If you made a studio right now, how much would you spend?
- Thread starter LBTM
- Start date
i would need some ATC monitors and some burl converter and a great big mixer and some assorteed outboard, so 6 g would NOT cover it for me.
until then ill suffice with my puny 16 channel io setup
until then ill suffice with my puny 16 channel io setup
Mikaël-ange
Member
- Nov 7, 2008
- 2,368
- 0
- 36
150K euros and that isn't that much (100K for console and 50K for gear).
If you think it's too much, look at what Ann spend for Jungle city studio
If you think it's too much, look at what Ann spend for Jungle city studio
LiberaScientia
Cat Dad
As much as possible. If I could buy 5 SSL consoles I would 
But nah, for setting up a small, good quality studio, I'd probably need about £10k for gear. But I'd probably end up spending more than £100k on building the place.
But nah, for setting up a small, good quality studio, I'd probably need about £10k for gear. But I'd probably end up spending more than £100k on building the place.
Revson
Member
Of course everyone wants a huge SSL console and a bunch of quality outboard. But the reality is that you don't need that to produce quality work.
If it were me, I'd get a FireFace800 and another 8-ch preamp unit to go with it like a Digimax FS or similar. Or a pair of 2626's if you need to save some money but I would recommend the FF be a priority. I love my 2626, using it with a MOTU 8Pre for my extra 8 inputs. Used to have a Behringer ADA8000 as well for trigger input but I don't use triggers any more, plus it died a long time ago.
Cables I would make them myself since they would be cheaper but better quality, getting the components (cable, connectors) from RedCo. Also, get EXTRA just in case. 2-3 sets of extra male and female connectors, and like 5-10 feet more than you calculated on the cable.
Gotta have at least one SM57, pair of NT5's at least (I would prefer Oktava MK012) for overheads, SM7 which does double duty for vocals and hi-hats, a D6 for the kick, I prefer the e604's to MD421's on toms and they happen to be cheaper, plus they come with rim clips so you can save on stands here (or just get 4-5 more SM57's for this) - AND/OR a set of Roland triggers (I prefer them over the DDrum Pros).
Stands, just don't get cheap shit, you will regret it later and it's just a waste of money. Stands and cabling should cost several hundred, at least, for good quality stuff that will last.
DI - gotta be a Countryman Type85, or you can go with a RedEye and get a quality DI and reamp in one.
Monitors, can't go wrong with the Yamaha HS80m.
Computer... well, for me, nothing other than a Mac for audio, but you definitely save money going the PC route, that's up to you/whoever.
This is based on the hypothetical $6k budget, which I'm not sure my suggestions fall under but everything I listed would be a minimum requirement, for me.
If it were me, I'd get a FireFace800 and another 8-ch preamp unit to go with it like a Digimax FS or similar. Or a pair of 2626's if you need to save some money but I would recommend the FF be a priority. I love my 2626, using it with a MOTU 8Pre for my extra 8 inputs. Used to have a Behringer ADA8000 as well for trigger input but I don't use triggers any more, plus it died a long time ago.
Cables I would make them myself since they would be cheaper but better quality, getting the components (cable, connectors) from RedCo. Also, get EXTRA just in case. 2-3 sets of extra male and female connectors, and like 5-10 feet more than you calculated on the cable.
Gotta have at least one SM57, pair of NT5's at least (I would prefer Oktava MK012) for overheads, SM7 which does double duty for vocals and hi-hats, a D6 for the kick, I prefer the e604's to MD421's on toms and they happen to be cheaper, plus they come with rim clips so you can save on stands here (or just get 4-5 more SM57's for this) - AND/OR a set of Roland triggers (I prefer them over the DDrum Pros).
Stands, just don't get cheap shit, you will regret it later and it's just a waste of money. Stands and cabling should cost several hundred, at least, for good quality stuff that will last.
DI - gotta be a Countryman Type85, or you can go with a RedEye and get a quality DI and reamp in one.
Monitors, can't go wrong with the Yamaha HS80m.
Computer... well, for me, nothing other than a Mac for audio, but you definitely save money going the PC route, that's up to you/whoever.
This is based on the hypothetical $6k budget, which I'm not sure my suggestions fall under but everything I listed would be a minimum requirement, for me.
The spark
Klaatu.. Barada.. Nikto..
The answer here is the sky is the limit isnt it?
Realistically, if I was putting together a decent studio for tracking/mixing Id want about $20-30k outside of the building for a quality setup.
Realistically, if I was putting together a decent studio for tracking/mixing Id want about $20-30k outside of the building for a quality setup.
PhilTheBeard
"The Beard"
If someone gave me 250K or more I could build the studio of my dreams and that is without a board in their. but if I did get a board it would be a ssl aws900 those boards are perfect for what me and cj would use it for.
C-Martin
Member
When i think of building a studio i think of something proper, not a home setup or anything like that. First thing that would be on my list is construction, cabling and acoustic treatment. Once all the room are nice and ready to work in, that's when you start bringing in the equipment. I probably wouldn't start right off with a expensive money sink like a console, probably would grab a used C24 or just a Command 8 for control surface and get some nice preamps and outboard.
I think i have well over 15k invested on my setup and i don't even consider it a "proper" studio yet. That said you don't "need" that much gear to get started or make quality productions, i just wouldn't call a home or bedroom setup a proper studio unless. To me it's all about the rooms and treatment more than the gear, you gotta have a separate control room and tracking room (if not multiple ones) before i would consider it a studio.
To build a studio, lots of money, probably over 20k if you rent a place, possibly even more. If you want to build it from scratch your in for way more than that. I've built a small voice over studio at my old job and i spent over 3k on just acoustic treatment.
If you want to just produce stuff then 6k might be enough to get you started and have all the tools necessary to mix but not track. It would come really close to not enough though:
Interface + 8 channel adat preamp - 1000$
Acoustic treatment - 1000$
DAW and plugin's - 1500$
16 mics - 1000-2000$
Cables - 500$
Stands - 500$
Monitors - 500-1000$
Imo if you have 16 channels you should be able to record all those channels so you would need 16 mics. You don't want to have to compromise when tracking a large drum kit. You still need racks, accessories and a computer with all that.
I think i have well over 15k invested on my setup and i don't even consider it a "proper" studio yet. That said you don't "need" that much gear to get started or make quality productions, i just wouldn't call a home or bedroom setup a proper studio unless. To me it's all about the rooms and treatment more than the gear, you gotta have a separate control room and tracking room (if not multiple ones) before i would consider it a studio.
To build a studio, lots of money, probably over 20k if you rent a place, possibly even more. If you want to build it from scratch your in for way more than that. I've built a small voice over studio at my old job and i spent over 3k on just acoustic treatment.
If you want to just produce stuff then 6k might be enough to get you started and have all the tools necessary to mix but not track. It would come really close to not enough though:
Interface + 8 channel adat preamp - 1000$
Acoustic treatment - 1000$
DAW and plugin's - 1500$
16 mics - 1000-2000$
Cables - 500$
Stands - 500$
Monitors - 500-1000$
Imo if you have 16 channels you should be able to record all those channels so you would need 16 mics. You don't want to have to compromise when tracking a large drum kit. You still need racks, accessories and a computer with all that.
The-Zeronaut
Mixing..Y U SO DIFFICULT?
- Sep 24, 2007
- 1,794
- 5
- 38
in my opinion
being realistic...5000/6000 euros and you get a "very decent" studio where you can record with good quality
being a gearslut...probably 30000/35000 euros and you get a "great" studio with some outboard stuff (1176,neve/api preamps,distressor,...)
being realistic...5000/6000 euros and you get a "very decent" studio where you can record with good quality
being a gearslut...probably 30000/35000 euros and you get a "great" studio with some outboard stuff (1176,neve/api preamps,distressor,...)
- Feb 19, 2012
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@C-Martin come on, i wasn't talking about a studio to record multiple hundred grand records and such but yeah, if you're talking about this you will definitely need more.
i think 10.000$ would be more than more enough for a great small studio to get great results, considering you already have the place.
i think 10.000$ would be more than more enough for a great small studio to get great results, considering you already have the place.
C-Martin
Member
They will eventually piss you off and you'll want to throw it against the wall. Cheap stands function ok when new and when they're not used too frequently but if you mic stuff regularly they will eventually go to shit, won't hold their place, and even if you tighten it to hell, they might still move and mess up all those hours you've spent carefully placing the mics.
We've have some cheap stands in my bands rehearsal studio, they lasted maybe 4 months before they started pissing me off and slipping all over the place. They we're still "usable" until they eventually broke and now they're as loose as a hooker and just swing all over the place, completely useless.
BTW speaking of stands, if you get some get at least 4 or 5 short stands like these:
These are my favorite ones, they save a lot of space and can be placed in tight spots like under snares or in between 2 larger ones. Mine get used all the time and it seems like i never have enough of them.
C-Martin
Member
I'm just giving you my opinion. If you want to build a "studio" that's what it takes otherwise i don't consider it a "studio" per say, its just a small production setup. Just because you have some mics, a pair of minors and a mixer doesn't mean you have a studio. However, i never said the small setups where bad or can't get good results, i even gave you a rough estimates on the costs for such a small setup.
10k seems like a much better budget for this, you'd end up with a good setup capable of most things if you do it right. Again, it's all about the rooms, your production can only be as good the source and it all starts in the rooms. Fancy equipment won't fix room problems.
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
I'm pretty convinced that cheap stands are detrimental to mic'd tones; you won't see it but chances are they're moving about a bit and causing some fucked up phase issues with your sounds.
As far as the OP... Stay where I'm currently at? At least 20k. To build a new place? Probably 500k+.
As far as the OP... Stay where I'm currently at? At least 20k. To build a new place? Probably 500k+.
- Feb 19, 2012
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@C-Martin yeah bro, you know much better than me 
The one stand that lasted me since ever is the Millenium MS-2004.
Cheap but great.
The one stand that lasted me since ever is the Millenium MS-2004.
Cheap but great.
