The making of a studio

[aagaard]

I'm working with the idea of starting my own studio, and has a few "gear"-problems.

Besides a good computer and software, what is the need for a studio, who's main purpose is, to record unplugged bands and mix and alter recordings with the computer?

If you have ideas regarding what brands or even what specific gear we need we'll be happy to hear about it.

/aagaard

[BobRick]

I don't mean to be rude but...

when most people build a studio they know what gear they want to use... You could ask 100 engineers what they use to record an acoustic guitar and you could very well get 100 different responses consisting of 100 different mics and 100 different preamps...

Perhaps it might be an idea to share with use what gear you are considering to start so people can get an idea of where you are heading.

[aagaard]

well...

Point taken :-)
But our strong side is not exactly the gear, but the music. Thats why we are asking this very open question, so we'll be better of when we decide to go look for the specific stuff we need.

So far we've got the computer, and the software needed is being taken care of. But the "real" equipment is yet to be found, and we don't know what is worth the money and what's not.

/aagaard

[parloursound]

To be honest mate, starting a studio seems like the last thing you should be doing. I hope it's for your personal use and not a commercial venture!

[BobRick]

Originally Posted by parloursound

To be honest mate, starting a studio seems like the last thing you should be doing. I hope it's for your personal use and not a commercial venture!

I didn't really want to be the one to say it but... yeah.

Audio gear is to an audio engineer what a hammer is to a carpenter.

If one doesn't know what exists then how does one know how to use it?



Are you going to be the engineer? or is this just a small project studio? or a commercial studio? or are you simply the financial backing for a commercial studio?

[mwagener]

aagard

You could go a million different ways with a studio that could all turn out wrong down the line, if you don't know exactly what you are looking for. Besides that, the equipment you are looking for will need to be handled in a certain way, recording music is not an easy task. I've been in this for well over 30 years and I'm still learning every day. And it's not only the equipment it's also the room, cables, speaker setup etc. that need special attention.

So, if you are thinking of making this a business, before you buy ANYTHING, connect with somebody who knows what they are talking about. I'd recommend to find an experienced engineer and make him your partner. If it's a hobby, go buy a cheap computer interface with mic pre (depending on your software) and a Shure SM57 microphone to get started and see if this is for you. If its just to record a one time event/album/song, hire somebody with a studio to do it for you.

Best of luck to you.

[HudHudson]

Originally Posted by mwagener

aagard

You could go a million different ways with a studio that could all turn out wrong down the line, if you don't know exactly what you are looking for. Besides that, the equipment you are looking for will need to be handled in a certain way, recording music is not an easy task. I've been in this for well over 30 years and I'm still learning every day. And it's not only the equipment it's also the room, cables, speaker setup etc. that need special attention.

So, if you are thinking of making this a business, before you buy ANYTHING, connect with somebody who knows what they are talking about. I'd recommend to find an experienced engineer and make him your partner. If it's a hobby, go buy a cheap computer interface with mic pre (depending on your software) and a Shure SM57 microphone to get started and see if this is for you. If its just to record a one time event/album/song, hire somebody with a studio to do it for you.

Best of luck to you.

The voice of experience.

[kats]

what is the need for a studio, who's main purpose is, to record unplugged bands and mix and alter recordings with the computer?

IMO your main "need" will be to have a pristine room if your main focus is unplugged bands. The room acoustics play a big roll in any studio but for acoustic music, there's no good work arounds in a substandard room. It's not like you'll be close micing a dimed marshall taking the room out of the equation. You also do not want to be relying on EQ to fix room deficiencies with acoustic intsruments 'cause it can get real ugly, real fast.

My advice is to create a room that when you play in it live, it sounds awesome. If you can do this your 80% on your way. Your job as an engineer will be to capture the good sounds, as opposed to fixing bad sounds. Mic placements (and choices)will become a matter of taste as opposed to just a matter of nessecity.

As far as actual gear is concerened, this is a very subjective department and depends if your trying to "vibe" your sounds to get some kind of emotional attachment that's equated to specific genres of music. It also depends on if your recording whole bands live and how many players you expect to be tracking at the same time. But your gonna need, mics, preamps, eq's, compression, AD/DA conversion, effects, and good monitors to get going. Start small and make educated purchases based on your experience and needs. Grow from that and train your ears.