recording: home or studio

[konsandy]

hi all
i want to do some acoustics guiatar recording but on a tight budget: is it better to record at home with a home recording studio considering now the euipment for computers are very advance or should i just go to the studio (i used to go to a few studios but the sounds they record really sucks: is it the engineer??)

anyway if i record at home what is the budget for setting up a more professional recording?

do i just need a good mic & a good soundcard?

thanks for advice

 

[ashmorefan]

When you say "tight budget" what exactly do you mean?

Building a home recording studio isn't exactly cheap. In fact, it'd be a lot cheaper to go to a studio to record (of course that assumes you won't be in the studio for days on end). Right now I'm recording acoustics through an sm58 and 57 through an echo mona and tracked on cool edit. It sounds decent. But having some nicer mics would really help out.

That's where studios come in. Recoding studios usually have some nice 1k mics around and they will definately sound better than my hundred dollar mics. Having said that, the recording engineer is really important (like you said). A bad engineer can use the best equipment and still get a shitty sound. True story.

 

[heclak]

For a minimum professional sound i would say that you would need at least 1-1.5k and above.Anything below would mean scarificing on sound quality. However, there is a huge difference between BEING able to get great sound and KNOWING how to get a great sound.

Having a 2k Neumann doesn't mean you can get a great sound.YOu can ruin it with bad technique.Many people have complained about spending lots of money on gear and not getting the sound they expect. The man behind the controls is the key player. If you are planning to sell this recording in the near future. I would recommend you to go to a studio. The experience that these people have would definately help a great deal. Look at the track record of the studio and look for one that has recreated something that you like. It would help greatly. Make sure your instrument is also top notch. You can't get the beauty of a Taylor from a $100 yamaha.

If you are willing to spend time to get the art of recording right before it becomes a serious business.You can tell us and we would be more than willing to help. You must also note that it is a serious business and you must be willing to spend the time and money.

Gd Luck

 

[lars_ulrich]

how much do u think it wud be to build a home studio, recording tracks for drums as well? i always thought that the atmosphere in a recording studio wud be really tense and all since every one wud be watching the time and trying not to screw up. but on the other hand, if u were to do it at home, even if it were to cost a bomb building it, it will be beneficial in the long run as we cud just record whenver we wanted to rite?

 

[heclak]

To record a full drum set properly, you would need at least 8 ins on your audio interface. The bigger problem is the sound of your room. If you do not have a proper room to record. External noise may ruin your perfect take or bad acoustics would make a Taylor sound like crap.
If you are serious about it.Here a rough gear set-up

MOTU 828mkII - $1600
Cakewalk Sonar 3 Studio Edition - abt $1000
Shure DMK57-52 - $850
Rode NT5 - $600
Behringer B-5 - $200
Shure SM81 - $590
Rode NT1000 - $500
M-Audio Octane - $1200
RNC Compressor - $450
KRK Rokit-5 - $460

This will get you serious quality. You might even consider it as enough to start a small recording business. If you get this set-up, pls tell me so i can pay you a visit. Haha..Don't forget you have to pay for cables and mic stands. Definately a bomb!!

There are always cheaper stuff but if you want a professional sound.This is the way to go.Cheaper is pretty cheap but you hear a difference in quality. Its up to you to make the call. I'm sure Lion Studios would help you create a great recording.

 

[lars_ulrich]

lion studios wud help me build a studio or issit a recording studio?

 

[heclak]

Lion Studios is a professional studio in Singapore.Regionally recognised.
Their tape machines might help you get the sound you are looking for.
Although a little pricey.You have to consult them on how much would it cost to record your project.

 

[sound_designer]

i would say.. engineer n eguipment will blend a good mix..!!!
some studio does have a really good preamps n equipment but the whole thing is fucked coz of the incapable, non-creative least knowledge engineer...
n on the other hand... some studio would hand a good enginneer but his limittation to a good sound is due to lack of pro eguipments..
bear in mind... to juz play ard n practise... yesh u can do a home recording studio..
but if u're thinking to produce a demo or an album.. choose a proper studio aite...
need recommendation.. email me..!!!

 

[John]

Lion Studios

The link to us should be http://www.angelfire.com/sd/Lion/lion.html

Give us a call, maybe we can work something out.... as someone else said... recording doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg ! talk to us ...FONE 64734677 or mobile 82353733

 

[robsg]

I think another important thing is the sound of the room.
Although most people argues that doing close miking can help you over that, i beg to differ.

When you are doing guitars, close miking gives you a certain tone and distant miking gives you another kind of tone. However, if the room sound is not good, distant miking is out of question. That is like limiting your options by half.

Anyway, for close miking, it is possible to get a decent sound and shape it with eq. However, if the guitar is to stand alone without other instruments, the room sound will difinitely manifest itself when you start to compress and maximise during the mastering stage.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Robin

 

[John]

The "sound" of the room or the "room accoustics", is very important. Here's the link to Jeff Cooper... who designed Lion Studios.... http://www.jeffcooper.com/

 

[osXsan]

Good Mic & Soundcard does not complete the recipe...

Hey there Konsandy,

Realistically, I think a working setup is enough to begin with the recording endeavour that many people have. I'm sure you've attempted simple tape recording or maybe built-in pc mic recordings to hard disk that many of us started experimenting with and is ready to do the next leap.

Simple hardwares like Zoom H4 or Micro BR (handheld recorder / multitracker) would be a good start before you dive deeper. Most often I'd categorise these 'micro studios' as priceless idea-capture tools capable of giving decent mono/stereo recordings. If you record the tracks well with them you can import this very recordings into any pro studios for further work on it. It'll be good to record with a metronome or click track so that'll be easier to maybe lay drum tracks/loops or further accompaniment that might strike well on the growing idea. Keep it to .wav files or .aiff 16bit/44.1KHz at minimum so that further processing can be done if required. Mp3 recordings, though possible, is only good if you want to capture quick audio ideas for further improvisations and personal use. To eMail (small file) to possible drummer maybe?

Without much knowledge, getting into the digital studio, diving into soundcards, mic choices etc would most often (Panadol!) stall the great music idea that you might already have. Instead of capturing that idea you have, you might end up trying to fix a non working soundcard, pc crash, unbalanced signal, etc.. (more Panadols!)

Keep it simple. And keep it real. You'd be surprised on how much you can learn using the simple mobile studios. Its a stepping stone to getting a better sound, into recording techniques, and not break the most invaluable musical idea that you want to (from the start) capture.

Good luck and enjoy!

FYI Zoom H4 comes with built-in stereo condenser mic capable of using 2 external mics/intrument with built-in phantom power. BOSS Micro BR has only one mic (mono) built in but you can also use external stereo mic with the balanced mini jacks. It also has an instrument jack on board.

 

[kerplunk182]

I was thinking about the same thing. I want to record stuff on acoustic guitars and vocals. The thing is, i'm not sure what programme to use and how to mix them...

 

[fullmetal]

For starters, use a Macbook or iMac... then use GarageBand...

u may want to invest on cheap mics like Samsons Q1U or Shure SM57

if u record electric instruments direct into computer, a Monster adaptor cable would be a thing to invest in

 

[unholyernest]

how much does garage band cost ah? can't find out through internet leh.. then also dunno where got sell..


my recommendation for home studio..

presonus firebox - $450+ SGD
-comes with recording software like cubase.. so no need spend money to buy other recording software..

mic.. get those normal mic from shure..or sennheiser.
high end ones can cost around $300+ USD, lousy one $100+ can find liao..
i not really good with mics.. cuz i never record instrument with mics before..i usually do direct in..without mics..

as for computer..a normal computer which u are using now to surf this forum.. i think its good enough to support the BASIC cubase.
if u are those people that wanna do a lot of VSTs plugins and lots of mixing and effects..of course u will need a higher end computer.

i using nuendo 3.. and i'm running on a core 2 duo 1.6Ghz.. i can run around 10 VSTs with around 20 stereo tracks..then the nuendo will show that i am using around 50% of my processor already.

i think thats all u need man..only doing acoustic right? no drums or whatsoever..
u can create drums using software like EZ drummers or Addictive drums too..

oh ya.. but i think gettig the Zoom H4 is a better choice for u..simple..and i think its better than what i mention above..haha..

 

[fullmetal]

how much does garage band cost ah? can't find out through internet leh.. then also dunno where got sell..

Of course, you cannot find a GarageBand software on the internet. It is part of iLife software. When you buy a Macbook or iMac, the computer will come bundled with the latest iLife software hence GarageBand is already pre-installed for you. With a Mac, you do not need to scout the Internet for other open-source DAWs.

GarageBand is pretty easy to use for beginners. The next step would be to upgrade to Logic Express or even Logic Pro.

Eventually it all boils down to what operating software you are using. If you are willing to migrate to Mac, then GB would be heaven-sent for you. If you swear your allegiance only to Windows-operated PC, maybe you need to scour around for other alternatives or the best combination.

 

[Ahjon]

Trust me man. Garageband is wayyyyy easier to use then other sequencing software.
It is very user frenly and clear cut.
You can just connect a midi keyboard to the mac and can virtually make alot of different kinds of instruments. Strings,guitars,syths etc etc.
Recording vocals high ends cost $2000plus and whether a condenser or a dynamic mic is always a big argue.
Condenser has more clarity compared to a dynamic where dynamic has more warmth.

anyway good luck.
=D

 

[gutturalpiss]

You don't need expensive hardware nor software to produce quality music. $200 is more than enough. The only thing is, you need to be the engineer. Whether you can, that's the question.

BUT

but...

this is an acoustic guitar you're talking about..where the room plays a big part. Not like an electric guitar where it's all cables into ADC. There are a variety of techniques to achieve a "dry" sound - meaning devoid of any sort of reverb - that can help nullify bad room acoustics. One such technique is simply making a noise profile.

That is why vocals and acoustic instruments (including drums, if not sequenced) are best recorded in studios.

P.S: If you are ultimately getting a Mac, there is no need to scour around for commercial software. ardour | the new digital audio workstation provides you with functionality similar to Pro Tools. Take note, however, software like Pro Tools are meant to be used by professional engineers - and so is Ardour. Fear not, there's a good manual for it too

 

[Mobius]

Try recording at home first, so that you learn the basic ins and outs of recording. Then when you go to a professional studio to record, you will understand better on what you want and wont waste precious $$. There are a thousand and one ways to record, but what is most impt is what you want, so find out what you want by doing it yourself first.

 

[teraslasch]

if anyone realized, this thread was posted in 04 O.O