What to do!!??!!??!??!??!

D!ve^Bomb!

Ok, I have gotten myself a good pc with the intention of settin up a small ‘studio’ in my bedroom for recording my own stuff! I had the intention of getting an mbox along with reason 2.5 and a decent set of active monitors, I was going to get this in a couple of weeks when my credit card bill is cleared.. But now I’m thinking of postponing that for a month or so and getting a new guitar!!!

But should I do this? Or should I get my studio set up first.. I don’t know what to do, it’s soooo confusing..

I’d love to get a sweet US Strat or something.. but then I think I’m wastin the money because I’m not even in a band so I wouldn’t use it to its full potential… but it’s sooo tempting as i have never had a damn good guitar.. just a ****ty epiphone among others

What would you do if in my shoes? pro and cons?

feylya

New guitar. You try and record with a bad guitar, you're gonna be limiting your abilities and your tone won't be as great as it could be with a quality guitar with decent pickups.

D!ve^Bomb!

that's a pro, con would be not being able to record at all for at least another month, minus delivery time of gear:(

feylya

Is that a big lose? Take that time to write more stuff, perfect your other stuff, whatever!

D!ve^Bomb!

true.. but i'm thinkin if i don't get it now, then knowing my life long bad luck.. something might prevent me from getting it in a month or so.. like another guitar:D damn those addictive string instruments!!

feylya

They are damned addictive.

For now, why not get a new guitar, a POD XT and a good set of headphones. Buy the speakers over time, upgrade the software, etc...

D!ve^Bomb!

mmmm,, interesting.. ok so, what guitar do ya recommend, i'd love a us strat. my bro had a mex strat a couple of years ago which i though ws great.. however i love those heavy riffs, but i love the old blues and classic rock as well.. i'd love the strat but i'm interested in RG Ibanez... strat is top of the list tho

feylya

Old blues? Strat is yer only man. Maybe a fat strat? Got your humbucker in the bridge for your heavier stuff but still have the single in the neck for the bluesy tones.

D!ve^Bomb!

sounds good.. i can't even remember the last time i bought anything for my guitar.. what the pod xt like,, good quality of sounds?

how about a G&L ASAT bluesboy? IT's made by Leo Fender, compares in looks to a telecaster but has lovely warm tones.

feylya

Fairly decent sounds alright. I'm not the biggest fan of them but I don't have masses of hours spent using one. I guess it's just one of those things that you have to RTFM on it. You can connect it using a USB cable and get zero lag

feylya

http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/body?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ishibashi.co.jp%2Fwebshop%2Fguitar%2Ffender-j%2Fst7258us.htm&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2

MIJ Strat, about €600 shipped and import paid.

Don't know where you'ld buy it but here's the ASAT

G and L Guitars

D!ve^Bomb!

How would that compare to a US one?

Also, didn't the Doc do his transaction through email.. i don't think i'd send off my card details by email.. but at that price i could get that AND the mbox so i could record aswell:)

D!ve^Bomb!

Deleted User wrote:

Don't know where you'ld buy it but here's the ASAT

G and L Guitars

Not too comforatble gettin somethin i'm not familiar with... be a bit too risky for me

feylya

newband wrote:

How would that compare to a US one?

Also, didn't the Doc do his transaction through email.. i don't think i'd send off my card details by email.. but at that price i could get that AND the mbox so i could record aswell:)

Yeah, I think it was through email. Eh, if it's a proper MIJ strat, it'll be equal or superior to a MIA strat. Definately worth a gamble imo.

No problem, i think musician.inc are the only dealers in Dublin, you could try them out there.

Even check out the strat's on that G&L site, their amazingly high quality, Leo Fender when he quit Fender, so it's really the most up to date "Strat" around.


[Edit] That Isabashi site has great great deals, and the Doc said they were grand to deal with.

D!ve^Bomb!

thanks for the advice guys.. i'll definitely look into ishabashi! any other recommendations?

feylya

Get good microphones if you're miccing amps!

Well personally i love telecasters so my next guitar is gonna be this one

From Here

but it might not be what you're looking for.

D!ve^Bomb!

i do absolutely love the 72 thinline tele in natural finish, but it wouldn't give me the range of tones a strat would.. pitty, cos it's gorgeous!!

D!ve^Bomb!

feylya wrote:

Get good microphones if you're miccing amps!

yeah i'll be gettin the standard mics, sm57/58 etc..

feylya

Aye, they should do.

Doc J will have other better suggestions though.

It wasn't me!

That's a gorgeus Tele Emmett. When you looking to get it?

Summer Job, I'll have it by my birthday next november.

It's less than €600!

daram

transactions with ishibashi arent done by email. koichi (the international guy) emails you a link to a page that you can enter your card details into. Then you email him and tell him you've done it. Totally secure. Although, I ordered a bass, got a payment recieved email the next day, got the bass 6 days later, and its been four days since then, and the money hasnt left my account yet.

It wasn't me!

/Drool.

So tempted... I need a few guitars:
One for hard rock/metal
One for punk
One for alternative/light folky stuff.

That tele fits the bill perfectly for the alternative stuff. If I get a job anytime soon, that'll find its way to me, sharpish!

feylya

daram wrote:

transactions with ishibashi arent done by email. koichi (the international guy) emails you a link to a page that you can enter your card details into. Then you email him and tell him you've done it. Totally secure. Although, I ordered a bass, got a payment recieved email the next day, got the bass 6 days later, and its been four days since then, and the money hasnt left my account yet.

I think he waits 30 days to take the money in case you want to return the instrument...

Don't get my one!

Get one of the other finishes



Not Mine!



This is the Specifications in English

D!ve^Bomb!

daram wrote:

transactions with ishibashi arent done by email. koichi (the international guy) emails you a link to a page that you can enter your card details into. Then you email him and tell him you've done it. Totally secure. Although, I ordered a bass, got a payment recieved email the next day, got the bass 6 days later, and its been four days since then, and the money hasnt left my account yet.

wow, that is a little trusting isn't it.. :rolleyes: but that is nicer to know then sending details by email!

rob1891

mbox is probably the most expensive 2in2out interface you could get. I've no doubts about it's quality, but you could save a few pennies on an edirol ua-25 or maudio something. Preamps might not be as good as what is on the mbox, but the edirol new is 1/2 the price (€222 musicstore.com). Lesser alternatives are worth considering, as well as ebay.

You might even be able to afford audio interface + headphones (might I recommend AKG K240 M) + guitar if you spend wisely! Don't think the pod would be required if you were to 'aquire' guitar-rig, which is a very neat little software package ... neat as in probably better than micing up your amp unless you have a €1000 amp & a €1000 mic

D!ve^Bomb!

what kind of software would you get with those interfaces? I've looked into guitar rig alright... tbh i'm not too impressed with the examples on the site

*edit* plus the EDIROL UA-25 can handle midi which is a plus cos the mbox can't :mad:

rob1891

I presume the mbox comes with a protools licence which is always nice to have, but I wouldn't factor software into your budget. You can always buy licences once your project moves beyond the bedroom (sorry for advocating theft, but we are poor, think of it as buying on another form of credit!). As far as guitar rig goes, I was perhaps wow'd by how much it can do. I've never had a POD, but based only on the fact that it was sucking up 60% of the cpu, I imagine it's at least as good as ... and, ahem ... free

I don't know what software came with our edirol (not an ua-25), it has ASIO drivers so it works with Cubase SX 2 without hitch and I presume almost any other package around. I'll check when I get home.

Also consider a condenser from studioprojects, whatever in their range you can afford. I've used a B1 (cheapest) and a C3 (not so), and they are both very good, probably more bang-for-buck from the B1 as it is dirt cheap. digitalvillage.co.uk is a source for them (shipping 20 something pounds, but they're also good for any other recording gear, thanks to some boards person for pointing me to them!)

D!ve^Bomb!

yeah i find digital village a lot cheaper than thomann sometimes.. reason 2.5 is around 366 in thomann, it's less than 300 in DV!!

Did you get cubase with the interface?

and, ahem ... free

please do tell more:)

rob1891

The mbox does come with very well regarded preamps though, I don't think the edirol pres would be any match (though they've sounded fine on our fa-101).

But let me talk about midi!! If you only have need for one powered xlr preamp (with one other 1/4' jack pre) then consider an m-audio Ozone. It's a midi keyboard, with lots of midi knobs and stuff ... AND ... it's an audio interface. A friend I haven't talked to in a while has one, and I think he loves it (he loved it before he got it, I hope it's lived up to his expectations). I think it's potential is just brilliant, from albeit limited use in composition on the PC to quite comprehensive control of whatever sound processing/sampling you are doing with reason/guitar rig etc, as well as of course recording. I am hoping this friend will take his on stage at some point and blow my mind

rob1891

newband wrote:

Did you get cubase with the interface?

I just had a look at the box, only the driver came with it, which is a bit of a surprise as I'd have expected one of the cheap recording apps to be bundled, so if you get the ua-25 don't expect anything else in the box.

Rob

p.s. sorry for dragging this away from the guitars That tele has a real purty finish to it and you know it would have a good range in comparison to the strat, three pickups in there and you might even be able to coil tap the neck.

Doctor J

Don't get a pod.

Get the Mbox now. Pro Tools will open up a whole world of possibilities, the guitar can wait. Sort out your recording setup asap, it will pay off in the long run. Get the Factory Bundle (about €600 or so) which comes with Amplitube (which will do your guitar tones as well as the pod).

As for mics, get a 58 (take the pop shield off and it sounds like a 57)

feylya

Can you get Pro Tools 6(?) for Windows XP?

Doctor J

Yep, Pro Tools 6.7 LE for Windows XP.

feylya

LE? Isn't that the free version???

Doctor J

Nope, that's the version that works with an Mbox, Digi001 and Digi002. There's a stripped down old version of LE available as a free download.

Newband, get Pro Tools whatever you do, you'll need to know it if you want to work in the music industry, simple as that.

D!ve^Bomb!

i want to get pro tools for the simple fact that i know how to use it!

I might try and get the bundle on my mothers card, pay that off in jan, and get the guitar on my card and pay that off in march.. i can't use my epiphone for recording, the pickups are fúcked!!:D.. So i may as well try and get both at the same time:)

Rob, thanks for the pm, i'll try myself and let you know if i need any help, much appreciated;) So you reckon that tele might do?

rob1891

Doctor J wrote:

Nope, that's the version that works with an Mbox, Digi001 and Digi002. There's a stripped down old version of LE available as a free download.

Newband, get Pro Tools whatever you do, you'll need to know it if you want to work in the music industry, simple as that.

Is it your intention to move into the recording industry? If that's the case then it is a good idea to stick with Pro Tools as DrJ says, however if you are doing this to record yourself & your band, there's absolutely no point in going anywhere near Digidesign due to cost.

Cubase doesn't have the respect that Pro Tools demands as it used to suck in comparison, but it's as good (and certainly prettier!) these days, and the all under 1 roof solution from Digidesign is also getting outdated as other vendors improve the stability of their recording interfaces.

It depends on whether you need to put this stuff down on a CV or not ... you may just have to suck up the cost.

edit: didn't see your post there, no problem.

D!ve^Bomb!

i would love gettin into the industry, but that is way way down the line, i'm no where near as experienced enough to even think of that right now!! there's soo many other things i'm thinking of doing aswell, all of which involve music... i might possibly decide to to go on and study it as a mature student.. who knows!! right now i'm thinking of my own studio for my own personal use, getting ideas out of my head.. i have so many and with a good set up i can really experiment! somethin of which i could never really do just by playing along in my bedroom:(

It's impossible to find musicians these days, or at least finding one's who are good, accomodating, and a drummer!:D so i've given up on that for now

So i'd like to record everythin myself, guitar, bass, drums, various instruments.. except vocals, i can't sing for ****!! it's a concept i like as i'll have 100% input on everything and it will be all my ideas.

Doctor J

If you record stuff at home you want to mix or add to elsewhere then go for ProTools. It is the industry standard, so you'll be able to bring projects to other systems and work on them there, you won't be restricted to your home setup.

D!ve^Bomb!

cool.. looks like pro tools it is.. any other suggestions for the guitar? fat strat sounds good, although costs considerably more than the standard..

i do like the tele that was posted.. mmm

Doctor J

Have a look through here http://www.chrisguitars.com/

1.00 Euros = 1.34 US dollars

Exchange rate: 1.340150
Rate valid as of: 12/21/2004

D!ve^Bomb!

2003 Fender ’72 Reissue Telecaster Custom

http://www.chrisguitars.com/fen72telecust-03bk.jpg

$529... mmmmmm

395 euro

Doctor J

Be less than €500 once shipping and import duty are taken care of... nice

D!ve^Bomb!

Fender ’72 Telecaster Thinline Reissue

$550

feylya

And Duty mightn't be so much of a problem in the new year. GLS put every parcel through customs but they no longer have teh licence to deal with American post in Ireland