best $2500 upgrade?

soultrane · 7th June 2005, 02:53 PM

still trying to figure out the best way to upgrade my project studio, and have been trolling the gearslutz forums for a couple of days to see what's new and hip.

here's what's up w. me; my daw (pc w. logic/ delta 1010 and uad) is obviously central. however, i am incorporating more hardware / midi (some classic pieces, rhodes, mpc 3000, clav, plus ms2000) and looking to add more (pcm70, h3000, etc) down the line...

question; what, in your opinion, is the cheapest, simplest, straightest, and best (in other words, unsluttiest) way to put computer and hardware together and improve my sound?

this is a producer's studio; i produce all of the trax, (electronica, dance, hip hop) don't rent it for outside use, don't let anyone else sit in my chair, even... which is another factor... convenience of patching, etc..

i have a mackie 24x8. i'd like to get rid of it. i would have a budget of around $2500. my mixdown mode is masterlink (unmodded), which i have been using analog from my delta to an averill neve 3405;

my results are not bad, (and will probably be better once i start monitoring thru neve / masterlink from the beginning, a tip i picked up here from thethrillfactor...)

should i;

a) keep the mackie / familiar setup, learn how to work w. it, quit whining, and get back to wasting money on girls?
b) get rid of mackie, get digital mixer (tascam, used yamaha)?
c) keep mackie, get rid of masterlink, get better converters / soundcard?
d) get masterlink modded, keep everything else as is
or the hoped for
e) some other efficient solution / gear i don't know about haven't thought of?

what ya got?

soultrane · 7th June 2005, 02:56 PM

ps another option...

pick up 1/4" or 1/2" deck, go thru averill/neve from 1010 for mixdown

James Lehmann · 7th June 2005, 05:54 PM

Spend it on treating your room and/or a decent pair of monitors, preferrably both.

Equivalent to giving all your existing (and future) gear a make-over.

soultrane · 7th June 2005, 06:17 PM

got hr824s... pretty good monitors... and room is treated nicely

gwm · 7th June 2005, 06:24 PM

You may want to look into your power delivery. Most people take it for granted, but stable, efficient power can dramatically improve the quality of your recordings. There are many companies who specialize in power conditioning (Furman, Richard Gray, etc), but I highly recommend Shunyata Research if price is not an option.

Investing in high quality cabling is a must as well. While offering little to no gratification factor, these investments add up in the long run.

deepwater · 7th June 2005, 08:11 PM

nice concerter and a Neve Portico

**TonyBelmont** · 8th June 2005, 07:31 AM

I'd probably upgrade the converter next... the Delta 1010 is, well... how do you say pretty shitty in a nice way? Also, you're a couple generations of Logic behind working on that PC... If you love the PC, then check out Cubase/ Nuendo or if you love Logic, grab a G5 with that $2500... DAW software has come quite a ways in the last year or two.

**TonyBelmont** · 8th June 2005, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soultrane

ps another option...

pick up 1/4" or 1/2" deck, go thru averill/neve from 1010 for mixdown

Ziggy!! · 8th June 2005, 07:33 AM

yup, i'd be looking to replace the 1010. Maybe a Fireface800 will do the trick.

DeadPoet · 8th June 2005, 08:04 AM

I'd say, ifyou are using or want to start using more keyboards and synths, invest in 2 money DI's (search on the forum for lots of brands/types) and/or more (stable)midi I/O.

If you're mixing itb, get a controller (dare i say behringer ??

- does a mean impression of a mackie control at a fraction of the price) and/or DAC-1. If you want to mix otb, maybe get a summing box.

a) the mackie isn't that great as an otb-mixer, only if you really are a tactile person, needing to move faders. Otherwise a controller might do the same job.
b) i'm no fan of digital mixers. Total recall is nice though, but think about if you really need that (i don't)
c) see above, mixing itb + nice D/A (+ evt nice A/D) could be a change.
d) don't know about the ML mods.
e) try to be happy with what you've got. Try to determine the weakest link in your path and replace that. Rent gear to try it.

Herwig

soultrane · 8th June 2005, 02:24 PM

thanks for the advice, slutz!!!

ok, definitely looking to trade out the delta... looking most closely at lynx 2 or, more probably l22... (scary to trade breakout box for pci card, though...)

i know that, compared to releases i respect, my releases have a sort of "veil" over them... i feel my levels/frequencies/panning are getting there, so its my overall sound tha needs an upgrade (or at least, that's what my slutty side is saying to me.)

also, i guess i'd have to keep my mackie for monitoring midi, but it's kind of overkill... i could get by with a rackmounted 1204, probably...

then, when going to audio, i could just track thru neve, which would be connected to lynx 2 (except mpc, which is 8 outs, and is kind of a pain to track w. 2 ins, which was nice thing about delta...)

of coure, if i had the right summing box, i could go out of the computer and 8 out of the mpc directly onto the masterlink... right? or, i could get rid of the masterlink, go thru the lynx, summing box, and get 1/4 inch tape? is that do-able/helpful? (feeling slutty luving it...)

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7th June 2005, 02:53 PM	#1
soultrane Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,001	best $2500 upgrade? still trying to figure out the best way to upgrade my project studio, and have been trolling the gearslutz forums for a couple of days to see what's new and hip. here's what's up w. me; my daw (pc w. logic/ delta 1010 and uad) is obviously central. however, i am incorporating more hardware / midi (some classic pieces, rhodes, mpc 3000, clav, plus ms2000) and looking to add more (pcm70, h3000, etc) down the line... question; what, in your opinion, is the cheapest, simplest, straightest, and best (in other words, unsluttiest) way to put computer and hardware together and improve my sound? this is a producer's studio; i produce all of the trax, (electronica, dance, hip hop) don't rent it for outside use, don't let anyone else sit in my chair, even... which is another factor... convenience of patching, etc.. i have a mackie 24x8. i'd like to get rid of it. i would have a budget of around $2500. my mixdown mode is masterlink (unmodded), which i have been using analog from my delta to an averill neve 3405; my results are not bad, (and will probably be better once i start monitoring thru neve / masterlink from the beginning, a tip i picked up here from thethrillfactor...) should i; a) keep the mackie / familiar setup, learn how to work w. it, quit whining, and get back to wasting money on girls? b) get rid of mackie, get digital mixer (tascam, used yamaha)? c) keep mackie, get rid of masterlink, get better converters / soundcard? d) get masterlink modded, keep everything else as is or the hoped for e) some other efficient solution / gear i don't know about haven't thought of? what ya got?

7th June 2005, 05:54 PM	#3
James Lehmann Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Europe Posts: 1,185	Spend it on treating your room and/or a decent pair of monitors, preferrably both. Equivalent to giving all your existing (and future) gear a make-over. __________________ James Lehmann Voice-Over Artist - Project Studio Jockey www.jameslehmann.net Stop the superlatives madness! Abolish gear threads with the word 'best' in the title.

8th June 2005, 07:31 AM	#7
TonyBelmont Moderator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boston,MA Providence,RI Posts: 9,673	I'd probably upgrade the converter next... the Delta 1010 is, well... how do you say pretty shitty in a nice way? Also, you're a couple generations of Logic behind working on that PC... If you love the PC, then check out Cubase/ Nuendo or if you love Logic, grab a G5 with that $2500... DAW software has come quite a ways in the last year or two. __________________ Tony Belmont We Sell Gear! Need plugins? Check out PluginDiscounts.com

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7th June 2005, 02:56 PM	#2
soultrane Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,001	ps another option... pick up 1/4" or 1/2" deck, go thru averill/neve from 1010 for mixdown

7th June 2005, 06:17 PM	#4
soultrane Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,001	got hr824s... pretty good monitors... and room is treated nicely

7th June 2005, 06:24 PM	#5
gwm Gear interested Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 10	You may want to look into your power delivery. Most people take it for granted, but stable, efficient power can dramatically improve the quality of your recordings. There are many companies who specialize in power conditioning (Furman, Richard Gray, etc), but I highly recommend Shunyata Research if price is not an option. Investing in high quality cabling is a must as well. While offering little to no gratification factor, these investments add up in the long run.

7th June 2005, 08:11 PM	#6
deepwater Gear Head Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southeast Posts: 71	nice concerter and a Neve Portico

8th June 2005, 07:33 AM	#9
Ziggy!! Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,320	yup, i'd be looking to replace the 1010. Maybe a Fireface800 will do the trick.

8th June 2005, 08:04 AM	#10
DeadPoet Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Belgium Posts: 669	I'd say, ifyou are using or want to start using more keyboards and synths, invest in 2 money DI's (search on the forum for lots of brands/types) and/or more (stable)midi I/O. If you're mixing itb, get a controller (dare i say behringer ?? - does a mean impression of a mackie control at a fraction of the price) and/or DAC-1. If you want to mix otb, maybe get a summing box. a) the mackie isn't that great as an otb-mixer, only if you really are a tactile person, needing to move faders. Otherwise a controller might do the same job. b) i'm no fan of digital mixers. Total recall is nice though, but think about if you really need that (i don't) c) see above, mixing itb + nice D/A (+ evt nice A/D) could be a change. d) don't know about the ML mods. e) try to be happy with what you've got. Try to determine the weakest link in your path and replace that. Rent gear to try it. Herwig

8th June 2005, 02:24 PM	#11
soultrane Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,001	thanks for the advice, slutz!!! ok, definitely looking to trade out the delta... looking most closely at lynx 2 or, more probably l22... (scary to trade breakout box for pci card, though...) i know that, compared to releases i respect, my releases have a sort of "veil" over them... i feel my levels/frequencies/panning are getting there, so its my overall sound tha needs an upgrade (or at least, that's what my slutty side is saying to me.) also, i guess i'd have to keep my mackie for monitoring midi, but it's kind of overkill... i could get by with a rackmounted 1204, probably... then, when going to audio, i could just track thru neve, which would be connected to lynx 2 (except mpc, which is 8 outs, and is kind of a pain to track w. 2 ins, which was nice thing about delta...) of coure, if i had the right summing box, i could go out of the computer and 8 out of the mpc directly onto the masterlink... right? or, i could get rid of the masterlink, go thru the lynx, summing box, and get 1/4 inch tape? is that do-able/helpful? (feeling slutty luving it...)