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Hey guys. so right now i have Mac G5, Firepod for my Interface. Im only recording my own rock band.

1st Monitor Control w/ Talkback
I am finally able to take over two rooms side by side (I'm 17 =])
So i have a tracking room and i need to get some kind of talk back system for recording. Ive been looking at the Behringer MON800 any suggestions on this. how much woult the ENTIRE setup cost. with the talk back speakers(these only need to be standable, not perfect) and all it will cost.

2nd New editing software

Right now i have Cubase LE. i hate it. well i dislike it alot. i really think i should get away from cubase. Ive been looking At Logic Express Or logic Studio. Im oonly r ecording my band so i dont need a lot off crazy synths and stuff. although those are always nice to have.
I really just want something easy to use. Easy EQ, Compressors, Effects. etc

3rd Monitors

Right now. and this is pretty pathetic but i make due. Im running a pretty nice Sony receiver from the fire pod into to speakers. they actually sound very nice and clear. but i am no where close to beleiving they have a close to flat response. and there just a pain to use.
So i would like some lower end monitors that are just good for a teenager's purpose.

4th Headphone amp
All i need iis a basic one. i was lookin the the Behringer AMP900 i believe is what its callled
Any thing else you think i would need please please please share your input!

My goal with recording is to be able to bump my own sh!t and have it sound decent enough for tat and my friend to listen to. nothing more.

Comments

Groff Mon, 11/12/2007 - 16:23

xX5thQuarterXx wrote: but theres the Behringer and the big knob is like what 7x the price? or is the behringer complete crap?

No clear answer here. Some people have sort of good experience with Behringer some not. One for sure, you can’t get something for nothing …

and 300$ (or less) for BKnob isn't so hot

anonymous Mon, 11/12/2007 - 16:32

Talk back speakers? ill vote for the mackie also .. if you have the money but teenager on a rock and roll budget? Samson C- controller i believe it will have several useful things for a budget minded rocker inputs for more than your daw three stereos out and a BUILT IN MIC some ones got one for under a hundred ..the mackie is somewhere in the 300 the central station even more which is great !(not the price the unit)even presonus came out whit a new one. The mackie samson and presonus are desk top were the central is rack mount if it matters but for a good deal samson no berringer (opion2663535344178488586979)Did the cubbase come as the software included with purchase of the fire pod? On a dirt cheap budget you should beware of one important aspect we all know that Beringger stuff is cheap and we all out grow the quality in some of there products so never expect to get even half of what you paid when you move on or find out what it is exactly you what or you need. Any thing you need as far as berringer needs to be looked into for example search your local craig list youll find a lot of artists moving on from the exact gear you need or google search any gear with its model numbers and put craigs list behind it even if its far away they sometimes are happy to mail it to you with a discount on mailing, the warranty is anther subject . For the musicians in the other room you may really want them on head phones you can use the headphone out on you receiver with its separate volume control to send to the artists if your waiting for your product of choice , there are places like guitar center musicians friend who have say three sets of head phones for under a hundred bucks . AT there reasonable for rock music and there impedance will not drain your headphone output on your sony besides friends dont treat headphones nice there always on the ground stepped on so for the missed behave i never give them the expensive ones i make it rule number ono no phones on the floor you can get a long line, a three way splitter this by no means is pro but rock and roll You need to go to a guitar center(trust me its taking all the power i have to say this ) and take some material (music) you love and sit in there recording room, there pretty much all the same , were they have a min of ten different brands sizes from mr cheap ass to were im i going to get the cash, youll find the ones that excite .. listen to the difference to all of them listen to the efficacy the ability to power the material your listening to, if there active (need no amp ) then choice is if you want to keep your amp look for the passive or move your system into a room as your talk back system for a second option on your mixes the other thing i want to mention is a thing called learning curve yes there are several things that are the same on softwares (click record)but you need to get in deep and learn what you have and be convinced it will not do what you need before moving on to a new learning curve then a new one..theres nothing wrong with this if you are in the business but for jamming learn cubase first. And if your not charing your friends for these historical moments in time have then shell out or buy there own headphones

rockstardave Mon, 11/12/2007 - 18:19

if you want easy-to-use, just go with garage band.
if you ever want to go even semi-pro, then get away from it.
but, for just messing around it's easy with preset EQs, compressors, etc that'll work for almost anything.

Tracktion is really easy to use, i've heard great things about Tracktion3, the new one. http://www.mackie.com

as for monitors... maybe look into some of the KRKs ... rp5 or rp6 are pretty cheap. maybe alesis m1's. both brands are iffy, but better than behringer and should last a while if you take care of them.

good luck dude,

-dave

xX5thQuarterXx Mon, 11/12/2007 - 20:39

ummm as far as the program goes. id like something that has useful loops for a rock band. with garageband i found that so many of them were just crap. they would never sound good in a actual song. so something with mabye some voice loops or effect loops. guitars....ect. that would be great since im paying for loops i want to be able to se them.

anonymous Mon, 11/12/2007 - 21:01

MR kiddo xx5th or 6thquarter and a half more xxxx rated rocker
if you went to download reaper and are having problems its not suited for a mac not yet look on the site well.. before downloading.. back to cubase look you trusted the company to purchase there hardware dint you you think there going to package it with some crap so the rockers can created crap in there basement unless you got the down in the basement lo fi im a fool version but its outdated in 1963? as far as garrageband goes borrow or buy the extented loops the diffrence is between a toostie toostie doll or a real hot blode in the flesh(forget that crap not the extra loops the girly thing) just tring to peak your intrest)

bent Mon, 11/12/2007 - 21:29

Jenifer,

Sorry - my dad's a teacher, and I can't help myself.

Please, take a breath; I don't know how anyone's keeping up with your posts.

You need to use some punctuation every once in a great while.

Do me a favor, read this sentence, exactly as written, out loud to yourself:

MR kiddo xx5th or 6thquarter and a half more xxxx rated rocker
if you went to download reaper and are having problems its not suited for a mac not yet look on the site well..

Does that make sense?

I think I know what you are saying, but sheesh!

Breathe a little.

anonymous Mon, 11/12/2007 - 21:52

I use logic pro 8 and sometimes sonar 6 PE, both are very good programs with plenty to offer. However if you go from cubase to Logic you might be a little annoyed at first since the two are very different working programs but sonar should be easy to learn...

How's that firepod workin out? I was thinking about snaggin' one...

anonymous Mon, 11/12/2007 - 23:06

Can i talk to your dad for a secound? Today as well as yesterday and the day before i got it .... the flu in the worst manner possible, story is i got a shot in the arm .. a flu shot? They say its a small dose of the virus that helps your body ajust to building a imune system. i have never had the flu in my life but man oh man or boy oh boy in this case, i really cant breathe! Is it noticeable? No seriously my tempature is in the millions, my chest hurts ,my brian hurts, my eyes are sore around the sockets im one sick girl who doesnt want to go to bed anymore! im swimming in a headache and the hot toddy is helping !
You my know what a hot toddy is.... its a etymolgy .. ask your dad.. i know as soon as you do hell explian the doctors now recommends avoiding alcoholic beverages as a remedy for the flu, as these cause dehydration. But soon thell notice that the two are not so good for grammer ethier. As for what i wrote? makes sense to me even with this fever...i was punning on your xxxes like some secret xbox code ..it dint make sense to me? As well as downloading a program not suited for the g-5 ...by the way shessh is a etymolgy too! prop, var of jeez which is a euphemism that with all the xxxxs maybe i should l be more of lady . thanks ill get off now trobbing brian !! someone ..hot toddy please!

RemyRAD Tue, 11/13/2007 - 01:00

It's just the flow of hormones. plus, she sounds very excitable with all of her wonderful knowledge. But yes, I have another friend who simply writes as one long continuous nonstop sentence. It takes a bit of interpretation and reading it more than once to fully glean what she is trying to say. But then you boys don't generally understand what most women are saying anyhow. Am I making myself clear? Are you listening to me or just watching TV? Right, I KNEW YOU WERE WATCHING A BALLGAME!

Homerun Remy

RemyRAD Tue, 11/13/2007 - 20:25

Well in discussing a talk back system to the studio, generally, most folks who have headphones on. This makes talk back very easy since all you need to do is have a cheap integrated circuit chip microphone preamp. Then you get one of those $.35 condenser capsules from Radio Shaft. Throw in a pushbutton screwed onto a little aluminum box and wired into one of your cue sends on your console. If you aren't using a console, a simple resistive network can be paralleled up with the input to your headphone amplifier. That would accomplish the same thing. Now, if you want to come to the studio, the question you have to ask yourself is, do you want your boys to come through the studio playback speakers or through a dedicated squawk box? You see, if it's only coming out a squawk box, the folks with headphones on won't hear it. Conversely, if you interjected into the headphone system and you have other folks who aren't using headphones, say a group of singers, you would need a squawk box. We're talking basic intercom functioning.

So, who needs a talk back system and how much money you want to invest? We are obviously going to feed/inject into a headphone monitoring system and also directed to a squawk box. Under certain situations, one needs some kind of mute logic on the squawk box, because of microphones are opened and you hit that button, the feedback could really do some damage to both people and equipment. That is primarily a broadcast type function which we all obviously want for our control rooms and studios.

Simple push to talk microphones can be used but the best way to go is with some kind of relay or IC chip logic device.

When poorly designed talkback systems are made, there is usually allowed Pop when pressing a button to speak and another Pop win the button is disabled. I find that rather obnoxious and I like to put in either a passive optical device or a VCA to actually fade the microphone up and down and making sure the time constant prevents any chance of feedback. Essentially the same thing I had to designed for the rod cast console I built for NBC radio in the early 1980s. Also something I'm building into my current old Neve since it never had a built-in system like my previous console had because it has an integrated intercom headset jack that was the PL (private line intercom) to the rest of the system that the directors, tape operators, artists, et al. all shared. In our audio booth, most of us relied on the squawk box speaker but I knew guys that utilized headsets. I'm there to listen to what I'm doing with both of my ears through both of the speakers. I can't wear a headset intercom thingy while trying to properly makes audio. The days of monaural are over.

The little gain control device is a Vactec for something like that it is a little self-contained light emitting diode and light-sensitive resistor in a very small package. You had a capacitor that will fade the LED with the time constant you want and a second unit for the inverse of the switch off. This is the same optical device you find and everybody else's optical compressors except for the LA 2 & LA 3, those used an electroluminescent panel and require 110 volts. An LED or light bulb only require 5 to 24 volts which you'll find and all of our current equipment so they could be of other power supplies within the monitoring system controller.

Of course all those new control room monitoring controllers that have been introduced recently is totally cool! It's about time we started seeing these things. My old Neve doesn't have a talkback system built in and I'm just going to go ahead and build one into it but I sure am looking at those cool devices that takes care of everything. They come from great to crappy. But for only a few hundred dollars, it saves you lots of time and soldering. It's just so easy for me to build something into the queue/effects sends on the Old Neve. But that's headphone feed only unless I connect a squawk box to a a relatively unused cue send, which could feed a studio speaker.

I actually have some crappy gooseneck mounted communication microphones that is a totally logical device to use. But the microphone can actually be built into the consul you only need a little hole.

Getting ready to build talkback systems.
Ms. Remy Ann David