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starting a studio

S

solutionbassist

Apr 19, 2010
202
2
#1
i am starting a small studio (that can only be located in the same room i sleep in) i know i will need to do some soundproofing and i have materials to do this

what are a few good 12 track recording devices that do not require computers?
what kind of microphones will i need to record orchestra instruments (acoustic guitars, upright basses, cello, viola, violin, piano) and woodwinds (flutes and oboes)?
can i use a clipmic to record string instruments? this is a clipmic http://www.amazon.com/Korg-CM-100L-Tuner-Clip/dp/B0002KZ9MC/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t
are there any other materials i will need?

i will be recording short playing test kind of stuff, possibly my own metal/rock praise and worship band, possibly a band consisting of an electric bass, drums, two guitars, piano, two celli

sorry if these are repeat questions but i didn't find anything on search thanks:p
 
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#3
Why don't you want to use a computer?
Way more flexible, better ways to upgrade, you could get a nice 8 channel interface
for 300$ used.
You can do way more, there are tons of great free plugins and stuff.

About microphones, it all depends on your budget and what sound you want, I
would go for an condenser mic (studio projects has some goodpriced ones).
 
#4
StefTD said:
Why don't you want to use a computer?
Way more flexible, better ways to upgrade, you could get a nice 8 channel interface
for 300$ used.
You can do way more, there are tons of great free plugins and stuff.

About microphones, it all depends on your budget and what sound you want, I
would go for an condenser mic (studio projects has some goodpriced ones).
Click to expand...

i live at my parents house and i am only allowed to have studio equipment in my bedroom their computers dont have the hard drive space and i cant hardly operate a computer software program are there any for non technical people?
 
#7
i would hang out over at www.tapeop.com great message board for creative recording, pretty mellow most of the time, but just so you know, you should spend a few hours just reading on that board, maybe on Invalid Link Removed, because what you are asking is VERY basic, and google is your friend.

also, some sort of budget idea is crucial to even begin talking about recording gear... i could put together a setup without a computer that would do what you want and spend over $100,000... so, if you're looking to spend $50, $500, $1500, $5k, $50k.... it all matters in these issues, and there are good options at (almost) all budgets.

john
 
#8
JohnDavisNYC said:
i would hang out over at www.tapeop.com great message board for creative recording, pretty mellow most of the time, but just so you know, you should spend a few hours just reading on that board, maybe on Invalid Link Removed, because what you are asking is VERY basic, and google is your friend.

also, some sort of budget idea is crucial to even begin talking about recording gear... i could put together a setup without a computer that would do what you want and spend over $100,000... so, if you're looking to spend $50, $500, $1500, $5k, $50k.... it all matters in these issues, and there are good options at (almost) all budgets.

john
Click to expand...

thanks:D looking to spend about $200
 
#10
You really need to jump onto the high tech bandwagon. You're going to be left in the dust. It's all computer based these days from simple home studios to high end studios. To get started you could get a zoom H2, and later connect it to a simple computer, and student discounted software. Many schools have music technology classes and credits you can get.

Tuner clip mics are not for recording, they are just for picking vibrations for the tuner to determine pitch.
 
#11
seamonkey said:
You really need to jump onto the high tech bandwagon. You're going to be left in the dust. It's all computer based these days from simple home studios to high end studios. To get started you could get a zoom H2, and later connect it to a simple computer, and student discounted software. Many schools have music technology classes and credits you can get.

Tuner clip mics are not for recording, they are just for picking vibrations for the tuner to determine pitch.
Click to expand...

my teacher calls them mics
ill check out the student discounted software i wish my school had a music tech class...........
 
#12
seamonkey said:
You really need to jump onto the high tech bandwagon. You're going to be left in the dust. It's all computer based these days from simple home studios to high end studios. To get started you could get a zoom H2, and later connect it to a simple computer, and student discounted software. Many schools have music technology classes and credits you can get.

Tuner clip mics are not for recording, they are just for picking vibrations for the tuner to determine pitch.
Click to expand...

i would really like to use a computer but id need to get an external removable hard drive for recording any ideas for that??
 
#13
solutionbassist said:
my teacher calls them mics
ill check out the student discounted software i wish my school had a music tech class...........
Click to expand...

You can get mics that LOOK like that, for sure. They look very similar, are you sure that it was that item that your teacher calls a clip mic?

You'll probably get some sound out of one of those but its likely to sound pretty awful! Its probably just a cheap as chips piezo pickup attached to a plastic crocodile clip! :)

I agree with go computer! It makes a lot of sense and if you are not technically minded then you'd better make sure the one format you learn is going to be able to do everything you will ever need! Thats my 2c anyway. I think HD recorders can be great for certain people and situations but unless you have good solid reasons to use one over a computer you should probably go with the 'industry standard'.

Recording IS technical, whatever happens you are going to have to learn some stuff, but it'll probably do you some good!
 
#15
Charling said:
You can get mics that LOOK like that, for sure. They look very similar, are you sure that it was that item that your teacher calls a clip mic?

You'll probably get some sound out of one of those but its likely to sound pretty awful! Its probably just a cheap as chips piezo pickup attached to a plastic crocodile clip! :)

I agree with go computer! It makes a lot of sense and if you are not technically minded then you'd better make sure the one format you learn is going to be able to do everything you will ever need! Thats my 2c anyway. I think HD recorders can be great for certain people and situations but unless you have good solid reasons to use one over a computer you should probably go with the 'industry standard'.

Recording IS technical, whatever happens you are going to have to learn some stuff, but it'll probably do you some good!
Click to expand...

he showed me my tuner clip and called it a clip mic
 
#16
the whole argument for digital recording is that nowadays, it is cheap and good enough to get professional quality recordings for a very reasonable price. Now seeing as you don't have a dedicated computer, iterface, etc. that adds cost. For $1000 you can get a laptop, interface, Cakewalk Sonar Home Studio, an sm58, and you're good to go getting decent recordings.

$200 will pretty much be able to get you a good mic. You're trying to capture a live sound so that first piece of equipment needs to be able to capture that sound accurately. SM58's and SM57's are the standards for being cheap while still having good capturing qualities and being extremely durable and dependable.

If you don't have any recording equipment yet, $200 really won't get you very far. You might be able to get enough stuff TO RECORD but it's not going to sound good so you won't ever want to listen to it, so what's the point.
 
#18
wetzelman1 said:
the whole argument for digital recording is that nowadays, it is cheap and good enough to get professional quality recordings for a very reasonable price. Now seeing as you don't have a dedicated computer, iterface, etc. that adds cost. For $1000 you can get a laptop, interface, Cakewalk Sonar Home Studio, an sm58, and you're good to go getting decent recordings.

$200 will pretty much be able to get you a good mic. You're trying to capture a live sound so that first piece of equipment needs to be able to capture that sound accurately. SM58's and SM57's are the standards for being cheap while still having good capturing qualities and being extremely durable and dependable.

If you don't have any recording equipment yet, $200 really won't get you very far. You might be able to get enough stuff TO RECORD but it's not going to sound good so you won't ever want to listen to it, so what's the point.
Click to expand...

i have an 8 track recorder but i need to boost the memory or get something new i have a place to get good mics for less than 100 dollars
 
#19
solutionbassist said:
i have an 8 track recorder but i need to boost the memory or get something new i have a place to get good mics for less than 100 dollars
Click to expand...
You can use your 8 track device if you're a little crafty with it. Since it is digital, you can mix several tracks into a stereo mix and then continue the same process:
6 will mix into tracks 7 and 8
4 will mix into tracks 5 and 6
2 will mix into tracks 3 and 4
2 will mix into tracks 1 and 2
yielding 14 tracks total. One caveat, you have to be OK with what you have mixed down to any pair of tracks. I assume you're just doing demos, etc. on this. When you hear "The Beatles recorded Sergeant Pepper on a 4 track" what they really mean is that they used two 4 tracks and used this ping-pong technique. All of us who grew up on TASCAM Porta-Studio Cassette Recorders are privy to these kinds of techniques.
Still, there are a number of 12 track to 16 track recorders, such as the Zoom I posted a link to, that will do the trick for $3-400.
 
#20
Roy Vogt said:
You can use your 8 track device if you're a little crafty with it. Since it is digital, you can mix several tracks into a stereo mix and then continue the same process:
6 will mix into tracks 7 and 8
4 will mix into tracks 5 and 6
2 will mix into tracks 3 and 4
2 will mix into tracks 1 and 2
yielding 14 tracks total. One caveat, you have to be OK with what you have mixed down to any pair of tracks. I assume you're just doing demos, etc. on this. When you hear "The Beatles recorded Sergeant Pepper on a 4 track" what they really mean is that they used two 4 tracks and used this ping-pong technique. All of us who grew up on TASCAM Porta-Studio Cassette Recorders are privy to these kinds of techniques.
Still, there are a number of 12 track to 16 track recorders, such as the Zoom I posted a link to, that will do the trick for $3-400.
Click to expand...

cool:p
 

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