How would you record this band?

[xMannequiNx]

My friends band just contacted me and they want their demo recorded by me (i'm guessing its most likely just because I don't charge yet haha). Now the last time I did this I had just started getting into recording, but since then I have honed my skills much more. I have a pretty good idea of what I am going to be doing, but I just wanted to see if I could get some pro tips from this board on how I can use my gear to its full extent.

Heres my gear:
-firewire 1814
-bluetube DP
-SM57x3
-beta52x1
-triggers (enough to trigger the whole drum set)
-Sterling Audio ST55 x1
-Audio Technica AT2050 x2

And heres my plan:
DRUMS - Run the triggers into the 1814 line ins, sample with drumagog, have AT2050s as a spaced pair for overheads, and ST55 on hats. AT2050s into bluetube (with tube drive ??% or solid state???) and ST55 into one of the 1814 pres.

GUITAR - Record clean signal as backup along with amp (krank rev1) FX send out and impulse the cab. I know I need a dummy load on the amp to do this.

BASS - direct, (with amp sim?)

VOX - all screams and singing into ST55 with pop screen about 2" away from diaphragm.

I'm going to be finding a very large living room type area to track the drums, and then moving to a smaller closet/iso booth mock-up for the vox.

This isn't the greatest set of gear, but I'm gonna have to deal. Im working on buying an 8ch pre with ADAT (probably presonus digimax FS) to make my life a bit easier. So for now, does anyone have any tips to help maximize the quality i'm getting out of this?

 

[Unavailable]

Sounds like you have it worked out pretty well. In my experience, just recording the direct bass is enough for tracking.

 

[fade_2_black]

Yeah bro sounds like you more or less have it on lockdown - given the gear you have. If you have any cool plugs that could go on the bass that could be cool - I dig using the sansamp sim when I have just a straight bass DI.

 

[xMannequiNx]

ok cool. What about upgrades? What do you think the next step would be in making this better, besides getting the 8ch pre?

Also wanted to know the best way to use the bluetube - for overheads would it be better to run them solid state or tube?

 

[fade_2_black]

I personally have had no experience with using the bluetube at all - is it any good. On top of that, Ive only ever had a few tube pres to play with and havent used them on OHs, so I wouldnt be sure.. I would have imagined you would want it solid state though, to retain the crisp and brightness of the cymbals..
If youre looking at upgrades for your full setup, look into either getting a decent set of monitors or perhaps (depending if your setup is permanent) going for some acoustic treatment.. A lot of people look past this when doing a smaller home studio and tend to focus more on the recording gear itself..

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I personally have had no experience with using the bluetube at all - is it any good.

If it's anything like the tube pre, then you know surprisingly enough they are better than the stock preamps in anything I have.

I never use the drive (tube) knob though, it's doesn't break up in a pleasant way to me.

 

[xMannequiNx]

I personally have had no experience with using the bluetube at all - is it any good.

I've been looking around on presonus's website to get more info on the types of pres they use in this and im getting ziltch.

All they say is "Stereo Dual Path Mic/Instrument Preamp Using 12AX7 Tube"...So yeah I totally know what that means. All the other preamps like the tube pre and the digimax lt say they are "Dual Servo Mic Preamps" and I've heard recordings on those and loved them.

The bluetube was my first pre so I really have nothing to compare it too. I'm hoping I can get rid of it to help pay for a digimax lt.

As far as room treatment goes, I currently can't use my room to record other bands so it would be worthless to spend money treating it. I'm trying to find a room desperately but having no luck (read my post on the main page).

 

[xMannequiNx]

If it's anything like the tube pre, then you know surprisingly enough they are better than the stock preamps in anything I have.

I never use the drive (tube) knob though, it's doesn't break up in a pleasant way to me.

I've heard some nice distortion on screaming vox by overloading this pre, but the tube distortion sounds like shit for clean vox.