Purchases for very basic recording set up - opnions?

Denalihighway

Hi lads.

I'm buying a small bit of starter gear, basically for recording songs which will eventually be for publisher/other artists (hopefully). I'm very prolific so I figure I may as well try and earn some money on the side and flog some poppier songs that I wouldn't use with the band. That's another story I suppose, I know its very competitive etc but I have a bit of a plan and am in it for the long haul.

For now I'm focusing on acquiring basic amount of equipment and knowhow in order to make basic recordings, which when I've mastered the basics will hopefully be good enough to be discernible for the songs, rather than recording quality. That's the aim anyway. By then, I should be happily drawing a pension, with the kids in steady jobs :pac:

Maybe its unavoidable, but I don't want this to turn into a debate about why songs should be minimum X quality for publishing etc, I get all that and I'm sure there's plenty to be said but I don't really want to discuss that end of it...

I'm just wondering if you had any comment on the gear I'm buying in the context of what I'm hoping to achieve.

DAW
Cubase Essential 5. I have a small bit of experience with Cubase and thought this would be better place than Sequel to start, in case I get deeper into production stuff. It seems to have more than enough regarding effects and modelling etc.

MIC
I've decided on a budget condenser (from a thread on here last week, thanks for that)

Interface
One these 3:
- http://www.thomann.de/ie/line6_pod_studio_ux1.htm - €118
- http://www.thomann.de/ie/maudio_fast_track.htm €99
- http://www.thomann.de/ie/tascam_us122mk2.htm - €135

MIDI
I've got a Korg microkorg with an interface already so I'm assuming that's OK for midi control.

Monitors
I have a decent set of headphones and access to decent monitors.

I'm talking a really basic set up here, just to get used to making an 8-track song and some drum loops etc and then go from there.

Any other suggestions/criticisms would be very welcome. Thanks again.

Rockshamrover

If it's just for doing rough ideas you might be better off getting one of those http://www.adverts.ie/255333/other-music-instruments-and-equipment/zoom-hd16-recording-studio/

Does all you need, no plug ins to worry about.

Denalihighway

Thanks for that Rock but I defo want to go DAW route and get my head around it, I hope eventually to have the skills to record guitars and vox for the band, so I want to get started. Its probabaly more versatile than the 8/16 track route if I want to scale up?

I actually have Zoom MRS 8-track which I used to use heavily, good intro to multi-tracking and basic editing etc. Great yokes but just not exactly what I want.

Edit: having looked more at what that can do, very impressive and good price too...still not quite what i'm after, but cheers...

Rockshamrover

Denalihighway wrote: »

Thanks for that Rock but I defo want to go DAW route and get my head around it, I hope eventually to have the skills to record guitars and vox for the band, so I want to get started. Its probabaly more versatile than the 8/16 track route if I want to scale up?

I actually have Zoom MRS 8-track which I used to use heavily, good intro to multi-tracking and basic editing etc. Great yokes but just not exactly what I want.

Edit: having looked more at what that can do, very impressive and good price too...still not quite what i'm after, but cheers...

Cool, It's an impressive yoke alright but doesn't match the DAW I suppose.

Not to familiar with any of the stuff you're looking at.

Best of luck with it.

krd

Rockshamrover wrote: »

Cool, It's an impressive yoke alright but doesn't match the DAW I suppose.

Not to familiar with any of the stuff you're looking at.

Best of luck with it.

I have one off those Zooms (I can't get it to power up and I didn't back my work up - it's got a lot of sketches that I'd really like back)

It's hard to use - you can though record multiple tracks simultaneously. You'd probably be much better off getting Ableton and a decent sound interface. Editing on the Zoom is very difficult. There's no nice arrangement window. I did some good stuff on mine (which I didn't back up or bother to burn on a CD) but If you've made mistakes - it's not that easy to fix them.

My current setup is far from ideal. If you're buying an audio interface for a PC, make sure there isn't a noticeable latency on the monitoring and recording. You will not be able to record live instrument over dubs - or even dubs. Avoid USB stuff and anything by Alesis.

krd

I have to say there's philosophy to it. If you have money to burn and can afford any piece of equipment and the training bully for you. If you can't you have to learn the hard way - with whatever you can get your hands on.

I've been learning the hard way for years. I've slowly been building my *cough* "skills" - hoping they'll all converge at some point. The DAWs over the last few years are incredibly powerful. If you can get the skills down, you can produce something very polished sounding, cheaply and relatively easy. I think though, the problem with DAWs, is everyone is making stuff that sounds like it's been made on a DAW.

Liam Howlett did all his best work on a ROLAND W-50 - a device that gives me nightmares just thinking about it. Its' horrible limitations could maybe have been the key ingredient in his production. In comparison to something like Ableton, it's an absolute nightmare. But in Ableton you can be spoiled for choice and there's always an easy way out. I have heard great stuff that's been recorded on Fostexs - and when I hear it, I know it must have been murder to do. Or murder to build the skills to do it.

Rockshamrover

krd wrote: »

I have to say there's philosophy to it. If you have money to burn and can afford any piece of equipment and the training bully for you. If you can't you have to learn the hard way - with whatever you can get your hands on.

I've been learning the hard way for years. I've slowly been building my *cough* "skills" - hoping they'll all converge at some point. The DAWs over the last few years are incredibly powerful. If you can get the skills down, you can produce something very polished sounding, cheaply and relatively easy. I think though, the problem with DAWs, is everyone is making stuff that sounds like it's been made on a DAW.

Liam Howlett did all his best work on a ROLAND W-50 - a device that gives me nightmares just thinking about it. Its' horrible limitations could maybe have been the key ingredient in his production. In comparison to something like Ableton, it's an absolute nightmare. But in Ableton you can be spoiled for choice and there's always an easy way out. I have heard great stuff that's been recorded on Fostexs - and when I hear it, I know it must have been murder to do. Or murder to build the skills to do it.

Good post. We are spoiled for choice with the DAWS, not to mention every other week some company is bringing out the "must have " plug in.

It's a bit like football jerseys with plug ins, last seasons is out of date this season.

caesura

Hey Denalihighway,

I was after the same thing a year and a half ago and although i still don't have a clue what i'm talking about or indeed doing the set up i have is based on what came up consistantly in various rec threads and forums (and the odd review) as being the best (for beginners and budget) options and what i've got now is:

DAW: Reaper (free on trial and then just €60 or something and i reckon alot of people around here would prob vouch for it as a DAW option and maybe it depends on the style of music you're doing?) Very good and helpful community on the cockos/reaper forum as well.

Interface: M Audio Fast Track Pro - I personally find it perfect and very reliable espcially considering mine is 2nd hand and i noticed alot of engineers i worked with when i was doing demos had these knocking around somewhere (obviously not as their main interface..but still)

Mic: Well you've got yours but i use a Shure SM58 as my Dynamic and SE 2200A as my Condenser (again both always got almost universal thumbs up on forums i posted in at the time)

Midi Controller/Keyboard: Oxygen8 V2 (25 key) Love it and suits my needs and space perfectly though if i get a few bob i'll prob buy something with more keys)

Can't afford anything else myself at the moment but as soon as i have the cash its a decent set of headphones and speakers as all i have now is normal home hi-fi type phones and my ears are in bits...seriously look after your ears!!!

Other than that as i said everything i do sounds like sh1t, but that def aint the equipment...Its all me baby!

...Ohh the inferiority complex i've gained:rolleyes: