Building a Home studio I need Major help ^^ what to choose

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Member Since: Jan 26, 2008

hey guys
Im thinking of building a Home studio in my Bedroom it will be a dedicated room for that .

My budget is about 3000$

I need to buy a pc & mostly everything from Midi interface , To audio interface , Audio card , mics ,

all i got so far is instruments (synth, guitar , bass , guitar amp)


what i was thinking about was buying a

PC: IMAC or mac pro , Or a Macbook (but i hear bad thing with

maybe a Imac (2-3gig rams) + a macbook (1gig)


Midi Audio interface: MOTU 828mkII , Or the Mbox 2 , or the M-audio ones

: Effects: rackmounts for guitar like v amp , Vbass , Maybe other behringer stuff for reverbs , multi effects

: microphone : Shure Sm57 , Sm58 , a good condenser mic with shock mount ,

:mixer?? i really don't know...

: a electronic Drum : Used ,

so i would like to know what would you guys buy for making multi track recording

1 track per track not multi session in 1 recording , im not recording a band

but im gonna make many tracks from

seperate instruments...

I will also need to buy foams to put on the walls a little

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Jan 27, 2008 08:23 pm

Welcome to HRC first off.

And your budget will be plenty to get started with. First I'll ask a couple questions though.

Are you dead set on a Mac? If so you will be limited to the software available for it. As well it is a good deal more expensive to build a Mac these days then a PC, and the PC's these days are more then capable of doing what a Mac will. Actually they can do more for less in the end. Much easier to upgrade and keep updated.

Using electronic drums I assume you will be doing midi then as well?

Member
Since: Jan 26, 2008


Jan 29, 2008 01:05 pm

Yeah Dead Set on Mac i know for 1400$ 1900 i can have the equivalent PC of the biggest mac available almost (figure of speech)
but... I had Way too much problem with Pc's that i told myself never more

I will never buy a pc once again

They always tend to have viruses , conflict , slowdowns, it isn't stable


Im waiting some judgements from you guys what should i buy??

Should i buy a MAC PRO TOWER?
quad core , 2 gig rams 350 gb hd?

and a mac book straight laptop

and wait for the rest or only the TOWER & start buying the components for the recording?

Uh, at least one more time . . .
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007


Jan 29, 2008 03:17 pm

If you had a problem with viruses with the PC then spend the money and get a PC dedicated to music only--you can buy two, or for god's sake, even three PCs for the price of the Mac that you're looking at. With just two PCs, you will have enough dough left over to get a really good interface--the most important part of the sound recording chain. Its all about the conversion from analog to digital and then back again.
Get two PCs, and two nice big monitors for the music app PC. PC manufacturers are cutting prices on the monitor/pc packages; you will be able to get a great deal on these, whereas with the Mac you will be hard-pressed indeed to find a deal. Noize2U is right-on here.

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


Jan 29, 2008 03:33 pm

Recording 1 instrument at a time, I might still recommend finding an interface with at least 4 inputs. You think now that you'll never need 4 simultaneous inputs but then you mic your first drum set and think "why didn't I go for more inputs?!?".

Heck, I can use up to 3 inputs just recording a guitar cab. 4 inputs is a good starter because you can at least do a bare-bones drum kit setup (I see that you'll be using electronic drums but still, you never know!).

As far as microphones, an SM57 is kind of a must-have. Sennheiser 421 would trump that but they're getting kind of hard to find for a reasonable price.

Most large-diaphragm condensors come with shockmounts (at least most of the ones I've shopped for).

Don't forget to think about your preamps. Do you want preamps built into a mixer (you get more preamps for your dollar, trading for the quality of each preamp) or a series of stand-alone preamps (much more expensive, but you can get some really great pres). For 1 or 2 tracks, preamp quality won't exactly be a huge deal. But when you have your first 48-track project, the noise, coloration, and frequency response will really show itself.

John
Member
Since: May 06, 2007


Jan 29, 2008 06:39 pm

Your computer will be the key to recording, and if I were you, based on what I have learned in the past year of doing this anyways, I would think twice about being dead set on a Mac. May cost you more $$ and headache in the end, only because you are limited on software choices (witch because of their names in the industry are very costly anyways) and it is a total pain in the ars to upgrade a Mac. And in this day in age, fast easy upgrades are important with all the fast pace changes in the computer world.

Whatever you do, don't fall for the good 'ol "Macs are way more compatible/stable" crap speech. It is not even close to being true. At one point a few years ago, yea maybe a little more truth to it. But if you really know the maintenance of the PC, buy good hardware for it with the right speeds and settings, and run windows XP with the Service Pack 2 (Stay the hell away from Vista), it can be just as good, if not better.

Not only are there more cheaper programs available for Windows PC then Mac that are very powerful programs, but PCs are easy to upgrade like Noize2u and Tim said. You can easily add extra drives, switch out ram fast and on the fly, ect. All in cheap intervals to. And if you know how to shop and set it all up, you can't beat it.

I personally use almost every pro piece of software from Sony Creative. The most expensive software they have is their video program that I use, and its $700.00. For audio I use Acid Pro 6 (Roughly $375.00 ball park) and Sound Forge 9 for intense editing (from time to time I use it… not a lot). I even use Sony Vegas and Cinescore for my video productions. None of these programs are Mac compatible, and they are making a very good name these days not just in home recording, but in major studios now as well. I have never had issues with these programs. I took the time to learn and study them and I will be getting the seminar training DVDs for each one that shows you the ins and outs of the programs.

I have had 0 issues with my pc setup. Took my time, learned good maintenance and hardware setups, And I went ahead a paid $1,000.00 for a studio pc with dual-core AMD processing, 3 gigs of ram, and I sgtarted with 2 hard drives with the ability to add in more at anytime via SATA. The quad-core was an option, but if you have a good chunk of ram and good settings, you don't really NEED the quad-core. But if your a PC hardware junkie (I tend to be from time to time), its always a fun option. But if your on a budget, go with the mains of what you NEED and add the extras later. I only go to websites use the internet where I know its safe. Best setup I ever went with compared to the iMac g4 I tried…

Just my personal opinion...

Member
Since: Jan 26, 2008


Jan 29, 2008 07:03 pm

yeah... damn I really don't know

like Tim N said

I could buy 3 pc for the price of one...

thats kinda True hell i could buy a Laptop + a kick *** pc for the price of 1 mac & still have 700$ left....


for the audio interface
I was almost tempted to buy the motu MKII today....
anygood??

is it too much for my needs tho?
it seems to be pricy since it has all those I/O

let me know
thanks!!!

John
Member
Since: May 06, 2007


Jan 29, 2008 07:12 pm

I am not sure about the motu MKII. I was referd to a Motu interface on here just recently.

Currently I don't have any big projects going on. My step dad and I are recording a simple project where we don't need more then 2 inputs at a time. So we went with the Presonus Inspre 1394 wicth is just a small simple interface. I am starting my own video production studio though, and for comentary tracs on DVDs and making score soundtracks, I am going to need to upgrade. When I asked about the PreSonus FP10 FireWire Recording Interface for an upgrade, I was told it can be a sold unit but for a couple hundred more, I was told to check out a Motu interface. Can't remember witch one though.

It is worth checking it out. Maybe one of the other guys can give you a more direct awnser. I am still somewhat new to everything.

Member
Since: Jan 26, 2008


Jan 29, 2008 08:45 pm

yeah maybe

I will check that

maybe i should buy those 300$ range interface instead of 700$+since more I/0 more $$$ and bottom line maybe the same quality....

Humm i got a good question

How are those Recording Workstation???
like the tascam ones i saw some for around 1500$ 1200$
they have a HDD inside ,
it's a console recording ready....

is it a good alternative or it's cheap?....
Since maybe i couldn't make drum tracks on it using midi?...
or export them from pc to workstation...

like
TASCAM 2488MKII

TASCAM 2488

and other ^^

Member
Since: Nov 15, 2007


Feb 05, 2008 09:33 am

For recording- Go for a Mac. You want a more stable Operating System to record. Nuendo, Pro-tools, and Logic all run better on Macs. All professional studios use them.

As for interfaces and control surfaces, Ive used a tascam fw1082 and it was really buggy and never ran the way it should have , which surprised me because everything else Ive used by tascam has been great.

I'd go with a Motu 828mkII or an 896
Ive also heard good things about RME hammerfall and Presonus Firestation. All of these you should be able to find used for decent prices

The only problem with these interfaces is they dont have an integrated control surface. For a control surface I'd go with a used Mackie Control Universal if you decide you really need one...I dont really think its neccessary unless youre gonna mix 24 tracks.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006


Feb 05, 2008 11:07 am

I've been running XP on my studio for years and it's rock solid. I have used CEP, Nuendo and Audition.

I have no problems with MAC, but if you have a good quality PC then XP runs just great imho.

Buy what you want as they will both do a great job.


www.TheLondonProject.ca
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2005


Feb 05, 2008 11:48 am

Quote:
How are those Recording Workstation???


We are using the Roland VS-2480CD at school and I really love that unit. Gonna get myself one but not just as a stand-alone but rather a compiment to my existing PC setup.

You can read about the V-Studio on my blog at beerhunter341.blogspot.com

Answer:On a good day, lipstick.
Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004


Feb 05, 2008 12:49 pm

Quote:
You want a more stable Operating System to record. Nuendo, Pro-tools, and Logic all run better on Macs.


A Mac, plus Nuendo or PT?
Budget gone.

PC + Soundcard + Mixer + Mics + DAW (Cubase/Sonar etc. - even Tracktion or Reaper or Krystal) + patchcords + other stuff + case of beer.....
Under budget.

For a starter 'studio' in a bedroom - depending on your experience etc. - you might not need a top of the line anything. Many of us get away with not very much gear at all. It's all in how you learn to use what you have, and how you use your ears.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Feb 05, 2008 01:04 pm

I've got a singlecore AMD, running WinXP Pro with 1g. It's been solid like a rock.

I've isolated it, and only use it for my audio rig.

No problems, and pretty darn fast. I spent around 1k for it 2 years ago, and it's still fitting the bill quite nicely. A decent system now should run around 800 w/ monitors.

Just keep it very clean and tweaked, and it'll run solid for years.

I don't know why somebody would refer you to a MKII or 896. You're going to be running 2 inputs (maybe 4). Don't spend $$$ on an interface that you don't need. You don't need all the I/O that they offer, and charge you for.

You've gotta think Mics, preamp of some sort, monitors, that all adds up, and takes chunks out of 3000$ pretty quick.

I guess TC just said that =).

Czar of Cheese
Member
Since: Jun 09, 2004


Feb 05, 2008 01:30 pm

You don't really say what the final result of all of your recordings will be. But, my advice would be to start out simple and add on to your gear collection as the need arises.

If you're set on a Mac, then buy one. Use Garageband to learn a little bit about recording. Buy an SM 57 and an inexpensive condenser. Buy a 2 or 4 channel firewire audio interface with MIDI capabilities and built-in preamps.

Do some recording with that setup and see what you come up with. Then, figure out what you need to get the results you're looking for.

Honestly, that's the way most of us built our studios...just like Johnny Cash. One Piece at a Time.

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Feb 05, 2008 01:57 pm

ah, but it didn't cost him a dime ;)


John
Member
Since: May 06, 2007


Feb 05, 2008 03:10 pm

He is right. Thats how the dudes on here helped me out. Learn with the little things first and then upgrade as you can.

I myself, like I stated above, have a simple 2 XLR in and 2 1/4 input audio interface with built in pres from presonus.It has simple 1/8 headphone outs, RCA Monitor outs, and connects via firewire with the PCs bus to power it.

I then bought a cheap MXL V63M Studio Condenser that records pretty darn clean. I work on the Sony Acid Pro 6 DAWS and just recently bought Sony's 3 DVD set that trains you on the software. It covers everything from loop recording to stanrdard midi. Then it covers advanced midi and real time multi tracking as well.

You can get a cheap USB midi interface for $40.00 or so. The Shure SM57 was also another purchase of mine for accoustic guitar recording and what not.

I have done small projects for people and myself and have had a lot of fun, with some good quality recordings. And I learned a crap ton along the way. I also picked up home recording and PC recording for dummies books. Helped a lot more then one would think.

Good powered PCs kept away from un-necissary internet use running XP with Service Pack 2 can't go wrong.

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