Home Studio Setup (Newbie)

[aaalviny]

Hello everyone,

I am quite new to the recording equipment things and am planning to start with it.
I guess my budgets would be under US$400 as a whole (is it possible?)

Basically I will be requiring 2 vocals and 1 digital piano (can also add 1 upright piano for 2-piano things..-- but i know it will be hard/expensive to record upright piano)

I would also like to make a practice place, i.e. not just to record but also be able to listen real time

so basically,
i m not sure about if my understanding below is correct:

if i use USB audio interface, i can record multiple channels separately into the computer, but cannot hear it real time?
and i think no sound card is needed, right?

if i use USB mixer, i can hear it real time (just like the ordinary mixer), but there would only be 1 channel of L R (from mixer output) recorded to the computer?
for this case i need a sound card?



I have seen a little discussions about mixers / USB audio interface,
and found TASCAM US1200, Alesis io4 USB audio interface,
and USB mixers like Behringer XENYX 1204, Alesis MultiMix 4 / 8 USB FX, Mackie USB mixer ProFX8

How could I achieve both aims, for record (better with multi track recording) and real-time practice?
or what's the simplest way if I only need it for practice and I only need 1 channel mixer output for recording?

Moreover I still couldn't find much info about amp / speakers. what will be the result if i use "cheap" speakers like Philips SPA6350?


I have not decided whether to use dynamic / condenser mics yet, though.


Seems there's a very broad topic here
any help would be very much appreciated, thanks a lot.

 

[Rmackner]

if i use USB audio interface, i can record multiple channels separately into the computer, but cannot hear it real time?
and i think no sound card is needed, right?
all usb interfaces only allow you to record two channels at once, anything else and you need firewire.

if i use USB mixer, i can hear it real time (just like the ordinary mixer), but there would only be 1 channel of L R (from mixer output) recorded to the computer?
for this case i need a sound card?
If your using the USB connect into a PC and then listening to play back from the PC you will have some latency (usb sends several small packets over the data cable unlike firewire that's a realtime connection). If you use the L R into a sound card you might fix some of the latency but still can't record more then 2 channels with a usb designed interface.

A usb interface will also have random hiss and pops when recording, that's is a none issue with firewire.

 

[aaalviny]

Thanks a lot!

So I think I should use a mixer with amp right?
for recording purpose i could record the mixer output directly.

how about BEHRINGER XENYX 1202FX with 2 cardioid dynamic mic
shure SM58 is good? or any cheaper one with reasonable quality? (maybe around US$ 70 for one?)

so what's left are only amp and speaker right?
but i m really not familiar with amp/speaker...even the approximate budget for normal use...seems not easy to find those info, (maybe just because I have experience playing with mixers and have learnt knowledge about mics)
could you give any advice? Really thanks very much.

 

[old spice]

Here's a site with a LOT of information, well organized:
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[sandman357]

I am a beginner as well so take my advice for what it is worth. I went with the Zoom R16 mixer. They are $400 new but you can find them much cheaper used. I got mine for $255. It records to an sd card that you can use in a computer or it has usb out as well. It has 8 inputs and 8 virtual tracks so you can record up to 16 tracks. What is cool is you can connect it to another r16 and have 16 live tracks. I don't see myself doing that, but the point is it is expandable if you ever wanted do do it later.

The best part is it is all portable. It even runs on batteries if needed. My studio is where ever I take it

There are some YouTube videos for the r16 and r24 that are helpful.

For monitors you have headphone out and a left and right line out just like any mixer. I use the line out to go into the aux input on a stereo I have and use that for my "live sound". So I did not spend any money on monitors.

The sm58 is a good enough mic to start with.

So for me, I decided to spend most of my budget on a good quality used recorder that can be expanded later if needed. I am using equipment I already have to get started recording now. (Stereo for live monitors and sm58 mic) as I save more money I can invest in a better mic and monitoring system. But I am basically up and running for under $400 and have a good foundation to build around as I get more experience.

Let me know if you want more info or pictures of how I have things hooked up.
Good luck!

 

[And I]

There are dozens of USB audio interfaces that offer more than 2 mic pres and more than 2 simultaneous inputs, and record free of hiss, clicks, and pops. Most offer flexible routing for monitoring so you can listen to the sound exactly as it's being recorded (i.e. hear it in real time) or listen to the outputs of your recording software, and many have built-in headphone amps.

for $400:
Tascam US-1200 ($125) (you will want to upgrade this... check out the focusrite 6i6)
Get two used dynamic vocal mics ($100 total tops) (you will want to upgrade these, but mics can get REALLY expensive... AT has some decent cheap large diaphragm condensers, and a Shure SM7b is one of the best value for the money vocal mic)
Spend the rest on decent monitor speakers.

 

[tmdazed]

I am a beginner as well so take my advice for what it is worth. I went with the Zoom R16 mixer. They are $400 new but you can find them much cheaper used. I got mine for $255. It records to an sd card that you can use in a computer or it has usb out as well. It has 8 inputs and 8 virtual tracks so you can record up to 16 tracks. What is cool is you can connect it to another r16 and have 16 live tracks. I don't see myself doing that, but the point is it is expandable if you ever wanted do do it later.

The best part is it is all portable. It even runs on batteries if needed. My studio is where ever I take it

There are some YouTube videos for the r16 and r24 that are helpful.

For monitors you have headphone out and a left and right line out just like any mixer. I use the line out to go into the aux input on a stereo I have and use that for my "live sound". So I did not spend any money on monitors.

The sm58 is a good enough mic to start with.

So for me, I decided to spend most of my budget on a good quality used recorder that can be expanded later if needed. I am using equipment I already have to get started recording now. (Stereo for live monitors and sm58 mic) as I save more money I can invest in a better mic and monitoring system. But I am basically up and running for under $400 and have a good foundation to build around as I get more experience.

Let me know if you want more info or pictures of how I have things hooked up.
Good luck!

not sold on sm58's for vocals, the r16 is a great starting point , no computer even needed for it , I went from a single r16 to 2 daisey chained USB, then using it as an interface for my daw , then built new computer solely for recording , next up is getting a 24 channel presonious studio live to replace the r16's. Along the way I replaced the cheapie mics with 57's and silverface senheiser 609's , the 58's do not get use because of their omnidirectional design picking up too much ambient noise, CAD condensors for ambient drum sounds , CAD drum mic set , got a killer deal on Neumann condensors and 2 ribbon mics for vocals . I do almost all of my recording off the floor , whole bands at once , gotten some decent results with current set up , but not crazy about the DAW control setup , more flexabilty will be gained with the presonious ( should arrive in a week or so) you start low budget but that usually climbs piece by piece