Completely new recording setup for a Mac user

[Airborne]

Hey guys, I am totally new to these forums and this is my first post here.

I compose music for a new metal project. (Progressive/Trash/Melodic Death)
I am a guitarist and bass player but for this project I am working on, I also want to do everything else by myself. (Drum programming, keyboard programming + screaming vocals).
Till now I recorded music with the recording stuff from a friend. (I have short experience with Cubase, Logic and GarageBand).

Please help me to plan a completely new recording setup for me. I want to use good quality products and slowly build a cool home studio just for me. (Right now I am not completely sure how much money I will spend, but I will slowly build it up….).
At the moment I live in a small flat therefore I want to record the guitars and bass direct into the DAW.

I will buy a new Apple MacBook (the white one with a 4 GB RAM upgrade) very soon. I want to run my DAW on this.


Please recommend me some products to start out.

Here is my try:
DAW: Apple Logic Pro (or Logic Express)
Interface: Line6 Pod Studio UX2
Drum programming: EZ Drummer + Drumkit From Hell
Mic for vocals: Shure SM58; (Vocal sound is not so important right now).
Monitors: maybe something around 400 USD


I am not sure concerning the DAW.
I really want to work with Logic Pro in the future.
I don’t know if I should wait till Logic 9 will be released… and work with GarageBand (which comes along free with a new Mac) till the version 9 will be released. (???)
Another option would be to buy Logic Express and make the switch to Logic Pro when the new version comes out….


Thanks in advance.

 

[dani]

you might find yourself a bit limited with the CPU in a macbook. 2.16ghz isn't too much to play around with.

personally, i prefer the flexibility of cubase.

UX2 is a really good choice, you get gearbox for free (and running pod farm as a plugin is so useful!).

stay away from dkfh, it isn't really that good.. you'd be much better off with Superior 2.0 (in my opinion). it's a lot more flexible, and there are a fair few presets around this forum.

get an SM57. about the same price, but HELLA more flexible. can be used on anything. it's a legendary mic.

monitors.. i'm not so sure on.

if you're set on Logic, then go for it. you're new to the game, so learning a new DAW isn't really a problem, you'll pick it up quick. also you get that aggregate audio device thing (use more than one interface at a time), something that no other DAW has.

good luck. don't forget to post samples here

thanks,

 

[Airborne]

Thanks for the info. I’ll post samples for sure.

I have heard good things about those small MacBooks. Some mid-sized studios in my area are working with them without any problems.
But still I am considering maybe a MacBook Pro to have a more powerful machine.

I’ll check out Superior 2.0

Maybe someone else has further information for a (recording) noob.
I appreciate the help and input!

 

[Rex Rocker]

Steven Slate Drums LE, as far as I know, is as much as EZ Drummer + DFH, and MUCH better, from what I've heard from clips here.

 

[Airborne]

Any further opinions for me? :Smokedev:

 

[2000ContourSVT]

The white Macbook is fine. I have 4gb of ram in my 2.2 Ghz Macbook, and I run Logic 8 and Pro Tools 8 with no problems at all other than the occasional CPU overload error which doesn't happen to often.

I recommend the SM57 over the SM58. I have both and I find that the SM57 sounds better every time. It's more crisp and clear sounding than the SM58 IMO.

I also agree with Steven Slate Drums LE over EzDrummer. Again, I have both of them and prefer SSD so much that I might as well uninstall EzDrummer.

Since you're just starting out I really don't think you'll need Logic Pro. So I'd save the extra few hundred bucks and just get Logic Express. I don't think there is a big difference between the two. I think Pro just has a few extra plugins or something, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Metaltastic]

If I were to go Mac Logic is the only DAW I would consider.

Interface-wise, depends on your budget and needs; since you're planning on the UX2 I assume your budget isn't stratospheric, but still, for not much more money the Focusrite Saffire (not LE) is WAYYYY better as far as drivers and sound quality goes.

Drums, I vote Steven Slate also, 3.5 EX will be released soon and will be $100, SD2.0 is $300 and you'll have to be tweaking it constantly to fight to get a good sound out of it IMO (especially the kicks, eek). Also, invest in Voxengo Elephant for loudness maximizing (limiting), fucking amazing and inexpensive plug, and also Apulsoft APTrigga for drum replacing, and those + Logic's stock plugins should have you set software-wise!

 

[Airborne]

Thanks for the input. I will sell my current MacBook and grab a new 15” MacBook Pro in September [waiting for Snow Leopard] with Logic Studio.
I haven’t heard of the Focusrite Saffire interface till now but I’ll check it out.
I am still not sure how much money I will (or should) spend on the whole stuff….
Maybe an Apogee Interface would be the perfect match for the Mac & Logic.