I have a good mic preamp and mics. What do I need now?

[simplemon]

I'm just starting out in recording. I dont really expect to be able to create quality sounding albums but I kind of want to get as close to commercial sounding as possible over a period of time (doesnt everybody?).
I have a decent mic pre (universal audio) and access to my sister's microphone collection.

I decided to let go of up to $2000 for my next purchase.

What would a smart experienced recording person buy next? A really good compressor or a really good a/d converter or something else?

What is the next thing I need to drop big cash on?

I'm currently using a cheap firewire interface to record. I kind of want to move on from cheap.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by simplemon

I decided to let go of up to $2000 for my next purchase.

What would a smart experienced recording person buy next? A really good compressor or a really good a/d converter or something else?

What is the next thing I need to drop big cash on?

Monitors and room treatments?

[simplemon]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Monitors and room treatments?

hey there,
As far as room treatments go, for the time being, I will most likely be doing all my recording in my sister's isolation booth which was professionally built for her 6 years ago when she was doing a lot of voiceover work in her sparetime. Its a tad cramped in there but I think it will do for now. I'm only going to be recording vocals and acoustic guitar. My keyboards interface directly with the comp. My other instruments are software based.


I had underestimated the importance of good monitors.
I have mid priced ones that sound ok but are probably a joke for critical mixing.

[Jeff Braun]

A nice A/D converter.

Or check out the Distressor. Very versatile comp.

-Jeff Braun

[fhames]

A/D Converters


Bryant - Hames Music

[doncaparker]

There's treatment of the room for tracking (you seem to be covered there), and there's treatment of the room for mixing. Two different things, both of which are important.

You have not mentioned your mixing environment, other than the fact that your monitors are not great. This sounds like an area that needs improvement, but I would focus on the treatment of the mixing space before you buy good monitors. If the mixing room is not in good shape, better monitors will probably not live up to their promise, so why spend that money now? Fix the room first, then see how bad the monitors really are (they probably aren't that bad).

You can put OC 703 in the corners, on the walls and on the ceiling for pretty modest amounts of money. Check out Ready Bags from Ready Acoustics. Spend around $300 on a dozen bags, another $300 on the insulation to fill them, stick them in the right places (see Ethan Winer's posts) and you will see a real improvement in the room, I'm certain.

Are you only tracking up to 2 channels at a time? You can get stereo interfaces with decent onboard AD/DA conversion for very little money (PCI or Firewire). Several companies have products that can get you there.

If you shop well, you can do room treatment, better AD/DA, and a more stable interface, all for less than $2,000.

Everything matters, so you might as well spread that money around a bit.

[meymia]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Monitors and room treatments?

+1

and after them next on the list is ad/da + a madi card or something and throw away the old sound card HES THE wEAKEST LINK!

[jmikeperkins]

There are still some things about your set up that I don't know, mainly what format you are recording to and if you have a mixer or not. If you are going to try and make pop/rock records and make them sound professional (with backing vocals and multiple layered instruments) then you will need a mixer of some sort. You may also need a protools type system or something like an Alesis HD24 (a stand alone 24 channel hard disk recorder). If you get something like that, the stock A/D converters are really pretty decent these days and you should not need an outboard A/D converter or there are other things you need more.

After the mics, and mic pres, the most important thing you need (other than talent, good ears, and learning how to use your equipment) to make pop or rock records is a good compressor or several of them. Compressors come in 2 main types, optical T4 based units like an LA-2A or FET based units like an 1176, dbx 160VU, that sort of thing. The Distressor suggestion is a good one and that would work fine. The Optical T4 compression is most important for vocals as its smooth sounding. The FET compressors are harder and faster and would be best for rock guitars and drums. Its almost impossible to make a professional sounding rock record without a compressor and you really need 2-4 of them to cover your bases. The next most important (after mics, pres, compressor) would be good outboard eq. Your reverb would come next. This is Gearslutz, so the list can just go on and on.

J. Mike Perkins

[Petelebu]

i would buy this:Mixed Logic M24
or something like that, then a distressor, then a great river 1nv coupled with a grace 101 and some good tube preamp.

[conguero]

Invest in conversion. For 2k get an apogee ensemble. Sound great and comes with 4 very nice pre amps.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Monitors and room treatments?

but tony you don't sell room treatments do you?
I underestimated your honesty and sincerity
Personally I would buy a top of the line a/d converter first.

Is your room treated? Nothing else matters but 'The room'

[jujufactory]

Go out and test equipement. If there is somtehing that clearly improves your sound, get it. I would not buy anything until I knew what I was missing.

[Sean Sullivan]

Are you a solo artist or recording a band? If you are doing all your recording in an isolation booth, I'm guessing you aren't doing much more than vocals. I haven't had much luck recording acoustic instruments in ISO booths, they usually come out boxy and lifeless.

I think if you are going to recording anything other than your voice at home, I'd spend a little money on room treatment. For $600 GIK can pretty much set you up with a room system that will improve the sounds you are getting and hearing back. I'm sure some naysayers will come and say "listen to all these great records recorded in untreated spaces' which is true, but I don't think they were done in my 10x12 room with 8 ft ceilings like my room.

If you aren't recording more than two tracks, get the best 2 channel ad/da converter you can find new or used for around $1000 and spend $400-$500 on a used pair of monitors. In that range used KRK V8s aren't too bad, or Mackie HR824s. I got a brand new pair of M Audio EX66s that I really enjoy for $400 shipped on eBay. Good monitors can be had cheap used.

That's just my two cents. If you want to record drums, I'd suggest booking a day at a good studio that can really accommodate them. Here in Nashville a lot of people are struggling and have cut their day rates significantly, so you might as well take advantage.

[soundawg]

Absolutely the treatment and good monitors first (good monitors doesn't necessarily mean expensive... good monitors means monitors you know), followed by lots of time working different mixes, using the gear you have, for a long enough time to outgrow your system and decide what is missing from your tool set.

One day it will come, you will be working and say to yourself - "crap, I really need some good subtractive EQ right now, but these plugs aren't cutting it for me"...


Don't worry - $2000 is NOT too much to spend on what you are hearing, so don't get into the mindset "eww I don't want to spend all my money on no gear".

If you can't hear properly and your system does not translate to the outside world you are totally screwed.

Soundawg

[Rokus666]

Originally Posted by simplemon

I'm just starting out in recording. I dont really expect to be able to create quality sounding albums but I kind of want to get as close to commercial sounding as possible over a period of time (doesnt everybody?).
I have a decent mic pre (universal audio) and access to my sister's microphone collection.

I decided to let go of up to $2000 for my next purchase.

What would a smart experienced recording person buy next? A really good compressor or a really good a/d converter or something else?

What is the next thing I need to drop big cash on?

I'm currently using a cheap firewire interface to record. I kind of want to move on from cheap.

A good music ?

[simplemon]

thanks for all the perspectives and helping me prioritize what I need.

I've written my first checks for what I need today.

Yikes.