Tell us about your setup...

[Guest BentonC]

I'm interested in hearing from our forum members who are into recording. If you care to, please tell us about your recording setup (gear, computer, DAW, etc...). Are you into home recording, or do any of you engineer professionally?

 

Let us know!

[Marshvegas]

Hi

This is my first post on the forum. I have garage band with some 2o year old mics and an MAudio digital coverter box.

I have happily recorded some 40 songs and locally released 2 cds with one pending.

 

for the most part i am happy with the results. i really take my time and get a 60's sound with the digital.

the only thing I am looking to do is add a condenser mic for vocals and acoustic guitar.

 

[Guest BentonC]

I like Garageband a lot. It's a great way to do some simple, hassle-free demos.

What sort of things are you implementing to get a 60s sound?

[guitartabguy]

I use ableton live. I have an effects pedal running into my soundcard. I use a few pieces of midi gear to help when I am looping. This is my home studio here:

 

[Guest BentonC]

really nice- thanks for the pic! What is the pedal?

[tommyb]

My "setup" fits in the palm of my hand.

 

Since getting back into the guitar after an absence of many years, I got a real education in how far electronics had come.

 

I bought a BOSS Micro BR, and, after a steep learning curve, I'm having more fun with music than I ever had.

 

The amount of sophistication built into this tiny box is amazing...the effects, the excellent drum machine, and the ability to mix, pan, and set track levels mimics a real recording studio on a small scale. And at only $200 or less, it doesn't break the bank.

 

I might consider going up the line as already I'm finding only four tracks limiting.

 

Here's one of my first "polished" recordings, a cover of an old cowboy song I learned to play many years ago.

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=1085477&songID=9389359

 

The lead melody was played on my Gibson SG Standard, the chord accompanyment on my Epiphone DR-500MCE, and the bass line was the Epiphone EB-3 SG.

[80LPC]

Nice tone with the SG Tommy ! Are you using built - in amp simulation ?

 

I use an old Roland VS multitrack which can be tricky to use and does not have an intuitive interface - essential settings are buried under layers of menus. FX really have come a long way since I bought this - the amp sims are dreadful. The lack of USB also hinders things. However, I do like the large layout with long travel channel faders and virtual routing etc.

 

I am trying to move back to an all analog amp and FX chain at present. I just made a Dallas Rangemaster clone, and in the same box is going to be a VOX Tonebender circuit and a further fuzz circuit of my own design. The amp goes into an isolation cab I made with 2 mics.

[Guest BentonC]

Tommy,

Nice- I have to admit that I don't know anything about the BOSS unit, but I'll definitely give it a look. Looks like a pretty powerful product for the $$.

 

80LPC,

Goes to show you that it is often easier to work with what you know and have mastered, rather than jump to something else just because it is touted as "better". I have a lot of things in my own home that I could easily upgrade, but I like to keep them around because I feel like I know how they work a lot better...

[Rame]

I'm using a Pre-sonus Firebox and the Studio One software that comes with it for recording. A macbook pro runs the software and two lacie 500G external hard drives. I am very happy with it.

 

Along with the great sound quality and ease of use of the software, the things I like about this set up are:

 

1) I can daisy chain each component off of the one firewire port on my laptop

2) both external HDs and the firepod are powered through the firewire port.

 

So I don't have to have a bunch of wires and wall warts to power everything. Just one power chord for the laptop and technically I could eliminate that (although I'm not sure how long the battery would last powering all that stuff, processing the audio, etc.)

 

So my set up is fairly portable which is one of the things I wanted when putting it together. Although not as protable as tommyb's. Nice sounds you got there tommyb! Ghost riders is a fun tune.

 

That is a great pic of your room guitartabguy!

[80LPC]

BentonC - there's a lot to be said for working with the strengths and minimising the weak points of old gear !

 

1960's sounds were mentioned above, and I love those late 60's rock sounds. However, for someone working from home with constraints placed on volume, it remains an elusive sound.

[acoustic idiot]

for demos, i use a mic that connects right to your ipod. it's called mikey, and is made by blue microphones. costs about 80bux, has three sound settings. low, medium, and high. plug it into your ipod, press record, it's that simple. great great sound with mild static that makes for a nice touch. i also have a tascam 788, which has been sitting in my dresser for about a year now, because i am by no means computer literate. however, the recording program "Fruity Loops", is a walk in the park for me to use. i can record a song with that program, edit, mix, master and whatnot, all in about 25-30 minutes.

[Rame]

for demos' date=' i use a mic that connects right to your ipod. it's called mikey, and is made by blue microphones. costs about 80bux, has three sound settings. low, medium, and high. plug it into your ipod, press record, it's that simple. great great sound with mild static that makes for a nice touch. quote']

 

 

This sounds very interesting! I imagine it's great for demos, throwing down ideas before they leave the head, and whistling melodies/ideas if a guitar is not handy.

[kerpalalexander23]

Ive got two seperate recording rigs for different things. 1st one, macbook pro, seagate 1tb external hd, logic 8 studio, reason 4, refills, various midi controllers, apogee duet, presonus tubepre, m audio bx 5a's and bx10 sub, guitar rig 3, rodes nt1a, and mxl 990-991. This rig works well for me for producing tracks, vocals, guitars & persucssion. 2nd rig, Mac g5, PT 8, Digi 002, Digimax mic pres, & waves bundles. I like this rig for tracking live bands and mixing because of the more flexible I/O. I usually will produce my tracks in Logic on my macbook rig and then bounce everything into PT for mixing. I dont really like Logic's editing functions but I cant complain with the extra sounds and samples that come with it. Reason is also a great tool for getting ideas down without spending a bunch of time clicking around.

[Guest BentonC]

kerpalalexander23- sounds like you have a pretty ideal setup there. I have some acquaintances who are in professional A-level markets for recording and mixing, and they use very similar setups. I agree entirely about the Logic vs. ProTools applications as well. Logic is a great production tool, and PT can't be beat for mixing/editing (IMHO).

[sjl200]

I'm going to get a "new" PC just a tower and monitor for audio only. -no WP no internet- just recording.

Budget is small so no apple...

 

What processor and min ram ? I have Cubase not changing and will use 2 external HD and USB.

Any recommendations?

 

thanks

[Guest BentonC]

First you'll want to check out the DAW and plug-ins you'll be using, and look at thier minimum and preferred system requirements. Go with well above the minimum- the more processor speed and RAM the better, as that type of software is exceptionally taxing because your computer is attempting to perform multiple complex functions and algorithms at once. The new quad-cores should be able to handle anything you'll throw at them- even at the lower GHz. I'm using 4G RAM and have never had buffer issues. So much of this depends upon your plug-ins though. There are a lot of plug-ins that will absolutely chew up system performance.

 

I would also highly recommend Firewire over USB (unless you already have your external hardware and don't have a choice), as you'll notice the transfers will be much faster, especially if you're planning on running any of your functions straight from the external disc.

[sjl200]

Thanks BentonC. I have thought about Fire wire. the interfaces seem to cost more but I would rather spend on stuff that will make "it" easier.

My old PC is on its last leg now so the "sales tax free" back to school weekend is the 6,7,8 AUG computers and software are included...

 

my wish list will be

PC

interface (firewire if deal) suggestions?

all this to try and make some decent backing tracks using NotesNortons ...method

BIAB 2011 and what ever else I can get...

I expect a tall learning curve

But I now have the time.....

[guitartabguy]

really nice- thanks for the pic! What is the pedal?

 

 

It is a Boss GT-6. I like it alot. But, it is the older version. The new one apparently has way better tone.

[Guest BentonC]

Thanks for the details!

[BobB]

I am using a Roland VS-1680. My main vocal mike is a Rode NT-1A. I have been thinking about incorporating a tube preamp channel and would be interested in hearing from members who use something like this for vocals. The Presonus Studio channel looks interesting and some of the ART and Focusrite products also seem like possibilies. Universal Audio would be nice, but way outside current budget. Let me know pros and cons of preamps you are using or have used for vocals. Thanks

[Guest BentonC]

Bob-

Check out Langevin. They are the solid-state line of preamps from Manley (which are some of the most impressive tube pres I've ever heard). They aren't tube preamps, but they beat the pants off of any of the cheaper/lower end tube pres I've tested them against. Not totally cheap, but you may run into a deal in the used market.

 

IMHO- well worth the money, and I'd feel better dropping the same amount on one of these instead of a lower end tube pre.

 

(or, you could just spring for an EAR 824...)

[BobB]

Thanks for the tip. I had not heard of that line before and have not seen it in local shops. I will check it out on-line.

[tommyb]

Tommy,

Nice- I have to admit that I don't know anything about the BOSS unit, but I'll definitely give it a look. Looks like a pretty powerful product for the $$.

 

80LPC,

Goes to show you that it is often easier to work with what you know and have mastered, rather than jump to something else just because it is touted as "better". I have a lot of things in my own home that I could easily upgrade, but I like to keep them around because I feel like I know how they work a lot better...

 

Hi, BentonC!

 

The thing that makes the BOSS unit dificult at first is the lack of analogue controls...nearly everything must be set or changed by "menu diving" as we call it in the digital photography world. And the few controls it does have are dual purpose or "press two at once" kind of thing. The reason for all of this is its small size...just stick it in the little compartment in your guitar case and take it anywhere...something you can't do with larger units.

 

Here's a shot of my "recording studio"...

 

[dynacoustics]

My company, Dynacoustics LLC (www.dynacoustics.net) designs and builds recording studios in the northeast, so recording is near and dear to me. I own two commercial recording facilities called Kensington Audio which are post production studios for film and television with locations in central New Jersey and Foothill Ranch, California. Lastly, I manage IGM Recording Studios which is a traditional tracking, mixing, mastering studio which just opened a few months ago (which we built) in North Brunswick, New Jersey (www.igmrecording.com).

 

My residential studio at home consists of a computer server running Steinberg Nuendo for audio and video run through 48 in and 48 out channels of Apogee converters, monitored through a 56 channel Mackie 8 bus console (remember those) and controlled by a Mackie Pro Control automated fader worksurface. Outboard is compressors like Teletronix LA2A, Urei 1176, dbx 160 and 165 and some other gear by Joe Meek, ADL, Summit, etc. Mic pres are Neve, Avalon, API, SSL, Amek, etc... Microphones by Neumann,Sennheiser, AKG, Shure, Royer, RODE, all the popular brands. Lexicon and tc Electronic effects.

 

But more on topic here, I still love a Shure SM57 in front of a Fender Bassmann fully opened up while playing my favorite Gibson Historic R0 or R8, just sounds amazing. That sounds like blues or rock to me any day. Wish I had more time for that.

[dynacoustics]

To an earlier post that someone replied regarding Langevin mic pres, Langevin are a reissue of models from a company called Langevin from the 1960's now manufactured by Manley Labs and they are cost effective and outstanding mic preamps, totally incredible sound for less than Neve or API. A good pair of ears found that one. Got a few around my studios that I swear by.