Basic Home Recording Setup

wejamecono · Post by **wejamecono** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 9:56 pm

My guess is this has been covered before, but i'm not sure how to look it up.

A friend and I are working on making a setup to record. We have, between us, a 1" machine, 1/2" 2-track, some sort of mixing board, some mics. The idea is not at this point to be able to produce spectacular recordings, but to be able to teach ourselves more about recording by doing it, after fucking around on 4 track all-in-one's and recording in studios, for the better part of ten years.

My question is about compression, limiters, noise gates, these kinds of things. 1) How crucial is it to have these effects? 2) If necessary, can anyone reccomend specific units that work well---the cheaper the better. While I know small amounts about mics, machines, etc, i know very little about this kind of thing. Do you have to buy seperate units for each one? MY ONE limitation is that I am not looking to get involved with computer programs. I AM TRYING to operate as if it were the year Craig Anderton's "Home Recording" book came out (1978, I think), though I don't mind using modern product that do the same things (I am not overly focused on 'vintage' gear).

Also, for reverb, has anybody used the PAIA kit and how is it?

THANK YOU in advance for any help.

Will Weber Kneitel
San Francisco, CA

Chris_Avakian · Post by **Chris_Avakian** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 12:32 am

just get some alesis 3630s... fuck it. or the dbx units... those are nice.

old biamp spring reverbs are not bad.

dunno about the rest.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:05 am

1", eh?

How many tracks?

wejamecono · Post by **wejamecono** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:01 pm

Ok, thanks.

The 1" is --- I think, an 8-track, I don't know, it belongs to my friend. The 2-track is a AKAI x-355 that I got recently at goodwill for $40.

I will check out the Alesis and Dbx, thanks.

ANY other suggestions?

WWK

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:12 pm

Cool.

In that case you probably won't need noise reduction.

But don't take my word for it.

BeepBeep · Post by **BeepBeep** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:19 pm

My advice would be to setup the equipment you have and learn it before you invest more.

Yes, you will need compressors and other outboard gear, but take it slow and do your research.

And have fun. What kind of space do you have to record in?

I'm turning into such an old man.

wejamecono · Post by **wejamecono** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:51 pm

Good deal.

The space will probably be a basement in my folks' house, may start to do some soundproofing or building baffles (is that the word?) in the next few months.

Yeah, i'm just trying to get a basic idea of what I should be researching on, since there is so much information out there. I would like to just get some cheap outboard/effects stuff to screw around with, though.

Thanks for the comments.

WWK

Ethan Holdtrue · Post by **Ethan Holdtrue** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:04 pm

I second the Alesis 3630 idea. I have 2 though I tend to use them for live sound rather than recording. Also see if you can find an old Lexicon mpx-100 on e-bay. it has a few good reverbs and other FX. It's basic but it's cost effective, and a assload less than an mpx-1... did I just date my self?

joeysimms · Post by **joeysimms** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:33 am

wejamecono wrote: My question is about compression, limiters, noise gates, these kinds of things. 1) How crucial is it to have these effects?

IME, not very. I mean, you and your partner have some 4 track experience between you 2 which is a great foundation. My thinking would be to just set up what you have and track clean (no gates, limiters, comps, etc..) for a while and really listen to what you are getting. This will teach you about the room and maybe treating/setting that up first, rather than throwing outboard all over the sound.. Start simple and when you can hear something that needs improving, then invest in some outbaord. Walk before you run and all that.

I'm Painting Again · Post by **I'm Painting Again** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:35 am

Hey Will

1" 8 is a super great format..I'm actually looking into getting one since I have a ton of 1" tape..

the first thing you might consider doing is getting the machine serviced..I don't know if your machine needs it or not..but many old machines can benefit greatly from some time in the shop..that goes for the other deck too..

when I first got into tape I was so overwhelmed..it took me about 9 months to get my ampex up to spec and running from being totally dead..and that was with some great help and wouldn't have been possible without the guidance and skills of our DIY forum's moderator Brian Roth and fellow Ampexian Tom Fine..now I can calibrate and trouble shoot my own gear..I took time hard work and patience to learn the technical side of tape recording..I think this also hold true for recording in general..if you have the passion, practice and hard work will pay off in time..I think you have a good perspective on this already..

In my opinion you don't need compression or reverb or anythng to make a superb recording..these sorts of tools can make our job easier and provide ways to make artistic things happen as well..When in doubt trust yourself and your ears to make the right decisions with what you have..some of my favorite record were made with a boombox..

a good selection of mics, a mixer with decent preamps, and a decent monitoring setup will allow you to begin your experince..remember these things come in second to talented musicians, quality instruments, and a good sounding room to record in..without those in place it will prove very difficult to make a decent recording..

Aquiring gear is an art unto itself..there is so much subjectivity when it comes to asking people what the gear they like is..one may hate a certain piece and another may masturbate to poleroids of the same piece..there are some sick people out there you know..so do your best to try things out in your real life work environment as much as you can and come to your own conclusions..

Look for deals, shop used, and hunt for things that go under the radar..it's what most of us have to do..because as we all know this isn't a cheap hobby or profession to finance on a working class budget..

If you ever need any specific advice don't hesitate to PM me..I know some stuff..I will try to offer the best advice I can..but am far from being anything close ot a veteran of this craft..

good luck

wejamecono · Post by **wejamecono** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:08 pm

Thanks, this is some great advice and encouragement.

I will be posting some follow up questions pretty soon, but this is great to work with.

Right now I've gotta work on a paper---about Paul McCartney "RAM".

WWK

ckeene · Post by **ckeene** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:49 pm

I totally agree with the "keep it simple and learn how to use what you have" philosophy, but I'd also say having some sort of compression/reverb available for vocals is pretty darn important. In fact, as a beginner, having a couple of those tools available to you may save you a lot of time where you're otherwise scratching your head wondering why vocals aren't sitting right in the mix.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:55 pm

ckeene wrote:I totally agree with the "keep it simple and learn how to use what you have" philosophy, but I'd also say having some sort of compression/reverb available for vocals is pretty darn important. In fact, as a beginner, having a couple of those tools available to you may save you a lot of time where you're otherwise scratching your head wondering why vocals aren't sitting right in the mix.

By the same token, he shouldn't be running out and buying all sorts of boutique mic pres etc. just because the marketing machines have done such a great job telling him he needs them. A reverb or two, a delay or two, and a couple of compressors. If he can figure out how to make good records with that, he's ready to move on.

ChrisCo · Post by **ChrisCo** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:11 pm

Just out of curiosity... since he's using tape, couldn't he run a hot signal to tape and have the tape effect be his compressor?

ckeene · Post by **ckeene** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:37 pm

dwlb wrote:
ckeene wrote:I totally agree with the "keep it simple and learn how to use what you have" philosophy, but I'd also say having some sort of compression/reverb available for vocals is pretty darn important. In fact, as a beginner, having a couple of those tools available to you may save you a lot of time where you're otherwise scratching your head wondering why vocals aren't sitting right in the mix.
By the same token, he shouldn't be running out and buying all sorts of boutique mic pres etc. just because the marketing machines have done such a great job telling him he needs them. A reverb or two, a delay or two, and a couple of compressors. If he can figure out how to make good records with that, he's ready to move on.

That's a good philosophy. There are a ton of really good suggestions here for very usable mics, compressors, reverbs, etc that won't break the bank.

One other suggestion I'd make is try and get all your gear running through patchbays. This is going to make your life way easier once you start adding outboard gear.

Also, regarding the suggestion he use tape as his main compression tool, IMO, it's one of the things that can make tape sound really nice, but it can be a little hard to control.

There are also some very usable plugins for reverb, delay and dynamics processing if integrating digital isn't opposed to your recording philosophy!

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