Best upgrade options?

[jdvmi]

I currently have about $4,000 to spend on my home studio and I'm looking for the best upgrade options. I would say almost 95% of my hobby is recording my-self playing my synths. I don't sing, I'm a horrible singer but sometime I will record a friend singing to a song I write. I have a nice keyboard/workstation Yamaha S90es that I play on and I'm looking to get the best recordings/sound out of this both with I'm just noodling around on the S90es and when I'm actually recording my playing.

My Current Setup:

• ADAM A7 Monitors
• Presonus Firestudio
• Dual Core DAW with 4 Gig Ram
• Cubase SX 3
• A few WAVES Plugs
• RODE NT1-A Mic
• Accouticly Treated Room
• Two sets up nice headphones

What I was thinking of adding:

• Universal Audio UAD-1e Extreme Pak or Duende
• Some outboard gear???
• Nice set of pres to make the keyboard sound good???
• Chanel Strip???

What do you all think, what would be my best options to really get my recordings/live sound to really shine? Thanks for the help!

[jdvmi]

Also, what about possibly chunking the firestudio for a RME Fireface 800?

[jdjustice]

personally, i would get a good stereo preamp because you are going to need one sooner rather than later probably....
you could use it for tracking your synths and occasional vocals, and then use it again at mixdown.
also eventually maybe a better mic (even though you don't sing very often)?


~j.d.

[jdvmi]

Thanks JD,
I ended up picking up a Universal Audio UAD-1 Flexi pak. These plugs sound fantastic I just wish I could track with it :( I think I'm going to pick up one more flexi pak as one card gets used up pretty quickly.