need some help with home studio

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need some help with home studio

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bballking72

Joined: 23 Oct 2009
Posts: 1

need some help with home studio

Hello everyone I'm 20 years old just starting out and looking to build a home studio but don't know where to start and what equipment I should buy. I already have a mac book pro and I'm about to buy protools for it. I have about a $3500 - $4000 budget to work with to buy equipment and build the studio and I have a few questions about what to do.

1. I have a room picked out in my house to build the studio in and i was wondering if it was a good room to build it in. I don't know the exact dimensions of the room but if I had to guess I would say it's about 20' x 10' and it's a rectangular room. I was wondering if anyone had any plans for a room like this or any ideas on how I should build it and how much you think it might cost me.

2. I need some input on what equipment to buy. Like what I'm going to need to get and what brands are worth the money to buy. I want stuff which I'll be able to record drums and guitars and vocals and stuff like that with.

Thanks.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:31 am

willshoe
Newbie

Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Posts: 2

Well there are so many ways you can go and based on the fact that you are using a Mac, choices are of course a little bit limited but there are some good choices out there. I can ony tell you what I currently use and hopefully it may help you in what you are trying to accomplish. I am also looking at expanding my horizons as well and have been tinkering with a variety of software for years and finally getting my home studio setup as well doing some research to give me more options.

Below is a list of software I currently use and some just recently purchased and currently learning:

Propellerheads: Reason 4 and Record (PC/Mac Compatible) (Downloadable Demos)
Link: http://www.propellerheads.se/

These 2 programs work well together (actually Merge) to give you a total recording studio setup giving you a feel of like working with real hardware and virtual wiring as well. It also has a capability of working with other DAW apps as well with its built in function called Rewire which allows this software to work with other apps running in slave mode acting as a virtual instruments rack. This functionality allows for others who have become already accustomed to there specific apps (sequencer/DAW's) to still use the propellerheads products with a reduced learning curve. These 2 apps are well known also for there stability running on PC and Macs meaning I have never had one of these apps crash on me (so far) and I happen to be running Vista 64 stable with these.

Here is Another App that has been around for some time but has not been taken too seriously by some some Pros, FL studio (formerly know as Fruity loops) (PC only for now) Link: http://flstudio.image-line.com/

This one is very impressive and for the price does alot depending on which package you purchase for your needs and also has a unique policy on updates called (Lifetime updates) meaning when version 10, 11, or 12 comes out you get these udates for free. This apps works great with Reason and Record as a master and also a great app if you on a budget and support VST's as well allowing more creative freedom... oh did I say lifetime updates? Very Happy

As far as hardware I am currently looking at a Zoom r16 (8 track simultanious recordings) link: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/R16
I havent done much recording from external sources (only Midi) but figure I need to expand my Horizons Very Happy

. This unit has 16 track (8 track simultanious recordings) giving you a 3 in one device (Recorder/Control Surface/interface) and can combine 2 of these to give you 16 track simultanious recording which also give you remote capability taking the unit out of the studio to do onsite recordings straight to a up to 32gid SD card that you can drag and drop into your DAW app to do your mixdown and editing.

It is hard to recommend speakers because it is always best if you can to find a place to test drive a pair of studio monitors. I currently use a pair of Event 20/20 speakers and have had them for almost 10 years now. When I picked these I compared them to other monitors at the time that were in the thousands of dollars some JBL/yamaha and others but after hearing these I was sold (had a budget of $2000 to work with) and when I found out they were $350 for the pair I ended up picking up a Roland JP8000 with the left over money I had (still have it today... now a great control surface for reason/record) The Even Opal seems to be very impressive but would seem to be out of your budget and mine Smile

but here is a link to check it out: http://www.event1.com/ (Drooling) Mr. Green

Mics are of course very important if you are going to do alot of voice recordings and unfortunately you may have to do some research online to fit your budget overall as Mics can get very expensive and is out of my expertise on that subject as I have to research some more myself as well. (I can keep you posted on what I find though and consult with my brother in law whos been in the music Biz for at least 22 years)

As far as the room size that you have it is not bad. (im in a smaller room) You want to of course consider all the equipment you will have in the room from studio monitors, Mic position, overall room for drums and other instrument locations. Going with a DAW config will definitely keep your hardware to a minimum and stick to amplified speakers if you can so you don't have to run a seperate amp taking up more space. Also note that windows can be a bad thing so ckeck for vibrations or noise from your windows (if you have any). I have taken a couple of layers of Blue Insualtion board from Home Depot or Lowes and stacked them and cut to fit the window area and just filled the window opening from the inside and covered with a curtain... this helped me out alot where I previously lived and kept the room cooler too.... Very Happy

Keep in mind a DAW config is the best way to go these days with the proper software you can have alot of more creative freedom and give you access to sounds/eq/amp simulators and more. Exampe: If you have a electronic Drum set (some drummers hate them) you could midi them to reason using reasons drum kits addon to give you access to multiple classic drum sets to get that sound to match you style of music.

A word of warning about using laptops Mac or PC: the hardware in most laptops are very cheap and can add to latency issues big time especially when trying to do multitrack recording directly to the PC which is why I like the Zoom R16 (ordering it today) allowing for this better flexability to use the laptop for just mixdown/editing.

Other suggestions:
It is always a good idea to dedicate you computer to your studio as this practive will protect you hard work from using it as a everyday tool which can put your hard work in constant risk. In other words don't use it for everyday websurfing.. keep it focused to the music or music research... some people even keep there systems from being hooked up to the internet to better safeguard their work.

A note on Pro Tools:
while I have read and heard good and bad things about this app I would suggest test driving others first before dumping money into this even though it has been considered the industry standard some and when your on a budget this app can grow into a monster of serious expense and has a much bigger learning curve as well. There are plenty of Downloadable Demos out try before you buy. There are plenty of artist that have created great things without Pro Tools using their own flavor of apps. So keep an open mind and test drive others first to see if they better fit your ultimate goal of recording some awsome music.

If I think of anything else I will post some more...

This is going to be alot of fun and work so be prepared but if your having fun anyways it won't feel like work.... Razz

I wish you best of luck and all the success on your project Smile

Sat Oct 24, 2009 1:30 pm

mnash3

Joined: 28 Nov 2009
Posts: 1

Hi BBalking72,

Hope you are having a wonderful day.

I will throw in my two cents.

The key for you developing your home studio will be really getting the specifics of what type of projects you are trying to do e.g. you want stuff where you will be able to record drums and guitars and vocals and stuff.... It's not specific enough. The primary reason is because this determines your inputs. If you are micing each one of your drums, a lead guitar, a bass guitar, a piano, a lead vocalist, and 4 background vocalists that is alot of inputs. Of course, there are some work arounds such as buying a PA system and mic/allowing that to handle all of your major inputs. So.... Instead of boring you with gibberish, the first recommendation is that you sit down and truly defign the types of music projects that you want to do e.g. recording a full band, micing 2 people for a duets, or just working with a soloist.

I can try to tell you about a bunch of workarounds, but that would only bore you; so instead I will share with you my types of projects and my setups which is really small, but serves my purpose. Everything else beyond my setup are just for studios that are larger.

Step 1: Gotta have great audio capture. Fix it in the mix is for crazy people.
My microphones - I use Groove Tubes 55, an AKG C1000S, and an occasionally my Shure 87C, which I really bought for live performance. Long story. By the way, I beleive Groove Tubes was bought by Sterling; so they are not ST55.

For home studios, you need a condenser microphone. Ideally, you should buy a the screen that goes over the microphone, but at minimum you need a pop filter preferrably the wire mesh. The wire mesh is over the top expensive for what it does, but you are looking at the longevity of your mic so it's a good idea to go ahead and buy it.

Step 2: Gotta have a DAW (digital audio workstation).
I use ProTools LE with the Mbox. My setup is small as I typically just record me; so two inputs are fine. ProTools is an industry leader e.g. quality of product, quality of customer service, quality of upgrades, and just as important you can save your sessions and take them to another studio to work if you needed to. As an aside, the reason for the MBox is that you need preamps for your microphones in order to connect them to your computer. The nice thing with ProTools is that you get the preamps (Mbox) and the software in order to lay tracks whether instruments or vocals when you purchase the MBox.

Step 3: You already have the computer, the Mac. I use a PC. She gets the job done. You know how it goes, the more processor speed, ram, and hard drive space the better. Also, make sure you check your specs with ProTools before you buy the system to make sure that they are compatible. This is actually a reallity as the first computer I bought ProTools was not compatible with that chipset.

Now you have the software and the inputs e.g microphones and the computer.

Step 4: Gotta have a 6 headphone amp.
It's nothing worse than hearing feedback while you are trying to record. You need a pair of headphones for the engineer, the lead vocalist, and anyone who is playing music and need to hear themselves.

Step 5: Gotta have some stuido monitors. I use powered monitors.
This is important when it is time for mixing and playback. Quality monitors are needed for mixing and playback. You need to duplicate the sound of your pojects as much as possible to know what your master will sound like.

Step 6: This is completely optional.
If you are not working with a live band and looking to create your own instrumentals or just have someone else create the instrumentals and you focus on laying the vocals and/or lyrics in ProTools, then you need to purchase Reasons. I use Reasons 3 and will probably upgrade next year to 4. Reasons does have a learning curve, but these days all of them do. I am actually thinking about buying a traditional drum machine because I am not skilled enough to make popular music in Reasons. Of course, you can't go wrong with the Akai MPC drum machine line ups depending on your style of music.

Step 7: This is completely optional as well.
Last year, I outsourced my mastering, but this year I decided to do my own mastering inhouse. I use T-Racks 3 Deluxe.

Welll.... I think those are the big things... I bought all of my gear from Guitar Center. You can visit www.guitarcenter.com, but you are better off going to the store if you have one in your city as they do package deals. Of course, you should visit www.musiciansfriend.com in order to research the prices.

Here is the summary equipment list.

Inputs.
GrooveTubes GT55 condenser mic.
AKG C1000s condenser mic. (I have a deep voice so I love this mic. It's a warm mic and good for instruments as well.)
Shure 87C condenser mic.
wire mesh pop filter.
screen for the AKG C1000s.
boom stand as well as a regular microphone stand.

DAW
ProTools LE software
MBox, the original with 2 inputs.

Computer
I have a HP laptop.

Laying Vocals
Behringer Headphone Amp (4 inputs in the front, 2 in the back) (Mbox and studio monitors plug into the back.)
Sony 7506 headphones
Rokit KRK 5 studio monitors
Nearfield Monitor Stands (The studio monitors sit on top of these stands which are good on carpet when its time to do your mixing.)

Audio Editing and Mixing. (lay your vocals or record your entire band on the individual tracks)
ProTools LE

Instrumentals and Beat Creation
Propellerheads Reasons
I bought a bunch of drumkits and refills.
If you are creating alot of instrumentals that are looping, then consider Ableton Live.
If you are creating alot of drum beats, consider a traditional drum machine.
I also use a Casio 1631 keyboard instead of a midi controller.

Mastering
T-Racks Deluxe 3.

Things that I do not have, but you may consider...
If you are micing an entire band, then consider purchasing a PA system. You should consider Yamaha or JBLs.

If you are setting up a full drumkit, then consider drummer's booth. It is essentionally a divider wall in front of the drummer.

If you are concerned about room acoustics, then consider Auralex foam. I actually just started using my closet to lay vocals and did not need any additional room treatment as I am happy with the sound. You should test your room sound before you do any room treatment.

If you are micing two people, Auralex has a mini-booth essentially for $1,000. It is the max 1141vb.

If you are looking for a good place for tutorials, then try www.groovemusicbox.com. I think that's their website. Youtube is good as well as the manufacturers actually website.

So.... I know that was alot of information, but like I said the key for you will be clearly defining your music projects. For me, I create my instrumentals in Reasons, bring the track into ProTools as a .wav or .mp3 file. Lay my vocals, e.g. sing or whatever. Do my mixdown in ProTools. Add whatever effects. Do my final mastering in T-Racks and for the most part I am done. There's more to the story, but that's the big picture.

Well.... Hope that information helps.

I'm out.

Mark

Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:04 am

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