Upgrades ~ Interface, Monitors & Mics

[ToneSter]

I’m finally getting serious on my studio and NEED A LOT OF HELP/INPUT!

Very embarrassed to admit, realistically I’ve averaged approx 30 to 50 hrs “per year” for the last 8+yrs.

I have $2,500 to spend and I need to get a “really good interface (least amount of latency)” that has a min. of 6 mic inputs, a few mics, a good vocal mic and 8” monitors.

Gear I’m considering:
Mics, Instruments/Senn/e609, Shure sm57 and Rode M5/pair – vocals/ Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM7B, monitors/Yamaha HS8” and interface/Forcusrite Scarlet18i20

I already have the Shure sm57a and AKG Perception 220

Computer:
Windows 7 Pro.
Intel Core i5-4670 Quad-core 3.4GHz LGA 1150.
SAMSUNG 840 EVO 250G Sata SS drive.
32gigs/Ram - SDRAM DDR3 1600.
Only one USB3 port.

[grinder]

I have been around awhile
Re Microphones.
Recommend you think about if you have solid state rack pre amp or valve gear.
I have an SM57 purchased this esp for electric guitar I have never used this to record, tried and failed.
SM58, SM65SD? older yes, Lewitt LCT640 yes everything, Rode K2 almost anything, Charter Oak SA 538 very warm mic on slower ballads very nice. I have other Rode mics also which I use.
Thing is valve is quite different than solid state mic sometimes too many valves in a line can leave vocals just a bit lost in a mix can take the edge off so think about having at least one of each.
You do not have to have truly expensive mics to get good recordings but pays to think about what job you want them to do for you, difficult I know.
My two cents.

Grinder

[ToneSter]

Thx grinder

I have AmpliTube 3, Reason 7, Superior Drummer and Melodyne 2 or 3 and maybe a couple others it's been over a year this time other than doing some updates.

for the most part I will be using Amp/3 for rough takes/writing and when finished with the song mic up the amps and record, I build my own gear and it's pretty high end stuff, though this could change depending on what sounds better for the type of songs as most of the amps/circuits are Marshall type.

so what would be a good vocal mic in the $400 and below?............. or is this an area I need to suck it up and spend $600-plus?

[grinder]

Tonester
Sounds like you could make a mic!
What a talent building what I end up purchasing...
This is something I reckon is relevant in purchasing microphones that is if the sound is okay and above have a look at the eq graph for the mic get one with pretty much a flat eq graph. If you record in heaps of keys like I do it
makes for a mic that will cover key basses. I have not read this anywhere
this is just my view.
When I purchase anything now I look up the web and this can go on for weeks,,,,
Finding kosha reviews is not difficult these days all the same, bad news gets around the globe quicker than good.
Mic in your bracket the Rode range is a good place to start I have the earlier
NT2 the first Rode I ever purchased I still use this.
In fact a top engineer asked me what mic I used to record a classical guitar wave file I had in a tune he was mixing told me it was beautiful this had been recorded with the NT 2. There are things that will have an effect the playing the space and all the rest of course however that said the Rode NT 2 did the job. I used the NT 2 last in my tune "Coming Home" ( https://soundcloud.com/steve-maitland-1 )
now I am no audio engineer yet so I have not the skill to get a vocal exciting and no singer either! The mic though passes what it hears.
So really just scout the web sorry I can not help other than what I have new
microphone makes and models are a dime a dozen now so read Sound on Sound and the rest for a few months and get a feel.

Grinder

Originally Posted by grinder

I have been around awhile
Re Microphones.
Recommend you think about if you have solid state rack pre amp or valve gear.
I have an SM57 purchased this esp for electric guitar I have never used this to record, tried and failed.
SM58, SM565SD? older yes, Lewitt LCT640 yes everything, Rode K2 almost anything, Charter Oak SA 538 very warm mic on slower ballads very nice. I have other Rode mics also which I use.
Thing is valve is quite different than solid state mic sometimes too many valves in a line can leave vocals just a bit lost in a mix can take the edge off so think about having at least one of each.
You do not have to have truly expensive mics to get good recordings but pays to think about what job you want them to do for you, difficult I know.
My two cents.
I just saw Shure have brought on to the market the SM565SD again....
Nothing wrong there they say it is not any different from the SM85... The two I have are certainly not the same sounding, mind they are from the 70's may be just old, great for vocal and for electric guitar.

Grinder

[ivansc]

One quick comment. MD421 on vocals is not exactly a great choice. I sold mine after I stopped recording live drums. Used it 99% on toms, where it excelled. Disappointing on vocals.
Best advice on a vocal mic is probably rto steer clear of anything too "character" initially till you see what works for you. An inexpensive large diaphragm condenser is always a good place to start, so probably a Rode NT1 - the current model, as earlier ones were horribly sibilant to my ears.
I have & use regularly an Oktava 319 and a Rode Classic (the original not the Mk2) but it took me a while to decide what wored best on my voice. Also had a Red Sound RV10 that I sold to a friend recently & in terms of sound and bang for the buck I regret it already. at 150gbp they are great value.
I started building Neumann fet47 clone and got sidetracked with illness earlier this year but to be honest I am not sure why I bothered. Fine with the mics I have.

[grinder]

Just by the by I had to look up the Shure SM565S it does not figure in most of the Shure history which it should. One of the things I came across was that Freddie Mercury used it as his vocal Mic.

Grinder

[ToneSter]

the Oktava 319 fits in the budget plan!, I'll do some research, would you say it could do screamo to country for vocal?

I have the AKG Perception 220 that has work pretty good in the past, is that just an entry level mic?

Grinder, no referencing of musicians that does not allow me to make a stable decision, big Queen fan.

............Neumann fet47 clone............. almost got lost in the rabbit hole, that will be a future project, and a lot of it/tone has to do with placement and types of caps being used.

Thank you for the input!

[ivansc]

Oktava IS a bit of a one trick pony stock, but is mod-able. Might amuse you doing it.
Works for me because I have a rather harsh midrange on my voice and the Oktava AND the Rode both tame this down a bit. Like I said, see if you can get to try a few mics.
Assuming you are in the US, there are several good, small manufacturers.

Read this huge gearslutz thread but pay attention to Kidvybe, who is sadly no longer among us but was pretty clued in on bang for buck mics.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-...cings-168.html

[grinder]

I was not shocked when I saw that Freddie used the Shure
When you look back a bit when recording was in it's infancy the facts are these you made the best of what you had and you learnt how to drive what you had well.
Many pictures of stars out there from many years ago with any amount of different mics none of which would probably be sponsored yet these people made fantastic music with them.
Makes me think anyhow!

Grinder

[kero]

Originally Posted by ToneSter

I’m finally getting serious on my studio and NEED A LOT OF HELP/INPUT!

Very embarrassed to admit, realistically I’ve averaged approx 30 to 50 hrs “per year” for the last 8+yrs.

I have $2,500 to spend and I need to get a “really good interface (least amount of latency)” that has a min. of 6 mic inputs, a few mics, a good vocal mic and 8” monitors.

Gear I’m considering:
Mics, Instruments/Senn/e609, Shure sm57 and Rode M5/pair – vocals/ Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM7B, monitors/Yamaha HS8” and interface/Forcusrite Scarlet18i20

I already have the Shure sm57a and AKG Perception 220

Computer:
Windows 7 Pro.
Intel Core i5-4670 Quad-core 3.4GHz LGA 1150.
SAMSUNG 840 EVO 250G Sata SS drive.
32gigs/Ram - SDRAM DDR3 1600.
Only one USB3 port.

Yamaha Hs8 monitors, a Shure Sm7b, and a Universal Audio Apollo
Twin interface, should be within your budget

[ToneSter]

I was looking at the Apollo II though it does not have (6)xlr inputs.

Thanks for all the current input.

any comments on the Fathead II for guitars?

[grinder]

For me I would say this is a very frank review
http://someaudioguy.blogspot.co.nz/2...ii-ribbon.html

Grinder

[G-Sun]

What's you're acoustics like?

Aston Spirit
RM BIV-1
CM3 - Line Audio Design

[ToneSter]

moving studio to the garage, 2 story hard V shape peak at approx. 22ft/6.7m may add a sloped drop ceiling at approx. 10ft/3.05m.

Room is 17.66ft/5.38m x 22.33ft/6.8m ~ approx. 394.3sq/ft - 36.63sq/m

sound panels are wood and fabric and a few bass/trap type.

work station placement, in the corner or center of the long wall.

(Fat Head) so that one is out as I'm dyslexic and regularly flip the information in the brain.

Thanks,

[ToneSter]

****07-14- 2017 - Interface and DAW Purchased................(PreSonus Studio 192 USB & PreSonus Studio One 3.5 Pro)