As far as a basic recording set up goes

[Peyton]

what do i need in general to make good quality recordings as far as i know all i need is

Mics (i use shure)
Mixers (i use a berhenger 24 track good? )
Compressor (i got a DBX compressor)
USB/firewire Interface (protools Mbox)
Computer with software (ibook w/Pro tools LE)

is there anythimg i am missing or could upgrade to enhance my recordings quality my budget is $100-$300 maybe a litle more

[stromton]

What kind of monitoring do you have? It looks like your in desperate need of some monitoring means as you didn't list any. In your price range, I think the Fostex PM 0.5 don't suck, but you have to watch the lower mids closely.

It _is_ possible to make fairly decent recordings with what you listed, though some will tell you the opposite. Still, you could tell us a bit more about what Shure mics you have. And the Behringer mixer definately sucks, but replacing isn't an option for you, is it?

That said, it looks like you have everything you need to learn and get some experience. And that's priceless.

Markus

[joaquin]

Originally Posted by Peyton

what do i need in general to make good quality recordings as far as i know all i need is

Mics (i use shure)
Mixers (i use a berhenger 24 track good? )
Compressor (i got a DBX compressor)
USB/firewire Interface (protools Mbox)
Computer with software (ibook w/Pro tools LE)

is there anythimg i am missing or could upgrade to enhance my recordings quality my budget is $100-$300 maybe a litle more

...I do not know what do you mean by "good quality recordings" ...but what good can a 24 Trk mixer be with a 2 input interface?...unless you only want to do "live to two" records!?...Any way, Music is about originality and creativity, so there's no barriers as far as Gear goes...maybe a Mic and same sort of recorder.
"good quality recordings " are made out of top notch Gear...Great recordings are made out of GREAT MUSIC!!

[twitme]

Originally Posted by Peyton

what do i need in general to make good quality recordings as far as i know all i need is

Mics (i use shure)
Mixers (i use a berhenger 24 track good? )
Compressor (i got a DBX compressor)
USB/firewire Interface (protools Mbox)
Computer with software (ibook w/Pro tools LE)

is there anythimg i am missing or could upgrade to enhance my recordings quality my budget is $100-$300 maybe a litle more

which dbx do you have? is it the 266xl compressor or the 286a channel strip? if it's just the compressor, you're going to want a preamp before the compressor, unless the mbox or berhinger allow you to use its preamps and put the compressor in the chain (you could probably use an "insert" on the mixer to do that), just don't try plugging your mic directly into a 266 compressor or something because you'll end up with the sound of ass.

I would recommend that if you don't already have one, get a dbx 286a preamp/compressor. they're only about $200 and they'll put you right into the "decent" quality category for inexpensive gear. that was the best investment I made for my home recording setup.

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by Peyton

Mics (i use shure)
Mixers (i use a berhenger 24 track good? )
USB/firewire Interface (protools Mbox)
my budget is $100-$300 maybe a litle more

it's already been mentioned... the behringer board is crap. the mbox pres are better. sell the behringer and possibly the compressor, unless you really like it. use that money, plus what you already have to buy a good mic. ksm44 is a great choice, or a used 414. steal, err... "demo" some plugins, and you're all set.

--jon

[Peyton]

what mixer would you guys suggest i get. and the shure mics i got are to PG drum mic 7 piece kit and SM57 guitar mic. I forget what to dbx compressor model is its the $150 one. Could someone also explain what a pre amp does, i have a general idea but i'm not completlt sure

[Renegade]

well I think the Yamaha MG series mixers are right up your ally in terms of price/quality.And a preamp just amplifies the mic or instrument signal to "hot" levels for optimized recording...you could use the ones on the mixer for your drums and mabey guitars but it's ideal to get a dedicated preamp or channel strip for you vocals,but if your like me and don't have a clue yet just use the one on your mixer for now until your ready financialy and technicly to upgrade to good vocal chain. imo of course.

[JonCraig]

a preamp brings a microphone signal (which is very very weak) up to line level (which is the level at which everything else runs). you have to plug a mic into a preamp before anything else. the only preamps you have currently are the behringer preamps built into your board. to get from those to tape, you'd have to use direct outputs from the board, or use aux routing (for definitions of these terms, consult your owner's manual or google search). however, you have an mbox, which is only 2in/2out. you can only individually process 2 tracks at a time. this, combined with the fact that the behringer board is crap, makes the board altogether pointless. solution? sell the board. put that money in the piggy bank to be discussed below.

since you'll then be using the preamps in the mbox, you may or may not want to use the compressor you already have as an insert (inserts are available on the mbox). however, working at 24 bit, you don't have to worry about keeping your level out of the noise, and compressors at that price point are not the best. and you can get plug-in compressors that will have two benefits: 1) you won't screw with the sound on the way in... if you overcompress at the input, you're stuck with it. 2) you can sell the compressor and have yet more money for the piggy bank.

what do you do with the piggy bank? use it to buy a good mic. you don't have any good mics yet. if you get a couple hundred for the board, and a hundred for the compressor, plus what you already have, you should be able to pick up a used akg 414, or shure ksm44, both of which are very flexible microphones (meaning they'll work on a variety of sources).

actually, now that i'm thinking about it... that $400 or $500 would be much better spent buying books on recording. i'd recommend the handbook for sound engineers: the new audio cyclopedia (glen ballou, editor), the recording handbook (by alan p. kefauver), and modern recording techniques (forgot the author's name). start with modern recording techniques. it's the most basic. then the recording handbook, then the audio cyclopedia.

seriously, buy the books NOW. they'll answer a lot of questions a lot faster than asking them on this forum, then listening to all of us argue about which something sounds warmer than something else.

oh, and sorry for the way way too long post.

--jon

[Peyton]

ok thanks that was very helpful 1 more question when i setup a preamp should i set it up like

microphone = preamp = mixer = interface = computer

or

microphone = mixer = preamp = interface = computer

[Renegade]

Usually when using a preamp you should skip the mixer cause it will just bring unwanted noise. so it should be more like Mic>Pre amp>interface...

[Peyton]

whats a good pre amp

[joaquin]

Originally Posted by Peyton

whats a good pre amp

...now Dear Gearslutz...is that a tricky question or what!?

[Renegade]

lol,yeah it left me dumbfounded...

[deepwater]

I would suggest a M-Audio Tampa- You need a descent pre amp. Next I would add a better mic.

[lang_dave]

I'm kind of a low end guy, so here goes....

What kind of recording do you want to do? Full band or solo guy w/guitar? Demo / self recorded studio for you or project studio for hire?

Figuring out that stuff will help decide what to do next re: gear.

ymmv

dave

[Peyton]

right now i record for local bands ( like high school bands) mostly metal/thrash generally full band, bass 2 guitars vocals drums

[JonCraig]

with that many tracks going on at the same time.. you'll need lots more interface. you see... you can only capture tracks individually (ie the bass separated from the hi hat) if you have seperate tracks for each. the mbox is TWO tracks in. you can ONLY do two tracks at a time into the mbox.

that said, if you're planning to simply mix the bands WHILE recording down to a stereo track in pro tools, then you're fine. i wouldn't recommend this, though. your musicians would have to all nail the performance on the same take. and i my experience with "local metal bands" is that this is rarely the case. you see, you'd be commiting to a mix on the front end. you won't be able to go back later and push up the kick drum, because it will already be mixed in with everything else.

so, you need more I/O (stands for input/output). a tricked out digi 002R can do 18 tracks in. this would be your best bet. you'll need:

1 digi 002r (~$1000)
1 4 ch outboard preamp, like the sytek (~$700) for analog ins 5-8.
1 8 ch preamp w/ lightpipe, like the focusrite octopre le (~600 plus $200 for adat card)
1 2 ch pre w/ s/pdif, like the apogee mini-me. (~$1000) [this will also give you excellent D/A conversion, which, come mix time, should go to your monitors so you're hearing well.]

don't forget good monitors. cheapest that are decent are event TR8's, (~$400).

120 gig external firewire hard drive LaCie porche (~$130 through macmall)

figure another $300 in mic stands, cables, clips (this is a conservative estimate)

mics:

kick- sennheiser e602 (~150 used)
snare- sm57 (you gots one)
toms (3) - sm57's (~60 each used)
overheads (2) - oktava mk012's (~100 ea.)
guitars (2) (57's)
bass - countryman DI (~150)
vox - ksm 44 or used 414 (~$600)

this would be a starting point. if i had all the above, i wouldn't say i had a "studio". i'd say, "i have a little bit of gear, and a place where we can record". grand total: $5580.

there are guys on here with a vocal chain that costs 4 times that much.

oh... you'll need a computer, too... but i'm assuming since you have the mbox that you've got that covered. make it's got enough processor power.

and don't forget to spend that $100 for the books.

--jon

[Peyton]

actually i'm recording 1 insturment at a time if thats makes a diffrent, but that was varry helpfull

did i mention i'm 16

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by Peyton

actually i'm recording 1 insturment at a time

in that case, you can scrap the octopre and mini-me. you could also do without some of the cablage & stands. you'll still want 8 tracks or so for drums. so you're down to $3700 or so? and you'll get $400 for the board and the compressor, plus $350 for the mbox, so you're sitting right around 3 grand out of pocket now.

of course, you could keep the board, and use the pre's on it (assuming it has direct outs) and skip the sytek, which would leave you somewhere around $2500. this is getting better all the time, isn't it?

--jon