pro recording/rack equipment

[WaR HeaD]

hi dudes...

well i´m finding over the net for some kind of guidance about building (well...buying) a good home recording equipment...but i don´t know even where to start...i think gearjoneser will know a lot of this stuff

so first of all i was thinkin on a mackie mcu and some studio monitors...also from mackie...may be...and pro tools software or something like that...i haven´t checked for the price...but anyways i´ll have to ask the bank for the money duties...

about the rack i have no idea...if i should go for a preamp and which one (would go for a rectifier preamp, in that case) or if i should record straight from the amp and a mic...if buying some 16-14-32 band eq (and which one, also) and things like that...a rackmount tuner?...a rackmount noise gate?...

things like that...

i will thank you for any kind of info

anyway thanks a lot

 

[Robert S.]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

The first two things you need to do are to set a budget and determine your needs. The range of possibilities and costs are pretty vast.

Some of the questions you will want to ask yourself are do you want a stand alone recording medium or are you going to go the PC/computer based route because both have their pluses and minuses. If you want to go computer based start reading up on the literature from the recording software/hardware manufacturers and see if your computer has the system resources to support the new software. Recording eats up a lot of processor funtion and saving wav files eats up a hard drive fast. If your computer is marginal compared to what your new software requires you may want to look at a stand alone unit. Yamaha, Roland, Fostex and others make very nice recording desks that are capable of very nice recordings and will cost from maybe $800-1500 dollars.

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on EQs and effects right off the bat. Most stand alone desks and computer based systems have a lot of that stuff built in. You might look at a good dual channel tube mic preamp, a solid dual channel compressor and definately price both dynamic and condensor mics.

I would suggest either a Pod or micing your amp for your guitar tones. Direct recording from a guitar preamp isn't the best way to get tone. Most guitar preamps need a speaker emulator to sound their best direct and even then the tone can be marginal.

Of all the home stuff I've used to record on I am happiest with the ProTools Digi 002 rack and dual 2 gig G5 Powermac I'm running now but thats $4000+ just to get started. You really need to set a budget first and then decide whether you'll be better served by a stand alone desk or a PC/computer based system. After you get that together you'll know better what else you really need.

 

[WaR HeaD]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

Some of the questions you will want to ask yourself are do you want a stand alone recording medium or are you going to go the PC/computer based route because both have their pluses and minuses. If you want to go computer based start reading up on the literature from the recording software/hardware manufacturers and see if your computer has the system resources to support the new software. Recording eats up a lot of processor funtion and saving wav files eats up a hard drive fast. If your computer is marginal compared to what your new software requires you may want to look at a stand alone unit. Yamaha, Roland, Fostex and others make very nice recording desks that are capable of very nice recordings and will cost from maybe $800-1500 dollars.

mmm...i will go for the computer based idea...i´ve no problem with pc equipment as long as i work on that bussiness...so i have big deals buying hadrware and software...thats why i´m thinking on pro tools software and a software based unit...i have seen the mackie mcu in action with pro tools on a pc (my teacher uses that model) and it is freaking amazing...so, no problem about the pc based idea

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on EQs and effects right off the bat. Most stand alone desks and computer based systems have a lot of that stuff built in. You might look at a good dual channel tube mic preamp, a solid dual channel compressor and definately price both dynamic and condensor mics. I would suggest either a Pod or micing your amp for your guitar tones. Direct recording from a guitar preamp isn't the best way to get tone. Most guitar preamps need a speaker emulator to sound their best direct and even then the tone can be marginal.

...the only thing i have of these is a shure mic sm 57...and even i don´t think it will help me a lot...so...what do you suggest about the preamp, compressor, etc?¿?

Of all the home stuff I've used to record on I am happiest with the ProTools Digi 002 rack and dual 2 gig G5 Powermac I'm running now but thats $4000+ just to get started. You really need to set a budget first and then decide whether you'll be better served by a stand alone desk or a PC/computer based system. After you get that together you'll know better what else you really need.

so...i´m sure of the pc based system idea...about the money...well i just have to ask the bank if i can get the money or not...but i don´t think this will be the major problem...i´m going to invert money on this because i´m going to work as a studio musician+...nowadays gov offers a lot of help to young people who wants to create a bussines or wants to work "freelance" and needs the money...

 

[Quencho092]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

I have set up a professional studio in my house over a few years -

Cakewalk sonar 4 producers edition
Mackie 16 track analog mixer
M-audio delta 10-10lt card
2.8ghz PC, 2GB of pc3200ddr-ram, 2 raid 0'ed western digital raptors (10,000rpm!), 2 raided seagate barracuda HD's (For storage)
SE electronics Studio tube mic, Shure Beta 58, SM57, Electrovoice mics, and an MXR Large condenser mic
Art tube pac preamp loaded with NOS GE 5751 tubes

I know it's a pricey studio, but it's plenty cheaper than getting the same powered system in the form of a mac with pro tools. My recommendation-the delta 1010LT card is cheap and flexible-assemble yourself a reasonably potent PC with Cakewalk sonar, grab a small analog mixer, and an sm57-total studio package for around 1900-2200 bucks. IF you already have a decent PC, all you need is a small mixer (more or less 200), and a recording card (Delta 1010LT's and other internal PCI cards go for really cheap on MF) with a mic.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

If you have a smoking PC running ProTools won't be an issue. Before I purchased my G5 2.2 I ran my Digi rack through a 1.6g P4 with 512m of ram and it worked ok. If you have a considerably faster PC you'll be all that much better off. ProTools was designed for Mac OS and it is much faster on a dual processor system (you get better shortcuts on a Mac as well) but the ProTools gear does come with disks for both PCs and Macs. ProTools runs through a firewire so as long as you have 1394 ports you don't need a killer sound card to run through.

Since you are taking out loans and state that you want a pro rig you may want to consider a ProTools HD rig or at the very least a Control 24 surface. The Digi 002 and the 002 rack only have 8 inputs and only four of those have mic preamps. The Control 24 has 16 mic pre loaded inputs and 24 channels to run your mixes through. The down side is that the Command 24 retails at $8000. Supposedly there is a way to interface additional stand alone preamps through some kind of converter but Im not sure that going that route is cost effective.

Personally I run an Aphex 207 tube mic pre with a DBX 166xl compressor inserted but there are many preamp and compressor options out there ranging from dirt cheap solid state to spending big bucks on vintage Fairchilds. Recording gurus are as fussy about gear as we can be about guitars and amps so it may take awhile to get a grip on what folks are using but there are recording forums out there where you can get guidance in this area. Hunt/ask around and you will find them.

Mics are the same way. I run an inexpensive AKG C 3000 B at the moment for vocals but I have the hots for a NTK-2 at the moment. A good tube condensor mic is a nice thing to have for vocals and acoustic instruments. The AKG is about $250, the NTK-2 is about $1000 and a vintage RCA ribbon mic will run you $8000-10,000. Again, it helps to shop around and ask questions as there are a lot of nice mics out there.

The 57 will be fine for micing cabs, a lot of studios have them laying around and I get amp tone from them easily.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=home+recording&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

 

[vinterland]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

Yep you don't have to have expensive mics or expensive equipment to get a good sound but it doesn't hurt either.

My microphones:

Studio projects B1- $99
SM 57- $80
Nady cm 88- $50

Into Pro tools LE via an MBox. I can get very good feasable sounds out of that single setup. Its not going to have the acoustics and large sound of an expensive studio but its better than a lot of recordings I have heard. My secret weapon is reason 2.5. Man thats a great program.

 

[WaR HeaD]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=home+recording&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

http://homerecording.about.com/
http://home.earthlink.net/~rongonz/home_rec/home.html
http://www.homerecording.com/

oh...these ones are awesome web sites robert...thanks a lot.

i have to check them...

but, anyway...i´ll come with lots of questions... :smack:

thanks a lot dudes

 

[WaR HeaD]

Re: pro recording/rack equipment

after askin my teacher about this and viewing these sites...

what do you think of this:

amp and mic (one dynamic and one condenser) to the mic pream...trough a pod xt pro (racked or floor based) and direct to pro tools?¿? i have a little idea of the brands to use for the mic preamp but have no idea of prices...

but the equipment would be like this:
dual rectifier
shure sm 57
condenser mic (no idea of brand or prices)*
mic preamp (no idea either)*
pod xt pro*
pc with pro tools*

do you think this one is a competitive equipment? not as expensive as the ones that you have posted...thats for sure