need help getting my setup as pro as possible(im on a budget)

[gizeh12]

Right now i have this equipment:
macbook(dual core)
RME fireface400
,logic express
guru fxpansion
Izotope Ozone
Lexicon MPX1

I want to get a pro radio/vinyl/clubjamming sound quality as much as possible within my budget and the skills i have now. There are a few options: I produce mainly Electronic/House/breakbeat stuff with a few vocal and instrument recordings here and there, but mainly samples and electronic stuff.
There are a few options:

-Ditch the mpx1 and get for a few dollars more Logic PRO (maybe the reverb is just as good as mpx1). Maybe the boxed dynamics eq and plug ins are good enough already so i dont have to bother about those and im all set

- Ditch the Lexicon mpx1, get some plugins URS or Waves and run it in Logic express.

- Forget about logic, get DP5 or Cubase 4

- Keep the MPX1 and stay on logic express cause this is as good as it gets.

Can anyone please help me with some advice??

[Heavyweight]

Originally Posted by gizeh12

Right now i have this equipment:
macbook(dual core)
RME fireface400
,logic express
guru fxpansion
Izotope Ozone
Lexicon MPX1

I want to get a pro radio/vinyl/clubjamming sound quality as much as possible within my budget and the skills i have now. There are a few options: I produce mainly Electronic/House/breakbeat stuff with a few vocal and instrument recordings here and there, but mainly samples and electronic stuff.
There are a few options:

-Ditch the mpx1 and get for a few dollars more Logic PRO (maybe the reverb is just as good as mpx1). Maybe the boxed dynamics eq and plug ins are good enough already so i dont have to bother about those and im all set

- Ditch the Lexicon mpx1, get some plugins URS or Waves and run it in Logic express.

- Forget about logic, get DP5 or Cubase 4

- Keep the MPX1 and stay on logic express cause this is as good as it gets.

Can anyone please help me with some advice??

Hey mate,

i write similar music to you (www.titlefight.net) and record and own one of the top breakbeat labels in the world, so i feel confident in giving you some advice. The set up you have is more then capable of producing material good enough to grace vinyl and the dance floor. It depends on how you use it!!! Some of the worlds leading breaks producers are all in ITB now (myself, Meat Katie, Elite Force, Lee Coombs), and achive some serious bottom end beats with similar equipment to you! Its all about learning what works and what does not!

You don't say what speakers you have, that would be the first place i would look to upgrade before the other stuff you are talking about. You need a pair that allows you to hear the bottom end freq's as best you can. Genelec''s, PMC's, everyone has there favorites, so i'm not going to try and recommend a make. i will just say take a tune you know very well down to your local shop and have a listen to them all, see what takes your fancy. But spend as much as you can on these, it will make a difference!

Secondly, the room you work in, is it treated? Spending some money on some good accostic treatment would be a much better idea then buying new gear. A well treated room would make one hell of a difference! Look at these Auralex kits, great value and will make so much difference to your productions, much more then new gear could within the price range you are talking about....

Software wise i would maybe invest in Native Instruments Komplete, its the best software package you can get for dance music. Absynth, Reaktor, Kontact are all amazing instruments for dance music. Also, maybe get a Tritone EQ plugin, these work really well for our type of music and sound great for the amount they cost.

The only other advice i can give is practice the mix down!! No amount of equipment is going to improve you sound if you don't know what your doing when you add eq or Compression

Logic Express is more then good enough for you for now, and swaping to DP5 or Cubase is much of a muchness really, they all do the same thing, it just depends on which one feels right for you...

[Glenn Kuras]

>Secondly, the room you work in, is it treated? Spending some money on some good accostic treatment would be a much better idea then buying new gear.<

Boy I could not agree more. All that nice gear really is not going to do much without a properly treated room. Make sure you have plenty of bass trapping in that room. You will thank me in the morning.

Glenn

[gizeh12]

Right now i have Tannoy Reveals wich is ok but not top notch,
Acousticly my room is ok, i got a few curtains hangin to trap the bouncing of the wall.

@Heavyweight

Im on macintell so all my software should be UB Macintell. What do you think about the lexicon MPX1,, should i ditch it and get some software or monitors?? Or keep the MPX1 cause it ill sound better then the plugins??


thanx for the advice

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by gizeh12

Right now i have Tannoy Reveals wich is ok but not top notch,
Acousticly my room is ok, i got a few curtains hangin to trap the bouncing of the wall.

@Heavyweight

Im on macintell so all my software should be UB Macintell. What do you think about the lexicon MPX1,, should i ditch it and get some software or monitors?? Or keep the MPX1 cause it ill sound better then the plugins??


thanx for the advice

Curtains are not going to do anything, actually it could hurt the room, more then help it. All you are going to end up with is the high end (some of it) absorbed but low end building up in the room. You stand little chance at getting a tight bass that can be mixed properly. Do yourself a favor and so some more reading up on room acoustics in a room. You can start with our FAQ (see sig at bottom) and also check out Real Traps (www.realtraps.com) for other info.

Glenn

[gizeh12]

the acoustics in my room are ok. thanx for the tip

any other usefull input??

[Heavyweight]

Originally Posted by gizeh12

the acoustics in my room are ok. thanx for the tip

any other usefull input??

To be honest, that is about the best advice your going to get from this site! Accostic treatment is the way to go dude, without a doubt, will make so much difference to your productions. I'm no expert like myfipie, but curtains are not going to do anything for you.

But thats just my view...

The sort of money you have to spend and the level of gear you would be able to get with it is not going to do anything to your sound really! Remember, this is low end, and without a properly treated room i doubt you would hear the difference anyway!

The MPX1 is ok, but your limited to the amount different verbs you can have at the same time. So a good software Reverb or 2 is essential. I like Space Designer at the moment, which is the reverb you get with Logic pro. You would be able to run loads of those on you new Mac and still have loads of processor power for other plugs and audio tracks. Altiverb is another option, has some great sounding reverbs.

These are the reverbs currently in my AU folder:

Space Designer
Altiverb
Audio Damge - Deverb
Various Reaktor Reverbs

that covers me for most of my needs

[Theo Desktop]

Originally Posted by Heavyweight

To be honest, that is about the best advice your going to get from this site! Accostic treatment is the way to go dude, without a doubt, will make so much difference to your productions. I'm no expert like myfipie, but curtains are not going to do anything for you.

But thats just my view...

Absolutely. Especially for the style of music you are doing, hearing the bass properly is paramount to making good mixes.

It's not as fun as buying software and hardware, but acoustic treatment should be the first thing to be addressed. Most of us with home studios finally deal with our untreated rooms after we've spent thousands of dollars on computers, software, and hardware (put me at the top of the list!).

Acoustic treatment is the only reason I could start to hear bass frequencies properly while mixing.

Theo

[donsolo]

I second the Komplete advise.

As for the Lex, keep it. You're going to want your reverb outside the CPU as soon as you open Reaktor or a pretty intense Absynth session.

Stick with Logic if you know it. I'm a DP user and I've never seen someone make a successful transition. Apple feeds you the mentality that Logic is easy to use, friendly and professional and that no other program is as good. DP is very stark in it's GUI and you may find that very uninspiring.

Odds are, if you're looking at better plugs, you're looking in the wrong place with Logic's stock instruments.

Electronic music is ALL about badd synths and phat beats. If you're ITB and stock, you're VERY limited.

Komplete 3 IIRC is in the 1400 range. That MAY be a bit cost-prohibitive to you.

Other things to look into for alternatives for nice synths is the Korg Legacy Collection (If they are intel compatible) and Arturia Minimoog.

Having really slick sounds to start with is way more important in your music than having slick plugins to polish them.

And electronic music for the most part doesn't want Realistic reverbs or clear EQ, they want delay and filter sweeps.

As for the Vocals, your preamp is good, it'll get the job done. You didn't mention which microphone you were working with.

If you think your room acoustics are cool, then ok, they're cool.

But bada** synths are the way to go for electronic music.

Not only the synths but you should read read read on how to make them REALLY work for you and break out of the presets.

IIRC, like two of Squarepusher's records were done with Reaktor (Do you know Squarepusher and I think Hard Normal Daddy)

[gizeh12]

Thanx to everyone in this post helping

Yeah still my favorite SP Hard Normal Daddy.

So, how about dynamics?? I still need good dynamics, what is the way to go?? Get a RNC hardware compressor, or get a plugin if so wich????

[Heavyweight]

Originally Posted by gizeh12

Thanx to everyone in this post helping

Yeah still my favorite SP Hard Normal Daddy.

So, how about dynamics?? I still need good dynamics, what is the way to go?? Get a RNC hardware compressor, or get a plugin if so wich????

My advice, stick to software. Unless you going to spend serious $ on compression you might as well stay ITB!. I would also just stick with Logics own comp, does a great job. I have Waves, UAD and URS, but for the past few months have been using logics own on all my tracks and its been wicked. And you got to understand, i'm releasing this music on vinyl and DJ'in all over the world in some of the biggest clubs with the best systems, so i'm hearing my material in the environment it was written for. As they say it's not what you have it's how you use it!

Sidechaining is the secret for good dance music. It's something you need to master in order to get that phat club sound, the movement in the tune and logics own comp is good at it...


If you do want to look at buying another make of software comp, then get yourself an ilok and demo the Waves SSL, URS or try and listen to a UAD. There a loads of good brands out there, just do a serach through the forums here to see a million and one discussions on whats the best software comp.

The RNC is a nice comp, but for what your doing, it seems pointless. If you were recording bands, that kinda thing, then maybe...

[gizeh12]

It sucks i cant sidechain in logic express :(


Im very curious about your music heavyweight, ill look out for it while diggin in the record shops.

[Heavyweight]

Originally Posted by gizeh12

It sucks i cant sidechain in logic express :(


Im very curious about your music heavyweight, ill look out for it while diggin in the record shops.

www.titlefight.net


thats my record label and online shop. you can also get the labels stuff from DJ Download. But i have massive back catalog, recorded for Bedrock, Distinctive, Ministry Of Sound, EMI. Always willing to have a listen to your stuff mate, give you some tips for the dance floor! send me pm or a message via the web site


Might be a good idea to upgrade to Logic Pro, think it will solve a lot of your problems. You get a great reverb in Space Designer, you get side chaining with a good, reliable compressor and the ES2 is a great sounding synth, really cuts through the mix, but you have to spend a bit of time with it to get it sounding good. But i think its worth it...

[gizeh12]

Yup your tracks sound Phat

Im more on the jazz/funk side of things but its obviously audiable that you got skills

What do you get for that nice low end?? Sidechaining the kick with the bassline or the other way around??

[donsolo]

drop Logic Express and Step up to Pro.

End of story.

Logic Express is soooooo limited

[Heavyweight]

Originally Posted by gizeh12

Yup your tracks sound Phat

Im more on the jazz/funk side of things but its obviously audiable that you got skills

What do you get for that nice low end?? Sidechaining the kick with the bassline or the other way around??

Yeah, i tend to sidechain a lot of things of the kick. The bass, so it gets out the way and makes the kick stand out, open hats, so they get a nice snap to them and the tail ducks out the way of the kick, perc parts, so they get a nice pump to them.

But i might sidechain certain parts of the snare as well, depending on how eveyrthing is sounding. There might be a hit in a perc loop that's in the way of the snare, so i sidechain it.

Another good thing for dance music is sidechaining synth parts of a 4/4 kick, can add a nice efx to the sound, especially on pads and wash type efx's...If you're writing a breakbeat tune, have a 4/4 kick on an audio channel with no output set and u can use that to sidechain off and add some pump to synth's....


I'm also a big fan of logic's expander and exciter plug's, can do wonders with your drums.

The last thing and something that i think is very unique to dance music, is maximize the F**ck out of it!!! The aim is to get something as loud as poss before you go to mastering and get you laquer cut for vinyl. There is a fine line between loud and distorted, but it's what makes the difference on club sound systems. and you still need to give the mastering engineer something to work with!!!

I tend to use different things for this. i might use the Waves L1 or various other Limiters. I know a lot of the pro guys who record bands and stuff on here will cringe at that, but thats what works for club orientated music like breaks and drum and bass and types of house...

[gizeh12]

I sidehcain also the shakers and short hihats with each other. You could also sidechain hihats with shaker, route that to a 2nd bus and sidechain the sidechained signal of the shaker and hihat with the kickdrum

Sidechaining is a great tool, i miss it a lot right now with logic express.

I can borrow logic pro for a few months from a friend who is makin a world trip right now So i cant whait to get back on the sidechaning bizznizz



Do you use Ultrabeat Heavyweight?? Or is it just Kontakt??

peace