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Author Topic: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !  (Read 6988 times)

RobDex

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Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« on: June 13, 2004, 04:28:49 PM »

This is the case !
I had my studio since 98 and i has been used for making demos and some commercial radio spots. But now i want to create a studio where i can make a recording that holds good quality so i can send i to a mastering house and they can make a cd of it. I never records drums or instrument, only vocals. I make dance and r&b music.This is my equipment list.

Mackie 32-8
TL audio Fat 2
Rode NTK
Echo audio Layla 24 with daw
Dbx 199
Sony dsp v55 effect
Midiverb4
TC m300
And a lot of synthesizers.

Is it possible to keep any of this or do i have to change everything ? Keep in mind that i dont have so much money to spend.

Regardz Rob !

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meverylame

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2004, 04:56:11 PM »

Hi Rob,
   How are you mixing? Are you mixing in the DAW or on the Mackie? I would also try getting some different preamps like the fmr rnp, or sytek. Both are fairly inexpensive. What DAW are you using?

Trying PMing Harvey Gerst I'm sure he has a lot better ideas than I do.

Jason
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Cheers!
Jason Kingsland

http://www.jasonruinsrecords.com

RobDex

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2004, 05:47:14 PM »

Hi !

Im mixing with the mackie 32-8 and its a standard daw with cubase and echo layla 24 bit. And i always use synths thru the mackie preamps.

Regardz Rob
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analog Tom

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2004, 07:42:24 PM »

I believe that for a small studio, carefully wired, everything you have will continue to be usable.  

For small money, the largest change in sound will come with a change in microphone.  

PLEASE NOTE that I said the "largest CHANGE".  I did NOT say the "largest IMPROVEMENT".  Changing mics will give you a different sound.  You may find the NTK remains the best for some voices and that a different mic is better on other voices.  

For well under $4,000 you can develop a respectable mic cabinet which will give you much greater variability in sound than any other change in your system.  

Cordially,  
Tom
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RobDex

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2004, 07:37:51 AM »

Thanks Tom !

I was thinking to get a neumann TLM mic and im very interested to the AKG solid tube also. I was thinking to make an overall upgrade so wich mixer console would you recomend ? Is it better to get the 02r X 2 or maybe an DB8 or perhaps some older analog console ?

Regardz Rob
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analog Tom

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2004, 11:24:29 PM »

I don't think you should abandon the 32-8, unless you have a specific complaint about it.  That desk has tracked & mixed lots of successful projects.

The O2R and the db8 are all digital.  So they give you a world of processing possibilities that the 32-8 doesn't.  But I'll bet most users use only a small fraction of the available processing.  The question for you is whether you need that kind of chang for what your studio does.  

Then, like any other piece of gear, you need to go and play with each, and other digital and analog consoles as well. See which ones "feel right" to your hands.  Which ones "sound right" to your ears.  This is not something to do without hands one contemplation.  

Cordially,
Tom  
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RobDex

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2004, 07:33:41 AM »

I love my mackie 32-8 and it feels great to mix in analog style, but i would like to have better sound i in the 32-8 . How much further should i go to get a console that brings me the punch in the sound that i want ? Everybody that i talkes to says that the mic preamps and the eq are useless in the mackie console. My thought here is should i stay with the mackie or to what can i upgrade that is in a reasonable price. Should i by better compressors,limiters etc and stay with the mackie.This really splits my head. By the way here is a little tune made on the mackie.
Give it up !
Regardz Rob
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analog Tom

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Re: Help with Upgrading my studio equipment !
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2004, 12:26:39 PM »

"Everybody that i talkes to says that the mic preamps and the eq are useless in the mackie console. My thought here is should i stay with the mackie or to what can i upgrade that is in a reasonable price. "  

successful producers listen to what "Everybody" else thinks, but then decide for themselves.  If you have looked at the posts on various sound and recording boards, you will see that many people love the Mackie's sound and many don't.  Then there is another group which will trash it simply because it's "Mackie".  

Besides, your original post refers to ONE mic.  So you are probably using the line inputs on the Mackie, not the mic pres.  Your equipment list doesn't mention anything about your speakers (which are second only to mics in affecting what you hear).  You didn't say anything about your room or room treatments, which also affect the sound.  

The questions for you are: Can you identify specific sound changes that you want for YOUR work with YOUR customers?  What changes in YOUR studio will change the sound more toward what you want?  

If your studio is a commercial project, which generates income, then consulting with your clients about improvements they would like to see is essential.  Most clients won't be as interested in an improvement in sound as in improvements in flexibility, features (new mics, dynamics, etc.) and overall capabilities.  

Cordially,  
Tom
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