Thread Home studio advice needed?

Ren-

What do you plan to record with?

I want to record with my pc.

~Ren

Ren-

I'd say you don't need the effects processor. You want to record dry, and you won't want much inthe way of effects on this type of program material. If you do need some effects, you can add it using a plug in with whatever PC software you are recording with.

So you need ot choose some software (Sonar? Cubase?). YOu willneed some reference monitor speakers to mix on (Behringer? MAudio?) Mic Stands and shock mounts for however many of those mics you buy. And, for the type of progeam material youwant to do, you will need to be concerned about the sound and quietness of your room.

Hey, Razorren,

I'm using Sonar Home Studio 4, and it's a stripped-down version of Sonar Studio. Great app, and there's good help online at their user forum.

The word on the Behringer Truth (2031's?) monitors is very good, and they're $300 for the pair (powered). I have a pair of Fostex PM 0.5's and they give up a good stereo image. Not tons of bass response, but you learn to mix with what you've got.

A small mixer with enough inputs, and outputs to use up your soundcard's ins is a fun idea... I have a Studiomaster Logic-12, and if I use both Aux Sends as "Pre-Fader", I can get 4 mics/signals into and out of it: Main L & R, and Aux 1 (Left), and Aux 2 (Right) into the PC. Try and find a mixer with phantom power, a couple aux sends, insert points, and quiet preamps. Behringer is not known for quiet mic preamps, but they're cheap and will nonetheless get you started.

Try and envision what it is you actually want to do with a DAW set-up. Recording a band? Just doing your own multi-tracking projects? These are two different type jobs, and will require different routing, different numbers of I/O on your system, more or fewer mics, etc.

Also, are you into MIDI?

These considerations will tell a lot about what you need. I'd go with one idea, and then let your progress lead you.
Axeman has it right when he advises to do your effects, other mixing shores "in-the-box", or with software apps as opposed to hardware. Because:

Your signal, upon first going into the recording environment, is converted to digital information. To get it back out to an external effects box, you again convert it- this time back to the original analogue from the digital Then, of course, you're going to send it back again into the recording environment... converted back to digital. Too much of this back-and-forth signal conversion'll screw up your sound a little bit, adding noise and 'artifacts' to your finished product. Keeping it in the PC will keep it hi-fi. There are things you can do that'll involve some in-an-out of the PC realm, but once you start with digital it's a pretty good idea to stay there as long as you can.

There's so much stuff to know, but just start recording, keep it sparse and make what you can afford work for you. There is nothing better and more fun than a cool recording that you made yourself.

Last item: Look for free stuff on the web- free reverbs (Google 'Glaceverb'), even free apps for audio work. Like Ardour, if you're into Linux. Can't do code, myself, but it's out there.

Go get 'um!