Preserving the basement "4-track feel" in a project studio

[Allesmachine]

Hi Guys,

This is my first time posting here after wandering into this site a few days ago, I like it a lot and have found the discussions interesting.

My question involves preserving a low-tech creative feel to a project studio that I am planning to set up in the next year. My band recorded an album in the spring in about four days with nothing but a 12 channel mackie, a dying old MOTU 1224, a Studio Projects mic, and a couple of beat up POS dynamics and mixed it on headphones. The result was an explosively creative 14 tracks with noticeable flaws in the audio quality (damn clock on the 1224).

Well I had so much fun and success with that experience that I would like to try and replicate it in a project studio with some better gear to eliminate those flaws and add some flexibility. What are the things that I can upgrade and still maintain that feel of a barebones creative environment?

One of the problems I might want to mention is that I plan to bring other bands into this studio for recording "first albums" and demos and such, and I want to be at least somewhat accomodating to their needs as well.

Here's what I'm thinking of incorporating into the studio, tell me if you think it goes too far beyond the basement feel:

Trident 8t - maybe 24 channels?
Focusrite Saphire Pro 26 I/O (any luck with these?)
Genelec 8200 - not really sure what to do about monitors since i've never had any
Presonus 8 channel comp
Revoxx A77 for mixdown?

Also, if you have any ideas on what might be missing (other than mics, we've got that covered for now) feel free to make some suggestions.

[Sqye]

if you REALLY wish to preserve your precious BASEMENT feel,

just make sure you don't lose the following:


the wonderfully inspiring darkness

the lack of too much of that nasty fresh air that nobody needs
(especially for over-rated instruments like VOCALS)

the thick aroma of mold and mildew from stagnant water

the savory putrid stench of rats and mice dying in the walls

the tantalizingly pungent smell of various types of garbage and construction debris, etc.

the inspiring clacking, clanging, clicking, squeaking and humming sounds of
furnaces, heaters, water softeners, central ac compressors, plumbing, etc.


if you don't compromise too much on the above conditions,
you should be succesful at creating and capturing a larger percentage of the key
environmental and ambient elements of your crucial basement recording agenda.


best of luck

[Allesmachine]

sqye,

thats a great point! the basement we recorded in before had all those things (save maybe the rats)

Hopefully we will be renting out a practice space in the underground level of an old warehouse in minneapolis, so we should have all of those things! Thanks for the colorful insight.

[max cooper]

I have some good suggestions, but what kind of music, what kind of instrumentation and can you post a few seconds of the feel you want to preserve?

I think it's a noble quest. I'd say don't think too much about the gear. I wanna say get a Mackie Onyx with firewire interface. The preamps are good, and more importantly, you know how it works already.

What are you recording to (daw, hd recorder, tape, adat?)

Beyond that, the first place I'd put five hundred or a thousand dollars is into monitors/room treatment.

I'd be more willing to back the project if you used the existing gear but could hear what you're doing even better than you could before.

[Sizzleboy]

Just make sure you have alot of flabby unarticulate low end. Maybe get a Rockman for the guitars? And use a Shure SM57 on the drum OHs.

Anyway, seriously...I look back at the days with my 4-track and my SM-57, and I wonder why I was so much more creative then...Well, it was because of the limitations of the equipment. It seems these days, I get a little bogged down by choices, and it limits my creativity. I would say get a few nice pieces, but keep it to a minimum. And use very limited computer editing. Make sure the performers know that as well, so they concentrate on getting the track right during the take, and not fixing it in the mix.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Sizzleboy

I would say get a few nice pieces, but keep it to a minimum..

That's why I hesitate to tell you to change the setup.

Many have felt that more flexibility in their setup would yield more creativity only to yearn for the unbridled creativity they felt with a limited setup.

You hear it all the time around here.

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by Allesmachine

sqye,

thats a great point! the basement we recorded in before had all those things (save maybe the rats)

Hopefully we will be renting out a practice space in the underground level of an old warehouse in minneapolis, so we should have all of those things! Thanks for the colorful insight.

cool, since you're working in the bowels of an old industrial warehouse,
it might behove you to just make sure there's no left over
hexa-valent chromium in band's drinking water.

good luck

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by Sizzleboy

Just make sure you have alot of flabby unarticulate low end. Maybe get a Rockman for the guitars? And use a Shure SM57 on the drum OHs.

lol

[DCtoDaylight]

It ain't slutty, but depending on what your priorities are, you might consider a standalone hard disk recorder.

In my experience, a lot of the "basement feel" has to do with being able to keep the focus on the music and the vibe, and not have to have people alternate between thinking like musicians and thinking like engineers (two *very* different things!).

The sound quality on newer HD recorders is quite good, and you have options for adding good internal effects and interfacing with high-grade preamps and such. But the real advantage is that they generally behave very predictably - they start up, they run, and are blessedly free of the many potential glitches in a computer-based setup.

There are definite tradeoffs in flexibility and expandability, but if the basement vibe is what you're after, a one-box solution might be worth thinking about.

In any event, keep it up - sounds like you've got a great collaboration going!

[Allesmachine]

[quote=max cooper;901213]I have some good suggestions, but what kind of music, what kind of instrumentation and can you post a few seconds of the feel you want to preserve?
/QUOTE]

Well we have guitars, synths, viola, and vocals. I was actually thinking about the onxy too. It also has a mid side decoder which i like but tape op gave a bad review for that function. has anyone else tried it out?

we generally have been recording to Cubase SX 2 , but i might make a move to Digital Performer if there is a Mac in our studio.

(i just spilled beer on my laptop and it started beepin. so i had to switch to the desktop.)

[max cooper]

I wouldn't worry about the mid/side decoder. it's easy enough to get that working in three channels, and you can bump it down to two straight away if you want.

[sears]

Originally Posted by DCtoDaylight

There are definite tradeoffs in flexibility and expandability, but if the basement vibe is what you're after, a one-box solution might be worth thinking about.

I went this route and don't regret it. The sound quality improved but the spirit is still there. PM me if you have any specific questions.

[Allesmachine]

Originally Posted by max cooper

I wouldn't worry about the mid/side decoder. it's easy enough to get that working in three channels, and you can bump it down to two straight away if you want.

How exactely does one model MID-SIDE in three channels?