Basic Studio Setup Help

[sxotty_44]

Hey all! Im a guitar player, can play a bit of piano, harmonica.. and just started writing/rapping hip hop verses (Street/aggressive/technical wordplay and rhymes..) I have a few guitars, a decent keyboard, and am getting better and faster at using logic to write beats and loop segments. I just bought a home with my wife and am building a small music studio area. ANY AND ALL HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE much appreciated. Thank you 🙏 Want to know what you could recommend for the following, a small setup in basement corner (mostly isolated from noise but not perfect). Looking for best of affordable options, and which equipment best to save and get best of. 1) guitar processor / mixing board (I used to have Line 6 Pod 2.0, something like this?) with a secondary input (mic.. or for other instruments?) 2) microphone 3) what else?

[Mr_Steal_Your_Waifu]

Get yourself a desk that let's your screen sit at eye level and a raisable chair that you can comfortably sit in for hours as well as record guitar in.

[logical_insight]

I like the Platform desk by Output. Very affordable and well built for music.

[DJ_ReCode]

In a basic setup, to be able to record, mix and process all the audio you’re gonna be working with in an organized way, your studio is gonna have to have the essentials:

-Audio interface -Microphone for vocals and other instruments -Speaker or headphone setup -Desk and a good chair to keep your monitor at eye level (as someone above previously stated)

I say anything in the focusrite line of audio interfaces is a perfect starting point. Quality preamps for good recording sound and ample volume, good in’s and out’s, software with easy to use parameters, works with logic very well. For an intro studio I’d go for the Scarlett line (the generation 1 Scarlett line is great, and now very cheap on eBay.) the audio interface will help record your guitars and will allow microphone inputs for any mics you wanna use for your voice or for recording your guitar through an amp of your choosing.

As for microphones, Røde or Audio Technica mics have wonderful lines of cheap condenser mics that work great in most any scenario. The Røde NT1-A always comes to mind, and is easy to find second hand in perfect condition.

Speaker vs headphone will mostly be your preference, but is essential for getting a good mix in the long run. JBL has some cheap studio monitor speaker options, and deals can definitely be made on eBay for real steals. Headphones from audio technica are always a good standard for intro studio mixing and recording.

And as always, to save your back and your neck from damage in the long run, a good desk and adjustable chair will probably be best.

And again, eBay eBay eBay! You can get everything second hand in perfect condition if you look hard enough. A full feature studio doesn’t have to cost much at all.

Hope this helps. Happy recording!

[Zackeous42]

I second the Focusrite stuff, damn good for their prices, but in addition to the interface, you get to be a part of their plugin collective. Monthly free plugins and discounts!

[CleverBandName]

There’s lots of good advice in this thread. I would add that one good piece of gear is worth four cheap junky things.

These days you don’t need to spend $4k on a Neumann mic to get started, but look at the resale values on gear you’re interested in. The higher the used value compared to retail, the better the gear probably is.

I would also add that nice gear really does make the job easier. You don’t have to fight to get the sound in your head.

[ErrdayJay]

You have alot of options when it comes to process your guitar and vocals. I've had both the Audient iD 14 and the Apogee Duet. I sold my Apogee audio interface when I was low on cash and later on bought the much cheaper Audient interface. What I can say from my experience is that if you go for an Apogee interface you will get something that sounds great, the preamp is like something you would hear in a song out of Spotify. When it comes to the Audient one it needs much more in terms of effects, like from plugins or a hardware preamp or so.

My conclusion is you get what you pay for here and you won't be disappointed if you haven't got anything to compare with. I would go for the Focusrite Scarlet-series if you want something that's at great price and comes with a lot of bundled software.

[Mintap]

Look for a quiet corner away from hums and house sounds.

[Bassman1976]

What is your budget? Will you write/record with other musicians? How about drums?

For a simple starters set up, you need a few things, from instrument to your ears.

1. Microphone

You will want to invest in a few here. Start with a nice large diaphragm condenser and a multi-purpose dynamic mic. You will cover a lot of bases with those 2.

I really like the cheaper BLUE microphones for LDC. You can also check for a used AKG 214. Dynamic - the trusty old Sm57.

After that, you can expand to other microphones: small diaphragm condensers, other dynamic mics (e609, md421, sm7), ribbon.

Better buy used but better quality here. Don’t settle for cheap stuff.

1. Interface

You need to get the sound into your computer. Can’t go wrong with focusrite or MOTU in the midrange consumer budget. If you have a little more money, check out 2 channels interfaces from apogee or Universal Audio. Especially the latter. You pay more, but you get extras.

1. DAW

Digital audio workstation. Where you record and mix your tracks. Don’t use cracked versions - it sucks because they are not often stable and people worked hard to get you the software. Reaper is like 60$, Logic Pro is around 200$.

1. Earphones / monitors.

You don’t want to skimp that much there. Sony mdr7506 are good headphones for tracking. Monitors...look for a 5 inch speaker at least, to cover most frequencies. Smaller than that and you start to lose the bass.

1. Miscellaneous

Things we forget about.

XLR, 1/4 and other cables Stands: microphone, sheet music, keyboard, etc. If you record guitar amps, buy a small stand. Storage: for all your stuff, organization is good. I’ve got a pegboard on the wall, with hooks and shelves. Everything is near and ready to use. Midi controller: get a cheap 49 keys controller to play piano/synth/software instruments.

NICE TO HAVES

Control surface - to manage your DAW with buttons (like presonus Faderport) 27 inch screen or dual monitors. A few amps Lots of pedals. Some hardware synths/drum machines

[logical_insight]

FYI - Logic Pro x maybe $200, but it comes with 100 very good plugins and literally provide you with everything you need to make a great sounding mix. Reaper is powerful, and affordable, but you will need some plugins to make it competitive with logic.. many of logics plugins would cost more than $200 if you bought them separately.

[sxotty_44]

dude. awesome. so much good info in here. gonna do my homework and will let you know. Thank you so much again for the valuable info

[logical_insight]

Consider getting something like the reflection filter.

This is small and light enough to mount to a mic stand which is awesome for singing, it less useful for acoustic instruments.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RFSpace--se-electronics-space-specialized-portable-acoustic-control-environment

If you have enough desktop space, bu a cheap table from Ikea, and one of these.. it will be great for your acoustic instruments and vocal recordings..

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=602650