Home Studio Beginners Question

Furious-Red

Hey guys,

With this whole Covid 19 thing going around i have been thinking about learning to record and start looking at getting some basic equipment just so i can mess around(trial and error ha). So i was looking at getting a computer/laptop first and i came across deals that pigsback are doing for refurbished apple macs but just wanted to see if people would recommend these models or not.

https://www.pigsback.com/en-ie/offer/437303?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_campaign=437303

https://www.pigsback.com/en-ie/offer/436938?utm_source=google_shopping

Cheers

Anima

First one is no use. CPU isn't good and possibly not enough ram/harddrive space.

Second one doesn't mention the model of CPU (just i5) so assume the worst. Tbh in reality it's hard to get a cheap Apple device. They tend to have very good resale value.

Why not go for a non-Apple computer?

Furious-Red

What non apple product would you recommend? Looking at using Logic as well.

Probably should have mentioned that my idea is to start recording drum covers for myself

Why logic?..you'd get way more computer if you go PC..If you dont work with logic already cubase/ableton/protools or reaper would probably do no?..a reasonable pc/a cheapish soundcard and reaper you'd bedone relatively cheaply..

Furious-Red

Cheers sorry i thought Logic was easier to use then Pro Tools (and cheaper) but ive looked up Reaper which seems the way ill go with especially starting off.

I presume an actual desktop would be better then a laptop?, The only reason i say that is because i eventually plan on trying to record some tracks at gigs so thats why i would be favouring a laptop

Well, you've more connectivity and options for expansion etc with a desktop, but a laptop is probably grand too.. your biggest thing should probably be which soundcard..if you're recording drums you'll want at least 8 inputs probably.. thunderbolt is probably the way to go these days, but USB might work too..

I haven't used reaper, but apparently you can do everything with it..if you're mainly going to be working with audio, you might want consider pro tools too..it's probably the best of them for audio (and not hard to use).. reaper is apparently finicky in comparison..

After that really you're just looking at a midi keyboard(if ever you want to do more than just audio) and monitors (speakers) and you're sorted(well, once you have mics..)..

i57dwun4yb1pt8

a windows machine and REAPER or pro tools first
if you know what you are about audio wise

audient make great interfaces . non midi
focusrite make good ones as well non midi
steinberg ur 22 is good with midi

apple is not the production force it used to be anymore - windows is taking over in many ways .


if not , an app or easy to use package .

make sure you have two drives c drive for programs and windows
and d drive ( for recording onto ) and 8 gig min of ram

Furious-Red

Cheers for the help guys.

Yea going to start with Reaper on my Lenovo Ideapad 500 just to mess around with to see how i get on and to see if i want to keep going. Then build up to getting Pro Tools at a later stage. Also will look at upgrading the laptop at another stage but will def get an external hard drive for all the files/sessions.

Was looking at either of these to use as an interface
https://www.musicstore.com/en_IE/EUR/Behringer-XENYX-X2222USB-22-Channel-Mixer-with-USB-Audio-Interface/art-PAH0009512-000

https://www.musicstore.com/en_IE/EUR/Behringer-XENYX-QX2442USB-/art-PAH0012116-000

https://www.musicstore.com/en_IE/EUR/Midas-DM16/art-PAH0017296-000

KeithTS

Personally I wouldn't bother with Pro-Tools, not at this point anyway.
I use Reaper (free with an indefinite evaluation license and not that limited in terms of functionality) and Cubase which is only €80 for Elements and you get a lot with that excluding some nice to haves like side-chaining and so on iirc.

Regarding the audio interfaces you linked. Afaik the DM16 i a purely analog desk, MIDAS pre-amps are great but it won't do what you want.
Not a bad mixer for mixing a gig but it has no effects or anything so these days it's a little limited and it's not an audio interface that you can record direct to your PC with. The description says recording on it but that's bull****.

The Xenyx mixers are grand, I'm not a fan of them personally but there's nothing inherently wrong with them albeit it they are noisy at high gains (recording drums I'm sure you won't have to push the gains into hissy territory).
The only issue you might have (and I may be wrong on this, it's been a while since I used one), the USB audio interface is only stereo in/out so in order to record a drum track you would need to get a good mix of the kit sorted out and then track all voices on a single stereo channel.
You won't be able to do a whole lot of production and tweaking of individual sounds. ie, if you apply a compressor in your DAW to the kick, it'll affect everything else too. That may or may not be a problem for you.

I use an MR18 and XAir for recording with which I like. They're very compact and great little mixers. The app is straight forward to use and I've done gigs with just a small rack and an ipad and there's been no issue. They're really flexible, built in effects and such, but if you want a traditional mixer with faders etc. these don't have it.
However, the USB interface is 18in/18out so you've more than enough for tracking each drum individually which will enable you to get a good mix down after the fact and edit each sound, apply gates to specific voices etc. which would be missing from the Xenyx option.

The primary differences between the MR18 and Xair XR18 apart from price is that the MR has MIDAS pres, better noise floor, more headroom and the MR uses better XLR connectors but tbh, it's probably not worth the additional €200 or so.

https://www.thomann.de/ie/behringer_x_air_xr18.htm

They're not the cheapest, circa €450 for the XR18.
There's different versions of each with lower channel counts, however, these don't have the same USB audio interface options so you can't record with them, they're digital mixers and not audio interfaces.

maccored

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