Re-doing recording/practice studio space. Questions ...

[pfschim]

So, I'm going to rethink/re-do my personal recording/practice studio space and I have a few questions for all you more experienced recording folks.

First, my use case is very simple:
Practice space for me. Occasional work with another player or 2, and recording tracks for singer/songwriters I work with. The space is large and nicely damped, but not a purpose built studio by any means.

When I'm tracking, I get a guide track (typically MP3, WAV or AIFF) and I add a bass part. Sometimes I do a mando or keys track, sometimes they get used, but the bass tracks are what I get called for.

When I practice, it's either very low volume thru my working amp/cab (Mesa WD800 + Berg CN or NV cab). ... or, more commonly, it's running a track on my laptop (M1 Macbook Air running Logic Pro, Reaper or Ableton), monitoring on my Focusrite 18i8 v3 using headphones (Beyer DT770 pro's) to hear it all. Works fine for my purposes.

I don't really have studio monitors, I use a very old set of Cambridge Audio 3" cubes and a matching Cambridge sub when I want to hear something "live". Also works fine as a low/med volume music listening system, but I know it's not a strictly flat monitoring situation.

All of this has basically been set up on serval smaller work tables that I threw together over time and now I want to do something purposeful.

I've got a 48x30 wood desk on its way. I will use a keyboard stand to the right of the desk (setting up a right handed L shape) to set up my keys.

So, questions:
Monitors. Do I really need near fields ? I don't use monitors currently, I listen to everything I record thru the Beyers, and practice the same way. Works fine for me, but maybe I'm missing something by not having a "live" monitoring source other than the headphones. I was looking at the JBL LSR305's and a few others, but am not sure I really want/need them.

Music stand: Do any of you use a music stand regularly ? If so, how do you orient it ? When using the stand to read a chart and record, I kind of need the stand to be in pretty close proximity to the laptop. But it can also get in the way of placing the external monitor. Any ideas on this would be welcome.

I'm cheap in the sense that I hate to spend money needlessly, but I do have a pretty solid budget to work with and money is not the prime decision factor. I'm looking for functionality.

any thoughts you all might have are most welcome

 

[EvilJ]

If you are not doing the mixing, then I'm pretty sure you are ok as is. Decent, accurate monitors and mineral wool room treatment if you are mixing.

 

[silky smoove]

Monitors. Do I really need near fields ? I don't use monitors currently, I listen to everything I record thru the Beyers, and practice the same way. Works fine for me, but maybe I'm missing something by not having a "live" monitoring source other than the headphones. I was looking at the JBL LSR305's and a few others, but am not sure I really want/need them.

If you know your existing speakers, and specifically how things translate on them in your room to the real world on multiple systems, then there's no inherent need to replace or supplement them, even if you're mixing. All that matters is translation. I don't know the speakers in question, but if they're working for you then there's probably not a reason to do anything else. I like having multiple sound sources to check what's being tracked and mixed in a variety of ways. I have near fields, ultra near fields, grot boxes, headphones, and a headphone modeling system, all of which tend to bring something different to the table in a revealing way.

Music stand: Do any of you use a music stand regularly ? If so, how do you orient it ? When using the stand to read a chart and record, I kind of need the stand to be in pretty close proximity to the laptop. But it can also get in the way of placing the external monitor. Any ideas on this would be welcome.

Sometimes, but more often than not if I'm reading something down as I track it, I'll just put it up on part of the monitor screen I'm using for my DAW. That way I don't have to introduce another obstruction into the environment, and I can read the chart as a player, while looking at the DAW as an engineer simultaneously. If I have to use a music stand I'll just stick it where ever it happens to work and then put it away as soon as I'm done.

 

[pfschim]

yeah, I'm pretty sure I don't really need near fields, but since I was re-doing/re-thinking my space I started wondering. I'm hardly ever mixing stuff here, just tracking. Every now and then I do end up doing multiple tracks either by myself or with one or two other players, and then I do some mixing. But it's very rudimentary mixing and the Beyer's have worked fine for that for some time. I can always add some after I re-arrange my desk surfaces .... if I really want that.

Seems like the JBL LSR305's are pretty well respected for basic monitoring, but I'm open to other suggestions.

As far as the music stand goes, I'm going to have to think on that a bit as far as arranging the layout. I use one all the time as I get multi-page charts on a fairly regular basis (small group jazz fusion stuff, big band kind of stuff, or the occasional keyboard composer who loves non-compact charts).

thanks for the input

 

[silky smoove]

Seems like the JBL LSR305's are pretty well respected for basic monitoring, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Yep, the LSR305s get a lot of love for being a quality monitor at a reasonable price point. I've also been impressed with Kali's offerings in terms of value for money. The Kali monitors are DSP-based, and I don't recall if the LSR305s are or not. Either way it's hard to go wrong for a secondary monitoring solution.

If you're using this second set for mixing then I would advise you to look into Slate VSX. I don't think there's a better monitoring solution on the market for less than $10K, not including room treatments.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

For non critical mixing and listening you do not need expensive monitors or a bunch of room treatment.

Get to Know your monitors, just like you know your cans and you will be fine.

I have used KRK passive monitors and a crown d150 that i bought for$100. I bet you have heard some of my mixes!

 

[Aloe]

Music stand: Do any of you use a music stand regularly ? If so, how do you orient it ? When using the stand to read a chart and record, I kind of need the stand to be in pretty close proximity to the laptop. But it can also get in the way of placing the external monitor. Any ideas on this would be welcome.

well, you can use your monitor as a chart reading device, especially if you have two. moreover, if you're recording using Cubase and you're looking at the monitor, you can write your chart in a chord track in Cubase.

when I need some external device for practice, I usually place my iPad like just on the table or on the cab, I have a music stand somewhere, but didn't use it for years.

please also note that in some cases being close and directed to your gear might give you more interference, one of my basses hisses and clicks badly if it faces my recording setup or my amp, so I click 'record' and turn around.

 

[pfschim]

I get actual paper charts from some sources, so digital options are not useful in this case.