Looks like you're on the way! Get what YOU think you need, for what you do, for the money you have to spend.

Now, allow me to sound like the "snotty old pro", just for a moment. You've got a nice start here, for YOU and YOUR stuff, for learning a bit about the game, but not even the start of a pro studio. To recommend another music store gadget to add to what you have? They're all on the shelf, pick what's prettiest? I don't know? Pick one you'd like to know more about, learn it, fully intending to replace it with something better before you open your doors to the public. Don't spend too much.

What you'll really need to "add".

Alot of reading. A lot of listening. Alot of knob twiddling and software/hardware fiddling. Alot of visiting(To other studios.). Alot of experience - Maybe you're a quick learner, but you've still got to get it pretty much together before you can even begin to decide what it is you want to buy next, especially for real money.

My prediction: What I think you'll do, when you're ready.

Start with a good space - A nice recording room and separate control room - designed and built for audio by pros - or awfully knowledgeable amateurs(Maybe you?).

Good - tabletop - computer(s!) with big(Maybe multiple) monitors. Cheaper and much more flexible(At least for now.) than laptops.

Good, pro, computer to audio interface - Sky's the limit here, but a Lynx anything/RME/Motu - would be a heck of a start.

Excellent, well-supported, software. Only a few really good ones to chose from - You'll have to do Nuendo, Logic, Pro Tools or something, someday and you'll have to know every one of it's 9,847,543 features frontwards and backwards(Way it is.), you might begin to think about it now.

Mics. From "good enough for this joker" to great. Different mics for different things - many as you need - more when you need them.

Speakers. Good ones. Gotta' hear it!

Someone who knows what they're doing to run the place - audio and finance-wise and... some paying clients.

With what you've got now? Buy more inexpensive things that will allow you to learn what they do, even if they don't do "it" very well. Outboard EQ, mic pre or software plug-in or book.

It's a process. You've got a good start. Stick with it!

Teddy G.

Thganks for the reply Teddy, Int eh near future I am going to add a few external compressors, reverbs, and upgrade to the digi002, Sampltank XL and Reason 3.0. I have already purchased four seperate books that I have read twice, The Recording Engineer's Handbook, The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, Pro Tools Power, and Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools. I have begun to experiment with things and get pretty good decent music for a beginner. I am wanting to add more external gear because it is much easier to work with both getting a feel for engineering by using tweaking and playing with the analog components and then doing some further processing in Pro Tools adding more effects. I do all of the mixing inside of Pro Tools. I have a good room in my home where I do all of my work, and I've been playing since day one. Is there any specific good reads out there to futher my understanding and knowlegde that you would recommend?

hi BigTrey, look into alternatives to the digi 002 something like motu, in my eyes money better spend, the digi hardware is to expensive for what it delivers, in my eyes, however check it out yourself, but don't buy 'blind' let your ears decide...
nice starter set-up by the way...

thanks for the advice axel. There is however a clerical error in my equipment set-up , my maxtor harddrive was replaced with a 160GB Lacie firewire drive (usb isn't cool for pro tools). I thought about going with the digi002 because I am getting the hang of working with pro tools. I have thought about also adding motu mach5 for windows. I've used it at a friend's studio and I liked it's features.