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Hello to all... first post in this forum. I am a hip hop /R&B producer that's been doing recording out of my bedroom for a couple years now. My mixing has come a LONG way but I've decided to upgrade my home "studio" so I can get a cleaner signal and then do all my mixing at a real studio. Right now I'm working with bottom of the barrel equipment: Studio Projects B-1, PreSonus TubePre, Delta 44...

That being said, the studios I mix at are all Pro Tools setups and here's what I'm looking to buy for recording myself and the acts on our team:

Mic: Audio-Technica AT4047
Interface: Digi 002
Compressor: RNC
Monitors: Wharfedale Diamond Pro 8.2a
Booth: Clearsonic Isopac G (tentative) or Modular Acoustic TeaBagz
Monitor control: PreSonus Central Station/Mackie Big Knob
Cables & Cords: Mogami and Monster.

I think this will be able to give me the sound I need... any input or suggestions on how I can get the cleanest sound from this setup in a large bedroom?

Comments

McCheese Fri, 11/11/2005 - 16:32

Get the Presonus over the Mackie, the Mackie has some great features, but the Presonus sounds better.

It's hard to say on the booth/teabagz. The isopac G looks claustorphobic to me, the teabagz would obviously be more flexible. Normally I would say to get neither and treat the entire room, but you say you won't be mixing there, so it's really up to you.

Reggie Wed, 11/16/2005 - 07:27

Black Beethoven wrote: any input or suggestions on how I can get the cleanest sound from this setup in a large bedroom?

If this is the question, I'm not sure you will get much of an answer. Just plug the mic in, put the RNC in the insert (does an 002 have inserts?) put your vocalist in whatever space you can create that has minimal noise/reflections, and hit record. One thing I can say is to use proper gain staging since you will have a compressor in the chain. Don't use the compressor for your main gain control. Get optimal levels at the preamp, then compress and add makeup gain to taste.
If you are looking for further gear suggestions, I would recommend looking into an outboard mic preamp at some point. With a decent pre, along with the AT mic, there is little reason you can't track some studio-worthy vocals.

anonymous Wed, 11/16/2005 - 10:07

Reggie wrote: [quote=Black Beethoven]any input or suggestions on how I can get the cleanest sound from this setup in a large bedroom?

If this is the question, I'm not sure you will get much of an answer. Just plug the mic in, put the RNC in the insert (does an 002 have inserts?) put your vocalist in whatever space you can create that has minimal noise/reflections, and hit record. One thing I can say is to use proper gain staging since you will have a compressor in the chain. Don't use the compressor for your main gain control. Get optimal levels at the preamp, then compress and add makeup gain to taste.
If you are looking for further gear suggestions, I would recommend looking into an outboard mic preamp at some point. With a decent pre, along with the AT mic, there is little reason you can't track some studio-worthy vocals.

Reggie,

Thank you immensely for your response. Well, my first concern is my actual recording environment. I need to be able to record without worries of ambient noise (humming, pipes, AC/heat/etc.) from upstairs and in the room. I have no idea how to achieve this and which products will help me alleviate this.

As for an outboard preamp, that was definitely going to be in the cards for a little later down the road. The two main pres that have been brought to my attention are the Safe Sound P1 and the Mindprint MKII. I love that warm, vintage sound and I've been told these would be good pres for that. Any other input?

Reggie Thu, 11/17/2005 - 15:32

Come on website. WORK!

I sure won't try talking you out of the P1. I have one and I really dig it. Makes an immense improvement over cheaper pres, especially for vocals I think. Although, nowadays I tend to use one of my Seventh Circle preamps for gain, and then run that signal into the P1 for compression/expansion/limiting. At any rate, the P1 is a great tool to have. You have to pay a lot more $$ to get a better total package.

As far as sound dampening goes, it sounds like you have a lot of noises to battle. The expander on the P1 definitely helps cut a lot of this out, but there should be some things you can do. One thing I did for a portable sorta-gobo panel thingy is I knabbed some damaged panels of 1.5" x 8' x 4' extruded polystyrene from a building supply warehouse place, and I stuck some squares of 4" foam across it. You can cut them down to whatever size you like or whatever works. Make a little booth out of them or something and move them outta the way when you are done. Put them up against the wall in whatever room you monitor in if you decide to do any mixing at home. If you are handy, you could even get some OwensCorning 703-type stuff and make some wood frames to fit 6 or 8 panels in and it would be even better. Anyway, get creative and just find a way to put some mass between you and the noise.
Have fun

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