Home Studio?

[Cold Truth]

first off, if you are getting a pc, you might as well drop a g on that alone. since you have the ends, go for an athlon 3200, 64 bit cpu! find a mother board and max out the ram and 120 gb hard drive...... get cubase sx, kontakt, and load up on sample disks according to what you are making. then get the waves gold bundle plug in for all your mastering needs. get the q10 interface in case you decide to use hardware; it has 10 inputs so you have a lot of flexibility.
then you can get a good, solid mic add some monitors....... and you are set!

but this is only what I would do, and what i have (to a much lesser extent) done in just the last month. if you can build a room into a full studio, go for it! dont hesitate to buy things off of ebay..... you can and will save a ton of money if you shop smart. this really is in regards to your software and hardware main pieces. (keyboards, drum machines, cubase, audio/midi interface) dosome research and find out what really appeals to your personal tastes. go to a sam ash or guitar center and try out the hardware......

an mpc and motif rack would be excellent hardware choices......
a good midi keyboard (you wont need more than 76 keys, or 61.. or even 49... just get what you know you will use)
and then cubase sx and kontakt......
vst's and sample cd's according to your taste....
a good, fast pc with a ton of ram and a big hd.....
if you play your cards right you could get all this for around $4000, maybe less....

and the rest you would have to focus on mics, monitors, and sound proofing a booth.....

the bottom line is there are tons of options and you arent limted to anyones opinion on what the "hottest" gear is, however i believe that a hardware/software combo is the best way to go, as you will have the best of both worlds to work with. just do some serious homework, becausse you are about to spend some serious money...

 

[Craig Gantt]

Originally posted by J-malice
alot of people are giving you their opinion about wut you should do and they dont know what your plans are really...so you should take a couple minutes to tell us what you already know about music production and any specific questions you have about production (like what is midi, what is a condenser mic?) then we can really help you out ALOT. so holla back back.

Yeah the things I get so far is:
1. I would use something like Potools (Mbox), Sonar6,or cubix for the recording and that the protools thingie is not as good as Sonar for Midi.
2. I know that I wanted to get that Triton 61 key sampling machine thingie.
3. I would need a microphone and a stand but dont really know yet how different mics affect sound.
4.I was goin to get an MPC2000XL not quite sure what this thing does but I guess Ill figure it out:headscrat ............
5.I was going to get a macintosh Imac with as much memory that I can upgrade it to and a new sound card(if I need one)
5. The other thing I was going to get is this program called Reason that to my understanding goes with one of the programs I names in #1 for recording.


p.s. We were going to build a soundproof booth regardless the 8g's was for the equipment.

What i dont understand yet is:
1. What exactly is sampling?
2. What is the difference between Midi files and wave files?
3. The Triton is a Keyboard too so does it have all those synthesized instruments that I noticed in the beats I listened to from people here? Or do you have to order some kind of add on?
4. Does anyone know the website to those VST cd's? I cant find it for nothin:headbang:

Vitaminman-I was actually tryin to get the walls sound proofed and put marble floor in there but I think the marble is gonna coast a whooooole lot You'd prolly think I was crazy for spendin that much on a floor.:crazy:
Tim D- sure yall can come see the room anytime just let me know before you come down lol.

 

[Copenhagen]

Reason doesn't come with any programs, it is bought individually.
Sampling is when you copy a sound or a loop into your sampler and then edit, tweak it and play it like you see fit from the sampler.
Midi files are just files that contain the arrangement and setup of a song.
Wave files are sounds in their 'normal' format, they are not compressed like e.g. mp3.
I don't know much about the Triton and therefore won't speak on it,, but check Korg's website.
Some VST plug-ins can be be downloaded free off the net or bought via your local music gear store, together with VST instruments...hope that helped a little.

 

[Craig Gantt]

^^^^^Not a little, helped alot thanx again

 

[Copenhagen]

Goldy, I guess you need:
1. A mic (+ mic stand and popfilter)
2. A PC or Mac (I use both, my PC has crashed some times, the Mac has never caused problems. For that Reason, I would go with a Mac)
3. A sequencer/mixing program - There's a lot of options but I would suggest either Cubase SX, Sonar or ProTools (with-Box). If you buy Cubase or Sonar, you'd need to buy a good soundcard too, where the M-Box is the soundcard for ProTools. I suggest you wait to buy a soundcard till you know how many lines in/out you need.
4. An Editor - Again, lot's of options. Personally, I would suggest Cool Edit Pro or SoundForge.
5. To rewire to my sequencer/mixing program, I would suggest Reason and some cool VST instruments e.g. Vitual Guitar, HaLion sampler, Grand Piano etc.
6. A midikeyboard (and perhaps, if you want to trigger drums like the MPC, then also a MPD-16 midi pad controller. Also, you can buy a midi mixer, which you can hook up to your pc and then control the mixer in your sequencer externally).
7. Drum kits, samples CD's, records to sample from etc. (if you wanna sample from records, add a good DJ turntable, a small DJ mixer and good needle. If you are able to hook up with a DJ, he can then also lay scratches on your work. Also, you can buy sound canvases (soundbanks) that can be hooked up to your PC).
8. Some good active studio monitors.
9. Some good headphones.
This is my thoughts, and they will get you up and running. With time, you can always expand with soundmodules/racks, sampler etc etc...

 

[Craig Gantt]

Kewl do you have any suggestions as far as a company to buy a mic from?

 

[Copenhagen]

I use Rode, some use Shure, Behringer etc. If the people at your local music gear shop are any good, tell them what you want from the mic and they can guide you. I have very little knowledge about mics, sorry.

 

[jamcity]

Mic

for the price? I like Rode mic....

this is where i get almost all my stuff...new or used...actaully you'll get a lot of deals buying used stuff..

http://www.sweetwater.com/tradingpost/

 

[Cold Truth]

hey, if you are getting reason, whats the need for the mpc... and vice versa. i wouldnt get both, because the mpc + cubase/sonar etc. will give you the same thing. alos, PLEASE check out the other major keyboards- i too was absolutely sold on the triton on its reputation alone, and after worked with it and the motif, xp's 80 and 30, proteus and trinity, i will tel you while there isnt a pure "best" of the bunch, they all have strengths and weaknesses as compared to the others. dont settle for the triton. if that is what you wnt, by all means go ahead... but it will be well worth the time to investigate all of the major options. consider a fantom/motif as a controller and a triton rack, which would run you roughly the same as a triton studio (61 key) and give you a broader pallete of sounds and options.

remember that your computer sequencer will hold the bulk of your needed features....

and please do not rule out a good sampler! kontakt is very inexpensive and is the KING of samplers at the moment..... of course you can argue halion, samplitude and things like that, but the array of sounds at your disposal with a sampler FAR outruns your traditional keyboard/sound module setup. you have literally thousands of libraries to choose from, with much more realistic instruments.

for this reason i suggest getting your main keyboard and mpc, because hardware has its merits over software alternatives (a debate that will never end it seems) and you cant just take your mac everywhere you go; an mpc and a keyboard will be portable, if you choose to work at another studio.

once again: check out all your options! you can afford to be choosy, so be choosy!

one last thing: where do you live, and do you have an attractive, single sister/cousin 20 years or older? (wink, nudge....its a joke!)

have fun!

 

[Architect]

The Rode NT1A is an excellent condenser mic, for $199. If you can before you get all this stuff see if it comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, I would hate for you to get anything and be stuck with it. Try it all out and make absolutely sure.

Shure SM57 is another really good all around workhorse dynamic microphone.

Foreal Foreal go to your local music store try out everything you wish to buy even if you don't buy it from them. Get all the pros and cons talk to different music stores and compare, then come up with your final decision.

also for getting certain stuff you may want to purchase from a magazine like musicians friends or american musical supply which is my favorite. They have payment plans and 30 day return options. You have a lot of work to do in picking the right equipment for the work you want to do but it will be FUN!!

 

[J-malice]

on the real though...it would probably be better to match your equipment with your skills instead of tryin to match your skills with the equipment...(unless you are a real real fast learner) the triton is an excellent piece of equipment if you are CREATIVE and and learn how to get the most out of it...(i just got one last saturday ill post somethin that i made from it for u) you would need to buy some drumkits for it cuz the drums are weak as hell.

and o yea about midi...dont be fooled like i was about midi at first...if you have a good flute sequence and you jus love the way the flute sounds on you keyboard so you want to put it on your PC..., unless you have the EXACT SOUNDING flute in your midi bank on your PC then it wont be the same flut sound. It will still be in the same pattern but not the same instrument. all midi does is tell what ever the midi is goin into what to use and how to use it...its like a cookbook i can tell u how to make a cake ill say put to cups of suger in the batter and all the other ingredients, but you mite not have the same EXACT kind of sugar as me so you have to use what you have, in the end we still botch come out with a cake but jus with a lil different taste...(i dont know maybe its cuz i been in da studio all day and i aint get to eat alot)

you might wana check out the shure ksm-27, ksm 32 and a marshall V67G <-- that one is supposed to be a real good mic for vocals, but the thing is it was made only for vocals..so it mite be one u would consider.

sampling is taking a part out of another song or composition and puttin your own creativity to it...you can speed it up, slow it down, chop it up, play it backwards, mix up the parts, u know however you like it. alot of people sample records but you can sample ANYTHING...an mp3 file, records, cds, tapes, dvds, movies, yourself, everyday life...jus press record and see what you come up wit..lol na but yea dont limit yourself...there aint nuthin to it but to do it.

the triton has synthesized sounds, but you can also convert files that you have on your computer to triton format and load them to the triton, ther's alot of free sounds on the internet and im talkin about ALOT... so really the triton is whatever you make of it. actually thats tru for everything.

get some ACTIVE (not passive) studio monitors like copenhagen said. you want to get some that will play your music the way it really sounds, not some that will give you all that big bass boost because then you will make a beat thinkin that you have alot of bass in it but really you dont, its just the speakers puttin the extra bass in yout mix.

one of the first things you should probably buy is a book that tells u the basics to a home recording studio so you dont end up gettin some stuff that you dont really want/need.

but yea good luck.

 

[Craig Gantt]

Yeah I was planning on getting drums for the Triton because someone else told me the drums were weak, as for a microphone Im jus gonna try a few out and get the pros and cons for all of them and pick the one I think would be better for me. Other than that thanx to everybody helpin a nigga out preciate it

 

[afriquedeluxe]

guyz in da U.S r lucky, look at dis.....
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...1665/g=rec/s=mics/search/detail/base_id/88621

 

[DJlow2]

get some ACTIVE (not passive) studio monitors like copenhagen said. you want to get some that will play your music the way it really sounds, not some that will give you all that big bass boost because then you will make a beat thinkin that you have alot of bass in it but really you dont, its just the speakers puttin the extra bass in yout mix.

one of the first things you should probably buy is a book that tells u the basics to a home recording studio so you dont end up gettin some stuff that you dont really want/need.

but yea good luck. [/B]

ey yo...so true its so important to have studio headphones as well as good speakers... and its also good to test your tracks on a different medium... such as.. a portable CD player...

 

[MassProduktionz]

Check out sweetwater.com - they have home studio packages that come with quality components.

 

[RigorMortis]

My little piece of advice is, once you got everything you got keep hanging in there, dont expect to produce dope beats automatically it will take some time but with the illmuzik guidance I am sure things will fall together.