Hey guys, for the past couple years I've really wanted to start my own studio. I'm wondering what a good set-up would be?:confused: I want to be able to track drums and I am interested in recording heavy music.
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My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad
My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad so this is just a paste (I don't want to re-type this all the time):
First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $16
[="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0470385421/?tag=recording.org-20"]Amazon.com: Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies (9780470385425): Jeff Strong: Books[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies (9780470385425): Jeff Strong: Books[/]
PC Recording Studios for Dummies - $16
[[url=http://="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: PC Recording Studios For Dummies (9780764577079): Jeff Strong: Books[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: PC Recording Studios For Dummies (9780764577079): Jeff Strong: Books[/]
(Wish I'd had those when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)
You can also pick up this book in most any Borders or Barnes&Noble in the Music Books section!
Recording Guitar and Bass by Huw Price
[="http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Guitar-Bass-Getting-Record/dp/0879307307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215734124&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Recording Guitar and Bass: Getting a Great Sound Every Time You Record (Book) (9780879307301): Huw Price: Books[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: Recording Guitar and Bass: Getting a Great Sound Every Time You Record (Book) (9780879307301): Huw Price: Books[/]
(I got my copy at a place called Half-Price Books for $6!!)
Home Recording for Beginners by Geoffrey Francis
[[url=http://="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: Home Recording for Beginners (Artistpro) (9781598638813): Geoffrey Francis: Books[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: Home Recording for Beginners (Artistpro) (9781598638813): Geoffrey Francis: Books[/]
When you get a bit into it, I highly recomend The Art of Mixing by David Gibson
[="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Mixing-Recording-Engineering-Production/dp/1931140456"]Amazon.com: The Art of Mixing: A Visual Guide to Recording, Engineering, and Production (Artistpro) (9781931140454): David Gibson: Books[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]Amazon.com: The Art of Mixing: A Visual Guide to Recording, Engineering, and Production (Artistpro) (9781931140454): David Gibson: Books[/]
A MUST READ: Kim Lajoie's "Lifesigns from studio" - FREE - http://www.errepici.it/web/download/KLBD.asp
And you can get a FREE subscription to TapeOp magazine at [[url=http://="http://www.tapeop.c…"]Tape Op Magazine[/]="http://www.tapeop.c…"]Tape Op Magazine[/]
Barnes&Noble or Borders are great places to start --- they have recording books and you can go get a snack or coffee and read them for FREE! Don't pass by a good recording book --- this is a VERY technical hobby and you REALLY want to start a reference library!!!
Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics and have good tips:
[="http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm"]Tweak's Guide to the Home and Project Studio[/]="http://www.tweakhea…"]Tweak's Guide to the Home and Project Studio[/]
[[url=http://="http://www.computer…"]Free beginner PDFs | Computer Music Magazine | MusicRadar.com[/]="http://www.computer…"]Free beginner PDFs | Computer Music Magazine | MusicRadar.com[/]
[="http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/"]The #1 online community for musicians | Harmony Central[/]="http://www.harmony-…"]The #1 online community for musicians | Harmony Central[/]
[[url=http://="http://www.gearslut…"]Tips & Techniques - Gearslutz.com[/]="http://www.gearslut…"]Tips & Techniques - Gearslutz.com[/]
Guitar Amp Recording: [="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug07/articles/guitaramprecording.htm"]Guitar Amp Recording[/]="http://www.soundons…"]Guitar Amp Recording[/]
21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig: [[url=http://="http://www.tweakhea…"]How to Configure a Recording Studio Rig[/]="http://www.tweakhea…"]How to Configure a Recording Studio Rig[/]
Other recording books: [="http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html"]Music Books Plus - Home Recording[/]="http://musicbookspl…"]Music Books Plus - Home Recording[/]
Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) and NOT quality music production.
#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.
Here's a good guide and user-tested suggestions that work: [[url=http://="http://www.tweakhea…"]The Best Audio Interfaces for your Home Studio by TweakHeadz Lab[/]="http://www.tweakhea…"]The Best Audio Interfaces for your Home Studio by TweakHeadz Lab[/]
(you'll want to bookmark and read through all of Tweak's Guide while you're there...)
Plenty of software around to record for FREE to start out on:
Sony ACID Xpress 10-track sequencer: [="http://www.acidplanet.com/downloads/xpress/"]ACIDplanet.com: Free Downloads: ACID Xpress[/]="http://www.acidplan…"]ACIDplanet.com: Free Downloads: ACID Xpress[/]
Audacity: [[url=http://="http://audacity.sou…"]Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder[/]="http://audacity.sou…"]Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder[/] (multi-track with VST support)
Wavosaur: [="http://www.wavosaur.com/"]Wavosaur free audio editor with VST and ASIO support[/]="http://www.wavosaur…"]Wavosaur free audio editor with VST and ASIO support[/] (a stereo audio file editor with VST support)
Kristal: [[url=http://="http://www.kreative…"]KRISTAL Audio Engine[/]="http://www.kreative…"]KRISTAL Audio Engine[/]
Other freebies and shareware: [="http://www.hitsquad.com/smm"]Music Software - Computer Music Resources - Shareware Music Machine[/]="http://www.hitsquad…"]Music Software - Computer Music Resources - Shareware Music Machine[/]
Another great option is REAPER at [[url=http://="http://www.cockos.c…"]REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits[/]="http://www.cockos.c…"]REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits[/]
(It's $60 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)
I use Reaper and highly reccomend it...
Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($25) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages...
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://myriad-onlin…"]Myriad: Music Notation Software and much more... / Myriad : logiciels de musique, et bien plus...[/]="http://myriad-onlin…"]Myriad: Music Notation Software and much more... / Myriad : logiciels de musique, et bien plus...[/]
Demo you can try on the website.
And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full FREE studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (November 2006 they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150, November 2007-on the racks Dec in the US- they gave away SamplitudeV9SE and July 2009 issue they put out Samplitude10SE, December 2010 they gave away Samplitude11LE. FREE. It pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)
'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.'
1. A computer, to record with 2. DAW or recording software 3. Au
1. A computer, to record with
2. DAW or recording software
3. Audio Interface, to record you stuff with (probably one with enough mics to record the drums you want)
4. Assuming you will be doing Vocals, a decent vocal mic
5. Monitors, to hear the recorded music back also for mixing
6. Headphones, many reasons for this.
7. a place to record
8. cables to plug in your mics and instruments
9. maybe a desk to put your computer one
10. power strips!
11. a drum kit to record your drums on.
12. guitars and amps (usually heavy music has these instruments in them so i would suggest having this type of gear)
13. a budget! always helpful in knowing your limits to know what gear you can afford.
14. an idea, goal, a destination! if you have nothing to achieve then how will you accomplish it? Even if your wants and need change you still need to have a place (idea, goal, destination) to go in-order to get there.
I dont know if this is the type of answer you were looking for but your question was kind of general, so i answered it as specific as i could to the question you asked.