Wassup yall, i'm thinking about putting together a little home studio in my house, but i'm not sure about what exactly is necessary, and which things would just be nice to have. i've already got a boss 550 drum machine, but there's not to much i can do with that by itself. i was thinking about picking up a mpc 2000, a four track digital recorder, and a keyboard. any suggestions would be appreciated
Starting a Home Studio
- Thread starter Hallbanger
- Start date
we were just talking about building project home studios in class. i might be able to help you out but i guess i would first need to know is what are hoping to do with this studio? is this something you plan on recording peopel in? bringing a band in? tracking drums, guitars etc? or is this just a room that you will be making beats in? sometimes have someone rap over them? are up looking for a cheap bedroom studio or are you seriously trying to invest money into this and make it professional?
i'm looking for something just to create beats and produce tracks. there will be no live recording or bands brought in, but yeah there will be rapping. that's not really my main concern right now though. i just want to focus on the production side of it for right now. i'm looking for a cheap bedroom studio.
well honestly i think you should invest in a pro tools rig. LE or M-Audio. you are going to find that 4 tracks will get used up very quick. with pro tools you got 32 or 48 audio tracks depending on the package you buy.you'll spend anywhere between 450-550 for an mbox LE system. if you get the one that is about 550 you get more options, more tracks, and a few thousand dollars worth of plug-ins. an M-Audio set up isnt too much but you will need to buy an M-Audio interface that fits your needs. you dont even need to go with pro tools there are other DAW's out there like cubase. you need to make sure you computer can handle it first before you buy the software.
get a pair of near-field monitors to do you mixing on. i have a pair of krk rokit's they are usually 150 for one monitor so 300 for both, but i got mine half off at guitar center during one of their sales. so mine were 75 a piece. go to guitar center or some local music shop when they are having a big sale and you can get good deals like that. plus guys at guitar center work on commission so you can haggle the price with them sometimes.
are you looking for mics at this time too or is that something you are going to wait on? i can recommend some good mics for vocals that wont cost too much. you can create a place to record your vocals in for little money. just some blankets, eggshell cartons, small space like a closet, etc.
as for keyboard its all really a matter of opinion and how much you want to spend. a good keyboard is going to cost you anywhere from 800-2000. unless you are loooking to do it with midi then you can just spend like 100 on a midi keyboard
get a pair of near-field monitors to do you mixing on. i have a pair of krk rokit's they are usually 150 for one monitor so 300 for both, but i got mine half off at guitar center during one of their sales. so mine were 75 a piece. go to guitar center or some local music shop when they are having a big sale and you can get good deals like that. plus guys at guitar center work on commission so you can haggle the price with them sometimes.
are you looking for mics at this time too or is that something you are going to wait on? i can recommend some good mics for vocals that wont cost too much. you can create a place to record your vocals in for little money. just some blankets, eggshell cartons, small space like a closet, etc.
as for keyboard its all really a matter of opinion and how much you want to spend. a good keyboard is going to cost you anywhere from 800-2000. unless you are loooking to do it with midi then you can just spend like 100 on a midi keyboard
^
everyone has their own opinions on mics. some engineers that i have talked to like ones that others dont. ive had labs with grammy winning engineers that only use certain brands.
for vocals i have found that condenser mics work the best, and using a dynamic mic really isnt a good idea.then again it really depends on what you are doing. just remember that when using condensers they need 48V phantom power.if i was looking for a mic in your price range i would probably go with one these:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2020
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Percep100
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2041spthe nice thing about this is you get a second mic with it that is good for recording instruments, so if you should want to record someone playing a bass guitar(or some other instrument) you can set it front of the amp and record it
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Percep200
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT3035
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/NT1A
it would also be a good idea to buy a mic pre too, i fyou dont already have one. you dont even have to buy an expsensive one. i know presonus makes one that is 100 bucks.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TubePRE
ive used it before. its not the greatest thing in the world but for the price its not bad. then again its not what you have its how you use it. ive been in the studio with engineers that say they have had a 3000 dollar compressor and a 300 dollar one to use in front of them and they like the sound of the 300 dollar one better.
finding the right mic for you and one that you like can also be a trial and error process sometimes
everyone has their own opinions on mics. some engineers that i have talked to like ones that others dont. ive had labs with grammy winning engineers that only use certain brands.
for vocals i have found that condenser mics work the best, and using a dynamic mic really isnt a good idea.then again it really depends on what you are doing. just remember that when using condensers they need 48V phantom power.if i was looking for a mic in your price range i would probably go with one these:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2020
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Percep100
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2041spthe nice thing about this is you get a second mic with it that is good for recording instruments, so if you should want to record someone playing a bass guitar(or some other instrument) you can set it front of the amp and record it
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Percep200
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT3035
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/NT1A
it would also be a good idea to buy a mic pre too, i fyou dont already have one. you dont even have to buy an expsensive one. i know presonus makes one that is 100 bucks.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TubePRE
ive used it before. its not the greatest thing in the world but for the price its not bad. then again its not what you have its how you use it. ive been in the studio with engineers that say they have had a 3000 dollar compressor and a 300 dollar one to use in front of them and they like the sound of the 300 dollar one better.
finding the right mic for you and one that you like can also be a trial and error process sometimes
Puff N Scruff, rather than starting a new thread i'll ask my question in here.
I'm thinking about setting up a full midi studio, slowly buying equipment over the next year.
Mind you my first step is buying 2 cdj1000 mkIII's, DJM-800 and a pair of headphones.
Then i'm looking into midi keyboards, drum machines
I've already got ableton... but i'm going to be sussing out other programs. Might just get pro tools or logic.
Synths and all that i'll need
Mic's i'll need eventually and say i bring in a guitarist, i'd like him to be able to just plug in and play something for me.
I'm also going to be focusing on productions... and getting the local dj's in to have awesome equipment to play with.
But by the end of next year i want to have had a pretty decent midi studio hooked up.
So my question. What equipment do u recommend. Now i don't want like a keyboard or drum machine that will cost me 15000, or speakers that cost 5000 each, or a midi controller that goes into the 35k+ mark. I want decent top of the line equipment but affordable. Like a Drum machine for 2000 is ok. I think the midi keyboard i'm looking into is 3000-4000 bucks... but i want opinions...
Also, what are the industry standards? Like i know that everything Pioneer are the industry standards for DJing (CDJ and Mixers). Infact, i know many dj's that refuse to play on anything else (myself included). And techniques are industry standard for Vinyl decks though the CDJ-1000 is slowly taking over vinyls.. but what are the industry standards for a decent midi studio. and estimatelly how much will it cost to set up. I would appreciate links.
Thanks dude
I'm thinking about setting up a full midi studio, slowly buying equipment over the next year.
Mind you my first step is buying 2 cdj1000 mkIII's, DJM-800 and a pair of headphones.
Then i'm looking into midi keyboards, drum machines
I've already got ableton... but i'm going to be sussing out other programs. Might just get pro tools or logic.
Synths and all that i'll need
Mic's i'll need eventually and say i bring in a guitarist, i'd like him to be able to just plug in and play something for me.
I'm also going to be focusing on productions... and getting the local dj's in to have awesome equipment to play with.
But by the end of next year i want to have had a pretty decent midi studio hooked up.
So my question. What equipment do u recommend. Now i don't want like a keyboard or drum machine that will cost me 15000, or speakers that cost 5000 each, or a midi controller that goes into the 35k+ mark. I want decent top of the line equipment but affordable. Like a Drum machine for 2000 is ok. I think the midi keyboard i'm looking into is 3000-4000 bucks... but i want opinions...
Also, what are the industry standards? Like i know that everything Pioneer are the industry standards for DJing (CDJ and Mixers). Infact, i know many dj's that refuse to play on anything else (myself included). And techniques are industry standard for Vinyl decks though the CDJ-1000 is slowly taking over vinyls.. but what are the industry standards for a decent midi studio. and estimatelly how much will it cost to set up. I would appreciate links.
Thanks dude
as far as industry standard equipment when it comes to midi, well i'm not real up to date with that (except that mpc's have been a standard for a min and they can be your midi controller). in my opinion m-audio really seems to be the standard. i see it every where, its easy to use, user friendly, and they are the first company that i have seen to put out the wireless midi keyboard http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MidAir25/
honesty i cant really see paying 3000-4000, are we talking u.s. or aus dollars
, (put up a link for that i wouldnt mind seeing which one you are talking about)for a midi keyboard. i wouldnt, but that is just me. i would rather spent a few hundred on a controller like this http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Axiom61/
and then use the rest of that money that i would have spend on the midi controller on rack modules, snyth keyboards and workstation keyboards. really you only need one midi controller.
if you spend a few grand on a nice workstation keyboard, like say the fantom for instance, you could make that your master and control up to 3 other modules, keyboards, synths with that. taking out the need for a midi controller keyboard.
i'm not big on cd-j's so i'm not much help there(even though they are starting to take over). i like numark and techniques when it comes to turntables. numark has been coming out with some nice cdj's the past few years, like the hdx http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HDX/ i like it mainly because it keeps that turntable feel to to it.. but when it comes to cdj's you would probably know more about them than i would. honestly i dont think there is an industry standard when it comes to dj mixers. everyone i see or talk to uses something different.that DJM-800 looks pretty fucking sweet! i kind of think the notebook dj thing is a better way to go. with programs like serato.
i have a version of ableton on my computer that came with pro tools but i have never used it. i'm a big pro tools guy, i'm trying to get my certification in pro tools soon and just upgraded to 7.3. i love it. its a great DAW not just for recording but for editing and mixing. I hear nothing but great things about Logic. i'm pretty sure i remember reading something about how you got a Mac so that might be the thing for you. I do hear it takes some know how to use it. I also hear good things about MOTU. pro tools has been the standard for years and continues to be. the only thing i could really see knocking them out the park is nuendo but thats more of post production DAW and really fucking expensive.
if you do decide to start recording live musicians like guitar player get some mics. dynamics and condensor. tube and ribbons if you got the money.
i think guitar players, doesnt matter if it is a bass player or 6 string guitar player, sound better if you ste up a mic in front of their amp and record that instead of doing it through a direct input. you can do some clever positioning or micing techniques that can give you a different sound. i've gotten an even better sound by micing the amp and doing a d.i. and tracking those at the same time. just layer the two tracks at the same time. you get a really nice full sound out of it.
when it comes to nearfield monitors stay away from m-audios. they dont have that great of bass response. i have krk's rokit5 and i love those. they werent too expensive and they sound great. best thing to do when it comes to nearfield's is just go to a local music shop if you got one around your way and test them out. yamaha ns-10's are found in a lot of studios. they sound good. they arent the best out there but for some reason they have become a standard.
when it comes to drum machines, get one ebay and start searching for some vintage stuff. those vintages drum machines come back in style all the time. there really arent that many drum machines being made anymore it seems like other than the ones that were ment to be hooked up to electric drum sets (which is midi also). i mean you got your mpc's dominating the market and roland has its mc-808 and 909. those are more samplers though but can me used as midi controllers
alesis makes a cool drum module
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DM5/
it's not bad i was playing with some of the patches in there a few weeks ago.
pro tools has a program they just came out with that i'm thinking about buying called strike. its a really cool drum program
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Strike/
you could make a decent midi setup for under 2000(u.s.) if you got a good DAW and some nice plug-ins, but it sounds like you really want to go all out and have a nice setup.
i hope i helped some what i dont think i really answered any question that well 
honesty i cant really see paying 3000-4000, are we talking u.s. or aus dollars
, (put up a link for that i wouldnt mind seeing which one you are talking about)for a midi keyboard. i wouldnt, but that is just me. i would rather spent a few hundred on a controller like this http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Axiom61/and then use the rest of that money that i would have spend on the midi controller on rack modules, snyth keyboards and workstation keyboards. really you only need one midi controller.
if you spend a few grand on a nice workstation keyboard, like say the fantom for instance, you could make that your master and control up to 3 other modules, keyboards, synths with that. taking out the need for a midi controller keyboard.
i'm not big on cd-j's so i'm not much help there(even though they are starting to take over). i like numark and techniques when it comes to turntables. numark has been coming out with some nice cdj's the past few years, like the hdx http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HDX/ i like it mainly because it keeps that turntable feel to to it.. but when it comes to cdj's you would probably know more about them than i would. honestly i dont think there is an industry standard when it comes to dj mixers. everyone i see or talk to uses something different.that DJM-800 looks pretty fucking sweet! i kind of think the notebook dj thing is a better way to go. with programs like serato.
i have a version of ableton on my computer that came with pro tools but i have never used it. i'm a big pro tools guy, i'm trying to get my certification in pro tools soon and just upgraded to 7.3. i love it. its a great DAW not just for recording but for editing and mixing. I hear nothing but great things about Logic. i'm pretty sure i remember reading something about how you got a Mac so that might be the thing for you. I do hear it takes some know how to use it. I also hear good things about MOTU. pro tools has been the standard for years and continues to be. the only thing i could really see knocking them out the park is nuendo but thats more of post production DAW and really fucking expensive.
if you do decide to start recording live musicians like guitar player get some mics. dynamics and condensor. tube and ribbons if you got the money.
i think guitar players, doesnt matter if it is a bass player or 6 string guitar player, sound better if you ste up a mic in front of their amp and record that instead of doing it through a direct input. you can do some clever positioning or micing techniques that can give you a different sound. i've gotten an even better sound by micing the amp and doing a d.i. and tracking those at the same time. just layer the two tracks at the same time. you get a really nice full sound out of it.
when it comes to nearfield monitors stay away from m-audios. they dont have that great of bass response. i have krk's rokit5 and i love those. they werent too expensive and they sound great. best thing to do when it comes to nearfield's is just go to a local music shop if you got one around your way and test them out. yamaha ns-10's are found in a lot of studios. they sound good. they arent the best out there but for some reason they have become a standard.
when it comes to drum machines, get one ebay and start searching for some vintage stuff. those vintages drum machines come back in style all the time. there really arent that many drum machines being made anymore it seems like other than the ones that were ment to be hooked up to electric drum sets (which is midi also). i mean you got your mpc's dominating the market and roland has its mc-808 and 909. those are more samplers though but can me used as midi controllers
alesis makes a cool drum module
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DM5/
it's not bad i was playing with some of the patches in there a few weeks ago.
pro tools has a program they just came out with that i'm thinking about buying called strike. its a really cool drum program
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Strike/
you could make a decent midi setup for under 2000(u.s.) if you got a good DAW and some nice plug-ins, but it sounds like you really want to go all out and have a nice setup.
i hope i helped some what
i dont think i really answered any question that well 
if it was me i would just buy a pro tools mbox2 set up and then one of the mics that linked to in this thread
if you did want the external mixer and wanted to do things outside of the box, alesis has their new multimix series. they range in price but are not too expensive. they arent bad either. mackie also has their dfx series that are have decent prices and range depending on the channels and what you want out of it. the nice things about these is they already have built in pre-amps. they might not be the best pre-amps but when you are doing things on a budget you have to work with what you got. also like i have said before its all about how you use what you have available to you.
if you search on sweetwater.com you'll find the mixers i am talking about
if you did want the external mixer and wanted to do things outside of the box, alesis has their new multimix series. they range in price but are not too expensive. they arent bad either. mackie also has their dfx series that are have decent prices and range depending on the channels and what you want out of it. the nice things about these is they already have built in pre-amps. they might not be the best pre-amps but when you are doing things on a budget you have to work with what you got. also like i have said before its all about how you use what you have available to you.
if you search on sweetwater.com you'll find the mixers i am talking about
woah! thanks i think im gonna go with the first one.
about the 48V phantom power; could you explain this? I'm basically looking for a mic to just plug straight into the computer and rap into. If I have to plug it into a power outlet thats fine too but what is this phantom power? batteries?!?!?
forgive my ignorance..
will i be able to just plug it into my microphone jack?
about the 48V phantom power; could you explain this? I'm basically looking for a mic to just plug straight into the computer and rap into. If I have to plug it into a power outlet thats fine too but what is this phantom power? batteries?!?!?
forgive my ignorance..will i be able to just plug it into my microphone jack?
EriMakaveli said:
woah! thanks i think im gonna go with the first one.
about the 48V phantom power; could you explain this? I'm basically looking for a mic to just plug straight into the computer and rap into. If I have to plug it into a power outlet thats fine too but what is this phantom power? batteries?!?!? forgive my ignorance..
will i be able to just plug it into my microphone jack?
about the 48V phantom power; could you explain this? I'm basically looking for a mic to just plug straight into the computer and rap into. If I have to plug it into a power outlet thats fine too but what is this phantom power? batteries?!?!?
forgive my ignorance..will i be able to just plug it into my microphone jack?
EriMakaveli said:
woah! thanks i think im gonna go with the first one.
about the 48V phantom power; could you explain this? I'm basically looking for a mic to just plug straight into the computer and rap into. If I have to plug it into a power outlet thats fine too but what is this phantom power? batteries?!?!? forgive my ignorance..
will i be able to just plug it into my microphone jack?
about the 48V phantom power; could you explain this? I'm basically looking for a mic to just plug straight into the computer and rap into. If I have to plug it into a power outlet thats fine too but what is this phantom power? batteries?!?!?
forgive my ignorance..will i be able to just plug it into my microphone jack?
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/P500M50/
i cant recommend these because i have never used them or know anyone who has either but usb mics are starting to pop up more
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C03usb/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C01usb/
the only thing bad about them that i can think of, without ever using one, is that you might encounter some latency issues. you can overcome this easy enough buy starting your recording a few bars before you want it to come in and start recording.
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