"Digital Workstation controller"
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Posted on Dec 04, 2003 02:09 am
Blindfold
Member Since: Dec 04, 2003
Hey everyone this is my first time posting here and I'm a bit of a recording newbie, so bare with me :) I'm in the early stages of building a home studio in one of the rooms in the basement of our new home. The purpose of this studio is for recording my rock band, and aswell a few of my friends' bands. I'm interested in your opinions on the Tascam US-428. It was recommened to me because I'm using a PC and Cubase SX software.
Does this device seem like a good route to go? I'm on a semi-tight budget so the price is right, I just want to make sure I'm investing in good gear. I'm getting an average compressor aswell (not too sure on the exact model, maybe a suggestion $200-300 price range?) and something to supply phantom power because the us-428 doesn't supply it for my condenser mic (rode nt1a)
And suppose I did buy this, is a preamp neccessary or does this already cover that? Thanks in advance for any help, and sorry for the long post!
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LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Dec 04, 2003 12:26 pm Those digital controllers are nice from what I've seen, being able to use your software without using your mouse and keyboard anymore looks like aplus. You say you're on a limited budget though, so heres what I suggest. Get yourself a decent pair of studio monitors, your ears will thank you, a compressor, a nice pre amp, and a soundcard with as many ins and outs as you want. You may also want a small mixer just to route things into the soundcard. This set up will get you up and recording and leave you able to upgrade.
Now if you are really hellbent on getting that Digital Audio Controller, I still reccomend getting a preamp to run the mic through before hitting the console. Most preamps also support phantom power. Aside from that you will want a decent pair of monitors to mix with, or at least a good set of headphones.
Dec 04, 2003 09:53 pm Thanks for the advice Loki, very much appreciated. Is there any preamp models you or anyone else could recommend? I'll be using mics for more than just vocals, guitars bass and drums aswell so I'd need something that can cover them all.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 04, 2003 10:37 pm For a good budget pre amp I believe there are a few people here that use ART. Not sure of the model number, but if you link to Musicians Friend through the link on the left you can search out Pre-amp and find a pretty good selection. I will be honest with you on the Tascam unit. They have both good and bad reviews. I have used one and found it a bit sluggish compared to some of the others out there. And they have had some compatability issues as well. I dont know about there audio interface as far as the quality goes, but again There have been known issues dealing with drivers and the like. The machine seems to like some Pcs and not others. You probably wont ever see one hooked up at your local music store because of this. But they will sell you one just the same. I would ask to see a demo of one running Cubase SX before you even think about buying one. As Loki said, you might be better off spending teh money ona good audio interface and small mixer, then when money permits look into one of the better control surfaces. They are a fairly new technology yet and still dont have all the issues resolved. I would love to put one in here at PigPen but I wont put up with a device that runs flakey and cant be depended on.
Dec 05, 2003 12:58 am I was doing a bit of looking around and the Behringer T1953 seems like a pretty nice pre-amp especially for the price. I'm alittle concerned about recording drums though, I'd want atleast 4 mics on the drum set but this pre-amp only has the 2 channels. So would I be better off looking for a pre-amp with more channels, or is there some trick I'm missing?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 05, 2003 05:24 pm Indeed, if ya want more channels pre-amped yo will need more pre channels. For the most part, drums can be recorded using Dynamic mics which dont need phantom power at all. But the pre amp is still a good call. It is something that if you plan on recording for a long time you will always be able to use it. As far as Behringer gear goes, my studio is loaded with it. My main desk is one of theirs as well as 2 other mixers I use, and several pieces of outboard gear. Price wise, yes it is a good choice.
