Planning a studio upgrade - advice requested!

nphominoid · 18th December 2008

Hi all,

Just joined this site after spending hours going through the archives – some amazingly helpful information on here! I’ve been trying to plan out a studio upgrade and realized it’s probably just easiest to ask your (collective) advice – getting myself lost down the rabbit-hole of studio equipment listings and need some help! Any insight would be much appreciated.

So, I currently make music using samples from vinyl, an MPC, and live instruments sampled to MPC, currently just using inbuilt MPC filters/effects and then bouncing stereo to computer for clean-up with mastering plug-ins, etc. Currently use KRK RP8s (which I’ve had forever and really like), a Lexicon Omega soundcard with 4 inputs, Macbook Pro with Logic. Think I’ve bumped into the ceiling of what I can do inside MPC alone and would like greater control over EQ/compression/reverb/etc on a per-channel basis – i.e. would like to start using MPC’s 4 outputs (plus one stereo) individually going into a mixing board so I could EQ bass drum/snare/hi-hat/samples, add compression selectively, reverb, etc – basic stuff. What I’m trying to work out is what I need to do that.

The way I see it is I have two routes – all analog with a decent mixing board and outboard effects then track to computer, or do all mixing within the computer using Logic (or some other sequencer). My number one priority is a system with which I can work quickly – get drums EQd, apply effects, etc, in realtime – hence I’m a little reluctant to go the computer route since it always seems to slow me down. Possibly this fear is unwarranted?

My total budget is in the $1000 route. So I’m thinking option one, analog, would be something like a Soundcraft mixer, decent outboard compressor, workable reverb/effects unit, mix on the board then just track out to Logic for tweaking and bounce-down. Option two, mixing in computer, is something like the Yamaha N12, which seems nice in that I could apply VSTs per channel live, is integrated with computer recording and would cut down on need for outboard gear, but then I’d need to learn Cubase, and I’m still slightly worried it would all be a little fiddly (plus mixing with a mouse doesn’t sound quite as appealing as with knobs and faders).

What y’all think? If anybody here has any advice – from individual bits of gear to general recommendations about a decent studio setup in this price-range – I’d much appreciate the help.

BennyDigitale · 18th December 2008

Well I can tell you how my setup is and maybe it will work for you. I use the main outs of the MPC and solo each track to Protools. Then add any effects, eq, etc.. I find that doing it this way gives me a cleaner sound as the main outs give a higher db output. Mind you, the MPC is going into an analog mixer then into my interface. I use the mixer to have everything I use connected to the interface at all times like my mic and feedback destroyer. Hope this helps.

nphominoid · 18th December 2008

Thanks for the quick response! I have a question for you - do you apply effects in Pro Tools in realtime? That is, do you use Pro Tools for EQ/compression/reverb/etc while you're working on the MPC, then record when you have everything sounding the way you want it? Or do you record into Pro Tools, then apply effects to the recorded tracks? I tend to do all my sequencing on the MPC, so I'd prefer to be able to work with effects live and put the track together from the MPC. Can you do that in Pro Tools?

BennyDigitale · 19th December 2008

I personally track out to ProTools and then add EQ and effects but you could do it live. Just leave the track open in PT that you're working on with the record enable button selected, that should let you hear everything in real time. Should work the same way in Logic. By the way, which MPC do you have?

18th December 2008	#1
nphominoid Gear interested Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 2 Thread Starter	Planning a studio upgrade - advice requested! Hi all, Just joined this site after spending hours going through the archives – some amazingly helpful information on here! I’ve been trying to plan out a studio upgrade and realized it’s probably just easiest to ask your (collective) advice – getting myself lost down the rabbit-hole of studio equipment listings and need some help! Any insight would be much appreciated. So, I currently make music using samples from vinyl, an MPC, and live instruments sampled to MPC, currently just using inbuilt MPC filters/effects and then bouncing stereo to computer for clean-up with mastering plug-ins, etc. Currently use KRK RP8s (which I’ve had forever and really like), a Lexicon Omega soundcard with 4 inputs, Macbook Pro with Logic. Think I’ve bumped into the ceiling of what I can do inside MPC alone and would like greater control over EQ/compression/reverb/etc on a per-channel basis – i.e. would like to start using MPC’s 4 outputs (plus one stereo) individually going into a mixing board so I could EQ bass drum/snare/hi-hat/samples, add compression selectively, reverb, etc – basic stuff. What I’m trying to work out is what I need to do that. The way I see it is I have two routes – all analog with a decent mixing board and outboard effects then track to computer, or do all mixing within the computer using Logic (or some other sequencer). My number one priority is a system with which I can work quickly – get drums EQd, apply effects, etc, in realtime – hence I’m a little reluctant to go the computer route since it always seems to slow me down. Possibly this fear is unwarranted? My total budget is in the $1000 route. So I’m thinking option one, analog, would be something like a Soundcraft mixer, decent outboard compressor, workable reverb/effects unit, mix on the board then just track out to Logic for tweaking and bounce-down. Option two, mixing in computer, is something like the Yamaha N12, which seems nice in that I could apply VSTs per channel live, is integrated with computer recording and would cut down on need for outboard gear, but then I’d need to learn Cubase, and I’m still slightly worried it would all be a little fiddly (plus mixing with a mouse doesn’t sound quite as appealing as with knobs and faders). What y’all think? If anybody here has any advice – from individual bits of gear to general recommendations about a decent studio setup in this price-range – I’d much appreciate the help.

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18th December 2008	#2
BennyDigitale Gear interested Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: FLA Posts: 12	Well I can tell you how my setup is and maybe it will work for you. I use the main outs of the MPC and solo each track to Protools. Then add any effects, eq, etc.. I find that doing it this way gives me a cleaner sound as the main outs give a higher db output. Mind you, the MPC is going into an analog mixer then into my interface. I use the mixer to have everything I use connected to the interface at all times like my mic and feedback destroyer. Hope this helps.

19th December 2008	#4
BennyDigitale Gear interested Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: FLA Posts: 12	I personally track out to ProTools and then add EQ and effects but you could do it live. Just leave the track open in PT that you're working on with the record enable button selected, that should let you hear everything in real time. Should work the same way in Logic. By the way, which MPC do you have?