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Hip Hop Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: rob_one on May 24, 2007, 11:23:03 AM

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: rob_one on May 24, 2007, 11:23:03 AM

If I put this in the producers thread it'll dissapear and I'd like a bit of input :-)

I want to set up a very basic home studio. Already I have:

Decent computer (iBook G4 with plenty of RAM)
Reason 3.0
E-MU Xboard 25 Midi Controller
Aurex A10 Stereo Amp
Two pairs of Pioneer monitors - not great but they'll have to do

I need:

A decent studio microphone and micstand
A mixing board of some sort
Soundproofing (this I can sort out, I plan to use polystyrene boards with baffling foam attached to form a portable booth)

My questions are:

- What is a good entry level mic and mixer to consider for someone on a limited budget? (Think between R1500-R2000 for both)
- Do I need anything else that I haven't considered yet?

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: MrC The Rap God Almighty on May 24, 2007, 11:35:23 AM

Get a Studio Projects B1 or C1 Mic, good entry level mics and pretty reasonable in price. I got my B1 for about R1000 3 years ago. I know a very famous record label that uses a C1 Mic and their shit sounds good.


Mixer i got the USB 1622. It all depends on how many input channels you want, i.e. how many components are u gonna connect to the mixer. Plus it's already got Mic Preamps. When i bought it it was around R3000, but it should have come down now. You can even go for lower models.

I will be upgrading my shit soon.

(http://www.behringer.com//UB1622FX/UB-1622-FX_l.jpg)

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: rob_one on May 24, 2007, 01:31:55 PM

Thanks Mr. C, I'll check those out. The mic in particular looks like it's what I'm looking for...

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Bondizzo on May 25, 2007, 12:34:51 PM

get the new behringer mixers
https://www.retromusic.co.za/v2/product_info.php?cPath=85_99&products_id=2634&osCsid=443c02e2606d9f785177fbbd1556e2ba
thats what you looking for,and any condensor will do if you know how to eq your stuff

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Bondizzo on May 25, 2007, 12:45:02 PM

you missing one of the most important things, before you get a mixer and a mic get a studio audio interface card

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: rob_one on May 25, 2007, 01:22:46 PM

What is that?

Happily I think I have found access to a small behringer mixer. There are some advantages to being an unpaid radio DJ!

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: MrC The Rap God Almighty on May 25, 2007, 01:28:36 PM

Sound Card.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Bondizzo on May 25, 2007, 01:57:06 PM

make sure your sound card uses balanced connectors and not 1/8 stereo jacks

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: rob_one on May 25, 2007, 02:40:20 PM

I'm very new to this studio thing, so Bondizzo I'm not sure what you just said. I have a very limited budget at the moment so buying an external sound card may be a little out of my depth. I'm having to rely on my MAc's internal one, which is not as bad as it sounds as it seems to produce pretty solid beats (I've tested on a number of systems)

Not brilliant but I'll have to make do.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Dpleezy on May 25, 2007, 02:44:37 PM

for me the most important thing in a studio is monitors. without them it doesn't matter what equipment you have, you can't hear what you're really doing anyway.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Bondizzo on May 25, 2007, 02:48:05 PM

Quote from: "Dplanet"

for me the most important thing in a studio is monitors. without them it doesn't matter what equipment you have, you can't hear what you're really doing anyway.

or thx speakers, speakers should be the last you worry about cause if you input crap the output will be crap, so make sure your input gear is right

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: MrC The Rap God Almighty on May 25, 2007, 02:51:56 PM

Monitors are only important if your gonna mix and probaly master the shit yourself.

I would say a good soundcard is more important for production, even for recording vocals.

1st rule of making music, GIGO.

Garbage In - > Garbage Out.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: MrC The Rap God Almighty on May 25, 2007, 02:52:28 PM

I c bondizzo already beat me to it.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Bondizzo on May 25, 2007, 02:54:33 PM

can you guys post pics of your setups ?

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: rob_one on May 25, 2007, 02:59:22 PM

I have decent speakers and although I have to use Reason to mix and master the stuff at the moment I really put a lot into making it sound good. I test my tracks on a lot of different systems and then go back and make adjustments. Not ideal, but I'm stuck with it.

I agree with the GIGO thing.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: Bondizzo on May 25, 2007, 03:02:00 PM

you do not master in reason, don't use that mastering suite cause its sort of useless, lets here these beats you talk about

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: MrC The Rap God Almighty on May 25, 2007, 03:08:11 PM

Quote from: "Bondizzo"

can you guys post pics of your setups ?

Will do that next week. aint got a lot of shit. Just a PC,Turntable, Monitors,Mixer,Mic,Old Records, that's it really.

Still got the old Casio keyboard as well. First piece of equipment i ever bought (didn't know at the time). Sounds are wack. Don't even use it for MIDI.

Title: Studio Equipment
Post by: rob_one on May 25, 2007, 11:06:59 PM

@ Bondizzo

http://www.africasgateway.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=19440

I don't have much of a choice at the moment, mastering in reason is all I have. I suspect the rest will come with time and hard work.