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I am a student at the art institute and i want to record music for my animations, web sites, short films etc. from home looks like I'm going to purchase Pro Tools/ Firewire410 bundle through my school. What would be a good set up (down the line Mic, Pre-amp, Compressor) for me to have for a all around clear, clean, warm, strong signal to record everything from vocals to live instruments. Budget is pretty open but not to extreme i am a full time student. Any help would be really appreciated, i am not a complete novice at digital recording software but want to step it up a notch from cheap mics.

Comments

JWL Thu, 03/30/2006 - 07:15

A recording is a chain, in the weak-link sense. It all matters, so:

1. Make sure you have good players playing good instruments.
2. Make sure the room sounds good (take care of acoustically treating your space)
3. Get good microphones
4. Get good preamps
5. Get good A/D conversion
6. Get good EQ and FX for mixing

etc. There is plenty of decent gear out there at good prices. As audio geeks in a capitalist society we tend to focus more on steps 3-6, though I would argue that steps 1 and 2 have the most impact on a quality recording.

RemyRAD Thu, 03/30/2006 - 22:26

Let's examine now what is needed for decent popular music recordings?

8 SM58/57, great on guitar cabinets, drums, vocals, everything.

2 affordable large diaphragm condenser microphones. Take your pick.

2 affordable small diaphragm condenser microphones. Take your finger out of your nose! Don't put it there either!

Compact affordable 16 input mixer. The sky's the limit!

A decent pair of affordable self powered monitors. JBL/KRK my favorites.

Mackie HD24 and a couple of extra hard drives.

A couple of compressor/limiters. DBX166, or others.

Adobe Audition 2.0

Rich parents.

There you go!
Ms. Remy Ann David

anonymous Sat, 04/01/2006 - 03:48

Thanks for the advice, i know its a really broad question, ok i would like a good clean sound for recording, you can only shine a turd so much and its still just a shiny turd i already have a really nice tuned room for recording vocals or live instruments. i have being playng live for years (no i'm not 10!) so i understand how to make equipment sound good, even a pignose 10 watt can rock if dialed in right, but i want to be able to transport these sounds i already have a grasp on, into the digital via protools. There are so many options and lingo for gear i don't know where to start!!, right now to start i need a clean low line noise vocal, mic, and a pre-amp ( universal if possible so i can input guitars, bass pods etc, to give them a good clean strong input) and a good compressor that can make sure my signal if its a mic or direct-preamp-analog to digital input is nice and stong, i do alot of recoring direct, or midi with my instruments, but i feel vocals( i also animate and film and want to do voice overs) is most important , any help would help, suggestions on choices of mic, pre-amp, and compressor for vocals spoken or sung so i can get a nice clean rich sound that i can shine up in my computer It would really really really be appreciated!!! Specific name brands would be highly appreciated!!!