Need help...On Setup...Good or Bad...Choices...

[atlantis]

Ok check this out ...My homeboy got a studio and he is a promoter so he isnt in into the gear thang...but he got a little money to get sum gear and i was tellin him wat i think he should do.....Can u guys give me ur thoughts on this.....O yea the studio will be for his artist...which they will be doin songs...wit people like...Yo Gotti...Young Buck..Bun-B....and others...So i wanna make sure the setup u kno is industry qualty or damn near so close ...
......................

Wat he has already....
Pro Tools 002...
Mackie D8b-Mixing Board
Focusrite Trakmaster-Mic Pre/Comp
Audio Tech AT3035-Mic
PC-pentium4 Dual core...4 gig...250 harddrive{2}
Behringer-Monitors.
Bomb Factory plugins.....
...........................................
Wat we gone change to.....and upgrade......
Nuendo 3.0....wit file transfer plugin already.....Pro Tools 002...keep just to have.....
Focusrite ISA-220- Mic Pre/Comp/Eq{how do u guys feel about this wit the baby bottle....it should give nice and good quality rite}
Blue Baby Bottle-Mic{not set in stone..if u guys can thing of a better mic for $599 to $700}
RME Multiface 2-Audio interface
JBL LSR4328P 8"- Active Studio Monitors {wat do u guys feel about these monitiors}
Mackie D8b-Mixing Board...Keepin it
Waves diamond bundle-plugins
URS eq's-plugins
UAD-1-plugins
.............................................
So wit the stuff i picked out for the price range in there rang for the equipment....wat do u guys think...good bad...ok...Now remember...He will be droppin songs wit people in the industry...so we are tryin to make sure he has a nice sound u kno...also i kno that industry guys are rappin on Sony c800 mics and U87's and Neve pre's....But i also kno that u can get good quality to wit nice gear and a good enginneer also......So wat u guys think.....

[XHipHop]

Why are you getting nuendo? Just curious. Seems like you're just dropping a G+ there for no reason.

Also, i found the baby bottle really boxy and dark sounding...mine was an original though...they might be different now....so try it before you buy it...or have a way to open up that top end.

[atlantis]

well i like nuendo more than pro tools u kno...and i already have it...im just goin to add to his computer.....so it aint goin to cost him a thing......and also if not the baby bottle wat mic.....in that price range that is nice and good quality.....

[Stitch333]

Id Send the 002 out to get the BLA mod or sell it and get a pair of apogee converters.
Personally not a fan of the ISA focusrite or blue mics (especially the baby bottle). See if you can get a good channelstrip: API 7600 is solid and a good mic: U87, soundelux or the peeps around here rave on the peluso mics, I havent personally used one.
Waves diamond is A+
Try those Massey plugs too. Im sold on them.

[atlantis]

iight so wat is a good mic and pre....In a $1500.00 range for mic pre...and$600.00 range for mic....Me myself i like the ISA-220...But im open to suggestions...wat about the LA-610 PRE Combo.....

[Stitch333]

UA is a solid company but if you know and rock focusrite, do what you know.
For 600 maybe check out the rode k2 or even a shure sm7
If you can go to a store and A/B the gear before you buy it, you'll know a lil better whats gonna work in the stu.
Theres a dude around here named war whos big on the safesound p1http://www.safesoundaudio.com/
When I getta lil extra scratch Ima pick one up to try in my traveling rig. And for the price, you could REALLY step yer mic game up with the bread youd save. 1500 can get you a really decent mic.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by atlantis

iight so wat is a good mic and pre....In a $1500.00 range for mic pre...and$600.00 range for mic....Me myself i like the ISA-220...But im open to suggestions...wat about the LA-610 PRE Combo.....

You seem to be picking a lot of pro-sumer gear (Focusrite, UA, Blue Baby Bottle)....

A Brent Averill 1272 would be a good choice on the preamp ($1139). Either that or an API in a lunchbox or Avedis R52 rack. I personally wouldn't waste my money on the Focusrite or a Blue Baby Bottle. And why do you need a multiface if you have the 002... Between that and the $400 you'd save on the preamp, you could step up to a Peluso 251 or 47 LE...

You should put more money towards a better microphone.

[atlantis]

Well i dont like pro tools...and he doesnt want to spend more than $600..or $700 for a mic...so wit that being said....Wat would u get in the price range $1500.00 for pre and $600.00 to $700.00 for mic

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by atlantis

Well i dont like pro tools...

There's already a 002, correct? So, you are going to buy a Multi-face for what reason. Nuendo and other DAW software will work fine with the 002 hardware.

Originally Posted by atlantis

and he doesnt want to spend more than $600..or $700 for a mic...so wit that being said....Wat would u get in the price range $1500.00 for pre and $600.00 to $700.00 for mic

For the results you are asking for, you are not going to get them with any $600-700 mic that I know of... There are much cheaper mics that are great to start with like the SM7 and SM57, but they are not the same as a tube LDC.

I told you what the logical thing to do is from a studio consultant's point of you, as far as the mic and preamp go... Someone else might tell you what you want to hear, though... I mean he's already made some questionable choices with his gear, maybe he needs someone like yourself to tell him why he needs to spend more money in a certain area. Either that, or he can go buy a mic like the Blue you were looking at and struggle with sibilance, and be pissed off..

[atlantis]

ok so....run Nuendo on the 002 converters....and that will be cool...and spend more on mic pre and mic...so wit that said...A Peluso 22 251 and a pacfica...and call it a day....basically...and i he will have big studio vocal sound...So how much can i get the peluso for...Tony...also i can use the pacfica for production also right......how much for it to Tony......and wont he still need to get a Compressor to go wit the pacifica...or can he use Waves RenCompressor or wat....

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by atlantis

ok so....run Nuendo on the 002 converters....and that will be cool...and spend more on mic pre and mic...so wit that said...A Peluso 22 251 and a pacfica...and call it a day....basically...and i he will have big studio vocal sound...So how much can i get the peluso for...Tony...also i can use the pacfica for production also right......how much for it to Tony......and wont he still need to get a Compressor to go wit the pacifica...or can he use Waves RenCompressor or wat....

I can give you some pricing outside of the forum in the AM... but, yes the Pacifica and the Peluso 251 would be a good pair. The 251 will give you that bright, modern vocal sound. I also really like that mic paired with a Neve type pre of some sort (GTQ2 still being my favorite). There's also the API A2D, which would give you 2 channels of preamp, plus A/D. Any of these preamps will sound great, though.

Since budget is a concern, then you could spend less on the pre and go with a single channel 1272. I would also ultimately like to at least see a DBX 160 for compression on the way in, but if the budget isn't there, then you can make due with plugins.

[incongru]

If I were you I would stick with the baby bottle.
Very polyvalent because it has a neutral response.
I liked all the takes I heard when one of my friends had one.
(didn't sell it....it fell....sad story, we miss it a lot )
I've read "dark"....I would say deeeeep, fat, whatever but not "dark".
I don't understand why everyone wants to have the highs boosted
on vocals.....come on it's getting boring....they ALL SOUND THE SAME.
And moreover, It sounds so UNNATURAL.
( It's actually making me feel more and more like REAL PEOPLE'S VOICES in everyday life need to "open up")
"sorry, could you please open up your voice? You're talking too dark right now..."


Well.....this said....Go Baby Bottle (or Dolly or JZ6...)!

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by incongru

If I were you I would stick with the baby bottle.
Very polyvalent because it has a neutral response.
I liked all the takes I heard when one of my friends had one.

Well.....this said....Go Baby Bottle (or Dolly or JZ6...)!

have you heard it A/Bd against other mics? It sucks...

UA, in my opinion, is not a pro-sumer company. + the red series focusrite gear is really great sounding. Ive used the Red1 and was impressed but the ISA line is weak comparitively (the 428(?) 4 micpres I heard were thin sounding)
API is always a solid choice. but if you are handy with a soldering iron, there are DIY
kits for micpres that will crush any gear youd buy off the shelf at GC for under 1k. Seventh Circle audio, JLM baby animal pre, eisen 500 series DIY pre...
Im all about the API 500 series rack...when I can stash another coupla G'z

[atlantis]

ok wat if he gets the Pacifica...dual channel...so he can run beats and vocals....but wat would be a good mic for $1200.00....no more than that......I kno we can get a mic that produce good quality vocals...so we wont have problems wen...industry guys cum in.....

[soundawg]

Hey man - don't waste cash on Nuendo unless you NEED the post options... go with Cuebase!!!! Same audio quality!

[atlantis]

Originally Posted by soundawg

Hey man - don't waste cash on Nuendo unless you NEED the post options... go with Cuebase!!!! Same audio quality!

yea dawg i kno...but i already have it...so im cool...i aint got to buy it....also u kno im not a pro tools fan...ive used it ...but nuendo is more easy for me...u kno.....also is the 002 converters good....i kno sum ppl like them and sum dont......

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by atlantis

ok wat if he gets the Pacifica...dual channel...so he can run beats and vocals....but wat would be a good mic for $1200.00....no more than that......I kno we can get a mic that produce good quality vocals...so we wont have problems wen...industry guys cum in.....

Peluso 251.

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Peluso 251.

whoop, there it is

[atlantis]

iight thats wat will go wit...Pacifica and Peluso 22 251......and will also use it for production...and Im goin to use the 002 and run Nuendo 3.0 on it...wat if i dont get a compressor....wat plugins are the best one for compressin....i use the RenCompressor and RenVox.....how would them do...wen i cant get a disstressor right now...on vocals and production....cus we want the vocals and the beats to be fat....which i kno mixing and doin a good job of mixing is the key....but i want stuff to be fat u kno.....and i will be usein Rodney Mills Mastering in Atlanta for the songs....And last but not least.....wat yall think about the JBL LSR4328P...i heard they ae nice..and u can get a really good mix on them...since they do the room calbiration.....So wat do yall think and have anybody use them

[incongru]

Best compressor plugins:
(excluding kick ass TDM plugins....snif....)

- URS compressor bundle

- Blue Tubes Bundle V3: Dynamics

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by atlantis

iight thats wat will go wit...Pacifica and Peluso 22 251......and will also use it for production...and Im goin to use the 002 and run Nuendo 3.0 on it...wat if i dont get a compressor....wat plugins are the best one for compressin....i use the RenCompressor and RenVox.....how would them do...wen i cant get a disstressor right now...on vocals and production....cus we want the vocals and the beats to be fat....which i kno mixing and doin a good job of mixing is the key....but i want stuff to be fat u kno.....and i will be usein Rodney Mills Mastering in Atlanta for the songs....And last but not least.....wat yall think about the JBL LSR4328P...i heard they ae nice..and u can get a really good mix on them...since they do the room calbiration.....So wat do yall think and have anybody use them

Ren Vox and Ren Comp are good tools, and you should be able to do get by with those for now. I'm sure at some point you'll want to expand on them with other units like Waves/ SSL, Duende, URS, etc.

If possible you should get at least a DBX 160 for tracking vocals and drums.

[atlantis]

ok cool...i have the URS Bundle...so im good there...it will be a while b 4 i can get waves/ssl..but im lookin into it.......also i was lookin into gettin a dbx 160 a...but i want a distressor ....feel me....