Another factor to consider is that almost every aspect of your studio is upgradeable at some point but certain upgrades are easier to make than others. Upgrading your sound card for example might render a lot of your gear useless. Upgrading a microphone will (most likely) not do this. So consider that if you buy something cheap with the plan of upgrading, this could be an area where you can get away with it. Unfortunately good microphones do not come cheap. I will say this again, you cannot find an excellent condenser microphone for under $1000 - that's just the way it is. However if you are buying a cheap microphone there are cheap mics which are better than others. If one is purchasing a mic in the $500 range one still wants to know, in that range, what is the best. Most of the Audio Technica condenser microphones are known to be very good and many of them are under $1000 and in fact many are under $500.
Sure probably makes the best dynamic microphones in existence. As for some other random specific models check these out:
Top three
Just as good
if I was able to buy one mic per month I’d probably purchase them in about this order
The MD421 is a standard in the professional recording industry. The Audix D6 makes a good kick drum mic for those who need one. Sure SM-57's and SM-58's just absolutely can't go wrong. SM-57's are perfect for snare drums, guitar cabinets and even vocals. The SM-58 is still a defacto standard on many stages for vocals. Red Hot Chili Peppers use an SM-7 for Anthony's vocals, so in a big way the Sure SM-7 is the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The SM-7 is certainly affordable too. The Audio Technica AT-4047 and AT-4060 are both very very highly spoken of by most pros. The AT-4047 is a versatile workhorse and the AT-4060 is a supreme condenser. Electro Voice RE20 is a good dynamic mic.
There are two types of microphones: dynamic microphones and condenser microphones. If you want a very detailed explanation of the pysical differences look it up on the internet. Dynamic microphones are the kind of microphones you find on stages. Condenser microphones are the kind of microphones you find in studios. This doesn't mean that dynamic mics never get used in the studio and condenser microphones never get used on the stage. It does mean that dynamic microphones are usually specifically designed for and thus are more suited to live stage performance and that condenser microphones are usually specifically designed for and thus are more suited to recording studio performance. A dynamic microphone generally has better rejection of unwanted sound sources. This means that things like drums won't interfere with the lead singer's voice and won't cause things like that nasty high pitched ear bleeding whine known as feedback. Dynamic microphones are also often less sensitive and don't have the kind of accuracy or high end response that many condenser microphones do. These things are never hard and fast, many a good expensive dynamic mic can easily rival a cheap condenser any day. Another thing to consider: you cannot find an excellent condenser microphone for under $1000 - it just doesn't happen. Good condenser mics are extremely expensive and that's the way it is. Sorry folks.
The Microphone Choice
There are many many great microphones, however you should know a few things. There are a couple of factors to consider when choosing a microphone. A few things you may not have considered. When you listen to a recording you are hearing the sound of the microphones, NOT the sound of instruments. The best most pristine sound occurs in the air between the instrument and the microphone. All microphones are electronic circuits and no microphones are 100% perfectly accurate. All microphones color the sound at least a little bit. The most important an often overlooked factor is that a microphone is just like any other instrument. It is a piece of gear that affects the sound quality. Thusly, I can recommend any number of microphones but YOU have to go out and listen to them! Just like a guitar just like a violin. Try before you buy. Always. Another factor to consider is that almost every aspect of your studio is upgradeable at some point but certain upgrades are easier to make than others. Upgrading your sound card for example might render a lot of your gear useless. Upgrading a microphone will (most likely) not do this. So consider that if you buy something cheap with the plan of upgrading, this could be an area where you can get away with it. Unfortunately good microphones do not come cheap. I will say this again, you cannot find an excellent condenser microphone for under $1000 - that's just the way it is. However if you are buying a cheap microphone there are cheap mics which are better than others. If one is purchasing a mic in the $500 range one still wants to know, in that range, what is the best. Most of the Audio Technica condenser microphones are known to be very good and many of them are under $1000 and in fact many are under $500.
Sure probably makes the best dynamic microphones in existence. As for some other random specific models check these out:
Top three
- Audio Technica AT-4047
- Sennheiser MD421
- Sure SM-7
Just as good
- Audio Technica AT-4060
- Sennheiser MD441
- Sure SM-57
- Sure SM-58
- Electro Voice RE20
- ADK Vienna Edition
- Audix D6
if I was able to buy one mic per month I’d probably purchase them in about this order
The MD421 is a standard in the professional recording industry. The Audix D6 makes a good kick drum mic for those who need one. Sure SM-57's and SM-58's just absolutely can't go wrong. SM-57's are perfect for snare drums, guitar cabinets and even vocals. The SM-58 is still a defacto standard on many stages for vocals. Red Hot Chili Peppers use an SM-7 for Anthony's vocals, so in a big way the Sure SM-7 is the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The SM-7 is certainly affordable too. The Audio Technica AT-4047 and AT-4060 are both very very highly spoken of by most pros. The AT-4047 is a versatile workhorse and the AT-4060 is a supreme condenser. Electro Voice RE20 is a good dynamic mic.
| Outboard Gear |
The Preamp
Any microphone needs a good preamp. I've got a much fuller discussion of this on a different thread titled "recording equipment" posted by Elbay http://forum.bandamp.com/Gear_Talk/3678.html so go check that. In short, microphones make an extremely weak electric signal which needs to be amplified before it hits the recording, hence the word pre-amplifier also known as preamp for short. Good preamps can cost $3000 easily. Examples of this would be Avalon preamps in general and the Groove Tubes Viper. Good pro equipment just doesn't come cheap, so this actually makes your choices rather simple. You've basically got two preamps which are actually worth your time. Thos would be the Studio Projects VTB1 and the FMR Audio RNP. FMR Audio is the company and the product is the RNP. RNP stands for "really nice preamp" ... go figure. It is in fact a really nice preamp. And it's got two channels at that, so you can get stereo signal. You need a preamp. So get one. Don't want one? Too bad you need one. Get one. Even guitars and pianos are best routed through preamps when recording, otherwise the signal is often too weak.
The Compressor
A compressor does exactly what it sounds like it does. it squashes the hell outta your sound wave. This means it makes the loudest parts not so loud and it makes the quietest parts not so quiet. In other words it makes the sound more even. If you've ever tried to record your voice you know that it's hard, even with good vocal technique to get a consistent sound out of it. A compressor used correctly can work wonders on vocals and I think every vocal track should probably have at least a tiny amount of compression. This helps make it not so "punchy" and it makes it so that you can ACTUALLY hear the quiet parts and so that the loud parts don't kill your ear drums. Too much vocal compression can make your voice sound "flat" because there won't be any dynamic expression left. If you've got money left over this is something you should consider investing in. Again, good gear does not come cheap and as such this makes your choices very easy. The best and only compressor you should probably be interested in is the FMR Audio RNC. And guess what that stands for.
The dbx 166 and dbx 266 are also decent compressors worth the investment.
The Speakers
I'm not going to make any particular recommendations on brands or even specific products. Your speakers are known as "Monitors" and good monitors just like all audio equipment, but even more so here, are supremely expensive. Studio speakers are called "Near-field Reference Monitors" and there are two types, powered and un-powered. Un-powered monitors probably give you better sound quality but for your purposes and price range, who cares. It won't be enough difference for you to notice, especially considering you'll spend just as much on the amplifier for them. One good monitor speaker can cost upwards of $1000 but you can find decent pairs for as little as $250. Again, just like microphones, you have to hear them to make your decision, so go to your local music store and ask to listen to some studio monitors. Ok actually one recommendation I will make is Ultrasone headphones. Get them, they rule!
Any microphone needs a good preamp. I've got a much fuller discussion of this on a different thread titled "recording equipment" posted by Elbay http://forum.bandamp.com/Gear_Talk/3678.html so go check that. In short, microphones make an extremely weak electric signal which needs to be amplified before it hits the recording, hence the word pre-amplifier also known as preamp for short. Good preamps can cost $3000 easily. Examples of this would be Avalon preamps in general and the Groove Tubes Viper. Good pro equipment just doesn't come cheap, so this actually makes your choices rather simple. You've basically got two preamps which are actually worth your time. Thos would be the Studio Projects VTB1 and the FMR Audio RNP. FMR Audio is the company and the product is the RNP. RNP stands for "really nice preamp" ... go figure. It is in fact a really nice preamp. And it's got two channels at that, so you can get stereo signal. You need a preamp. So get one. Don't want one? Too bad you need one. Get one. Even guitars and pianos are best routed through preamps when recording, otherwise the signal is often too weak.
The Compressor
A compressor does exactly what it sounds like it does. it squashes the hell outta your sound wave. This means it makes the loudest parts not so loud and it makes the quietest parts not so quiet. In other words it makes the sound more even. If you've ever tried to record your voice you know that it's hard, even with good vocal technique to get a consistent sound out of it. A compressor used correctly can work wonders on vocals and I think every vocal track should probably have at least a tiny amount of compression. This helps make it not so "punchy" and it makes it so that you can ACTUALLY hear the quiet parts and so that the loud parts don't kill your ear drums. Too much vocal compression can make your voice sound "flat" because there won't be any dynamic expression left. If you've got money left over this is something you should consider investing in. Again, good gear does not come cheap and as such this makes your choices very easy. The best and only compressor you should probably be interested in is the FMR Audio RNC. And guess what that stands for.
The dbx 166 and dbx 266 are also decent compressors worth the investment.The Speakers
I'm not going to make any particular recommendations on brands or even specific products. Your speakers are known as "Monitors" and good monitors just like all audio equipment, but even more so here, are supremely expensive. Studio speakers are called "Near-field Reference Monitors" and there are two types, powered and un-powered. Un-powered monitors probably give you better sound quality but for your purposes and price range, who cares. It won't be enough difference for you to notice, especially considering you'll spend just as much on the amplifier for them. One good monitor speaker can cost upwards of $1000 but you can find decent pairs for as little as $250. Again, just like microphones, you have to hear them to make your decision, so go to your local music store and ask to listen to some studio monitors. Ok actually one recommendation I will make is Ultrasone headphones. Get them, they rule!
| Everything Else Considered |
The Software
As near as I can tell you're already spent by now. However, you should still factor in what kind of software you want. There are really two standard titles that you a mid-level semi-pro enthusiast should consider: Steinberg Cubase and Cakewalk Sonar. There are other titles. If you're a Mac person you can get Garage Band for cheap. Otherwise these software titles begin to get progressively more expensive. ProTools is the defacto industry standard recording software and hardware but it costs an arm and a leg. Most of these software titles in fact cost numerous body parts, however most of these titles also have consumer level versions. The full versions of these titles often cost $1000 but they all have consumer versions which cost between $100 and $250. Considering the price of the pro versions that's not bad. I have no opinions one way or another on any of these titles. I simply think that Cubase and Sonar would probably be the best beginner titles to grab.
Your other option is to use Linux. Linux is an alternative to Microsoft Windows. It does all the same things that Windows does but it has a different approach. The new Macintosh computers use Mac OS X which is mostly based on Linux. The great thing about Linux is that it is 100% free. It is 100% free to download, free to install, free to use, free to distribute, free to be changed ... everything about Linux is essentially free. Well over 50% of the internet websites you visit live on computers running Linux. The real statistic is probably more like over 75% of them. Linux is well known, well used, well supported and has a user base of millions across the world. Until recently Linux has not been the best choice for Audio/Video Multimedia applications. That all changed however with the release of a couple key software titles such as Ardour and Rosegarden. The Stanford CCRMA organization is devoted to the researching of music software on Linux. Needless to say, for any starving artist spending as little money as possible is usually a primary goal. Linux can help you achieve this goal. I will write a Linux for the Newbie Musician tutorial eventually, so look forward to that. In the meantime do your own research because there is MORE than enough information out there on the internet already.
The Accessories
Cables cables cables and more cables! Good cables can cost $50 bucks a pop. $100 bucks a pop for the long ones. So budget accordingly. You can purchase gear with the most pristine sound clarity but if you've got shitty cables it won't matter a damn bit. There are countless other things you'll run into when buying gear that you didn't know you needed, so put aside 10% of what you plan to spend and save it for what you didn't know you needed.
The Desk
Need I say that ergonomics are important? your posture during a multi-hour long recording session is more than just your comfort, it's your health. Your wrists are (for most of you) one of your most important instruments. If your recording setup finds you at odd angles with your mouse for long periods of time your wrists will be f8cked shot torn and destroyed. Ditto for your back and your legs and every other part of your body and brain. remember to take breaks, change your position, move around, go for walks periodically and otherwise take care of your health.
The Room
The room, which is usually what people actually think of when you say "I've got a studio," aside from needing to look good and be interesting, well lighted and well decorated enough to be conducive to musical performance while being entertaining enough to facilitate hours worth of attention span (kheeee catch my breath), must also be acoustically sound. You can purchase acoustic foam padding and bass traps and sound absorption items each of which probably cost more than all your gear put together. For a cheap effective solution go to your local thrift shop and purchase some clothes line and a bunch of blankets. Hang your clothesline about 6" away from each wall and drape blankets almost all the way down to the floor. One this keeps things from getting moldy, it keeps air circulating, but two it keeps unwanted sound reflections to a minimum. The sound must travel through the blankets, bounce off the wall, back through the blankets and then into your microphone. Needless to say this will cut down almost all unwanted noise in a very very effective manner. In addition, if all the thrift store blankets are horridly ugly, go buy some nice tapestries from the local hippie shop and only hang them on two walls and in one corner, then face the mic towards that one corner. That should take care of it. Also consider WHICH room you want to use. A room right next to the street might have too much car noise for an expensive and sensitive condenser mic such as the AT-4060 to be worth the investment.
well that about covers it for now... hope you had fun and learned something.
As near as I can tell you're already spent by now. However, you should still factor in what kind of software you want. There are really two standard titles that you a mid-level semi-pro enthusiast should consider: Steinberg Cubase and Cakewalk Sonar. There are other titles. If you're a Mac person you can get Garage Band for cheap. Otherwise these software titles begin to get progressively more expensive. ProTools is the defacto industry standard recording software and hardware but it costs an arm and a leg. Most of these software titles in fact cost numerous body parts, however most of these titles also have consumer level versions. The full versions of these titles often cost $1000 but they all have consumer versions which cost between $100 and $250. Considering the price of the pro versions that's not bad. I have no opinions one way or another on any of these titles. I simply think that Cubase and Sonar would probably be the best beginner titles to grab.
Your other option is to use Linux. Linux is an alternative to Microsoft Windows. It does all the same things that Windows does but it has a different approach. The new Macintosh computers use Mac OS X which is mostly based on Linux. The great thing about Linux is that it is 100% free. It is 100% free to download, free to install, free to use, free to distribute, free to be changed ... everything about Linux is essentially free. Well over 50% of the internet websites you visit live on computers running Linux. The real statistic is probably more like over 75% of them. Linux is well known, well used, well supported and has a user base of millions across the world. Until recently Linux has not been the best choice for Audio/Video Multimedia applications. That all changed however with the release of a couple key software titles such as Ardour and Rosegarden. The Stanford CCRMA organization is devoted to the researching of music software on Linux. Needless to say, for any starving artist spending as little money as possible is usually a primary goal. Linux can help you achieve this goal. I will write a Linux for the Newbie Musician tutorial eventually, so look forward to that. In the meantime do your own research because there is MORE than enough information out there on the internet already.
The Accessories
Cables cables cables and more cables! Good cables can cost $50 bucks a pop. $100 bucks a pop for the long ones. So budget accordingly. You can purchase gear with the most pristine sound clarity but if you've got shitty cables it won't matter a damn bit. There are countless other things you'll run into when buying gear that you didn't know you needed, so put aside 10% of what you plan to spend and save it for what you didn't know you needed.
The Desk
Need I say that ergonomics are important? your posture during a multi-hour long recording session is more than just your comfort, it's your health. Your wrists are (for most of you) one of your most important instruments. If your recording setup finds you at odd angles with your mouse for long periods of time your wrists will be f8cked shot torn and destroyed. Ditto for your back and your legs and every other part of your body and brain. remember to take breaks, change your position, move around, go for walks periodically and otherwise take care of your health.
The Room
The room, which is usually what people actually think of when you say "I've got a studio," aside from needing to look good and be interesting, well lighted and well decorated enough to be conducive to musical performance while being entertaining enough to facilitate hours worth of attention span (kheeee catch my breath
), must also be acoustically sound. You can purchase acoustic foam padding and bass traps and sound absorption items each of which probably cost more than all your gear put together. For a cheap effective solution go to your local thrift shop and purchase some clothes line and a bunch of blankets. Hang your clothesline about 6" away from each wall and drape blankets almost all the way down to the floor. One this keeps things from getting moldy, it keeps air circulating, but two it keeps unwanted sound reflections to a minimum. The sound must travel through the blankets, bounce off the wall, back through the blankets and then into your microphone. Needless to say this will cut down almost all unwanted noise in a very very effective manner. In addition, if all the thrift store blankets are horridly ugly, go buy some nice tapestries from the local hippie shop and only hang them on two walls and in one corner, then face the mic towards that one corner. That should take care of it. Also consider WHICH room you want to use. A room right next to the street might have too much car noise for an expensive and sensitive condenser mic such as the AT-4060 to be worth the investment.well that about covers it for now... hope you had fun and learned something.
either way smoods, he knows what he's talking about 
just remember that not all of us here are what you would call "beginners" or "amatures". ... at least, not the same level of "beginner" or "amature". there are some like entheon, here, who've been doing this for forever
hence the thousand years comment
just remember that not all of us here are what you would call "beginners" or "amatures". ... at least, not the same level of "beginner" or "amature". there are some like entheon, here, who've been doing this for forever hence the thousand years comment
Sweet.
I'm 16 and just starting to get to the point where my band is playing out for paid gigs and things like that. I inherited the interest from my dad, who started gigging out with bands when he was about my age.
We just finished building a garage with a large extension room on the back (for, guess what, a rehearsal area/studio for our bands). I haven't had much time to go out there and learn everything there is to check out. This, along with your other topics on recording gear, terminology, etc. have been very helpful. Thanks, dude.
I'm 16 and just starting to get to the point where my band is playing out for paid gigs and things like that. I inherited the interest from my dad, who started gigging out with bands when he was about my age.
We just finished building a garage with a large extension room on the back (for, guess what, a rehearsal area/studio for our bands). I haven't had much time to go out there and learn everything there is to check out. This, along with your other topics on recording gear, terminology, etc. have been very helpful. Thanks, dude.
Thanks alot man, this has been great help. 
| Octava |
What is your opinion of the Octava mc-1?
| Confused |
Linux is for Apple only, right?
| HATS OFF |
Hats off to people like this who take time to explain to novices for free how to do this stuff.
LOL! Linux is for apple only!!! ahhh hahahahahah! ahehchm ah... ahoo... hoo... heh.. hee... heee hee.. er... ahem
no, Linux runs on everything: every major platform/processor in existence including platforms which Windows and MacOS do not run on.
Looks like I will be writing my Linux for Newb Musicians article pretty soon...
oh and... note: yes this means that Linux does run on apple computers, but it also runs on any computer that can run windows, and it also runs on many many other types of computers. In fact, you can install Linux on your Play Station if you want. If you ever go to Target or Wal-Mart and check out their hand-held price scanner thinger-majiggers, you might just be lucky enough to happen to notice that they run a special embedded version of Linux. Oh, yeah... if you're truly insane you can also install Linux on your iPod.
My opinion on the Oktava MC-1 is: don't do it. For some reason a $150 Russian microphone doesn't seem like it will live up to whatever hype might surround it. And by the way how the and where the hell did you find one of those for sale?
What are you doing? Are you a total beginner?
A microphone is just like any instrument - you have got to try before you buy. If you are careless enough to simply purchase one on good reviews... make sure you're purchasing a well known mic with good reviews from a trusted manufacturer with reliable customer service and warranty options. Buy from an online store with a money back guarantee.
With that said... remember that you cannot get a good condenser mic for under $1000!!!!!! So don't fool yourself into thinking that a $200 Russian condenser mic is gonna work wonders because it probably won't. If, however, you absolutely had to purchase a low end condenser mic, then most gear heads and pros would tell you to get something like an ADK, a Sennheiser or an Audio Technica.
If you're thinking of spending only $200 on a condenser mic, quit thinking about buying a condenser mic and buy an SM-57~$100 an ART tube preamp~$50 and a good cable~$50 instead. In that price range, these items are much better quality and will combine to give you much better performance than all that f8cky el-cheapo condenser mic business. Though if you get a free $200 condenser mic in the mail... by all means, put it to good use
and don't worry about buying another mic until you get good at using the one you've got and you reach the absolute limits of it's performance capabilities.
no, Linux runs on everything: every major platform/processor in existence including platforms which Windows and MacOS do not run on.
Looks like I will be writing my Linux for Newb Musicians article pretty soon...
oh and... note: yes this means that Linux does run on apple computers, but it also runs on any computer that can run windows, and it also runs on many many other types of computers. In fact, you can install Linux on your Play Station if you want. If you ever go to Target or Wal-Mart and check out their hand-held price scanner thinger-majiggers, you might just be lucky enough to happen to notice that they run a special embedded version of Linux. Oh, yeah... if you're truly insane you can also install Linux on your iPod.
My opinion on the Oktava MC-1 is: don't do it. For some reason a $150 Russian microphone doesn't seem like it will live up to whatever hype might surround it. And by the way how the and where the hell did you find one of those for sale?
What are you doing? Are you a total beginner?
A microphone is just like any instrument - you have got to try before you buy. If you are careless enough to simply purchase one on good reviews... make sure you're purchasing a well known mic with good reviews from a trusted manufacturer with reliable customer service and warranty options. Buy from an online store with a money back guarantee.
With that said... remember that you cannot get a good condenser mic for under $1000!!!!!! So don't fool yourself into thinking that a $200 Russian condenser mic is gonna work wonders because it probably won't. If, however, you absolutely had to purchase a low end condenser mic, then most gear heads and pros would tell you to get something like an ADK, a Sennheiser or an Audio Technica.
If you're thinking of spending only $200 on a condenser mic, quit thinking about buying a condenser mic and buy an SM-57~$100 an ART tube preamp~$50 and a good cable~$50 instead. In that price range, these items are much better quality and will combine to give you much better performance than all that f8cky el-cheapo condenser mic business. Though if you get a free $200 condenser mic in the mail... by all means, put it to good use
and don't worry about buying another mic until you get good at using the one you've got and you reach the absolute limits of it's performance capabilities.Verry good for begginers i wish i had found something like this when i first started recording digitaly.
I can highly recomend Steinberg's Cubase. Its quite easy to use if your a noobie. And once you have got the hang of it theres so much you can do with it.
Im not so sure about some of the prices youve given though. yer if you want the absoloute best, top quality sound then spend loads but you can get a reasonable (begginers) set-up going for under £1000 depending how much you splash out on software.
I can highly recomend Steinberg's Cubase. Its quite easy to use if your a noobie. And once you have got the hang of it theres so much you can do with it.
Im not so sure about some of the prices youve given though. yer if you want the absoloute best, top quality sound then spend loads but you can get a reasonable (begginers) set-up going for under £1000 depending how much you splash out on software.
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