Setting up a solo project, gear?

[ohsleeper19]

Yo!

I'm gonna be doing a solo electronic metal project this summer while I'm out of school. I'm gonna be doing all my drumming in Reason. So I need to get some gear to record vocals and guitar.

Heres what I had in mind:
M-box Pro w/Pro Tools LE
M-Audio Axiom Midi Keyboard
Pod XT Live guitar pedal (debating on a few others)
**suggestions for vocal mic**

Any more suggestions or alterations to my list are great. Any insight would be appreciated. =]

peace

[Recycled_Brains]

vocal mic... just get a 57 or 58. works fine for the screaming stuff.

i've used a hand-held 58 for all of my bands stuff.

-ryan

[Clarence]

+1 for the SM57/58.

Check out the stuff from sansamp and damage control (demonizer) before you shop for the pod.



Clarence

[Aearth]

Looks like you got what you need, what computer are you running on? As far as mics get the Beta 58.

Nic

[ohsleeper19]

Running on a 2.0ghz Dual Core Macbook Pro, 2 gigs of ram, 256mb video, all that jazz.

Thanks for all the advice =] I really appreciate it!

Keep it coming if you have anything else to add =]

[Aearth]

Originally Posted by ohsleeper19

Running on a 2.0ghz Dual Core Macbook Pro, 2 gigs of ram, 256mb video, all that jazz.

Thanks for all the advice =] I really appreciate it!

Keep it coming if you have anything else to add =]

No problem at all, you're all set. Have fun mate.

Nic

[Clarence]

Keep it coming if you have anything else to add

I totally agree with the "you are all set“ statement, but running a mac and what not you should at least look into the metric halo interfaces.
I know, the m-box is probably kind of a budget choice and you get PT-fun or LE or whatever, but the ULN is serious stuff and outperforms almost everything within it's price range.
Just think about getting it for the production and selling it afterwards without—or very little—loss of money. You can even sell it to a friend. It is really that good ...

You might not get software for free from MH, but everytime i leave PTHD world I run Logic express on my mac. I would rather try to carve songs into solid rock than ever start LE again on one of my machines. It is not the meanest thing that came out of the seven digi-hells, but it is a close second.


But again: you are all set ;-)



Clarence

[ohsleeper19]

See, I'd looked into that, because I love Logic, and would greatly prefer it over Pro Tools, I just don't have a grand to drop on the MH interface =[. If I did though I'd do it in a heartbeat (and probably what I will do later in my en devours). They sure do look nice though =[

[Clarence]

They sure do look nice though

Sounds nice, too.

Have fun and let's hear the stuff when you are done.


Clarence

[uncle duncan]

Anything's better than PTLE. If it didn't have PT in the name, no one would buy LE, it's so bad. Consider, you'll have to figure out how to get zero-latency monitoring out of it, which will probably require an external mixer. Perhaps an interface like the Tascam, which comes with cubase LE, or the Presonus, which comes with somebody's zero-latency monitoring software. I use motu stuff, which comes with their non-midi version of Digital Performer, and the upgrade to DP is cheap. The thing you have to consider is, if you're going to be getting a good system someday, then whatever you get today is basically money down the drain. So, getting a throw-away system now is only digging yourself deeper into a hole. At least with my motu stuff, I've been using it for years, upgrading, and I've never had to throw anything away. (And it's way easier to learn than Logic, but that's another discussion.)
Best of luck to you, especially if you go the PTLE route, because, my friend, you're going to need it.

[ohsleeper19]

Yeah I definitely see where you're coming from, and this stuff is going to become part of my "permanent" setup once I graduate. I think the reason I'm so bent on PT is because my school keeps beating it into my head that it's the "industry standard" and thats what we should use. But after experimenting with things like Cubase and Logic a little, I already like them better, so maybe I'll think of some of the PTLE alternatives. Does't the Firebox (or the Tascam you mentioned, not sure which of the two is better) come with Cubase LE? How's that compared the PTLE?

[uncle duncan]

Originally Posted by ohsleeper19

Does't the Firebox (or the Tascam you mentioned, not sure which of the two is better) come with Cubase LE? How's that compared the PTLE?

I'm a motu user, so I couldn't tell you. My point is that people who want to make music on a computer should choose the best tool for their intended use. On the other hand, people who are forced to interchange files with others in their work environment are more limited in their choices. (Especially if those 'others' refuse to get digitranslator, which would allow projects to be exchanged in OMF format. Do they even talk about OMF and AAF formats at your PT indoctrination camp?)
Looking at the big picture, the upgrade path from PT LE to a fully functional DAW is, what ten grand? The upgrade path from cubase LE or a similar native system to a fully functional DAW is more like $300. (Say $300 to $700 for an interface and $300 to upgrade to the full-featured DAW.) So, do you want to slog around in PTLE till you can afford to drop ten grand on HD, or do you want to work in a fully functional DAW now? (Or as soon as you can scrape up the other $300 to upgrade, which is what credit cards are for.)
I would reccommend the motu route, but that's only because I record and produce CD's in DP every day, and I use a lot of midi stuff, and I manipulate audio when I have to, and it never gives me any problems. But I get by on being a musician/producer first, and an audiophile second (with way too many mics and pres) and I leave the generic studio work to generic studios, where PT rules.
I think, once you figure out where your niche will be in the audio world, your decision will become clear.

[Stiff]

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

Anything's better than PTLE. If it didn't have PT in the name, no one would buy LE, it's so bad. Consider, you'll have to figure out how to get zero-latency monitoring out of it, which will probably require an external mixer. Perhaps an interface like the Tascam, which comes with cubase LE, or the Presonus, which comes with somebody's zero-latency monitoring software. I use motu stuff, which comes with their non-midi version of Digital Performer, and the upgrade to DP is cheap. The thing you have to consider is, if you're going to be getting a good system someday, then whatever you get today is basically money down the drain. So, getting a throw-away system now is only digging yourself deeper into a hole. At least with my motu stuff, I've been using it for years, upgrading, and I've never had to throw anything away. (And it's way easier to learn than Logic, but that's another discussion.)
Best of luck to you, especially if you go the PTLE route, because, my friend, you're going to need it.

What on earth are you talking about? PTLE Is def up for the task to record any solo project, and even more so mix it. 9/10 I finish up projects for clients on an LE system, very rarely do I feel the need to take it to the HD system I have access to.

ohsleeper19,

My suggestion is to go with the app which is easiest to work with for you. Workflow is everything, You can make a great record with just an Mbox and PTLE, I know people who have, don't let anyone tell you anything else. But if you're more comfortable with Logic then you'd probably have more success with that.

[ohsleeper19]

First to answer uncle duncan, we've discussed AFF, but not OMF, if you'd care to explain go ahead, if not I dont wanna waste your time and I'll just read up on it, no biggie =]

Honestly, the whole reason I was so hung up on the Mbox/PT option is because thats what I use here at school, so it's the most familiar to me. I'd much rather work in Cubase or Logic, and could probably do it for cheaper, well, Cubase anyway.(what is it? 300 for a Firebox and Cubase LE?), downside to that is I'd have to take the time to learn Cubase or Logic if I went that route (which isnt always a bad thing, I'm just not sure how much time I'll have this summer to devote to learning a new DAW). Another thing I'm debating is that if I go with Digidesign stuff, I'm pretty much stuck to Pro Tools, and I kind of want to avoid that.

[Yetti]

Originally Posted by ohsleeper19

Yo!

I'm gonna be doing a solo electronic metal project this summer while I'm out of school. I'm gonna be doing all my drumming in Reason. So I need to get some gear to record vocals and guitar.

**suggestions for vocal mic**

Any more suggestions or alterations to my list are great. Any insight would be appreciated. =]

peace

You cannot go wrong with a Shure SM57, especially for vocals and guitar.
Good Luck!

Sorry to interupt the DAW debates....it makes for fun reading.
"Do they even talk about OMF and AAF formats at your PT indoctrination camp?"
Good one Uncle Duncan!(lol)

[ohsleeper19]

yeah I'm definitely going for the 57, seeing as how I can do vocals, and if I ever needed to mic my guitar cab I'd be able to do that too. So the 57 seems to make the most sense.

Still really torn on the DAW/Interface though =/

[sneezebomb]

A lot of people seem to be trashing PTLE. i don't know if it's warranted or not. i haven't ever really used protools. i've been using cubase for a few years now and am very content with it. But i hated Cubase LE. i was forced to switch to it from a better version for a brief period of time and couldn't stand it. So i forked up the $300 or so for a version of SL and am once again content. It could be that LE trash talking comes mostly from people who hate to take the step backward in functionality. But that doesn't mean that LE versions outright suck. Just food for thought.

Take that "ProTools is the industry standard" stuff with a grain of salt. It's really just ONE of the industry standards.

If i were you, i would re-think the POD thing. (or the POD type thing in general) i have one and i use it at some point on every project but the truth is, i don't love it. It's generally convenient but i do think i'm often comprimising sound quality by using it. If your set up allows you to play through an amplifier (i'm talking about whether or not you're able to make that kind of noise whenever you need to) i would recommend spending dough on your amplified rig. Find pedals and an amp you like etc. and mike up with the 57. That way you also have a solid live rig put together as well.

But you can make a good product either way. i think.