Help me spend 10 grand USD!!

[AAsa]

My friendly neighborhood banker just offered me a 10k business loan.

I'm presently running PT Mix3 on a 9600.
I have one Apogee SE, two 888's and a 882.
Everything locked to a Nanosyncs.

I've been debating upgrading to HD3 and jumping on the "Massive Pack" promo.
I've also thought to stick it out w/ the Mix system and upgrade other aspects of the studio. ... Dangerous 2-bus, more Apogees , Oxford plug-ins, more advertising, leather furniture, lava lamps, pinball machine..

I have a nice selection of outboard.
EL8's,EL7, Massive Passive, CL1B, Api 560's, 1176, AlanSmart, Neumann495b mastering eq's. V72 mic pres, Neve 1066's, Api 512c's, Millennia HV3D pres.....

Is anybody sorry they moved from Mix to HD?? Are we talking "night and day"?
Has it been a "business" decision? Do customers know or care?

For me... it entails a new computer, new SCSI setup from Adaptec to Atto,...saying bye bye to "many" plug-ins, and there must be something else I'm sure.

The bank loan will barely cover the Upgrade cost.
How would you all spend the money?

Is there anything I'm not considering?

In true slut fashion, I'll probably take the cash.

Sooooo.. let's spent it.

Appreciate your input

AAsa

[Beezoboy]

I think you should look at the business you get now and decide if HD is going to make that much of a difference. Are you primarily tracking bands, mixing (mixing projects from Studios), or are you going through full process with the bands you work with?

If you mix projects that people track at bigger studios you might consider HD, since most studios will probably upgrade to that very soon since their budgets permit more easily than yours. That way you'll be able to mix the latest projects that have been tracked on or dumped to HD.

If you primarily track bands and then your work gets mixed at larger studios, then you can probably stay with Mix a little longer since the projects files will import without a problem. (correct me if I am wrong) Then you should concentrate on microphones and tools that will help you get better initial sounds.

If you go full process with most bands, then you should consider what will improve your sound as a whole. Are you getting good sounds with the mics you have? Do your tracks have good depth and are they easy to mix, or do you have problems with tracks fighting for space. Are your final mixes sounding like the mixes coming straight out of ProTools.

Finally, seeing the current economy state, maybe you should invest in gear that you'll be able to make a quick return on if sold. If you use that money to buy a U47, you can sell it in 3 years for very close to what you bought it for. If you invest the money in HD, soon there will be something else better and that money spent will lose its value incrementally much faster.

Food for thought.
Beez

[MIKEHARRIS]

you could improve the features of your facility....you didnt discuss monitors...but in light of your outboard...you probably have that well taken care of...as you didnt discuss the mixing you do presently...maybe a MANLEY 16X2 would permit you to leave the existing system as PT TDM ...and improve the audio quality by removing the DSP demands

[MIKEHARRIS]

Lava Lamps +++++++++

[MIKEHARRIS]

BTW...dont you think its odd...a banker offering money

[atticus]

I'd probably get an external mixer of some sort. And a DAC1

[BevvyB]

10k's worth of promotion?

[e-cue]

Originally posted by AAsa
I have a nice selection of outboard.
EL8's,EL7, Massive Passive, CL1B, Api 560's, 1176, AlanSmart, Neumann495b mastering eq's. V72 mic pres, Neve 1066's, Api 512c's, Millennia HV3D pres.....AAsa

You didn't really list any effects processors. I don't think an upgrade would be as easy for someone with limited outboard gear they are back up on in case the HD plug in selection limits you.

[AAsa]

MIKEHARRIS,

I'm presently monitoring w/ Quested 2108's. I've got ProAc's and Tannoy12s too.
Next week I'm bring in a guy to help me tweek the room. I've got three years on my lease so I'm fine w/ spending more dough on my space.

These days I mix inside PT and insert the Manley,Fatso and Alan Smart etc on the Mix bus or on indivdual tracks. So I loose the instant recall advantage.

I've thought of the Manley 16x2, or the API modular stuff..Also the Benchmark DAC or Hedd.

Buying real hardware is so much more attractive to me than Digi cards and Macs, but it seems easier to promote an "HD" studio than an "improved Mix" one.

Beez,
Some projects come to me from other studios but most of my work starts and stays here. A few years ago I had extra cash and bought a Telefunken U47 from BLUE which I'm actually trying to sell.

[doug_hti]

Sounds like you have bread and butter for the most part.
The upgrade is a tough call. You have great converter and clocking. I would probably upgrade at least your computer. If you upgrade to HD, I wouldn't bother with getting new SCSI cards, just go Firewire.
How are you on the preamp front, do you have a control surface now?
If things are coming in the door and going out finished, how is your mix bus limiter and 2bus recorder, or are you repatching into PT?.
If you are on a 9600, I would AT least go ahead and upgrade the computer. Then you can enjoy the benefits of firewire and using RTAS is you run out of horsepower.
I was going to get the dangerous 2 bus, but unless you're inserting a lot of outboard gear on stems, I find it hard to justify this early on.
good luck

[AAsa]

e-cue,

I have a KSP 8, a Lexicon 300, an H3000, an old Yamaha delay and some old Roland reverbs. I use the KSP most but I'll go for plug-in reverb first for ease. When it comes time to mix I start patching in the outboard FX.

I use Reverb One and Time Blender alot, also digging Echo Farm. So I know I'd be buying plug-ins too.

[littledog]

It's a tough decision. I decided to go HD because I figured eventually there would be a point where there would be stuff that wouldn't work on the older systems. The trade-in/upgrade offer was pretty attractive, so i jumped on it.

The main day-to-day obvious advantage over my older system is the vastly increased DSP power (from Mix+ to HD2). Not having tons of outboard gear, I rely on plug-ins more than most here, and in Mix+ I would often run out of DSP - especially because of the two types of farm chips that would each handle only certain types of plug-ins. I'd get that "no DSP available" message even when I could see three or four completely empty farm chips. Now, between increased raw DSP power and having one chip type that does it all, I never seem to even get close to running out of DSP, and that's only with an HD2 system!

Add to that the MassivePack which I just bought, and I have no regrets. Even though I still record almost everything at 44.1 (storage reasons).

But in your case, with all that nice outboard, DSP may be much less of an issue.

[faeflora]

Seems like you have a great studio already!

If I were you, I would:


1. Finish web site!
2. Sell PT Mix
3. Get PT HD
4. Improve decoration- lighting, furniture
5. Advertise!


I like your "turn that crap down" motto too.thumbsup

[Jules]

Second hand Dual boot 866 (or higher)
Atto set up
Second hand Mix Farms
Second hand Expansion chasis for more Mix Farm bargains as they turn up
Get the SE upgrade for the Apogee AD8000 (a/d & d/a)
Sony Oxford EQ + GML / Dynamic's
Dangerous 2 Buss (lite)
Masterlink
DAC-1

Get right back to work & enjoy your outboard at mix time.

[faeflora]

Originally posted by littledog
Even though I still record almost everything at 44.1 (storage reasons).

What are you storage reasons? Hard drives are super cheap!

[littledog]

Originally posted by faeflora
What are you storage reasons? Hard drives are super cheap!

a) i use cheap firewire drives for short-term backups, but i don't consider a hard drive as a long-term archiving solution

b) i am constantly having to copy projects on and off of my ultra-SCSI recording drive, some of which get to be 20 GB or so even at 44.1. Which means at 80 GB they wouldn't even fit on my current SCSI drive (and they aren't all that cheap), and even fairly fast drives take quite some time to copy 80 GB.

From time to time I've had the opportunity to use a piece of gear or software that's made me say: "Oh, my God! There's no way I can live without this...!" So far, recording at 192khz hasn't been one of those life-altering experiences.

[Drumsound]

Plug-ins---Blah, blah, blah
Outboard--Blah, blah, blah
Microphones--Blah, blah, blah




Get the Pinball Machine!

[davemc]

I went HD as I had a 882 and 1622 so the upgrade for convertors alone was worth it...
How busy are you?
What would bring in more business?
Most bands do not know the difference between a 001 and a HD system, if you get freelances in they will.
If your room needs work spend it there. Make it pretty
Advertising maybe.
New stuff for the rec room, a nice coffee maker, pinball machine etc bands like those.
Whats your name Vocal Mic?

If you are happy with the mix system maybe a dangerous summing might make a difference..
If you quite happy go on a holiday with the $$'ss

[jho]

Myself, I think the Mix to HD upgrade for me was profound. HD really does sound better and it's way more DSP efficient and powerful. I've got HD3 at my place and I rarely ever run out of DSP. You do have some nice outboard bro! Just think how fat it would be going thru the 192 i/o (even at 44).

I'll go with Faeflora's suggestion.