Home recording / basic setup advice pls

[sifi2112]

Hi all,



Looking to get a little home recording setup but don't have a large budget .. want to be able to really just put bass, (heavy) guitar (maybe 2 -3 tracks) & drums (prob using ez drummer or similar) .. I don't have a 'big' valve amp (do have a 2-15w head & 8" cab & Shure SM57) I was thinking about getting a Wampler or Amptweaker type pedal to get the heavy sound through this small rig but now I'm thinking of recording via the Line6 POD HD (desktop) to get the heavy guitar sound (plus clean & some nice effects) & also using it as an interface for bass as well. Correct me if I'm wrong but using the Line6 means I don't have to get a separate interface ? It does also gives me the option to 'mic' the cab (though if I do get one I wont be able get the pedal as well & without the pedal I can't get the distorted sound out of the cab so no need to 'mic' ..for now ... ) btw can't afford / justify either the Fractal or Kemper as much as I'd like.



Will also need a pc coz mine died on me but do have a monitor etc. Apparently the POD handles some of the processing power but am guessing latency will be addressed by the computer's soundcard ? Will a mini mac suffice (even older model ?) .. I've seen these in home studios on youtube .. I fancy a change from usual pc (sick of them crashing / freezing etc).



Will I need proper (lower end) studio monitors (like KRK's or something) or can I get away with a 'multimedia' set perhaps ? For example is this Samson Studio GT any good ? ... remember I just want to get some basic though reasonable quality recordings done ... I do have a decent if not small (headphone) amp (Temple Audio Bantam XC2) to power 'passive' monitors & would ideally like to use them for music playback/listening .. hence the 'multimedia' question. I realize this might be a compromise ... has anyone done similar ? I also have some sennheiser hd201 headphones ... I know they're not the best but would I be better getting some better ones for the recording/mixing process & not spend as much on the studio/multimedia monitors ?



Before anyone suggests it ... I do have a Korg SOS to get basic recordings but want to upgrade

Any advise / opinions are more than welcome ....



thanks



Simon

 

[SpaseMoonkey]

I can help with 2 of the issues that you have.

The Pod HD can be used as an interface. You'd end up connecting it to USB and run it as your soundcard in a DAW for the best results.

The Mac Mini will work, they have a bit more power than people really think. I bought one because I needed something cheap fast due to my desktop going down. I sold it to a friend around a year ago. Mine was a 2.4GHZ Core2Duo with 8Gs of RAM.

I ran WoW on it decently. I also used it to record a backtrack and then solo over it for videos instead of using cam quality. It did what I needed. As for larger amounts of tracking/plugins. I think it will take a bit due to my friend owning a 5 year old laptop, which he uses to record songs for his whole band.

As for the speaker/monitor/headphones I can't help you. I just use my trusty old BeyerDynamic DT770s for everything I do.

 

[sifi2112]

thanks for that ... if I use the Line6 Pod Hd what would you advise re: computer minimal spec ie cpu / ram ? Will mainly record tracks individually btw ..

 

[rahul_mukerji]

There's a saying in the recording industry that goes something like "The most expensive equipment you should own in your Recording Studio are your speakers".

I can't stress the importance of getting really good speakers because they really will make or break your mix. Poor speakers will result in distortion that will make your tunes sound "too thin" or "woofy" even if they are well mixed by another place. Subsequently if you're mixing using poor speakers your mixes will suffer and will sound off in diff places [iPod, Car Speakers, Halls, Dance Clubs etc].

Now most of us do not have the luxury of handling KRK speakers and awesome equipment so we make do with what we have. A good set of headphones will work perfectly. All you need to do is listen to some reference material :fav CD and see how it differs on your home studio vs car stereo vs your friends Stereo System. This will give you an idea of how the headphones are responding to frequencies i.e. "Hey the mids seem higher" or "the bass seems to cut out". Also once you start posting your mixes on forums you will get some feedback and that'll help you understand your headphones even more. So if 20 people say "Hey your bass is way too loud" then you will get an idea on how to compensate next time onwards.

Your interface is good. I would spend sometime and read up on what works best with your interface [DAW wise and platform wise]. Accordingly I would invest in a computer and such. A MAC is a good option only because you can also install a Windows OS right next to it without issues. So you are getting the best of 2 worlds .. or 3 if you install Linux as well. RAM is key and so is the power of the processor. The RAM is dependent on how many plugins you want to run. 4GB should suffice for most simple Home Studios, but if you're looking to cut tracks for your band and solo CD and are running into 8-16 tracks with loops, effects, Synths and VSTi, you should consider getting it bumped to 8GB or more. The plugins you use will also to an extent define what your OS will be, although most plugins nowadays come for both MAC and Windows.

That being said: A Mac Mini should suffice for the setup and recording needs you've listed pretty well.

Best of luck

 

[noise in my mind]

Here is the thing about monitors, you could go out and blow two grand on a pair, but If you don't have your room treated accurately your monitors could be misleading you. This would cause you to be second guessing on mixes! Since you're are starting out you could get by with some decent headphones,the audio technica ath-m50 are well revered in mixing circles. You can get an external soundcard interface for way cheaper than a pod hd, and just use free plugins and impulses for your guitars. Some people have gotten amazing results with these. I strongly urge you to check out this thread I made before pulling the trigger on equipment. I hope this helps you out! http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/recording-studio/204871-if-you-starting-out-recording-budget.html

 

[sifi2112]

Thanks a lot guys ... have taken on board what you've said & have looked at the other threads mentioned above .. I have taken a bit of a plunge on a POD HD desktop for £200 .. like the fact that it's got interface & mic input plus can see what it's like thru my amp (maybe saves me buying some pedals too) .. will certainly look into those 'plugins' but still need a pc but can mess around with the POD for now ...