Home studio from scratch

[Kaffe]

Hello there, here comes my first post!

After have been close to broke for quite a while, I finally will get back a lot of money I lent out to my brother. This opens up for a WONDERFUL opportunity - I can now get my own home studio! I always had the dream to get a really nice studio where I could record pretty much anything, but I'm more realistic now and will aim at getting a home studio at first where I can record most things. I know what I could buy to get a fairly decent studio and get away at a fair price, but I figured that some input from other people might be good before I go about and order stuff.

So, basically, I just want help looking at some different alternatives that are fairly cheap but with the best possible quality. The end sum here isn't important - if it seems worth it, I'll buy it, but I just wont go and spend a ridiculous amount of money. You should understand what we're talking about here when I say "small home studio with quality sound".

Anyway, what I WILL get is a pretty over-powered Mac Pro (to keep me going for years and years) and Logic to go with that (I'm used to protools, but Logic is a great software and my brother uses it as well, which will make life significantly easier when we collaborate). The rest is up for discussion.

Anything you guys could recommend?

[stainless]

Kaffe

can you tell us about the space you have to work with and what you're wanting to record?  All tracked/layered? Live ensembles? electronic/ midi?

Which Mac are you getting? the dual quad or the single quad?

[Kaffe]

Ah, a reply. I'll get back to answering your questions so you can weigh in at another time, when I can give more specific details rather than mildly coherent gibberish. New found frenger, I'll try to make the correspondence flow decently paced. Until then, ta-ta!

[RawDepth]

Welcome to the bunch. We are mostly all hobbyist just like you.

I don't know if you are asking for the basics or not. If so, I just put up a primer for anyone just starting out.

http://www.home-recording-studio-forum.com/index.php/topic,434.msg1710.html#msg1710

Check it out if you wish.

[Kaffe]

If you are all hobbyists, then it is as I believed.

I'll read through it tomorrow and then I'll come back here. :]

[Kaffe]

Ok, a little later than anticipated, but here goes!

The room is fairly small (~10 m²), but I do have my whole apartment to use if needed for whatever. I'll most likely play around to see what sounds the different rooms will have. I'm wanting to record all kinds of things, from vocals to acoustic piano to electric guitars and whatever instrument that's needed for whatever I'm working on. However, I'm currently not aiming to record whole drum kits. That's a later project for when I hopefully move my studio out of my home, or move to a villa. x] Most things will be recorded separately. It's how I'm used to do things and it suits the working area. There will be lots of electro and live music intertwined, I'm sure. I mainly deal with live instruments, though. I'm thinking of getting the dual quad, even if it hurts the pocket oh-so much. >.<

Microphone - I was thinking of an AKG C414. I've worked with it before and it has always proven to be a sharp mic to have in consideration for any recording, which is why I think it would be a good first all-round microphone. However, I see that there are different versions of the c414 and the price differs on the different ones. Anyone know more about this? Or altogether a different mic to recommend that will keep me going for a while?

I was also thinking of a Focusrite Saffire of some sort, but I honestly know very little about the different hardware now a days. I've been out of the loop for too long.

Logic is a must.

Any input is welcome. :]

[stainless]

As it sounds like you have a choice of rooms,  and assuming they are all generally rectangular in shape, then ideally the room whose 3 dimensions are not equal to, or some equivalent of a 1:1, 2: 1, 2:3, etc multiple of any of the others. Here in the states 8' ceilings are common... and for some reason 12' length or widths like wise, which makes standing waves/modes more of an issue to deal with (at least according to the room mode calcs)-

Room treatment being (IMHO) is the most important "1st" task, once you've decided on a room!

dual-quad... mmmm yes my precious

The C414 is a popular mic, and I envy you if it suffices for all needs- I literally have a "mic locker" which seems to continually be "subject to change"- I am a big Fan of the work Michael Jolie (OktavaMods) does on a variety of different mics, and i understand he's finally coming out with his own line.

I currently "stuck" in ProTools (I own a Control 24 console)....but Logic or Reaper are the two main contenders if/when i upgrade computers/ hardware (which i think I have one more go-round before things reach the point of frivolity... which a few think i've already achieved!)

[Kaffe]

The building of my home studio is going very slow, but I'm soon getting there. So far I've bought this:

Mics: 1 AKG C414 + 1 Shure SM57
Comment: I found the AG C414 for a very good price (new) last year, got lucky. I know this mic won't cover all of my needs for all future, what I previously meant was just that I can't go on and buy 10 different mics from the get go and need to start of with one that I feel will be able to handle most things. The SM57 makes for a good dynamic microphone for louder recording (percussion/electric guitar), which came mounted in the Isobox I got from my brother (he bought it building his studio and realized he doesn't have any use for it. He produces electronic music). I have access to various dynamic microphones if needed and I will most likely be able to borrow my brother's Manley Reference if I feel that I need it for something special. Good times, good times... ;]

Computer: MacPro 12-core (2010 mid summer release), 32 GB RAM
Comment: This might sound ridiculous to some, but I just purchased myself a MacPro 12-core with 6 GB of Ram, though bought 32 GB from another reseller to make it cheaper. Very, very expensive, but I did buy it from the states and with the current currency exchange rate between the Swedish Krona and the US Dollar, I saved a ridiculous amount of money. To me it was like getting a 30% discount. It will soon be in my hands. Good times, good times. xD

Sequencer: TBD - Logic Pro 9
Comment: I don't have the software yet, but I'm probably getting the Logic Pro 9. What I do know is that I'm getting Logic, exact version still unclear.

Interface: None
Commet: I've switched from wanting to start of with a Focusrite Saffire of some sort to wanting to get the RME Fireface 800. I want to have the possibility to record drums (even if it won't be possible in the studio room I'm building up, but I can always move the studio temporarily for drum recording sessions if needed) and figured this would be a good option. Any thoughts?

The rest is room design, I guess. I have pretty much a fair idea of how things will turn out in the room and will most likely post pictures once I'm done. ^___^

[stainless]

I don't know much about the C414 but the SM57 is very versatile.Great for toms, snare, screamo vocalists, and guitar cabs

got the 12 core !! wow,I just got the 8 core, couldn't quite justify the 12 core- the 8 core is working flawlessly... I only have 10 GB Ram (currently... will upgrade over time)... may add a UAD-2 accelerator card

Logic... I looked very long and hard at LogicPro9 and opted to go to Digital Performer 7.2- I think both good programs- for me DP seemed too have the edge (I came from 10 years on ProTools)

I have the FireFace 800... most excellent

room treatment, room treatment,room treatment, save yourself the frustration of trying to fix things in the mix because of poor room acoustics

sounds like you're on the right path!

[Kaffe]

Another one of my slow updates...

The only thing missing to get started right now is actually Logic Studio. I'll order it soon enough, I just have to convince a friend in the states to buy it for me and post it to me. Again, I save a lot of money doing that.

When it comes to the interface, I ended up getting the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56. One of the cheaper alternatives (not budget model, though), but it's very promising. I was looking at the RME Fireface 800 as my primary choice to begin with, but changed my mind in the last minute and the money difference only played a small part of it. I'm almost certain I made a good choice.

I'll get to the studio monitors later. I'll start off playing around with the speakers and the headphones (AKG K271 MKII) I currently have.

As for mics, I just bought an AKG D 22 to add to the collection. More will come in time. :3

Room treatment... I do have a few things already done in that department, but I'm far from done. I'll add some as I'll go, I guess. I don't know exactly where to go from where I'm at, so I'm hoping some experimenting and experience recording in this room will give me a better idea of what to do. I'll go ahead and post in my moveable, foldable, audio dampening walls thread now. x]

[stainless]

Progress is good!

I have the RME FF800 and like it. I looked at the Saphire, but because it has a total of 8 internal pres and the FW800 has 4 I opted for the FW800 as i prefer to use my own pre's and like the majority of interfaces on the market, the internal pre-amps are not truly bypassable which means using an external on those channels involves a second series of circuitry ...aka - gain staging- (even if it's "just limited to the gain circuitry"), but had I not built up a collection of preamps i'd perhaps had gone for the Saffire or even the Motu 892 (? I think that was it... and actually that got dropped as an option first because of long delivery)

room treatment is definitely trial and error, and I moved a few things around- I was able to use room correction software (I have the JBL LSR monitors) to run the test and look at what effect the different placements of acoustic treatment had some seemed to have no effect, and a couple of times it got worse (I started losing frequencies by too much treatment)... apadded room isn't a good approach 

do we get to see pictures soon?

[Kaffe]

I'll get the the taking picture part later... you'll probably have to wait a month or more. xD
But no worries, when I feel ready for it, I'll show some to ya! :]