Thread: GIVE ME YOUR

<p>i'd like to know what everyone thinks would be the best studio setup for making records at the crib. i'm going back to ny for a month, and i wanted to bring as muchequipment as possible to build a very high class studio at my crib, because its not that easy to find all that shit in armenia, and honestly, i know very little about it. so instead of googling shit, i decided to ask my fellow producers on DP, about what THEY think would be the best setup for a home studio. note im only producing MUSIC.. no song recording no singing whatsoever. i currently have a very simple midi keyboard, some OK desktop speakers with a subwoofer (not enough) and a PC (2.8ghz Celeron Processor, 80GB hard drive (each one is 40), 512MB ram on XP, 24bit creative tech. soundblaster sound card). using reason 4.0, and adobe audtion 2.0, but im getting that Record program by propellerhead soon as it comes out. no audio interface, but i have firewire ports, but was thinking of getting (or upgrading) a new PC (or Mac if i can afford).. so please let me know what i need to add to this, or replace,. give me good Studio moniter names and brands, good firewire audio interfaces, additional programs, etc. sounds like a lot, but i'd really appreciate the help from anyone who can on DP. THANK YOU.</p>

<p>What's up Drape? As for me, I am running an MBOX2 w/ ProTools LE 7 on a cheap desktop computer (celeron chip, 1 GB of RAM). I use ProTool LE for tracking at home and being able to take the session to a bigger studio using ProTools which most studios do have...for interfaces (and everything else), you are going to get a lot of answers...best to do is hit online...say www.musiciansfriend.com www.zzounds.com, www.sweetwater.com or some other online intrument sales site that post user reviews and comments...</p>
<p>I do have a Classic Triton, live instruments (if needed), Reason 4, Cool Edit 2 (Adobe Audition), Recycle, etc.....if I could do it again, the only thing I would change which I plan to Lord willing very soon is my computer...I would get a Dual Core Intel (or equivalent or better) with about 3 to 4 GB of RAM, preferably Laptop for mobility, with an external drive to host my music stuff (which I have for my current laptop)...outside of the computer, it does not seem like you are really missing much...oh, even though I love my little Korg K25 Keyboard (for my laptop), I would upgrade to something like the Axiom 25...because of the keys w/ pad option...but also small enough for mobility...not certain if mobility is an issue....but they also have a larger 61 key midi controller...I haven't checked the reviews on the Axioms yet though...BUT a good midi-controller would put you in there especially if software/sound modules is more your thing....</p>
<p>If you indeed are planning on getting PH Record, I would start with reading the specifications and requirements for that software to lead you in the direction of the computer system you will need....as well as, to find out (it may be easier to call customer support) what interfaces it will be compatible with...for instance, ProTools LE only works with DigiDesign approved audio interfaces...I do not believe other SW's are as strict but it is something you have to consider....</p>
<p>For monitors, I have Event Studio Precision 8's which I think are pretty good but if I had the dough at the time, I would have gotten the Mackie HR824's...</p>

<p>good looks on the advice, curt. whenever i need some help/info seems like your always the first to throw a hand. i liked your idea of using Record to lead me to the right direction. that will probably make shit a lot easier and simple for me along the way. so since im getting record, i wont need protools or an mbox, but will most likely need a much better computer. i dont think i'll be able to afford a mac, but i wanna get a laptop for mobility like you said, and i dont know about the keyboard.. i've never tried those small ones, so i dont know if it would fit my needs. im not so big on the hardware, but i want to get more familiar with everything i can, even if i dont need it in the future..knowledge is always a benefit. so lets wait and see who else replies to this (waiting for peso and beatfellaz to give me some of that big bro advice lolz) until then, i'll check out zzounds (already familiar with their website) and see what imma do. thanks again. 1</p>

<p>how come no1 else is replying to this?? i need HELP!! lolz.. na deadass, someone hit me up about this shit please</p>

<p>I'd say look into Yamaha HS80Ms for monitors... they have a really good sound n can thump out good frequencies when it comes to just the beats (beat makin').&nbsp; They fill rooms up nicely, so u wouldn't have to worry about gettin' low end from say NS-10s.&nbsp; They sound really good!&nbsp; I'd also look into gettin' a new tower, dependin' on wha software you're usin'.&nbsp; If you're more of a Logic, Reason, Pro Tools kinda guy, then go wit the Mac (just a better platform for the software to&nbsp;operate on).&nbsp; Everything else (even Reason to a degree - 3.0 as far as I kno cause that's wha I'm runnin' on my PC anyway) can be handled on a PC.&nbsp; I would say make sure you're gettin' gigz of ram n not megabites.&nbsp; Get an xternal hard drive.&nbsp; U can get a 1TB for like 400 beans.&nbsp; U also would want to look into gettin' controllers if the ones you're usin' right now aren't really cuttin' it for u.&nbsp; If you're use to the MP, then I'd suggest a MPD of some sort.&nbsp; If u prefer playin' weighted keys over plastics, then I'd say go for the weughted 88 key controller of some sort (preferably M-Audio).&nbsp; I think u would prolly do better wit gettin' a motif or fantom wit plastic keys to lower not only the cost of the module, but get u a controller that also comes wit sounds... so should u want to look for different sounds than the ones that are in your computer (refills, personal, etc.), u have them right there in front of u n u can record them in thru your interface.&nbsp; I would suggest gettin' Pro Tools LE, just to be able to track out everything n give it a good mix when its all done.&nbsp; I would also invest in a mic.&nbsp; Even tho u don't plan on doin' any recordin', its a good thing to have around when you're thinkin' about puttin' some kind of vocal effects in a track (i.e. AYE's, YEAH's, WHAT's, moans, girls, breath, sound effects,&nbsp;etc.).&nbsp; I would also look into gettin' a plug-in bundle of some sort wit nice phasers, flangers, choruses, reverbs, eqs, compressors n filters/amplifiers for effects u wouldn't be able to achieve in production.&nbsp; Mixin' is like another side of production, so wha u don't have before hand... u would have after n can alter the sound as u would need to instead of waitin' to get it mixed to accomplish whatever it is u want to get done.&nbsp; Lastly, look into gettin' some sort of treatment for your walls, as well as the speakers.&nbsp; Mopads usually do the trick underneath speakers n a box of auralex reflector squares usually do the trick.&nbsp; Try to keep the back wall of the speakers dead so u don't get unwanted bass in the room.&nbsp; If u can't get the wall dead, go for a few squares behind each speaker on the wall.&nbsp; The closer the monitor to the wall, the less spread of&nbsp;unwanted bass n the less amount of squares u would have to use to eliminate the unwanted bass.&nbsp; Hope that helped!</p>

<p>You can actually get a 1 terabyte firewire drive for way less than 400. I almost bought one at Best Buy the other day for 160 and there are places where they're even cheaper.</p>
<p>My overall recommendation for your studio is computer-related: focus on PROCESSING POWER!!! This is probably why you're gonna want to go PC over Mac, because you can get more bang for your buck as far as processing speeds (GHz) and gigabytes of RAM. 2 GHz processors and 2 GB of RAM, for example, might seem like plenty to you right now, but as the software we use improves, and as you continue to add programs to your arsenal, you might find it won't be long before you're taxing the fuck outta your system, causing glitches, crashes, slowness and overall poor system performance. Get the fastest, most powerful processor you can afford and max out your memory... what seems like a lot now may not be enough in a couple of years (or even a few months!!!) Also if you can, avoid using your music computer (especially if it's not a Mac) to visit the internets so as to avoid viruses and worms and shit, and make sure you spend time and money on proper antivirus software and keeping your virus definitions updated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>appreciated the help from ya'll. imma be in ny on june 26 its official already just got the plane ticket so imma be out there for a month and im about to go online to look at some of the shit ya'll suggested on controllers and moniters...i got one more question (maybe more later, but for now,) whats the difference between reference moniters active/passive studio moniters like i go online to look for moniters it asks me if i want active moniters or not and i dont know whats better or what the difference is at all.. so if anyone can let me know and on my next reply i'll say what i've decided so far based on everyone's suggestions.</p>

<p>Active monitors are monitors wit the amplifiers already built in. &nbsp;All u have to do is hook up the power cord to supply power n a 1/4" jack to supply audio signal. &nbsp;Passive monitors don't have an amplifier, so u would have to supply the speakers wit power from an amp... which would also supply the audio signal. &nbsp;Active is good in your case tho... less money spendin'. &nbsp;Think of usin' an amp wit some power drivers or NS-10s.</p>

<p>Active is definitely the way to go bro....my Event PS8 Project Studio's, Yamaha HS80Ms and the Mackie HR824's mentioned above are all active monitors and are pretty good monitors....when I got ready to purchase my monitors at the time ( a few years ago), I spent a lot of time online searching and reading reviews and talking to different store reps, etc....that is how I usually do it for anything I am about to purchase....so def hit online checking numerous sources for technical and customer reviews on all products you are considering...I do not know if you have this but I received this link in my Transmission (Remix mag) newsletter email on recording using PH Record.... http://remixmag.com/how_to/Record_Micro_Tutorials/</p>

<p>bet, curt imma check that out right now</p>

<p>by the way i looked at those yamaha moniters u mentioned, beatfellaz and they look perfect, but i cant afford that, any cheaper suggestions?? and can u tell me your name so i dotn gotta call u beatfellaz nomore?? lmao. i always try to avoid adressing u as "beatfellaz" by callin u fam, or b, lolz. what should i call u??</p>

<p>yo i cant wait to get record...... ITS FUCKIN PIFF!!</p>

<p>yo i cant wait to get record...... ITS FUCKIN PIFF!!</p>

<p>yo i cant wait to get record...... ITS FUCKIN PIFF!!</p>

<p>yo i cant wait to get record...... ITS FUCKIN PIFF!!</p>

<p>i only meant to say that once, sorry</p>

<p>LOL - I'm DNR... u can call me D for short.&nbsp; I really would've told u to go for some Event 20/20s, but they don't make them no more... that's why I said go with the Yamahas.&nbsp; If u could get your hands on some Event ALP 5"s you'd be straight.&nbsp; They put out a big sound for some little speakers.&nbsp; Other than that, Mackie makes good speakers like CD said.&nbsp; I would also look into Fostex, n u might be able to find a good set of KRKs (altho I personally don't like them).&nbsp; I'd run wit some Alesis passive monitors (which whether active or passive, people hate)!&nbsp; But, its not about me... its about u!&nbsp; U should be good on those brands... u can also check out Behringer... they make some good speakers.</p>

<p>http://songwriter101.com/articles/1793_0_6_40_M/</p>

<p>good looks on that, D. lolz i feel wierd calling u that cause i used to always say B lmfaoo. but i dig u on that honesty aobut ppl hatin some of the moniters u mentioned, but im usin these gateway desktop speakers with it's own subwoofer i copped for 44.99$ lolz so i know ANY of that shit would be a big upgrade compred to what i got now.. i got the ill ghetto studio, im boutta start recording shit on my phone and call it a day!! lmfaoo</p>

<p>The Event PS8 Project Studio monitors and those there-after....my monitors are 7 to 9 yrs...somewhere in there...but the they are based on the Event 20/20 technology...I remember when I bought them...on "tax return" money....lol....I wanted those Mackie HR 824s but but I could buy a couple pair of Events for the price of a pair of Mackies...lol</p>

<p>how much are those mackies now?? and whats so good about them??</p>

<p>I don't kno wha it is about those 20/20s, but they just hit like they're supposed to!&nbsp; I digress.&nbsp; I sometimes make joints off the computer speakers.&nbsp; It has a mini sub (thank God) n the speakers sound pretty damn clear!&nbsp; Wha I usually do (even wit crappy speakers) is think of wha I'm gonna make, start to make it, stop makin' it n pull up a track that an artist has done that I like n use that as a ref.&nbsp; I'll listen to all aspects of it, so I kno how it hits n sounds n alllat.&nbsp; Then, go back to makin' the beat n make it sound like how that record sounded... SOUND QUALITY WISE!&nbsp; Make sure my levels are where they're supposed to be n that everything is hittin' like how the ref. was.&nbsp; As long as u do that, you're straight!</p>

<p>At the time, the Mackie's did/do a great job of being an accurate acccount of your mix.....not adding additional "coloring" for certain freqs meaning not adding additional eq'in to boost certain frequency ranges as most house speakers/systems may do...flat response.....could be used for a while before ear fatigue...blah blah...they sound good and give an accurate representation of your mix...and for a few of the sites I checked at the time, their performance beat out even some more expensive monitor....Jaay or Beatfellaz (DNR?) can probably clean up my technical spaghetti here.</p>
<p>there are a lot of choices out there, all my research at the time gave Mackie's an A, Events a B at the time and I only had B money...lol</p>
<p>BUT no matter what you use, if you are comfortable mixing on them....it really does not matter how much they cost. I just checked out an article on EQ mag site (http://www.eqmag.com/article/listen-up-near/feb-09/92287) where the author pretty much declared there being no truly perfect monitor...it is all relative to the person...</p>
<p>One of my homeboys who was in recording school at the time hip me to it being better to mix on totally flat speakers...crappy sounding to me at the time,lol...like the old Yamaha NS10s and another set he mentioned that I cannot remember...I never truly understood why everyone like them at first but if you get your mix right on the NS10s, then you knew you had a good mix...</p>

<p>oh yeah, you can get a pair for around $1000 to $1200, based on a quick look online...also, Tweakheadz&nbsp; has a review...</p>
<p>http://www.tweakheadz.com/review_of_the_mackie_hr_824.htm</p>

<p>yea im tryinna find ALOT cheaper than that, my budget will be around 1500 for EVERYTHING..that means PC upgrades audio interface controller and studio moniters... SOOOO I DONT KNOW IF I CAN AFFORF ALL THAT ANYWAY, i was looking into getting that mini MBOX seen it oin zzounds.. or can anyone recomend the BEST audio interface (firewire) for around 4 bucks MAX?? and moniters round like 5 or 6 a PAIR???</p>

<p>You should be able to get the Fostex and Alesis brands (along with some other brands) for a lot cheaper for the pair....and depending on the size speaker you get...of course, bigger the speaker, the more it cost...do remember that if you are not going to use ProTools LE SW which requires an approved Digidesign interface (i.e. MBOX), you have a lot more choices and can come in maybe a little cheaper on the interface as well...</p>

<p>great, but i would use protools if i dont like record, all i know is what everyone else does, so i'm not 100% sure imma love the program, but i'll end up getting it for 7$, cause thats how much the pirated ones cost in armenia lmfaoo thats how much i bought reason for so i already got protools MPOWERED 7 but it dont work without it's MBOX, so does that work with other shit too, like would i be able to use an MBOX regardless of if i get protools or record?? and i hear Fostex and Alesis suck dick, so any other suggestions??</p>

<p>I believe MBOX will work with other programs just fine but check with customer support to be certain...I am not certain off hand, but I think Beatfellaz listed a few less expensive monitor choices in his post....and also google search active monitors under $$$ and see what you come up with, def reading the ratings...on the mic tip, I def agree with Beatfellaz, you should have at least one mic and one that is quite inexpensive and I have never seen a bad review on is the studio projects B1 which I believe is around $99 or you can step up to the C1 for bout $100 more....I am hoping to cop one of them in the future, I have a cheap Marshall mic that has worked fine for me so far...</p>

<p>Marshall makes pretty good mics.&nbsp; I like them for acoustic guitars that have bottom... it works great (almost like an AKG C-414)!&nbsp; There goes that tech talk - lmfao!</p>
<p>If u really want some cheap monitors that work great, you're gonna have to do some diggin' cause they don't make them anymore.&nbsp; Look for some 5" Samson active monitors that have a blue light in them (I kno the models went by&nbsp;reference series).&nbsp; We called those the blue light specials.&nbsp; I'm not a big Samson fan at all, but those speakers in tight rooms sounded bananas!</p>

<p>thats great i'll do some hard body diggin for equipment soon as i get back to ny..imma be down there by june 26th so do any of ya'll know some good stores down there?? with the recession going on and the small buisnesses closing down left and right, i think i'd have a good chance finding something real good at like a 80% off sale lolz. pops told me he seen some brand new computers at the circuit city somewhre in queens college point to be exact not too far from the whitestone bridge to the bronx while it was closing down for like $300-500, but they were worth more than double that!! he saw that in the afternoon around 3 one day, came back at 9 and the 40something they had when he first went there were all sold out!! lmfaoo. i may be kinda late to find such a good deal, though, but imma deffinetly hunt for some shit.</p>

<p>o yea and i actually have a marshall mxl forgot what model it was specifically, i went to zzounds.com to see if it was still there cause thats where i bought it from last year, but it wasnt around nomore, its deffiently an MXL tho, condesner and runs on those phantom power 48 volt shit, i had to buy one of those also in armenia soon as i found out my mic wasnt gonna work without one. im not at home right now im on a shared computer so i cant check what model it is, but itsa pretty good, just the room needs to be pimped out studio-wise like those fuckin pads that ppl put around the room and shit, lolz. dont know nothin about that, but if i REAAALLY need it, i'll just take it out it's box and it's plastic wrap lmao and use it whenever i want so the mic thing been taken care of for ovber a year</p>

<p>The pads are really used to deflect unwanted tones n frequencies throughout the room.&nbsp; So, you'd definately want to look into the dimensions of the room so u can see where the sound would bounce off incorrectly.&nbsp; Once u pin point it (so to speak), just put the pads up n it'll take care of it.&nbsp; U want the wall behind the speakers to be as dead as possible, not bein' able to reflect any bass off of it, so it gives a more flat response in the room from the drivers n not the waves bouncin' off the back wall from the air goin' thru the port hole.&nbsp; Go to <a href="http://www.auralex.com">www.auralex.com</a> n do some studyin'!</p>

<p>thanks, i'll do that right now</p>