I wanna get my (recording) feet wet..

[crtdot]

Hello, Gods! I have been a reader of TapeOp for a few years now, beginning with me just flipping through at my man Bryan Carrigan's joint while he was doing recording magic I knew jack-shit about. So in the times I couldn't help him other than say, "uh, it sounds cool there" I'd be flipping through what soon became my Bible. Now even my wife reads my copies of TapeOp.

Forgive me my sins. I am a digital recorder of my own and some others eclectronic music. I began as many of us did on a cassette 4-track, followed by a slightly better one, then soon an 8-track cassette then a DATcorder until I went into HD recording via StudioVision Pro. Ouch. Your stinging barbs of laughter pain my soul (ah! A song my lord God Albini graces my iTunes now! Fish Fry! Pure sonic heaven, though it is digital).

I have since graduated to Logic Pro, which I love like the various models I have dated. I admire the beauty it has, wonder why it's with me, and why I don't get it sometimes.

Since reading TapeOp, I have slowly begun to understand various things I read in it. I vaguely understand things like pre's, compressors, eq's and such. I have begun to think I would like to get a nicer, warmer sound into my setup. Something to beefen and fatten up the sound of my recordings. TO that end I would like to invest in some gear. Gear that would interface well with my machines and also last me a while, as I only get moolah like this every so often.

I would like to start recording stuff live, most likely voice and some percussive stuff, like a drum kit and hand drums.

So far, I have been looking at the following gear for my investment:

1) Focusrite Platinum Twin Trak Pro
2) Soundcraft COMPACT 10
3) Shure mic

Can you tell I don?t know shit about what mic to get? I have read that the SM58 is about the most basic necessary mic to have, but I could be wrong. Help?

What else would you chaps recommend? What must I absolutely have and would be a fool not to? Price is somewhat of an issue, remember.

Thanks!

[I'm Painting Again]

cant your friend teach you or take you on as an intern or something?

A lot of people get upset on here when people ask what gear they should buy..personally I dont mind..give me a budget, what you currently own, and I will gladly tell you what I would get if I had to work from scratch..If that gear makes you happy is another story..

[crtdot]

I think it's funny that people get upset about gear questions. Unless someone is saying "Which peice of equipment will make my recordings sound like Glyn Johns?" who gives a fluck? I'm just looking for some meat'n'potatoes type of stuff. Just the basics. I know: pre, eq, compressor. But I have a budget of under $5,000. I ain''t looking to get into the realm of tape. Yet.

Here's my tiny home studio: http://crtdot.com/flowcontrol/

Here's what I record with now:

MULTIVOX MULTI ECHO
Furman Power Conditioners x 2
Line 6 Echo Pro
Digitech Studioquad
Electrix Filter Factory
Electrix MoFX
MIDIMAN 8x8 midi patchbay
Mackie LM3204
Alesis Datadisk
Alesis 3630
BBE 462
DBX 48 point Patchbay
AP 48 Point Patchbay

Had a g4 but it's dead now I think.

That's pretty much the list of it. Shoot me, but I have been recording straight into the g4's line in, alothough occcasionally I have had the use of an 828mkii. WHich is awesome except for the goddamn lcd is now black as pitch.

As for you 2nd question about interning, I would love to. My boy Bryan lives out in LALA now and I miss working with him terribly. Terribly. And I am living in Somervville, MA and work 2 jobs, am working on a novel and maintaining a yoga practice. So there goes that option.

I live smack dab between Q Division in Somerville and Fort Apache in Cambridge, MA and I would like nothing better than to learn about recording from the ground up. But again, time is at a deficit.

Thank you for yours, however. And any input you may have.

CRT

P.S. I would love a Clear Channel but until they grow on trees or I experience an uptick in income, ain't gonna happen.

cant your friend teach you or take you on as an intern or something?

A lot of people get upset on here when people ask what gear they should buy..personally I dont mind..give me a budget, what you currently own, and I will gladly tell you what I would get if I had to work from scratch..If that gear makes you happy is another story..

[joeysimms]

... I would like nothing better than to learn about recording from the ground up. But again, time is at a deficit...

That will be very difficult.

[crtdot]

ah, er, how do you mean? Yeah, without time it will be difficult.

as it is I get shit done in a day.

... I would like nothing better than to learn about recording from the ground up. But again, time is at a deficit...

That will be very difficult.

[joeysimms]

ah, er, how do you mean? Yeah, without time it will be difficult.

I mean, without a lot of time to record, you won't learn much about recording.

[crtdot]

Yes, nail on the head. As I get older, I get less and less time to work on music. Ugh.

ah, er, how do you mean? Yeah, without time it will be difficult.

I mean, without a lot of time to record, you won't learn much about recording.

[chrispnyc]

If you are looking for mics, well, there is NOTHING wrong with starting out with a Shure SM-57 (or 3). They can be used in many, many situations and they are great for teaching you how to work within limits.

It seems that a lot of what you do is midi based stuff, eh?

I have a Focusrite Twintrak Pro. A lot of people round these parts don't seem too found of the Platinum range (of which the TT Pro is part), but I dig it. I have the AD converter card on mine and I think it is pretty decent. I track a lot of my stuff through it and i am happy. That said, you should test one out somewhere. If there isn't a store near you, head to Boston and check one there.

Want a cheap comp that does an amazingly good job (for what it is)? Look at the ART Pro VLA - Musician's Friend is currently blowing them out (again) at $229.

Also the FMR RNC is a really great 2 channel comp. It isn't dual mono (ie its only 1 channel or a stereo feed) but it is great. They use a minimal analog path but it is controlled digitally.

Also, look into the Audio Technica 4040 range of mics. There good for vocals and they would work well for recording percussion without losing sparkle or range.

Don't forget however, so much of a 'warm' or 'fat' tone does not come from the gear, but MIC PLACEMENT!!!! it is key and only comes with practice, time and more practice.

Just my thoughts...

[KennyLusk]

A question for you CRT. What kind of music will you be recording? What kind of instruments, what genre, and what's the general timbre of your music?

[crtdot]

God, I love this board. So helpful. Thank God.

Um. I don't know exactly. Still alot of MIDI stuff, but I foresee more guitars and live drums. Some vox and hand percussion. And possibly monkeys in deep foreplay.

A question for you CRT. What kind of music will you be recording? What kind of instruments, what genre, and what's the general timbre of your music?

[Rick Hunter]

This is the best thread ever. Okay dude here is what you do.

Buy something to record on. something easy. A roland VS 880 or something. Then get some mics.

Then...

RECORD STUFF. As much as you can. Eventually your stuff will be good.

[Huntlabs]

What chrispnyc said.

SM57 and a LDC of some kind. Maybe a AT4033? With those two and a good pre, perhaps the Hamptone?, and a few odds and ends you should be good. Just get some basics like this and get at it!

[KennyLusk]

I concur.

Totally.

[chrispnyc]

I MOST DEFINITELY agree with the monkey part!!

But in reality, I think that what people are saying about just doing it is key. There was a LONG thread on here the other day about the Chili Peppers/home studios/'indie' recordings, etc. that I think might be helpful if you read it.

Basically, the gear is a tool. If you go out and blow $20,000 on a mic, but can't play anything worthwhile into it, you are missing the point. I say that the Twintrak is a good bet because it gets the job done, with many cool features, at a decent price (used, mind you). There are a number of others like it out there in all price ranges. Start out with something decent, in both the mic and pre world. It doesn't have to be top notch...just something that you wake up and think "oh man, I want to get that thing crankin'." If it has resale value all the better - if you never want to sell it, perfect. Then, use the hell out of it. Use it until you are so sick of it that you HAVE to get soemthing else, then keep using it.

Until you are truly pro, the limitations are in your skills, not the gear.

I record house music mainly, so I am not an expert on live recording. That's why I work with a SM57 a lot. I record literally everything I can with it. My cat, my feet tapping, the sound of computer keyboard keys clicking, anything - even a vocal hit or two. I'm moving on to different mics now, but that is only because I am ready to try new sounds, not to get new gear.

Gear lust is a great way to waste time and not record...

And don't get trapped in message boards. I try to make it a rule that I only look at boards when I can't record or after I have tried recording something, anything at all. Usually, I forget that I wanted to look at this board or that and end up rocking out behind my mixer until the wee hours....

[I'm Painting Again]

if you can get your g4 to function it will be a big step in getting your budget to work better..