Working on a gear list for studio next year...

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Ok so I've been saving since like April or May of this year, and currently I have about $27k saved up, give or take some c-notes. By the end of the year I should have well over $30k. This initial amount is for a down payment on a house, about $20k down, and with $10k for safety/other shit/in-case/etc. Then next year my goal is to save as fast as possible to get the equipment I need to put a studio in my home. I should be able to save up about $30k within 6 months if I go by my budget plan...might be harder than I think though :p I'm hoping to find a 1-story home with 1-3 acres of property outside of the city with a two-car (or larger) garage that also has a room attached that's large enough for a control room. With an attached room I can have a floor-to-ceiling window, and the garage would be the large tracking room. I would convert any spare bedrooms or anything into smaller tracking rooms/vocals booth/etc. The garage will have floated hardwood floors, the garage door itself will be removed and the gigantic hole will be bricked up with the same materials as the rest of the home. Then MDF/fiber/etc. will be installed all around, as well as a nice ventilation/A.C. system. In the garage will also be wall speakers so that drummers can stay in the room and hear their performance on larger speakers rather than headphones, this also keeps them in the tracking room, which we all know drummers for some reason have to come into the control room...not in my house! Then the garage will then be acoustically treated with foams and traps, etc. All the goodies. The control room will be very similar, with diffusors and traps, good acoustical enineering, etc.

Annnnnyway. I have been putting together a list of equipment to start the studio off with. This will be just the foundation and will be added on to after the studio gets going. This list represents basically products that will give me quality thats as good as/better than the quality here at the studio I'm at. My goal is to basically become THE competition for these local bands to turn to. This studio use to charge $20/hour, and we'd crank out quality albums and demos that were way better than the "next up" studios in price that charged $150/hour just for time, and then $50/hour on top of that for an engineer. So we were rockin' this town. Then my boss moved it to $40/hour, still ahead of everyone else, still giving quality sessions at "insane" prices. Then my boss went berzerk on me and now we're charging $2,500 for a week, and no gaurantee you'll be finished in a week, bla bla...lots of repeat customers are not happy. So I figured I'll get out while I'm ahead and do what I want to do anyway: own my own studio.

Moving on...sorry for the long-winded story. Here is the list. Now if you see something and ask yourself "why the hell...", just relax, and keep in mind this is the foundation and I don't want to spend a crazy amount right off the bat, but rather have everything necessary to get started and do what I want at first, which is to be able to record an entire kit, scratch guitars and bass, all at once, and then reamp guitars and bass, as well as track vocals in the end. I believe I've put together a list of gear that will easily accommodate that. Here goes:

Apple PowerMac G5 Quad with 2.5GB RAM (total)
Apple 23" Cinema Display x2
MOTU 2408mkIII PCIe interface
MOTU Digital Performer 5.0 host software
Drumagog (latest version, pro version)
Waves SSL4000 Native Bundle
Waves Platinum Native Bundle
UAD-1 UltraPak PCI
IK Multimedia AmpliTube2 and Ampeg SVX (for scratch guitar/bass tones)
Mackie Onyx 800R 8-ch mic pre w/ ADAT output x2
Avalon VT737-sp Tube Mic Preamp w/ Compression and EQ
Mackie Control Universal control surface (fuck mice!)
Mackie Big Knob monitor control
Mackie HR824A monitor pair
Event TR8XL monitor pair
Hear Technologies HearBack 4-pack (musician monitoring system)
AudioTechnica ATH-M40 headphones x4
Shure SM57 x4
Shure Beta 98D/S small diap. conensor (snare bot/top?)
AKG D112 kick mic
Sennheiser e604 3pack + 2 more, tom mics
Sennheiser e614 small diap. condensor, x2 for ride and hi-hat mic'ing
Yamaha SubKick (mmmm)
Rode NT2000 (vox are schuweet on these)
LittleLabs Red Eye DI/Reamp
DDrum Pro Kick and Snare triggers
JBL Control28WH wallspeakers (for drummer playback in tracking room)
Various mic stands, various cables, cable snake (for tracking->control)
Argosy desk
Argosy speaker stands
chair, couch, coffee table...plants?
lighting (lots of fun stuff there)
and...anything else?

I think that is all. So whaddya think? Do you suppose I'll be capable of doing everything I need to? Any suggestions on substitutions? Please post comments and give me any advice/experience you have had with anything on this list that was bad/good/anything, I'd like to know what I might expect as far as bad things with any peice of gear. I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of the things on the list, but others I have not. :)

~e.a
 
Really newbie question but .... having the amp in the control room ... and the speaker in the tracking room ... how do you connect them ... ? :loco: need some help in there ...

oh ... and the porn thing ... good call! :Smug: :saint:
 
It really depends on what your long term goals are. I for one am under the mind set of why buy it if it is not what I want. Though that may sound logical it really is not the way a lot of people think. A lot of people buy cheaper stuff just because they don't have the will power to save a little. Only to find out they end up wasting more money upgrading then they would have if they just bit the bullet and did not bother with the budget gear. Granted you have some stuff on that list that will last you but in my eyes there is some stuff that you will most likely upgrade. Instead of focusing on getting everything at once try scaling the list down and getting some really killer gear. I am not saying that the list you have is not going to produce good results but there sure is a lot of room for improvment.
 
xtranscendedx said:
Umm in my opinion.

I would replace the mackie onyx with presonus firepods. and your going shoot me. behringer control units versus the mackie, why? $$ Oh and the behringer has motorized faders. Plus the behringer doesn't affect your audio what so ever.
http://www.behringer.com/BCF2000/index.cfm?lang=ENG
http://www.behringer.com/BCA2000/index.cfm?lang=ENG
http://www.behringer.com/BCR2000/index.cfm?lang=ENG

just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
the behringer isnt that good. i owned and used it for a year. the resolution sucks. it is entry level crap. the mackie is a really good controller. it is expandable. the resolution on the faders is probably 1000 times better than the behringer. once you have a mix going with a bunch of plugins a mouse is faster than the faders on the behringer. neither affects the sound of the audio, the are control surfaces and do not pass audio. i dont think you have used the behringer and therefore i wouldnt recommend it to people because they will be let down and or pissed.
anyway how about one makie onyx and one something else just for a different flavor(digimax and octapre or a bump up to the true precision 8)? and by all accounts a rme fireface800 would probably be a step up from the motus converter-wise and it has 2 adat ins for the extra preamps. the onboard rme pres arent too shabby either. or what about an ensemble? something better than a big knob would be prudent as well at least a presonus or coleman or spl. stuff to think about. also in a year everything could change depending on what comes out or is about to come out.
 
Unsilpauly - totally agreed. I know that in a year's time I will most likely have worked with more of the things on the list and change my mind, or may work with something that's amazing and substitute it for something on the list.

First off....the Mackie Control Universal does have motorized faders. I use one every single day here at this studio and I love it to death.

Secondly...I can't believe I forgot about overhead mics...wow...yeah I am basically just blind to what is good and what is crap anymore really...I like the pair of RODE mics we have, great sounds for a lot less price than I would guess, so thats why I'm going with the NT2000 for vocals. As far as the interface goes...I've been juggling so many different options my head spins everytime I even think about it...I have been looking at the RME PCI card that has three ADAT inputs, it's kinda like the Delta1010LT only much better quality...that may be my actual choice in the end...I really just wanted a MOTU interface though..not too sure why, lol. But the RME one is a lot better I know and actually if I remember correctly is also cheaper in price...so maybe that will replace the MOTU. The main reason for the MOTU is because it has the option of 2 ADAT inputs plus 8 analog TRS inputs, which would be extremely handy for me.

I'm taking all of my amps and cabs with me, and will be building a custom rack to house all the heads in and keep that in the control room like the setup we have here currently. Then I can have a patch bay at the desk and have all the head inputs and outputs right there, and another patch bay that goes to the cab room, and just leave mics up in there....or have the outputs of the heads go into a power attentuator and have that output going into the patch bay to patch to an input on the interface and use speaker impulses instead of a mic'ed cab....lots of options...all at the desk without having to get up and move other than changing settings on the heads. The main point of my studio will be how amazingly convenient everything will be.

As for the pres...I have worked with some Onyx stuff and I liked the sound, however it's nothing compared to say the quad setup of Vintech 473's my friend has, which I borrow from time to time to track drums at band rehearsal gigs. But at $2,900 a pop and only 4 channels a peice...all analog outs...it's really limiting. I need something with great pres, ADAT output, and at least 8 channels per unit. I also need a 48v switch for every channel, and low noise...the Onyx offered all of this for a reasonable price...and seriously the projects I'll be working on won't be super star albums at any rate...just local bands trying to pursue their rock star dreams. However, I do see your points on the advantage of the "step up" pres out there. If you can recommend a unit that has 8 channels of great pres, 48v switch for each channel and ADAT out...please tell me, I'll most likely switch.

I have no problem saving...obviously, if I've already got about $27k...if you know me, you'd know that's almost an impossible task for me to complete but I'm doing it. I want my own studio that badly that I can resist my bad spending habits. I already budgeted the $15k of acoustic treatments and construction materials for this conversion, I've even contacted an acoustic engineer and a studio designer to get consulting fees, design fees, and labor fees worked out and they are all included in the budget...and the budget is more than adequate, realistically after those talks I will need $12k total, but there will be the $3k extra for the "in-case" shit.

I like the Big Knob...ours doesn't color the sound at all, I know there are lots of complaints of that happening though. I'll probably change my mind to a Coleman or a Martin Sound unit in the end though.

I suppose I could deal without the Waves SSL and the Ampeg SVX plugs to start with. Thats a good $1k freed up for gear. I'm really not worried about price to be honest, because I have alllllll year to save up next year, and I'll have part of it from this year as well. Basically, when I go to quit here, I should have about $80k or more saved. Or, I can get the house early next year, and just save and wait to get all the gear and over time start construction on the house converting the rooms and such, I'll have that money saved already from this year. Like I said, only $20k is going down on the house, so I'll have another $19k or so left for emergency/safety funds, plus to start the conversion of the rooms. I want to buy all the actual gear alllllll at once though.

The good thing about this is that I already have an established name here with probably 300 bands from here in town and some from out of state, in other cities here in Texas, all over the place. So when I leave, a lot of the business is coming right with me. Thats another reason I'm so anxious because I basically know for a fact I'll get it going and be making profits within the first couple of months for sure.

Anyway, so with the RME though, it's only 4 analog ins/mic pres, and then two ADAT inputs? I was sifting through RME's site just now and actually...Now I see that it's 4 pres, 8 analog ins, two ADAT and MIDI. I think I'll go with an RME Fireface800 and a pair of OctaMic D's. So nvm about the Onyx and MOTU babble. :lol: I just really wanted a PCI interface, but FireWire is really fine anyway...besides, thats more space for additional UAD-1 cards, :D

~e.a
 
I recommend a chain link fence and a couple of loud, 'fuck off' dogs for when word gets out that there's a residential garage full of primo gear. :devil:
 
elephant-audio said:
Unsilpauly - totally agreed. I know that in a year's time I will most likely have worked with more of the things on the list and change my mind, or may work with something that's amazing and substitute it for something on the list.

First off....the Mackie Control Universal does have motorized faders. I use one every single day here at this studio and I love it to death.

Secondly...I can't believe I forgot about overhead mics...wow...yeah I am basically just blind to what is good and what is crap anymore really...I like the pair of RODE mics we have, great sounds for a lot less price than I would guess, so thats why I'm going with the NT2000 for vocals. As far as the interface goes...I've been juggling so many different options my head spins everytime I even think about it...I have been looking at the RME PCI card that has three ADAT inputs, it's kinda like the Delta1010LT only much better quality...that may be my actual choice in the end...I really just wanted a MOTU interface though..not too sure why, lol. But the RME one is a lot better I know and actually if I remember correctly is also cheaper in price...so maybe that will replace the MOTU. The main reason for the MOTU is because it has the option of 2 ADAT inputs plus 8 analog TRS inputs, which would be extremely handy for me.

I'm taking all of my amps and cabs with me, and will be building a custom rack to house all the heads in and keep that in the control room like the setup we have here currently. Then I can have a patch bay at the desk and have all the head inputs and outputs right there, and another patch bay that goes to the cab room, and just leave mics up in there....or have the outputs of the heads go into a power attentuator and have that output going into the patch bay to patch to an input on the interface and use speaker impulses instead of a mic'ed cab....lots of options...all at the desk without having to get up and move other than changing settings on the heads. The main point of my studio will be how amazingly convenient everything will be.

As for the pres...I have worked with some Onyx stuff and I liked the sound, however it's nothing compared to say the quad setup of Vintech 473's my friend has, which I borrow from time to time to track drums at band rehearsal gigs. But at $2,900 a pop and only 4 channels a peice...all analog outs...it's really limiting. I need something with great pres, ADAT output, and at least 8 channels per unit. I also need a 48v switch for every channel, and low noise...the Onyx offered all of this for a reasonable price...and seriously the projects I'll be working on won't be super star albums at any rate...just local bands trying to pursue their rock star dreams. However, I do see your points on the advantage of the "step up" pres out there. If you can recommend a unit that has 8 channels of great pres, 48v switch for each channel and ADAT out...please tell me, I'll most likely switch.

I have no problem saving...obviously, if I've already got about $27k...if you know me, you'd know that's almost an impossible task for me to complete but I'm doing it. I want my own studio that badly that I can resist my bad spending habits. I already budgeted the $15k of acoustic treatments and construction materials for this conversion, I've even contacted an acoustic engineer and a studio designer to get consulting fees, design fees, and labor fees worked out and they are all included in the budget...and the budget is more than adequate, realistically after those talks I will need $12k total, but there will be the $3k extra for the "in-case" shit.

I like the Big Knob...ours doesn't color the sound at all, I know there are lots of complaints of that happening though. I'll probably change my mind to a Coleman or a Martin Sound unit in the end though.

I suppose I could deal without the Waves SSL and the Ampeg SVX plugs to start with. Thats a good $1k freed up for gear. I'm really not worried about price to be honest, because I have alllllll year to save up next year, and I'll have part of it from this year as well. Basically, when I go to quit here, I should have about $80k or more saved. Or, I can get the house early next year, and just save and wait to get all the gear and over time start construction on the house converting the rooms and such, I'll have that money saved already from this year. Like I said, only $20k is going down on the house, so I'll have another $19k or so left for emergency/safety funds, plus to start the conversion of the rooms. I want to buy all the actual gear alllllll at once though.

The good thing about this is that I already have an established name here with probably 300 bands from here in town and some from out of state, in other cities here in Texas, all over the place. So when I leave, a lot of the business is coming right with me. Thats another reason I'm so anxious because I basically know for a fact I'll get it going and be making profits within the first couple of months for sure.

Anyway, so with the RME though, it's only 4 analog ins/mic pres, and then two ADAT inputs? I was sifting through RME's site just now and actually...Now I see that it's 4 pres, 8 analog ins, two ADAT and MIDI. I think I'll go with an RME Fireface800 and a pair of OctaMic D's. So nvm about the Onyx and MOTU babble. :lol: I just really wanted a PCI interface, but FireWire is really fine anyway...besides, thats more space for additional UAD-1 cards, :D

~e.a
Click to expand...
hey man. shopping is fun huh! i wouldnt go with two octamics. i have a quadmic and think the pres are pretty good but i dont know that i would want 20 of them(two octamics and four pres on the fireface). i would check into the true precision 8 if you want an eight channel high end pre unit. they can be had for under 3,000.00 i believe and they are super clean pres. definetly a notch above all the other eight channel units. even an onyx and either a digimax or octapre would be sweet. i would throw a couple other single or double channel highend pres in the mix(vintech, api, great river, dav, insert other kick ass pre name here) for overdubs and vox, etc.
 
Well, to start off I'll have the Avalon VT737sp for a dedicated vox pre. I love those things. Has a great compressor, great sound, and a great eq all in one package, and it's tube, love it. I may look into a Great River or API unit for sure though, like a 3124 or something...dunno yet. I would have to check out the Precision 8, but it sounds like it's a good unit.

~e.a
 
elephant-audio said:
Well, to start off I'll have the Avalon VT737sp for a dedicated vox pre. I love those things. Has a great compressor, great sound, and a great eq all in one package, and it's tube, love it. I may look into a Great River or API unit for sure though, like a 3124 or something...dunno yet. I would have to check out the Precision 8, but it sounds like it's a good unit.

~e.a
Click to expand...
i really want a 3124 bad. they are really nice. also a great river is at the top of my list as well.
 
Personally I'd ditch the Apple displays. Sure they're nice looking and good monitors but at $1300 each?

Not worth it to me when you can get a couple 23" Widescreens from other quality companies with equal or better specs for much cheaper and use the extra money for something else. But that's just my opinion on the matter.
 
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