Tips for the growing studio

[Fade502]

Okay, so I dropped some knowledge for the young aspiring producer. These tips may not be right for everybody. Some people may be farther along that the newb. Here are some tips for the middle of the road cats. This conversation is going to lean towards gear, but MORE GEAR IS NOT NECESSARY FOR PROFESSIONAL BEATS. There are virtues to gear, but it is not the answer by itself.

We talked in the other piece about a hardware breakout box for your computer. At this point I would like to recommend the Delta1010. Thisa piece of gear offers 10 1/4 balanced inputs, 10 1/4 balanced outputs 1 SPDIF IN/OUT (stereo 2 channels), word clock sync (never used). It is rackmountable and interfaces with the PC by a parallel cable and a PCI card. It can be bridged with up to 4 other 1010's for a total of 40 inputs. There are other pieces of gear that will do a comparable job. I know the Delta so I recommend it. That is not to say that there is not something better out there.

This is an all important piece because you will likely want to track several sounds separately. This allows you to take advantage of say the 8 optional outputs on the MPC or the 6 outputs of the Proteus2500. Without this, everything would get to the PC mixed down and unable to be changed. Whatever choice you make, this is one piece of gear that you don't want to skimp out on.

The next piece of gear that I would recommend ABOVE ALL is a patch bay. People always criticize this one because it has no buttons and makes no noise. The truth of the matter is that this piece of equipment will double your creativity. What this provides for you is to never ever have to get on your hands and knees again to reroute something. If you want to change the way that something is routed... you only move the patch cable from one location to the other. Here is a perfect example. I put together a drum sequence the other day that sound like some bullshit Neptunes crap. I decided that I wanted to run that crap through my MS2000BR to dirty it up. Boooooya on the RZA tip. I didn't even have to get out of my chair. For real, get one... it will be the best $100 dollars that you spend on your studio.

Finally monitors... I am guilty of this one. If you are going to be serious about making music, you need to hear what you are making. The problem with regular speakers is that they are designed to find dope where there is no dope. They make bass where there is no bass. The problem is that if you mix to where it sounds good on these speakers... it may not on your friends rig. Studio monitors are created to reproduce a completely flat signal that favors no particular frequency. This is the true sound that you are thumping. If you can make a bassline that sounds dope here... it will sound dope everywhere. I would not skimp here either (although, I have yet to buy some). Ask around and find out what is best. It will make a world of difference in your final mix.

Final cost:
B-Box $700
Patch Bay $100
Monitors $400 - $800

[BeatsBuY]

You got some knowledge man! Thanks for giving your helpful tips. I agree with all of it. Good thread... And ya, a patchbay is a most...

[UIFam]

good advise, i need a patch bay.

[fat_scott]

good looks on that patchbay tip, and
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-TASCAM-VLX5-...ayphotohosting
TASCAM's VLX5 bi-amplified nearfield studio monitor is the perfect choice for recording studios, home and project studios, and any other application needing accurate audio playback in a small package. The VLX5's extraordinary sound quality can be attributed to its components and how they work together. In all, the VLX5's impressive specifications translate into a much larger and clearer sound field than most monitors in its class .A custom designed 1-inch silk high frequency driver and a 5.25-inch low frequency driver are coupled with 30 and 60 watt power amplifiers made especially for the VL-X5, giving you crisp, tight highs and rich deep bass. Flat frequency response up to 22 kHz makes the VL-X5 a great mixing and mastering monitor. Magnetic Shielding means you can safely place a pair of VL-X5s next to your DAW computer screen, and the Acoustic Space Control allows you to place the monitors against a wall or in tight studio corners. Sold in pairs

these types of moniters float all over ebay, they're around 300 dollars and would fit perfectly in your dirty ass little lab next to the bed and shit

[O.P.]

this is bullshit they wont need a patchbay when starting off, they wont have enough gear

[eboknows]

all u need is cubase protools any type of good recording software mpc fl studio reason anything to make beats on ... a decent interface 24 bit .... and a decent mic ..... and some good monitors and headphones ... upgrade upgrade after that is that best start to make quality shit

[Emzee]

this is bullshit they wont need a patchbay when starting off, they wont have enough gear

i can't believe how many people on HHG can't fucking read...he never said it was for beginners moron; check the record

[ijkl366]

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[pakkman6]

props on the advice..i finally got all the equipment i need now to start producing and recording on a professional level..here is my setup.

HARDWARE:

MPC 2000XL (32mb maxed out) - $700
KORG TRINITY - $850
MOTIF ES RACK - $700
TECHNICS 1200MK - $250
KRK ROCKIT 6 MONITORS - $350
M-AUDIO 410 - $200
AUDIO TECHNICA 4040 - $400
FOCUSRITE C/S - $325

[Chenxxx]

yo seriously MONITORS!!
i started with some regular desktop speakers and i thought my beats where fire. my ppl kept telling i should cop some monitors to really check my mix downs. i finally did i got the bx8a deluxe and i realized how off my bass was..
to keep it short you never really know how your beats are until you hear them in different low frequencies..