Recording Studio help
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Posted on Apr 26, 2004 06:56 pm
BoysMum
Member Since: Apr 22, 2004
I 've already sent this message but I don't know where it went, so I'll do it again.
I would like to put together a home recording studio for my son. He is currently in a basic 4 pce band and they record using Cubase(basic)with one mic through his PC which does not have a special audio card. He lays a song track by track. He enjoys it, but it is a lot of work.
He would like to be able to record live in the studio.
I read four articles on this site about putting together home recording studios and I have a few queries:
1. What is the difference between analog and digital for recording or does each have its place in the studio?
2. I am a little confused about whether a mixing board, mulitrack recorder, hard disk recorder and PC are used together or whether a user would choose only one for studio work.
3. If when you are direct recording or using a MIDI and soundproofing doesn't matter so much, are there limitations to direct recording? It would probably be a good thing if I was sure about what you mean by direct recording.
Finally, I have been reading your website for about a couple of months and I have really enjoyed learning from you all.
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el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Apr 26, 2004 07:52 pm Welcome, i started out pretty much like your son did. i'll try to answer your questions but i'm a little short on time at the moment. forgive me for the brief details but others will chime in i'm sure.
1. analog vs. digital... your best bet (and probably most affordable) will be digital using a PC if you have one already or by picking up a multitracker (which should have everything you would need as far as channels and preamps). Consider Analog Audio as a solid signal, while digital is a series of snapshots of that the analog signal. Digital has come a long way to the point where most people can't hear the difference... a CD is a digital signal.
2. A PC is most common in project studios because of its abundance in the home already. whether or not you need a mixer depends on your sound card. if your sound card has enough inputs and a preamp for each then you most likely won't need one. if it doesn't have enough preamps for each channel you'll need something that will provide a gain stage before inputting the signal into the card for signal strength. this is where a mixer comes in for most because it should have plenty of preamps and direct outs for each channel into your sound card.
3. Direct recording is mainly when an instrument is recorded without a mic. basically if you connect a guitar directly into a processor of some sort then into your pc then that is direct. if you plug the guitar into an amp and the sound is pushed by speakers into a mic than that is not direct. most people prefer miking due to the realness of the sound. sometimes a direct recording doesn't have the thickness that miking provides. of course there are 'modeling' processors that come pretty close but, IMO, they aren't there just yet. overall it's just a matter of opinion, and yes with the direct/midi setup you shouldn't run into needing soundproofing unless you're monitoring really loud :)
of course i do recommend treating the room so you have a controlled listening environment.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Apr 26, 2004 11:19 pm Well Mom, I commend you for your support! I too lived through my daughters learning...It was worth every wrong note.
1. Digital recording has a far greater latitude of possibilities and is far...far less expensive than analog recording. Digital is either a PC or a digital workstation. Analog is tape.
1a. There are those who prefer either digital or analog. In a production studio to appeal to both "groups" both analog and digital have a place. Simple marketing.
2. And that is a good observation. Most here use an analog mixer for preamplification and monitoring to feed a PC which does the analog to digital conversion, actual recording, mixing, mastering, CD creation. Some multitracking units do all of that. Some do a portion of that. In brief a PC will take the place of the multi-track recorder and CD recorder. A PC will also offer much greater expandability per available software.
3. Direct recording is a process of pluging an electric instrument directly into a mixer or peramp and not using a microphone to capture the sound coming from the instrument or amplifier. Sound proofing is not an issue with this process as it is almost silent if headphones are used by the performers. Midi is similar in regard to protecting inocent bystanders from the effects of the common rock band. (assumption) Sound conditioning however may be an issue as during the mixing and mastering process it is important to have a room that does not color or distort playback.
Lastly; Glad to hear you have enjoyed your tour! My parents bought me my first instrument, amp and reel to reel recorder and at 50 I am still thankfull.
Apr 26, 2004 11:21 pm i wish my mom built me a studio.......
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Apr 26, 2004 11:49 pm Josh, seek help.
Apr 27, 2004 04:26 am Maybe we could start a support group, my mom never built me a studio either...but I still thought it was cool they bought me a guitar when they did...
Anyway, mom, I gotta say you are like the worlds coolest mom, and I am glad you have found this web site helpful.
1- I would stick with the digital world because it is where everything is heading, it costs less and it takes up less room and is still capable of awesome results. You will still need some analog gear, such as an outboard compressor and a mixing board, however.
2- I agree with our very wise Walt here. I use my mixer for the preamplifiers and to hold/monitor signal levels before going into the sound card. This is also the stage at which you would run a compressor via the aux loops or inserts of any given channel of the mixer. The mixer is your place to get the signal level and quality right before sending it into the PC.
3- Direct recording is done as stated by a couple of previous posts, that being without a mic. Which is handy in a home situation. That way my kids upstairs can flush a toilet or jump on the floor without it bleeding into my recording in the basement. There can be limitation depending on your gear. There are now a few "amp modellers" that make direct recording much better sounding and have thusly brought it into much more common use. Unit such as the Line 6 POD and Behringer Vamp are two very common modellers and both quite good. I personally use the original POD for guitar and the Bass Vamp for Bass...tho the Bass Vamp also has models for guitar, synth and keyboard amps as well making it a good choice if you are on a budget. These units are available in our "Gear Bag" section.
Apr 28, 2004 03:09 am Hello and thank you for your advice. My son is now reading this site too.
I am wondering if anyone can help me with the folowing:
1. A Mackie 24.8 analog mixer is avail for sale, 2nd hand(about 6 yrs old. apparently ex recording studio). Has 4 band EQ for each channel and 6 aux sends/returns. I've checked the Mackie website and it sounds like this model could be related to the SR 24.4 etc.
a. How likely do you think it is that the 24.8 is related to the SR models?
b. What would an experienced purchaser be looking carefully at when buying something like this second hand?
2. If the Mackie 24.8 does what the SR's do and we can get it for a reasonable price, would we be resticted as to the range of models of recorders and outboard gear due to compatibility issues?
Thank you in anticipation.
drakeMember
Since: Apr 13, 2004
Apr 28, 2004 03:51 am ok mom. here's the deal. with home recording there is a difficult problem... you can have awesome equipment but you are always limited by the weakest link in your equipment. whether the mixer, the sound card, the mics, the instruments. so my advice to you (the same advice i took a year ago and am VERY glad) is to go middle of the line on everything to save money and maximize output. You aren't ever going to need a mackie 24.8!
get a simple 20 or so channel mixer with 4 bus sends. get a sound card with 4 or more input/outputs. get some decent mics and a guitar fx mod. (+ the cables to support all of that) if he already uses cubase, you are golden for 8 part multitracking (if you use the panning right) and can have a semi-professional recording studio in your house at around $1500 if you shop smart
here is what i might suggest:
-behringer ub2442fx-pro
-m-audio delta 66 sound card
-some shure sm57 dynamic mic
-some shure sm58 vocal mics
-behringer b-2 pro condenser mic
-vamp
-(1/4" patch cables, xlr cables, 1/4" instrument calbes, stands.... whatever you need!)
maybe later down the line he'll purchase some drum mics or a nice midi keyboard. the sky is the limit if the money is there...
good luck and enjoy the music!!
Apr 28, 2004 04:40 am I am not going to presume I know what you will need, use or not. Therefore, I will assume you can use an 8 bus board and roll with that. 8 busses can be cool to have especially if recording live drums, since one can easily use 4 busses for just that, and can use more.
Anyway, what's the price on this Mackie? Mackie makes great gear, but frequently is very expensive, even used. A Behringer MX9000, also an 8 bus service.bfast.com/bfast/c...p;bfmtype=gear, is $1400 brand new with full warranty. My goal is not to sell you on this, but more to make sure you are not spending more than you have to.
Also, if you want the 8 bus console, to be able to use it you will need a sound card that has 8 inputs such as the M Audio 1010LT service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear or the M Audio 1010 service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear which are both great sound card, the difference is that the more expensive of the two has all it's ins and outs in a nice little rack mount case.
When shopping for new gear, while it will take some time, what you really want to do is move all the faders up and down and turn all the knobs to make sure they flow freely and nothing is grinding or snagging. Also run a signal through each channel while moving all the knobs and faders and listen for noise. Noise while moving these control are a result of years of dust, ash from cigarettes and crap like that getting in the "pots" (the control under a knob) and faders. Put signals thru each in and out and make sure they all work as expected if they don't either you don't buy the gear, or it's serious price haggling power. Things such as outputs being noisy sometimes just takes a Q-tip and some contact cleaner to fix them, dirty pots and faders often get more involved and more expensive.
riffgodwww.charlienaebeck.comMember
Since: Apr 10, 2004
Apr 28, 2004 06:30 am Well, first of all there are going to be several questions of what he would like to accomplish with the studio. :) btw.. that is awesome that you are helping him set up a studio.
1. Is it mainly going to be used for live recording of the band, or will they be making cd quality recordings from it eventually?
2. What type of budget are you guys looking at to put together the studio? I don't mean to get too personal by asking financial questions, but it will definately hold a large impact on what you will be able to achieve with the studio setup. I would suggest sitting down with your son and looking at long term goals of what the studio will be used for such as:
A. is he going to be mainly using it for personal use and his band only?
B. Does he want to get into engineering bands sessions and recording bands for a living?
C. is it going to be something that he easily loses interest in over a period of time and that will lose the initial investment?
D. Is he ever going to want to upgrade it down the road?
With the general questions and if I am reading this post correctly. (it is early yet and I have not had coffee) ;) I would suggest something around the following type of setup. This is only my opinion though on something that will allow him to accomplish recordings with his band, be upgradable at a later date, and maybe engineer a few other bands if he gets into it down the road along with recording cd quality materials. :)
-Windows XP AMD 64 bit processor with a min. of 512 megs of ram (usually a new laptop is ideal for this)
-(A lot of folks are going to tell you that this is way too expensive, but for the quality in my opinion you can't beat it from everything I've come across personally so far) Pro Tools MBox with Pro Tools LE 6.1 or higher. (this is a very easy to use system which is an industry standard and he will be able to import and export sessions if his band ever decides to go to a diff. studio for any reason that has a PT setup.
-For mixers in my opinion you can find some good deals on used gear out there, but I always agree with the above post that you are as good as your weakest link when recording, so I would look to see how many channels that your son is going to use (usually for a 4 piece band you can get by on 8-16 depending on how many mics that you are running) and then go from there on researching mixers. Personally I use a 4 channel Mackie as I don't do live drums in my setup currently, but I would leave enough room for if they ever need any more channels at a later date also. Pro Tools LE will only allow you 32 channels of audio anyways on an LE system, so you have to take that into consideration also.
-Microphones: 4 Shure SM57's, 2 decent condenser mics, a good set of drum mics, 20 XLR cables (you'll only need 12 essentially, but it is a good rule of thumb to always have extra just incase in a studio).
-Room: Now at this point I would definately agree that you're going to want to treat the room that they record in very well also. This basically means making sure that you don't get any outside or inside extra noises on the recordings, and making sure that you have ultimately the control over your recordings to just get what is coming out of the amp, drums, or whichever type of instrument they are recording. What I did in my studio was build a floating floor with several 2x4's and then layered rubber, insulation, concrete, rubber, and then wood to create a sound proofed floor. I have a web link somewhere which explains the process (I am not a carpenter, I am a musician lol) but this will essentially help you to block out unwanted noise escaping downward in the room.
Next, you'll want to tackle the walls. Usually most Pro studios will use Acoustically treated foam padding to treat a room and make it a "dead sound" but on a home studio budget you can use egg crates, large comforters, pillows, cushions, mattresses, or whatever works to take the room and make it quiet. What I did is set up with a lot of comforters that I had laying around the house to take the flutter echo out of the room and built my own bass traps in areas that needed a little bit of dampening which consists of building a box with the same concept as the floating floor idea. The main goal with the walls is to be able to have no sound hit and bounce off of a parralel point in the room. Say for example your walls are basically in the shape of a square. You would want to set some stuff up to change the shape and tone of the room for sure. Ultimately though you should be able to walk around the room clapping and talking and not hear any echo (flutter echo as engineers call it) or additional noise other than what is coming from your hands. :)
For ceilings it depends on if there is a room that you would like to keep quiet above it. In my case there was not, but I did help set up a studio one time for a guy that did want the room above his studio quiet in which we built a floating ceiling and put lots of insulation up there to dampen the sound a bit basically. I am sure there is a site online that shows how to construct one also, but in my case I just hung a couple of sheets here and there from the ceiling to dampen the sound and for cool looks in the room. :)
-Other stuff: Other things you might want to consider in the long run would be a dual computer monitor set up if he is going to be sitting at the computer for a long period of time, a nice office chair that is comfortable for mixing, a nice pair of studio headphones (4 if you are working with the band and a headphone router to create sub-mixes), a couple rugs to throw in the room on the floor for dampening purposes and creating different acoustic environments, enough patch cords for the mixer with standard quarter inch jacks on them.... and I could go on with a whole ton of other stuff also, but it wouldn't be essential to a basic studio. ;)
Anyways, best of luck to you both in setting up the studio. If you have any questions this is definately a cool place to visit as everyone is very helpful and supportive of one another on this board. :) and remember to have fun with it! ;)
Apr 28, 2004 06:37 am Hi There
The first (and best bit of advice) I can give is listen to all these guys on here as much as you can - they're all great with advice and its all good stuff!
I've set myself up with a very nice little studio (maybe not so advanced as many folks on here - I work from a cupboard under the stairs!!!) but I like it and lots of my purchases have come from advice and input from the guys on here.
It's not as costly as many think with my whole set up costing me around £1400.
For this I have bought a new Delta 44 Sound Card (essential link in the chain). Monitor Speakers, A VAMP2 for the geeeetar, A Midi Sport interface, A Zoom RT123 Drum Machine, An SM58 Vocal Mic, All the cabling to go with it and new Bass Guitar (not needed - unecessary extravagance on my part!! hehe).
Anyway, not counting software (Which I already had) that little lot was about £1400. This is giving me some good results now and I am learning to use all this gear in my studio as I go (with help from this site).
I am no expert but I know a hell of a lot more now than I did 4 months ago when I started! Some of the gear I mentioned above was bought second hand i.e. Zoom Drum Machine and Bass Guitar. This saved me a good few quid and this is never a bad thing. Always check the items carefully tho as DB has said so you know there are no unwanted noises or problems.
I would say though that you do find musical stuff (in respectable shops) has been traded in against a new, better model. Most musos dont trash their stuff - quite the opposite so if you shop around you will get bargains. My drum machine had £40 knocked of the price and functions perfectly!!
I am now knocking out some "good" recordings (Well the gear's all good - music is in the ear of the beholder :-)!! Point I am making is - investigate second hand gear - wise move. Listen to all the folks in here and use your own judegement to see what you can get.
Good luck with your project studio...
Cheers...
Coco.
Apr 28, 2004 06:42 am I would not personally recommend getting tied into the noose that is ProTools unless you plan to work with professional studios and need the compatible format. ProTools is a very proprietary system that, once you are wanting to upgrade beyond the MBox, Digi 002 or the like, it's gonna cost you a lot...the phrase "second mortage" comes to mind...
There are a lot of choices out there for substantially less money with substantially less "cons" that put it the same high-quality product.
However, the conversation has not gotten to the point yet, so I digress. I will keep the conversation going in the direction BoyzMum takes it at the pace she takes it so as not to over inform to quickly and end up having much of the information lost in information overload.
So keep it comin Mum, we are here for ya ;-)
WillumIdiot.Member
Since: Apr 22, 2004
Apr 28, 2004 06:45 am What a mum! :D
Apr 28, 2004 06:50 am If it's not too early to ask, it might be helpful if you could run down the lineup of the band and the gear they use. four piece leads me to assume it's a couple guitars, bass and drums, however, a keyboard might be in the mix as well. How big is the drum set? Any gear in place yet like microphones and such? Do either of the guitarists currently have any Modelling units in their rigs such as a POD or Vamp? What style of music?
If we get to know the band better it may influence our advice a little bit as well.
Just a thought.
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Apr 28, 2004 01:11 pm I use Pro Tools in my studio and enjoy it incredibly. but with that being said i do not recommend it to people that are just starting out. If i were starting a studio for my son i would seriously consider an Aardvark Direct Pro Q10. it combines a 10 channel soundcard with a mixer with inserts for use with outboard gear. the mixer portion is controlled via software that resembles an external mixer and sounds quite decent. all you would need to worry about after purchase (pc and software aside) is what mics, monitors, and outboard gear you want.
Apr 29, 2004 12:10 am Hello and thank you again.
The band is:lead, rhythm, bass and drums.
The kit is a Pearl Export series with standard set up(3x toms, hi-hat, bass, snare, ride) and two added crash cymbals.
Regarding mics, he has 2x cheap Peavey dynamics and an AKG C900 emotion series condenser. If we had our time over we might have given more thought to mics that could be used in a studio situation as well as live performance(gigs). Perhaps SM58s for their toughness? But that was some time ago and no-one had any reason to believe that playing the guitar would become playing in a band and in turn that would become writing original material which was what led to the desire to produce the actual tracks. We purchased Cubase and it is my sons frustrations with the quality of production after hours of work, that has led me firstly, to your site and secondly to researching on behalf of my son.
Looking at the gear in New Zeland's professional recording studios it would seem that the industry standard mics are SM's. And it also appears to me that some of recommend the SMs (thanks, Drake).
One of the things I like about this site is the part of the profile where you list your personal gear.
According to the Shure website, rrp for SM58's is US$188 that is NZD$300. So currently, we are looking at purchasing Shure SM57's/58's; Shure Beta 87a; Rode NT5's; and grove tube condenser - basically anything that for vocals, is at the Shure SM58 level or better for a good price.
I think we would also look at buying one really good mic. What do you think? I am still researching this. But I don't know if we need to think too much about this yet, other than to have an idea where we are heading and the market prices and from there if anything of that quality mic becomes avail and is at an acceptable level less than current market value then we will become more interested...and quickly.
You guys really get a girl thinking.
In describing the style of the band I'd be out of my league, but I think it is true to say that they are a rock band open to influence from punk and other stuff. As you see I'm no good at this!
What I would say is that for young men they appear to have an ability with lyrics compared to what they know is currently or was in the past on the market. I've watched them grow in their performance 'fitness'(by that I mean like match fitness for professional athletes). I wouldn't call myself a musician by any stretch of the imagination but I have seen their technical abilities and the execution of those aspects improve. Mostly though, they just enjoy it and have fun.
Their influences have been:Nirvana, Blink 182, Jimmi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Three Doors Down, Dave Grohl,Zed, Chuck Berry and more...but my son can't think of the rest.
Regarding the second hand Mackie 24.8, it just came onto the market and I'd read about Mackie's on this site, so I figured it must be alright which prompted me to find out more by visiting the Mackie site. The choice of a Mackie 24.8 vs something else wasn't so much about how many busses it had, although we would like to make sure we have enough for the job and it sounds like some people think 8 busses is perhaps extravagant. But if we can buy the Behringer MX9000 brand new with full warranty for US$1400 ie NZD$2200 then that Mackie is going to be alright at a certain price, so long as we are happy with the condition of the faders/ins/outs/channels etc. Thanks for that advice dB Masters.
What we would like to think more about though is whether purchasing that ex recording studio Mackie would limit us in any way regarding the types of outboards, software etc that would be compatible. Thanks again dB. I might not have realised that in order to be able to use the 8x busses we would need a sound card that would give us access to each of them. And now I know we'd be up for atleast US$300 for the sound card. But dB, if we bought any other mixer would we be up for similar software and similar prices?
With regard to the reasoning behind putting a home recording studio together, riffgod, I think you are correct about my son wanting to perhaps engineer and record for other bands.
Sometimes, I think, when we make a decision we want to proceed postively. I'm also thinking that within the constraints of a budget we want to as far as is practicable and forseeable, atleast attempt to factor in what kind of resale value would be needed to offset any increase in asset base that might have ensued had the money been spent elsewhere, say for example building a swimming pool. In doing this we may be able to find the value of the expenditure in terms of learning and enjoyment as well.
It is hard work - explaining yourself to strangers. Thank you all once again and in anticipation (I don't know how to do the smiley face...or any of those faces for that matter).
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Apr 29, 2004 12:35 am Waahaa....most interesting. To increase your asset base buy the swimming pool. Most all of this stuff depreciates very very fast. To record your son figgure out how you want to do that. One instrument at a time? Live show recordings? In a studio setting as a group? As far as the number of "happy points" you or your son, or family, or whatever will receive from each usage and how that would equate to current market shares in any stock exchange....I guess keep an eye on the Balcon states? Oops, time to beam up. Don't touch that dial!
Apr 29, 2004 01:14 am To Walt,
With respect to recording, I think the studio setting as a group is what he'd like to do.
My comments were more an explanation to riffgod who wondered whether we would lose on the initial investment if my son lost interest in the studio. I probably haven't explained myself well enough.
Apr 29, 2004 05:15 am Which mixer you get would not have to affect your software choice. Any mixer will run the sound into your sound device. From the sound device into your software. Any software compatiblity concerns are better founded on which software your choose rather than the mixer.
Any mixer will do the trick, so it's really about how much mixer you need. Do you need 8 busses out? Considering you'll be recording live drums, and maybe a bass and a guitar all at the same time (often the rhythm section is recorded at the same time when possible) 8 busses would be a serious advantage.
Either the Mackie or the Behringer would do the job. The Mackie already has depreciated, as it is used. But they will both do the job, so the choice is really yours.
Regarding mics, ya, the SM'2 rock, 57's for guitar 58's for lots of other stuff. One nice condensor mic for vocals would be cool, like an Oktava or soemthing along those lines.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Apr 29, 2004 06:44 am Sorry Mom, you where getting just a little too tangential there for a bit. A long trip and never left the farm kinda thing.
Yup Db has some real good suggestions.
If the boys can play with headphones on, look into direct injecting the guitars. POD eqipment is great. The Pod line6 is a very good example. For the bass a Pod is cool, a fishman is better. A budget solution is a Behringer rack mount DI which offers four channels of DI, one extra in your case. For the drum kit Nandy has a nifty little package which will cover the the kit real well with a seven mic set. This puts the count at 11 inputs. So figure a 12 input mixer will cover it pretty well. Now comes the expense per this design. Twelve outputs on a mixer is quite a mixer and twelve inputs into the computer will not be cheep either. Five sets of headphones and a headphone distribution amp to accomidate them will cost something as well. You can pear down by getting the mix up front making fewer mixer outputs and computer inputs necessary. You can further pear down by recording them individualy, although they can play gogether for cohesion.
Please don't take this example as literal in the sense of what you need. It is more an example of how to work through scenerios that will help you understand your needs.
Good luck, have fun! I hereby issue 6 "happy points".
Apr 29, 2004 07:27 am What I have done quite often is very much what walt mentioned. The wholeband plays, listening with their cans (er, headphones) with the bass and guitars direct and the singer as far away from the drum mics as possible. Then record the whole song. Afterwards, if they are not happy with the guitars, bass and vocals just redo them. The reason to have them do it all at once is the capture the groove of the whole live performance. The only real goal is to get the drums right...if other instruments happen to have a good performance, thats all the better.
Apr 29, 2004 05:12 pm sounds like mum wants to build a 10,000 dollar studio for a band that will mostly record a cd or 2 which you could do at a pro studio for a few hungred bucks.
will they be recording other bands?
are they any good? i wouldnt invest that much into recording kids unless they where child prodigy's of some sort.
buy me some stuff. i love you mommy
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Apr 29, 2004 05:27 pm hey josh... this is a great thing she's doing. mom wants to invest in her son's future. sure, his current band may not go the distance, but how many bands have you been in? who knows what this will lead to.
HOWEVER, i do agree somewhat with what Josh is saying. i wouldn't dump all my available funds into it just yet. start with some of the options listed above and build from there...
i would still start here: aardvark-pro.com/products/q10/ like i stated before, this is an 8 (10 including spdif) channel soundcard/mixer in one handy unit. it also comes with software (Cubase LE) for tracking audio. this would be a smart first buy. cheap enough to test the water, and good quality for good recordings. it can be upgraded with additional units to allow up to 40 ins/outs and it is compatible with many major software platforms.
The only reason i recommend this is because i have used it before. This combined with good mics, good studio monitors, and treated rooms you'll have great results without spending too much. plus you can afford the pool too :)
there are other options out there, as stated above. just remember, the best equipment can make crappy recordings too!!!
Apr 29, 2004 05:29 pm Quote:
sounds like mum wants to build a 10,000 dollar studio for a band that will mostly record a cd or 2 which you could do at a pro studio for a few hungred bucks.
Or, building a studio to inspire her son and his band and possibly give him a foundation for a hobby or career that could last a lifetime...
you are obviously not a parent...
Apr 30, 2004 04:23 am You are correct Josh, my son is not a child prodigy. Currently his band has enough material for 1x CD. It is my son who is interested in the engineering side. He is a great guy.
I did look at the Aardvark Q10 when you first mentioned it El Musico. Thanks for that 'click here to view link' thing as well. How would you hook everyone/everything up to the 8 channels? Is that one channel for vocals and up to 7x for drums? Would the guitars and bass go direct through the guitar inputs? Or would you use something like the POD Line 6 and Vamp like Walt and dB Masters suggested? Do you need a compressor? How would headphones and a distibution amp fit in?
Another query is about stomp boxes. Do you inject direct or does the Q10 or something else model them?
Apr 30, 2004 04:37 am The Q10 would have all the 8 "sub outs" of the mixer running to 8 ins of the sound card. Everything would run through the mixer, PODs, Vamps...everything. Then you just assign each mixer channel to the sub out you want it to go to.
I personally would run this band something like this to the subs:
1- vocals
2- bass
3- rhythm guitar
4- lead guitar
5- kick
6- snare
7 & 8- kit mics on the right and left of the kit
...or something similar. A basic kit the size you are talking about does not need more than 4 mics and can probably even work with three...one in the kick and two kit mics up top.
Yes, A compressor is useful for the vocals.
el musicoFreeleance Producer/Engineer/GtrMember
Since: Aug 11, 2002
Apr 30, 2004 02:14 pm Db (as usual) pretty much summed it up. however, since your son wants to engineer, he probably won't want to record his band live... at least not everyone since he'll be 'engineering'. i used it to record everyone by 'dubbing' them. first i used all the tracks to record drums to a click track (provided by the tracking software). then when drums are done i would record the bass, then guitars, then vocals. I know, someone will chime in saying that the 'live' groove is lost, but that's not always the case. it really depends on the musicians.
BUT if you want to aviod this you could easily record like DB stated, then if the guitarist didn't like his performance he can overdub later. The Q10 is JUST a mixer/soundcard. you will still need any stompboxes/processors that you want in your signal path.
The Q10 has 2 HI-z inputs too, that give direct recording (gor guitars or bass) a better tone. not sure how but it does help. I have a POD 2.0 i use to use direct in the HI-z input and it would sound better than my POD PRO connected via spdif. It also has 4 inserts, for your outboard gear like compressors.
as far as the headphone distribution amp, there's an independant headphone out and volume knob that you can easily use for that.
