liv4ree
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Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
Hey all. Looks like I have a wind fall coming. Going to be upgrading my studio in the new year. I've spent a ton of time researching the items that I'm going to be purchasing. One item that I can't decide on is my audio interface. First let me explain my situation. I only record the trio that I'm in. We write and record our own material, Folk/Country. We record acoustic guitars, banjo, flute, harmonica, electric guitars (direct, no amps), percussion, if we use drums on a tune, I use EZ drummer, vocals, and bass (direct). I haven't upgraded my set up for about 4 or 5 years. I'm totally replacing what I have now, and I have a pretty sweet budget. 30,000.00.
Here's what I have on my list thus far, but can't decide on my audio interface. Was looking at the apollo quad, and the fireface ufx.
The rackmount pro rack from studiocat
Matched Pair of Neumann KM183 primarily for acoustic guitars, banjo
Blue Microphones Kiwi Vocals
LA-610 pre/comp
LA2A comp
1176 pre
API The Channel Strip pre/comp/eq
Shure sm7
Neumann TLM 49
sE Electronics Reflexion Filter
Avid Eleven Rack (guitar effects)
Avid Eleven Rack Expansion Pack
Avid eleven rack Expression Pedal
Yamaha HS80M studio monitors
Fostex TP50 headphones
I'm going to keep my current headphone amp.
Studiocat offers both the apollo and fireface so they must have great drivers.
Thanks guys..
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robert_e_bone
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 08:21:48
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Would you adopt me?
Others with better knowledge will be posting with many good suggestions.
Bob Bone
Wisdom is a giant accumulation of "DOH!" Sonar: Platinum (x64), X3 (x64) Audio Interfaces: AudioBox 1818VSL, Steinberg UR-22 Computers: 1) i7-2600 k, 32 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 Pro x64 & 2) AMD A-10 7850 32 GB RAM Windows 10 Pro x64 Soft Synths: NI Komplete 8 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, many others MIDI Controllers: M-Audio Axiom Pro 61, Keystation 88es Settings: 24-Bit, Sample Rate 48k, ASIO Buffer Size 128, Total Round Trip Latency 9.7 ms
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AT
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 10:20:16
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A couple of things stick out.
The Apollo looks good and I've got a friend who has replaced a lot of outboard w/ UAD effects. In his line of work the difference in quality wasn't worth the time to reset all the hardware when labels wanted "a little change." Plus the fact he had 60 little heaters going in the Texas heat! You have likely heard his work or mixes on the radio or in the movie theaters. With your budget I would think about picking up a used UAD 2192 for overdubs and montitoring. They can be had for less than $2000 and should work well w/ the folk/country styles (hell, sounds good on any style with a deep rich transformer sound - a perfect balance for the clean, transfomerless Apollo). They are cheap right now since they are being replaced by Burls (he designed the 2192).
Speaking of monitoring, I'd definately upgrade the HS80s. At least the MPS 7s or something else more honest. You won't be able to take the most advantage of all the other great the stuff you are using if you can't hear the details.
And some treatment for the room if you don't have it already. Good for vocals, and I'm sure you'll do some other acoustic recordings where that will help - even electric guitar. Amp Sims are getting good, but sometimes recording good ole air will be the necessary final touch for a song and make all the sims seem more real.
Another thing to consider is a good ribbon mike if you don't have one, esp. for the retro sound (or just another flavor for a change up). You don't need to go hog wild, but a Beyer Dynamic 160 or the R101 run about $700. Great mikes for the locker.
Finally, a touchscreen montior if you are doing your own mixing. I'm looking at the new dell one - $650 for a 23 incher (or so) but the stand folds down flat. I'll probably wait until prices drop w/ offshoots but it looks perfect for editing etc.
Have fun - it would be hard not to w/ so many new toys to play w/.
@
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http://www.bnoir-film.com/ there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
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Razorwit
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 15:57:42
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Hi liv4ree
+1 to what AT said in general.
Some additional points:
I'm guessing you mean KM184's (not 183). Pretty standard, but may be worth it to poke at Gefells or some such. I know lots of folks (including me) who aren't terribly fond of the 184's (I like my Gefells way better than my 184's)
The 1176 is a compressor, not a pre. It's a studio standard and I love mine, but keep in mind you cannot use it as a pre....well...you can, but it may not be great.
API makes good gear, but if it was me I'd look at a 500 series rack instead of the Channel Strip. You can get a 10 slot rack and load it with the same API modules you get in the Channel Strip for about the same money, but then still have slots left over to populate down the road.
I'd really look at other monitors....Focal, Genelec, upper-end JBL's etc. Remember that your near fields are an item that you'll use every single time you use the studio...probably a good place to spend a little money and leave the KRK's and M-Audio's and such to others.
Along those lines, if you don't already have a treated room that'd be the first place I'd look. It's not as sexy as electronics, but IMHO it's the one commonality in your studio...that is, everything you do is affected by your room.
For interfaces, I don't know a bunch about the RME stuff, but in general you may want to start looking at separate interface, conversion and pre's. In my case that's a Lynx AES16e, Lynx Aurora 16 and then a bunch of discrete mic pres, but there are a bunch of options out there (including RME). I do continually hear good things about RME, but I've loved my Lynx gear and you see those a ton as well.
Oh, and you may want to look at a nice 2bus comp...SSL or API or whatnot. I know some folks love software for that, but it'd take a lot for me to get rid of my SSL bus comp.
Sound like a fun project BTW!
Good luck
Dean
Intel Core i7; 32GB RAM; Win10 Pro x64;RME HDSPe MADI FX; Orion 32 and Lynx Aurora 16; Mics and other stuff...
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hockeyjx
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 16:41:02
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I love my HS80s, but if you have the money, maybe get a "B" pair. Just go to a store, with music you think is well done and see if it sounds correct and balanced to YOUR ears. The HS80s sounded more flat than other, more fashionable brands to me after extensive tests. The room treatment is also very important. I wouldn't go crazy though (because who listens to music in a "perfect" room?). http://fractalaudio.com/p...reamp-fx-processor.php - I heard this was AWESOME! Basically, if you have the time, go try everything out!
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Psychobillybob
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 16:50:33
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Your list is weak on pre-amps and mics. Audio interface I would suggest a company that ONLY makes the interface, the UAD stuff gets a little less quality because they try to do so much...I'd check out a Mohog 1176 instead of the UA 1176 (Brandon is a big Cakewalk user by the way, his stuff is currently being used by major Grammy engineers), cheaper and better sounding with less noise...he is also making a new Neve pre-amp so a boutique shop where the owner also does the service might make life a little easier. For an interfaceI really like the Lynx stuff, and have used the UAD, Prism and Apogee all...for the price Lynx in my opinion is doing the best bang for the buck right now...once you reach a certain price point the quality of the converters is not quite the issue it is lower down the food chain. Lynx has a lot of options in terms of cards/or rackmount and they are really good on customer support. I currently do not like the 500 series rack approach, and my reasoning is this: when you go to a smaller footprint to make a 500 series card, you DO have to eliminate some of the stuff you get in a normal channel strip...a 1RU rack case has more room to get the transformers and psu AWAY from the input/output connections...all in all a lot of the companies do a pretty good job here, but we moved away from the 500 racks several years ago when we noticed our API 500 was noisier than the channel strip...supposed to be the exact same circuit, but it definitely sounded different...we may have thrown the baby out with the bath water on that one, but it was the only feasible explanation we could find. Of course depending on how pristine and what you are recording, your mileage may vary. I would check out Cathedral Pipes a a really great boutique mic shop, Chuck is top notch and builds a very good quality product, and nice eye candy mics as well...you'd be amazed at how much better your tracking performance can be when the eye candy is there.
I'm using SOnar Platinium on a 6 core Lynx Audio machine and a ton of vintage pre-amps/eq's/comps I build for fun and sometimes money, REDD.47/API/Neve I also use the UAD stuff, and also use a Macbook Logic 9 through Apogee...
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Razorwit
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 17:13:10
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Hi PSB, Hunh...those Cathedral Pipes mics are sexy. Dammit...must...resist...G.A.S. Oh, and to the O.P., Psychobillybob is totally, unequivocally wrong when it comes to the 500 series stuff! And not as just a matter of opinion...factually, empirically, demonstrably and maliciously wrong. So wrong, in fact, that it may actually make him a bad person.  I kid of course. There's lots of different takes on this stuff. Read up and try out what you can before buying. I've only used the 500 series API stuff and not the Channel Strip so his experience may very well be universal. For me I really like the API 500 stuff, as well as the Great River 500 series stuff and I'm not a fan of channel strips in general, hence my preference. Certainly there are folks who don't like the 500 series stuff and probably have reasonable rationales for that preference. Try it out and see what you like. Oh, and PSB, between the Mohog stuff and now these mic's you're going to have me in bankruptcy :) Dean
Intel Core i7; 32GB RAM; Win10 Pro x64;RME HDSPe MADI FX; Orion 32 and Lynx Aurora 16; Mics and other stuff...
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Psychobillybob
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 17:38:26
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Sorry Dean, but this is why I joined Prodigy DIY so I could afford to build this stuff..
I'm using SOnar Platinium on a 6 core Lynx Audio machine and a ton of vintage pre-amps/eq's/comps I build for fun and sometimes money, REDD.47/API/Neve I also use the UAD stuff, and also use a Macbook Logic 9 through Apogee...
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 18:21:54
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Wow.. Allot of suggestions. Thanks guys... I'll rethink a few items, Monitors, the api channel strip. I hadn't thought about a ribbon mic.
You guys have given me a ton to look at...
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rotaholic
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 21:29:46
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Ditch the eleven rack and get yourself an Axe FX II, it is hands down the best investment I have made in the studio. Im now using it as my interface and am selling my Lavry and RME stuff. You wont be dissapointed.
Also Steven Slate Drums 4 with the new CLA Artist pack is a must have
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bluzdog
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 21:47:14
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This thread begs the questions: what's your workflow like? Are you familiar with the mics in your original post on your sources? Have you considerd going the console route for tracking and monitoring? I would up the ante on monitors and phones. I don't own one but from what I've seen & heard the Axe FX II is astonishing. With that budget you can end up with an awesome project studio that suits your needs or a bunch of stuff that's killer but might not work well for your situation. Just thinkin' , uh dreaming ))))))))))))))))) out loud.
Rocky
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bigboi
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/03 22:15:56
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/04 20:46:41
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I checked out the Axe FX II, it gets allot of good reviews. Any other thoughts on audio interfaces?
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Middleman
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/04 21:21:31
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LA-610 pre/comp - skip this and get a Neve based preamp. The reason I say this is because once you plug into the LA2A below, you will have all the warmth you need. I would suggest a Portico 5012 or actual Neve or a clone of a Neve 1073. LA2A comp - Yes, I have one. It is time saver on getting a top notch track. 1176 - Yes, have one of these too and it's a must for drum tracking and guitar tracking also for emphatic vocalists. API The Channel Strip pre/comp/eq - Yes, it's the other primary color for tracking for things like snare, and rock vocals. Shure sm7 - maybe depends on the vocalist. I have one and it gets used for loud singers but that's about it. Neumann TLM 49 - Ok, not for all vocalists, moving to an AR51, U87 might make you happier. I have one and it needs a good transformer in line to get a decent vocal. This mic into the 5012 into an LA2A has been my best vocal chain sound. I long for a U87. sE Electronics Reflexion Filter - works great but doesn't reduce ceiling bounce which in a small room is an issue. The interface recommendation from me is the Lynx Aurora 16. Add a Dangerous 2 buss and you have an ITB and killer OTB solution for hybrid mixing. Another recommendation would be the following: Master buss compressor for mixing (SSL clone or Portico 5043) stereo EQ for the master buss. Great River or a pair of Portico 5033. A bunch of 500 series options as well.
post edited by Middleman - 2012/12/05 13:00:11
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robert_e_bone
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/04 22:43:56
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bigboi
Here's an interface for you:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cakewalk-VS700R-VS700-R-VS-700-R-/271112953082?pt=US_Computer_Recording_Interfaces&hash=item3f1f975cfa
They don't come up for sale used very often. Mic pres are NICE on it. Good compression built in as well.
I thought there were grumblings from owners of these due to very very slow response to issues and things like that. I would suggest reading the Cakewalk Forum set up for owners of these. I think that I recall from cruising through there once that there were some unhappy folks there. Worth checking out prior to bidding on one. I had considered one, but ended up deciding not to at the time, as my divorce ripped the financial heart out of my body. Bob Bone
Wisdom is a giant accumulation of "DOH!" Sonar: Platinum (x64), X3 (x64) Audio Interfaces: AudioBox 1818VSL, Steinberg UR-22 Computers: 1) i7-2600 k, 32 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 Pro x64 & 2) AMD A-10 7850 32 GB RAM Windows 10 Pro x64 Soft Synths: NI Komplete 8 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, many others MIDI Controllers: M-Audio Axiom Pro 61, Keystation 88es Settings: 24-Bit, Sample Rate 48k, ASIO Buffer Size 128, Total Round Trip Latency 9.7 ms
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Razorwit
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/05 00:56:06
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+1 to what Middleman said. If you do decide for a Neve type pre I've loved my Great River pre's....mine are 500 format but they make stand-alone's as well. In fact, U87 into Great River into a TLA-100 (Summit Audio version of an LA-2A) is pretty fantastic for a lot of voice types. BTW, you keep hearing folks suggest Lynx for a reason Dean
Middleman
LA-610 pre/comp - skip this and get a Neve based preamp. The reason I say this is because once you plug into the LA2A below, you will have all the warmth you need. I would suggest a Portico 5012 or actual Neve or a clone of a Neve 1073.
LA2A comp - Yes, I have one. It is time saver on getting a top notch track.
1176 - Yes, have one of these too and it's a must for drum tracking and guitar tracking also for emphatic vocalists.
API The Channel Strip pre/comp/eq - Yes, it's the other primary color for tracking for things like snare, and rock vocals.
Shure sm7 - maybe depends on the vocalist. I have one and it gets used for loud singers but that's about it.
Neumann TLM 49 - Ok, not for all vocalists, moving to an AR51, U87 might make you happier. I have one and it needs a good transformer in line to get a decent vocal. This mic into the 5012 into an LA2A has been my best vocal chain sound. I long for a U87.
sE Electronics Reflexion Filter - works great but doesn't reduce ceiling bounce which in a small room is an issue.
The interface reccomendation from me is the Lynx Aurora 16. Add a Dangerous 2 buss and you have an ITB and killer OTB solution for hybrid mixing.
Another reccomendation would be the following:
Master buss compressor for mixing (SSL clone or Portico 5043)
stereo EQ for the master buss. Great River or a pair of Portico 5033. A bunch of 500 series options as well.
Intel Core i7; 32GB RAM; Win10 Pro x64;RME HDSPe MADI FX; Orion 32 and Lynx Aurora 16; Mics and other stuff...
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koolbass
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/05 02:48:36
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A lot of great suggestions. I just wanted to give a thumbs up to an RME audio interface. Personally, I use the RME Multiface II w/PCIe card into the computer, and I'm able to not only get good A/D D/A conversions, I really love the Cuemix and their ASIO direct monitoring aspect. I'm able to monitor instruments BEFORE they reach the computer, and can have individualized stereo mixes for several musicians simultaneously. And some of the newer models, like the RME UCX have efx built into the monitoring so a singer, for example, can expressively sing while "hearing" reverb, but the actual vocal is going to disk dry, allowing for later reverb/delay choices while mixing. So, we're talking about, basically, NO latency while monitoring. Most interfaces have this ability ONLY with their headphone out, but RME (and MOTU also, I believe) have this capability with ALL of their outputs. $30,000 is a lot of money, but it can easily be spent ... and wasted. I suggest going through your entire recording signal chain, and only buying, and replacing,with the best for each part, (one excellent pre instead of two mediocre mic-pres), and be the most picky with your audio converter, your mics, monitors, and your mic pres. Most other aspects can be handled via software. And, I'm not sure if I'd buy anything made by Avid, but that's just me. They always seem to be more sizzle than steak to my ears. Have fun, and just remember, you can only spend that money ONCE ...
post edited by koolbass - 2012/12/05 02:54:52
Cheers, Lance "koolbass" Martin Sonar Platinum, Sound Forge Pro 12, ADK built audio computer: Intel 8 core i7 Haswell-E overclocked 4.2GHz; 32 Gig DDR4/2666 ram; Corsair 850W power; Windows Pro 10 x64; Geforce GTX 980 video w/4 monitors (Acer 27" touch screen/primary); 3 Seagate drives - OS, audio, samples, 2 TB external USB3 bkup drive; RME MADIface XT; Ferrofish A16 MKII ADDA; Lucid GenX 6-96 clock www.BoogieHouseMusic.com
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koolbass
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/05 02:52:43
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I'm sorry that my previous post had no "apparent" paragraphs, but they all went away when I posted ... what am I doing wrong?
Cheers, Lance "koolbass" Martin Sonar Platinum, Sound Forge Pro 12, ADK built audio computer: Intel 8 core i7 Haswell-E overclocked 4.2GHz; 32 Gig DDR4/2666 ram; Corsair 850W power; Windows Pro 10 x64; Geforce GTX 980 video w/4 monitors (Acer 27" touch screen/primary); 3 Seagate drives - OS, audio, samples, 2 TB external USB3 bkup drive; RME MADIface XT; Ferrofish A16 MKII ADDA; Lucid GenX 6-96 clock www.BoogieHouseMusic.com
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/05 22:41:29
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Ok guys narrowing it down. Here's where I stand..
Rackmount PC : Studiocat
UAD Quad Flex
Sonar X1
Neumann U 87 Ai Set Z
Lynx Aurora 16
Lynx AES16e
Gefell M950 stereo pair (primarily for acoustic guitars)
Blue Microphones Kiwi
Portico 5012 preamp
LA2A comp
1176 comp
API The Channel Strip pre/comp/eq
Shure sm7
SE Electronics Reflexion Filter
Kemper profiling amp
YAMAHA MSP7 STUDIO MONITOR 800.00
3 Pair Fostex T50RP headphones
Going to continue using my Mackie Control Pro, I'm also researching the Dangerous 2 buss
That puts me in at around 30,000 new
Any other thoughts from anyone?
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Razorwit
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/05 23:14:36
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That's some nice gear, but a couple of changes I'd make: 1. You don't have a matching pair of preamps which means your nice matched pair of M950's (which are phenomenal mics BTW) don't have matching pre's to plug in to. 2. I would imagine (don't know for sure) that the Kiwi and the 87 likely occupy a similar sonic space. I'd think about dropping either the kiwi or the 87 and using that cash to add a matching pre and maybe upgrade the monitors. If it was me I'd keep the 87...it's a real standard and I use mine all the time... One more thing....if you can demo any of this gear before buying you really should. I've used the gear I'm suggesting (and a whole bunch of gear that I'm not suggesting ) but really the only opinion that matters is yours after you use it and hear it. Dean EDIT: one more thing: If you go with the AES16e/Aurora 16 know that it is VERY flexible...you can route and live monitor any combination of inputs to any combination of outputs, but it's not for the faint of heart. It's big and can be daunting. Expect to read docs and spend some time with it.
Intel Core i7; 32GB RAM; Win10 Pro x64;RME HDSPe MADI FX; Orion 32 and Lynx Aurora 16; Mics and other stuff...
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/06 00:23:32
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Hey Dean, thanks for the comments. I have a question. The portico 5012 is a dual channel pre. You don't think that would work?
If I wanted to go with the U87 and ditch the Kiwi, what would be another mic with a different color that you'd recommend?
One other thing that I'd like to add that I had originally posted. This set up will basically solely be used for our trio's writing/ recording projects. Which is country/folk.
Thanks again..
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Razorwit
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/06 00:52:38
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Hi liv4ree,
Oh...well I'll be...so it is. Well that's cool (and now I kinda want one dammit). Yep, should work fine.
re: the Kiwi - I don't own one, but I do own some 414's which, from what I read, is more or less the flavor the Kiwi is doing. The thing about the Kiwi is it's a solid state LDC, as is the 87. Were it me and I was getting a pair of LDC's, I'd likely be looking at a solid state and a tube mic (unless I was getting a matched pair)...that way you cover more sonic territory. I own a Blue Bottle Rocket Stage II that I quite like, and it certainly gives a different flavor than a U87, particularly with (e.g.) a B7 cap.
Now, I'm not saying that the Kiwi is going to sound like an 87...it probably won't and I don't own one so I can't say one way or another. But if you got a tube mic to go with the 87 you would likely be covering a wider spectrum than you will be with a pair of solid state LDC's. It's really just a matter of versatility.
Another option is a ribbon, though (IMHO) they're not as versatile as LDC's. I own a couple ribbons and, while I like them, if I had to choose between my ribbons and my LDC's I'd keep the LDC's every time.
I know I keep saying this, so my apologies, but really try out stuff first if you can...even if you have to spend a couple hundred bucks to do so. A plane ticket to a place that you can demo stuff is cheaper than a $3000 piece of gear that you hate. Believe me, I've found that out the hard way.
Dean
Intel Core i7; 32GB RAM; Win10 Pro x64;RME HDSPe MADI FX; Orion 32 and Lynx Aurora 16; Mics and other stuff...
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/06 06:24:29
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Freddie H
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/06 06:45:24
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liv4ree
Hey all. Looks like I have a wind fall coming. Going to be upgrading my studio in the new year. I've spent a ton of time researching the items that I'm going to be purchasing. One item that I can't decide on is my audio interface. First let me explain my situation. I only record the trio that I'm in. We write and record our own material, Folk/Country. We record acoustic guitars, banjo, flute, harmonica, electric guitars (direct, no amps), percussion, if we use drums on a tune, I use EZ drummer, vocals, and bass (direct). I haven't upgraded my set up for about 4 or 5 years. I'm totally replacing what I have now, and I have a pretty sweet budget. 30,000.00.
Here's what I have on my list thus far, but can't decide on my audio interface. Was looking at the apollo quad, and the fireface ufx.
The rackmount pro rack from studiocat
Matched Pair of Neumann KM183 primarily for acoustic guitars, banjo
Blue Microphones Kiwi Vocals
LA-610 pre/comp
LA2A comp
1176 pre
API The Channel Strip pre/comp/eq
Shure sm7
Neumann TLM 49
sE Electronics Reflexion Filter
Avid Eleven Rack (guitar effects)
Avid Eleven Rack Expansion Pack
Avid eleven rack Expression Pedal
Yamaha HS80M studio monitors
Fostex TP50 headphones
I'm going to keep my current headphone amp.
Studiocat offers both the apollo and fireface so they must have great drivers.
Thanks guys..
Buy a new compter with Windows 7 x64 or Windows 8x64 include 2x 28HD monitors or better. That should be your first priority before you consider anything else. You still use XP32 today? Secondly. Buy new audio interface. RME MADI FX or RayDAT (PCIexpress card + best drivers) http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdspe_madi_fx.php http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_hdspe_raydat.php Hooked up to-----> SSL Alpha Link http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/xlogic%20alpha-link/ or Lynx Aurora 16 http://www.lynxstudio.com/product_detail.asp?i=1 Or perhaps UAD Apollo. Be aware that Apollo's routing isn't the best. Its really stupid controlpanel if you want to hook up hardware. http://www.uaudio.com/apollo For the third. Buy a new Monitors. EVENT OPAL or ADAM better series. + Softwares Nomad Factory and Waves plugins, Melodyne. http://www.eventelectronics.com/opal For the fourth. MIC Manley Reference Cardioid Microphone http://www.manley.com/refcard.php Hooked up to a----> Manley VOICBOX http://www.manley.com/mvbx.php Five Forget UAD 1176 get better stuff like Daking, Daking FET III http://www.transaudiogroup.com/daking/fet-iii.shtml and http://www.elysia.com/ Six Dangerous 2bus make great stuff too! But do you really need it? I mean this talk about you need to sum outside its just a myth. Any analog gear color the sound period. Seven Often cheap stuff bad, high end stuff sound great but it isn't always true! ART PRO VLAII is kind of cheap stuff that sound really good too! Check it out! http://artproaudio.com/art_products/signal_processing/tube_compressors/product/pro_vla_ii/ allround mic SM57 or SM58
post edited by Freddie H - 2012/12/06 08:23:26
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/06 21:18:33
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StarTekh
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/06 21:52:00
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liv4ee: ive been following this post . Freddie's list is bang on !! clearly cutting edge !!
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Psychobillybob
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/07 03:26:32
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My opinion is our mic choices are a little sterile...not a HUGE difference between the Nuemann and the Blue...and with the Sm7 you really are kinda hitting the same frequency range... Not a fan of the newer U87 ai ...nor am I a fan of Blue...and the TLM49 is another FET design if I'm not mistaken... If it were me I would change one of those. The Sm7 is a great product. The Manley is a good suggestion, but I prefer Cathedral over Manley any day since I know Chucks work, but the main point here is to get some "tube" into the tool-box somewhere. I second the lack of need for the Dangerous stuff, great concept, over-hyped and WAAAY expensive compared to the actual stuff inside the box...(analog is really mostly a bunch and bunch of wire...transformers etc...bottom line its not made of gold...its just wire)...the idea is good if you plan on mastering your own stuff, but honestly there's plenty to do without trying to reinvent the wheel...I've seen stuff go to MAJOR mastering houses with super expensive listening set-ups and come back to us completely butchered...we fixed it on a set of Rokits and the client (and mastering house) wanted to know how we fixed it...(we used an actual console---with our Lynx stuff, go figure). I think as I survey your list you're pretty much there but have kind of limited your tools to one flavor...of course I am a bit of a tube freak and prefer the real over the digital any day, but I also build a lot of my stuff. Bottom line is to give yourself some options in the recording chain...if you are not doing a LOT of channels in at once, (folk/acoustic/country/etc) then having more tools to work with with is mo' better... If you run into a scenario with some harsh acoustic instruments, like a really bright guitar or fiddle, perhaps a shrill voice, then the clean pre's (API) and brit styles (Neve) are not going to tame those sources, thats why I suggest something tubey... Look around there's some good stuff at Manley, Greg Hanks makes a 660 that you will draw clients with...as a channel strip you could eliminate all the UA stuff and just get his... My final opinion...to many FET mics, and not enough tube stuff...
I'm using SOnar Platinium on a 6 core Lynx Audio machine and a ton of vintage pre-amps/eq's/comps I build for fun and sometimes money, REDD.47/API/Neve I also use the UAD stuff, and also use a Macbook Logic 9 through Apogee...
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/07 05:51:53
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Thanks Billy Bob, the TLM49 is a tube mic. I had decided against the dangerous 2 bus. It gets allot of great reviews, but it's allot of money for what you get. I'll take a look at the Manley stuff. And will also look at Freddies suggestions. Does the Lynx stuff have good/great drivers? I read allot of really good reviews about it.
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liv4ree
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/07 06:01:06
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Wow, the Greg Hanks BA-660 will seriously set you back a few bucks...
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Psychobillybob
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Re:Choosing audio interface and other gear for studio makeover
2012/12/07 06:55:27
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Actually if I am not mistaken the TLM49 is a FET emulation of a tube mic...it was based on the M49 which was a tube I believe, but the "TL" stands for transformerless...and you can pretty much tell its not a tube mic because it does not come with a separate PSU to heat up the tube.
While it does use the same capsule...the design is different, nothing wrong with a condenser like this....but for the money you're in tube-price-land and could actually get a decent knock off for maybe a 1/4 of the cost...
They do some sneaky adverting by comparing it to a tube design...but it is solid state.
I'm using SOnar Platinium on a 6 core Lynx Audio machine and a ton of vintage pre-amps/eq's/comps I build for fun and sometimes money, REDD.47/API/Neve I also use the UAD stuff, and also use a Macbook Logic 9 through Apogee...
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