Building a studio

[Jon Davidsson]

Hello!

I've been a follower of this forum for a while but have never registered until now. The reason I've registered is because me and my brother a planning to build ourselves a nice studio mainly to record our own stuff and we need some help.

To the thing, we are pretty spoiled by our father and we will get a budget of 350 000 – 450 000 SEK, this is about $50 000 - $65 000. $10 000 - $15 000 will go for building the room etc. and the rest for equipment.

My thoughts are to go for a Pro Tools HD 3 accel system with one Apogee AD-16X and one Apogee Rosetta 800. This will, if I've understood it correctly, give me 24 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs(?). I believe this will be enough for standard recordings, or am I wrong? Also I've got another dumb question, why do you need many outputs?

As far as mic-preamps goes I've been looking at the Digidesign C|24. It got 16 mic-preamps and I've got the DAW controller in one package. Still missing 8 mic-preamps so any suggestion of what to get?

Am I missing out on something? Do you think I should go with another DAW controller and external mic-preamps? Should I go for a smaller DAW controller and an analog mixing console?

All help would be greatly appreciated!

Jon

 

[crillemannen]

Drop the C|24 go for API, Neve. Get a lunchbox or an API 3124+ (or two ) There are allot of Lynx Aurora 16, Hd 2 Bundles out there, if you dont care to ship from US.

But c'mon, only 15k$ for the room?? I would spend more money on the rooms getting built properly.
Hire an architect get it right from the start, The first thing that effect your recordings are indeed the room so start there.'
I just build my iown studio here in SWE, and got an architects number if youre intrested.
Im located near Gothenburg.


Good luck / Christian

 

[ahjteam]

As far as mic-preamps goes I've been looking at the Digidesign C|24.

You do realize that it is just an oversized mouse with cheap preamps? :Smug: If you really want to buy the same preamps as in the C24, just buy two Focusrite Octopre LE:s, because thats what they are. And you can buy a really cool mouse too in addition to those. You just saved 7000€

 

[gabriel g.]

Is there any special reason you want to buy protools HD?

I would go for Mac-pro with logic 9

and :

"Drop the C|24 go for API, Neve. Get a lunchbox or an API 3124+ (or two ) There are allot of Lynx Aurora 16, Hd 2 Bundles out there, if you dont care to ship from US"

Audient is also nice. Also check out RME (interface for the mac if you dont go the protools way)

 

[Jon Davidsson]

Drop the C|24 go for API, Neve. Get a lunchbox or an API 3124+ (or two ) There are allot of Lynx Aurora 16, Hd 2 Bundles out there, if you dont care to ship from US.

But c'mon, only 15k$ for the room?? I would spend more money on the rooms getting built properly.
Hire an architect get it right from the start, The first thing that effect your recordings are indeed the room so start there.'
I just build my iown studio here in SWE, and got an architects number if youre intrested.
Im located near Gothenburg.


Good luck / Christian

I will look at the API and Neve options. The reason for going with Apogee is that I will get a very good price at those new. The swedish distributor owes my dad some favors.

As for the room we'll see how much it will end up with. Since my dad got a lot of contacts in pro audio distributors in Sweden we're getting a lot of discounts on the material.

You do realize that it is just an oversized mouse with cheap preamps? :Smug: If you really want to buy the same preamps as in the C24, just buy two Focusrite Octopre LE:s, because thats what they are. And you can buy a really cool mouse too in addition to those. You just saved 7000€

We'll I've thought about that too, so I'll probably drop the thought of the C24

Is there any special reason you want to buy protools HD?

I would go for Mac-pro with logic 9

and :

"Drop the C|24 go for API, Neve. Get a lunchbox or an API 3124+ (or two ) There are allot of Lynx Aurora 16, Hd 2 Bundles out there, if you dont care to ship from US"

Audient is also nice. Also check out RME (interface for the mac if you dont go the protools way)

I've been looking at maybe get an Apogee Symphony system and go with Logic. Mac Pro will for sure be in the studio no matter what system I'll end up with.


New dumb question. Are most guys recording drums without any post EQ?

More suggestions of what mic-preamps to get are also welcome.

Thanks for the responses!

Cheers!

 

[Jon Davidsson]

Oh, and if you do it all in the box whats the use of a system with for example 24 outputs?

 

[DominikJW]

Various monitoring systems, outboard processing, mixing multichannel stuff like 7.1...

 

[Jon Davidsson]

Various monitoring systems, outboard processing, mixing multichannel stuff like 7.1...

Thanks! Then I've got it right

 

[gabriel g.]

I would go with maybe some rme fireface 800 + 16channel Apogee adat or Lynx Aurora.

Then fit those babies with all the great mic pres you can get: Api /Neve/ Chandler/ audient / ...........

You dont need any eq´s while tracking the drums.

You can simple use the waves ssl channelstrips for example while tracking
(no problem with such a powerfull machine like a mac pro)

Then I would go for another Ad/da for some mastering outboard.

Like SSL comp/Alan Smart c2 or Api 2500 (the waves one is great too)
The Cranesong HEDD and a finalizer or just go back ITB...

But check this

1. Good performance on
2. Good instruments in a
3. Good room with
4. Good mic´s going into
5. Good mic-pre´s and cables connected to
6. Good AD converters

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Oh, and if you do it all in the box whats the use of a system with for example 24 outputs?

and

Various monitoring systems, outboard processing, mixing multichannel stuff like 7.1...

Sorry but this is call hybrid not ITB

 

[DominikJW]

Yeah I know, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyways

 

[Joematthews]

I would do the following...

-Protools HD2 with lynx aura 16. This is because of the "industry standard" thing, and because the protools workflow is superb, along with things like beat detective. Just ask James Murphy and Ermz.

- Several different flavours of high end pre-amp. I would go for a Neve 1073 as my warm, big sounding pre-amp, an API 3124 as my punchy, fast rock and metal pre-amp, and something like a millenia as my clean pre-amp. I would also get a focusrite octopre for extra good quality pre's when they are needed.

- A suitable high end monitoring system. Something like the K&h 300's, PMC, genelec or something obscure like the Event Opals.

- Top Quality microphones are needed. Always have some 57's obviously, as well as some sennheiser MD421's for toms, and a D6 or Sennheiser E901/ subkick combo for kick. Get some nice overheads like the Neumann KM184's or Octava mod MK012's in the lower budget area. You will need an SM7b as well, and a good LDC is always useful for big clean vocals.

Don't bother with bollocks like the C24, your microphones, room and signal chain are the absolute top priority before you get any fancy stuff.

Anyway, I've just had the longest day ever, so I've probably made loads of mistakes but I don't give a shit.

Joe

 

[Trevoire520]

I would spend plenty of money building and acoustically treating the room. Get someone who is experienced in building studio's to do it. You'll thank yourself for it in the long run.

Don't bother with a C24, far too expensive for what it is. I would probably avoid Pro Tools HD aswell, I know it's industry standard and all but if you're just going to be doing your own stuff I'd pick up Pro Tools M Powered with the Music Production Toolkit and either a Profire 2626 or a Profire Lightbridge.

It's good to have a few analogue outs so you can have your main outs, a reamp out, and a few outs for headphone mixes.

What I would say though, is that it looks like you guys have got quite a bit of money to spend but are maybe short on experience. Maybe it would be a better idea to go easy on spending megabucks on top of the line preamps, converters etc and start off with something a little more modest to learn on? You can get very very far with a PF2626, a couple of Octopre's and some 57's.
That way once you have more experience you can spend your money more wisely on what YOU like instead of recommendations from people on a forum that you've never met. Buying the best gear will not guarantee that you'll be able to make a good sounding record. Far from it to be honest.

Find an engineer local to you and pay him to come to your studio to record you and teach you. This will be money MUCH more wisely spent than blowing tens of thousands of dollars on gear.