Hey all - I figure this isn't the best area to post this thread - but I'm a xenophobe and i trust all you SF and Sac guys. Ha.
Ok, so now onto the thread ...

I'm wanting to build a home studio in me and my girlfriends new apartment. I'm getting comfortable enough playing guitar, bass, accordian, optigan, singing, etc - that i'd like to start making some songs at home. I've been playing drums since I was 10 so all i really know how to do is hit things really hard and sweat a bunch, so you can imagine my confused caveman grunt when i start trying to figure out how to put something like this together.

So, If someone could give me a list of all the crap i'd need - sans computer and a nice mic of course - i'd bake you cookies. Any suggestions for sound cards? Studio monitors? Pre-amps? Sweet rims? I'm kinda broke so i'd like to keep the whole set up under 2k or so.

Thanks all.

 

ask aaron aka international_b...he is the audiodude

 

yeah, talk to aaron, he owns his own studio

 

Well I hear just an ordinary mattress against the wall and a tape recorder will do fine. Lil John did it on Cribs so it's got to be good. YEEEAAAAAHHH!!!!!

 

if you want some advice give me a call... i will pm you my phone #...

check out www.510studios.com

 

There's a surprising number of musician and recordist types on i-club: I run a little home-studio here in Boulder Creek... I think psoper works in the field profesionally... you should be able to get some good advice.


2K is going to be pretty tight, budget wise. Should I assume that you already have the computer and a mic...

(The computer should have at least two hard drives... one for the system, and another for your audio files... (and another for samples, if you use 'em). Also, you're going to need more than one mic if you want to record your drums... 3 mics on a kit is minimalist, 4 is conservative... I've seen 12 or more!)

Sound Cards: Lots of options at lots of pricepoints. I use a MOTU rig, and it works fine for me, but it's probably out of your budget for now. There are some decent 2 and 4 channel 24 bit usb interfaces that are useable... My only advice here is STAY AWAY from anything made by Creative!

Mic Pres: You're going to have to go with a cheaper option here for the time being. (Really good pres start at $1,000 per channel) If you got one of the newer Mackie mixers, you could use it's pres, plus have some routing flexibility for monitoring. Maybe a 1402: six channels of pres, plus routing. (Just NEVER use the eqs)

Monitors: You should be able to find a set of powered monitors for under $500 that are decent... I'll try to get back to you with some brand suggestions. (I have some Audix monitors, but I'm not sure they make 'em anymore). Then get some better, closed back earphones for critical listening.

Have you thought about what software you want to use?


tons of other stuff to consider, too... feel free to PM me.





international B: Nice set up! I'd love to come check out the room if I can ever get up to the E bay... Is your analog machine 2"?

Later,
Mike

 

bah.....aarons studio is ghetto..don't listen to that guy. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

just playing. Thing is strait pimp.

 

Hey aaron, did you go to expression center for new media?

 

hey dood

If you need advice, send me a PM. I just did a nice home studio here in Berkeley complete with custom acoustic panels, bass traps, 8' console, iso booth, and freq resp tuning. I made alot of the stuff myself on a similar budget. I have alot of experience with recording and PC-based DAW's and can offer some advice on building up a system.

-steve

 

Talk to psoper. He works for "Meyer Sound" and he makes a living designing soundsystems for concert halls etc.... around the world.

Give him a PM. He's a real nice guy.

-rich

 

naw, I leave the free studio advice to my associate stevedood.

Now, if you were building a concert hall or putting together a touring system for Mettalica, we should talk....

 

Alas, the truth comes out - Pete and I both work for "Meyer Sound"...now you know where to track us down... http://www.meyersound.com

 

Nice studio man! Now you just need to junk the NS-10's and get a pair of HD-1's

 

Thanks for the help all, its awesome there are so many audio guys here.

You guys are actually way over my head at the moment - I'm not planning on making any hit records, and i'm not enough of an audiophile to care how perfect it sounds - i just want a way to get some channels into my computer so i can screw around with them and make some cheezy little pop songs. I've been eyeing an Mbox or Digidesign 001, but right now its all speculation - I have an old new york jewess landlord living underneath me so there is no way i'll be recording anything above a talking voice.

International B, i think i met you at expression breifly - me and my girlfriend were bailing out of the alumni party and i think i saw your shirt and chatted you up a bit.

Oh, is 510 studios owned by the green day dudes? I helped shoot one of their videos and i think they were going off about 510 and these awesome little gokarts they had...anways.