Next step for gear?
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > Next step for gear?
Posted on Apr 11, 2010 06:01 pm
Metalstorm
Member Since: Apr 05, 2010
Slowly in the process of building a studio. I will list what I am using so far. I am still pretty new to recording and have been working pretty heavily with sonar to learn how to use that as much as possible before i start too much of the actual recording.
I think for the mean time I will focus mainly on guitar and bass and just use ezdrummer for the drum tracks.
I plan on recording full bands in the near future but dont want to get in over my head before i understand everything else better. Basically just making a drum track and then recording guitar and bass so i can start learning to mix and eq etc, etc.
Currently this is what I have setup.
PC:
-2.4Ghz quad core
-Win 7 ultimate
-16gigs of ram
using sonar, ezdrummer and a trial of guitar rig which I think I will probably buy soon as I record a lot of clean guitar and bass and then just add the effects.
sound interface is a presonus firestudio project
currently for guitar and bass I am either doing it direct or using the line out on my behringer v-ampire or crate bass combo amp. both have a lot of effects built into them so works alright.
I also have 2 full stacks, one is bass and one is guitar. These are the ones I usually play through so once I get more into this I will be mic'ing those and recording them.
using some crappy low end speakers and generic headphones right now for the monitoring and mixing.
What would be the best gear to shoot for next?
I am thinking either better headphones/monitors and mic's for vocals as well as mic'ing guitar and bass amps.
Not sure if there is other gear that would be really good to get off the start as well.
from reading a crapload of posts and articles on this site I am thinking some good mic's to start with would be a SM57 or two and maybe a SM56 for vocals?
any other suggestions?
[ Back to Top ]
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Apr 11, 2010 08:03 pm If you're recording drums or electric guitars, an SM57 is always a good idea in my book. There are people who will dispute that, but I think of an SM57 as one of those mics that is versatile and rugged enough to earn a spot in just about anybody's mic locker (haha, as if I have a mic locker...).
The Sennheiser MD421 is the main competitor against the SM57 to a lot of people, but its out of production and reletively expensive in comparison. At least I think its out of production. Maybe they've released a reissue by now (all I see available online is a 2nd generation model that doesn't look like the original in any way). It gets super-high marks from everybody I've seen review it. It works on guitar cabs, snare drums, and toms. Owners seem to cherish their MD-421s.
It sounds like you have your head screwed on right as far as your approach here. Your gear and software are all very capable (not sure of what actual guitar and bass gear you have though).
I have a feeling that if you're going to be mixing albums to sell for profit, then you're going to want the best monitoring chain and room treatment that you can afford. This will ensure that all of your hard work of recording and mixing will be heard exactly as you intend it to be heard, no matter what type of system its being played on. Do some searching on these boards and on the internet in general about room treatment, broadband treatments and traps, early reflections, standing waves, flutter and echo, and you should come across a lot of info about setting up a room so that it won't influence the way your recording sounds so that you have as accurate of interpretation as possible of your mixes.
Good mics and preamps don't ever hurt, either. As a starting point, the preamps in the PreSonus units seem to be an acceptable quality. I wouldn't worry quite yet about upgrading them, but keep it on your radar for a future upgrade.
In addition to a good dynamic mic like the SM57, you'll probably want a condensor mic of some sort that will allow you to capture nuanced acoustic performances and vocals. Large diaphragm condensors are the norm for this job, but there are lots of other good choices for the job. There are mics that excel on vocals, some that excel on acoustic guitars, and others that excel as drum overheads or room/ambience mics. In the budget/entry-level category though, you'll probably want to start off with a good all-around LDC and maybe either a single or matched pair of pencil-style SDC (small-diaphragm condensor) type mics. Together, they'll give you the flexability to get a good capture of acoustic guitars, vocals, and drum overheads if you should ever find yourself recording acoustic drums. Match those with an SM57 and a kick mic, and you're set to record a 4-mic setup on acoustic drum kits, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar cabinets, vocals, general percussion, and just about any other instrument that comes in the door.
At a higher price point, the choices for mics get pretty expensive and reknowned for more specific applications. But for a first mic, there are lots of affordable choices that will still rival what was available to only professionals just 20 or 30 years ago.
Apr 12, 2010 12:53 am Quote:
I am thinking either better headphones/monitors and mic's for vocals as well as mic'ing guitar and bass amps.
Without a doubt, the absolute most important part of *any* recording rig is your monitoring chain (DA, amplification/loudspeakers, room). Everything else pales in comparison by a long shot. Every single sonic decision you will make is based on how that chain translates to your brain. Every mic choice, mic position, amp & speaker combination, every EQ tweak, every dynamics setting.
I'd start there.
J-botByte-MixerMember
Since: Dec 04, 2007
Apr 12, 2010 09:29 am Popping in real quick here from work. I'm definitely in agreement with Massive and Tadpui. Looks like you've got a solid setup to start with. Having a vocal mic might not be a bad idea, but I'm going to have to agree, getting your room and speakers set up and upgraded will have far more of an impact on the mix. You can always save up for another mic later, and probably recover your expenses quickly enough to get one in a reasonable time after you get the monitors.
So yeah, spring for monitors and get some acoustic treatments going as well. Bass traps first for sure if you don't have any yet, and there are some pretty affordable ways you can build your own traps as well. Having a well treated room with decent monitors is paramount in getting mixes to translate with any sort of accuracy between systems. (Trips to the car for a :"2nd Opinion" on the mix helps too at times)
