Help with First Setup Please! Beginner Here

[Call_me_Switters]

Hello Adam!

As I see you are in Hip-hop and rap staff. So if you want to mix yours songs in a way that will translate nice in other systems i believe you should consider a nice pair of nearfield monitors in your budget like this.

KRK RP5 RoKit G2 - Thomann Greek Cyberstore

On the mic side, the Canon i a long shot and Rode Nt1 is a nice place to start. But a condenser mic might bring you more trouble in an untreated space than you think.
So, you should consider a dynamic like a Shure sm58 for vocals and rap.

For DAW, Reaper is a great choice and really cheap. Also the audio interfaces always bundle lite versions of popular daws that you can try and use till you find what suits you best and orientate yourself.

For the audio interface if you don't need the extra I/Os you should go for the newest Scarlett 2i2 that offers some nice improvements from the older Focursites.

Also take a look in the forum about room treatment and acoustics!

[MasterJones]

Originally Posted by Call_me_Switters

Hello Adam!

...But a condenser mic might bring you more trouble in an untreated space than you think.
So, you should consider a dynamic like a Shure sm58 for vocals and rap.

Also take a look in the forum about room treatment and acoustics!

Thanks for the quick reply and advice! I have a couple follow up questions/comments if you have time.

1. Any reason why my existing speakers wouldn't suffice? What will the ones that you linked me offer over the B&Ws? Are the B&W completely not suited for this type of endeavor?

2. Could you elaborate on the troubles I might see from an LDC mic vs a dynamic mic? Why would the dynamic mic be better tailored for my purposes? Is there a different dynamic mic that you would recommend in the same price range as the NT1A?

3. Unfortunately I will not be using the most ideal space for recording. I am still researching possible room treatment but for the time being, I live in a loft where the main room is 25x30x25. Not exactly the best but it will have to do for now!

4. For now, I think I will be just fine with the fewer inputs on the Scarlett model.

Thanks again and I appreciate your insight.

-Adam

[Call_me_Switters]

Originally Posted by MasterJones

Thanks for the quick reply and advice! I have a couple follow up questions/comments if you have time.

1. Any reason why my existing speakers wouldn't suffice? What will the ones that you linked me offer over the B&Ws? Are the B&W completely not suited for this type of endeavor?

2. Could you elaborate on the troubles I might see from an LDC mic vs a dynamic mic? Why would the dynamic mic be better tailored for my purposes? Is there a different dynamic mic that you would recommend in the same price range as the NT1A?

3. Unfortunately I will not be using the most ideal space for recording. I am still researching possible room treatment but for the time being, I live in a loft where the main room is 25x30x25. Not exactly the best but it will have to do for now!

4. For now, I think I will be just fine with the fewer inputs on the Scarlett model.

Thanks again and I appreciate your insight.

-Adam

1. I don't know the speakers that you mention, but after a quick look I saw that are hi-fi speakers. This kind of speakers, are reproducing music in a flattering way in order to please the listener. in the other hand studio monitors reproduce sound in a way as flat as they can, that will help you make mix decisions that will translate nice in all other systems.
For example you hifi system might give you a really nice bump in your bass frequencies that make RnB beats really sound great. But this bump is in your speakers not your track. So if you play the same track in a car, on earphones or somewhere else anyway you might notice that your bass is not as you though. But they may suit you anyway!try to mix on them, check your mixes elsewhere and if you see that the translation is really off, it's time to invest in some studio monitors.

2.Beside the hype. Lots and lots of great vocal sounds have crafted using dynamic mics. M.Jackson on Thriller hit the vocals with a Shure SM7 and Bono from U2 make his parts with a Shure SM58. Also a dynamic mic might give you some punch that with a cheap condenser mic in a mediocre space will be impossible. Finally dynamic mics usually are more forgiving in an untreated space due to the smallest ambiance picking.

3.Yes a cubic room is not an ideal space, but a smart positioning and some DIY treatments might surprise you. A couple of blankets, some foam under your speakers etc can give you less echo and better clarity. Check the acoustics forum!

4.If you are OK with inputs go for it. But I would recommend also strongly, if you can stretch a bit your budget to take the bigger Scarlett with the SPDIF I/Os. This will give you the opportunity in the future to hook up a better preamp and converter and boost your sound.

Keep up!

[MasterJones]

Thanks again for the insight. I think I will look into the Scarlett 8i6 if nothing more than to give me a little breathing room for future endeavors.

I've seen a lot of positive response to the SM57 and 58 for a solid mic at a good price. I've also seen some other recommendations for the following:

AT2020 & 2035
Kel Audio HM-2D
Shure PG27

and on the upper end:

Shure SM-27
Blue Bluebird

I wouldn't mind spending a little more on the mic, as I mentioned before, it will be a gift. However I don't want to spend money just to spend money. I would want to know that I would be getting a noticeable difference in the quality and potentially the amount of work that would be needed to be done to the vocals on the back end.

There seem to be a lot of recommendations for the Bluebird as well. How would that mic and the Scarlett 8i6 work out?

Cheers!

[gouge]

you'll be fine with your b&w to start with. they are very good speakers and well above anything you'll get recommended in the low end forum.

the matrix 805 for example are used in many many pro studios.

your room is very large. i'm assuming feet are the dimensions. how lucky are you!!. to be honest getting towards the size where the cubic room is less of a problem in general terms. still acoustic treatments will be required it's just at the size of room you have especially with the high ceilings puts you well ahead of most.

you'll get good advice in the acoustics forum to take this further but with a room your size i'd start by measuring it first then look at treatments.

[MasterJones]

Hey Gouge,

Thanks for the message. I'll see if I can make those speakers work for now or my Cambridge computer speakers.

Yes, the room is quite large. Kind of an all in one loft style place.

I'm into home theater a little bit and I know for those that even though you are using HDMI cables, there is a little bit of a difference in quality (specifically the shielding) from your cheap walmart cord and something nice that you'll get from say Monoprice.com. Nicer cables are even more important with analog signals.

Call_Me_Switters recommended that I go for a little bit nicer cable and stand than what I was looking at (just the amazon recommended items):

Cable

and

Stand

For the stand, I get it, something a little sturdier makes sense. What is important in a patch cable specifically? Any recommendations on the stand or 12ft cable?

Cheers!

[Call_me_Switters]

For cabling I would recommend to take a look around and learn how to soldier a cable. It's not really hard for basic cabling and it will cost you a lot less.
Grab Mogami cable (balanced), some Neutric quality connectors and you will have some great, custom length cables for your mic!

[gouge]

i wouldn't skimp on the mic stand. i have in the past and it ends up being a pain in the ..... and a waste of money long term.

cheap mic stands slip and move. so when yo mic up something you can't get the mic to stay put and that is a real issue. so a good mic stand is worth it's weight. say $180+

for cables i make my own from canare cable. as switters suggested diy cables are the most cost effective way to go if you need a few but if your only getting 1 or 2, then quality off the shelf i guess is the way to go, otherwise you need to factor in soldering iron and tools.

how are you going to power your speakers? the best way is a clean flat response amp, if you have a high end amp for your theatre setup then just use that to start with and make sure you are in stereo with no eq, no dsp etc.

your biggest issue is you aren't a trained musician YET, other than that onwards and upwards!

p.s. i like reaper also.