Topic: What Gear? (Read 3682 times)

milifist · « **on:** March 12, 2007, 01:03:30 PM »

Since around 2002, I’ve been trying to learn to play the guitar (off and on, and not very seriously). A couple of years ago, my cousin (who is a decent guitarist) suggested I that I start recording stuff to learn to play better. I’ve never been interested becoming a great player (I mainly play around with it as a form of stress relief). However, I’ve found that I really enjoy the technical aspects of recording. Since I’m not too serious about things, I’ve been getting just about the cheapest gear I could lay my hands on.

This is the stuff I’ve been using:

Aardvark Direct Pro LX6
I love this little thing. It is great for small-scale recording. 24/96, MIDI in/out, and S/PDIF in/out. Makes nice clean recordings.

Major downside is that the company went under and there is zero linux support. I’m stuck using my good old ’98. For software, I’ve been using an old copy of Cool Edit Pro 2.1 and JAZZ++ MIDI seq.

Behringer Eurorack UB2442FX Pro
I didn’t really need this big of a mixer, but when I found someone selling this one for the price of a smaller one, I figured it wouldn’t hurt. While “used”, it was in excellent shape and in the original packaging. Turns out, the previous owner had never even used it. His wife bought it for him, but it was Behringer so he didn’t want it. Personally, I couldn’t be happier with it. I’m not picky. I like Behringer stuff. I love the fact that people will buy the things and then read some bad reviews so they sell’em off cheap even though it works fine. Which is also how I got my effect processor:

MODULIZER PRO DSP1224P

It is a fine little unit that works great, but what the previous owner wanted some something more like something from DigiTech’s RP line.

So, what is everyone else using?

dcrog · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2007, 04:17:57 PM »

jeee · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2007, 04:40:33 PM »

12AX7 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2007, 06:27:21 PM »

I have way too much stuff to post it all; but here's a quick run-down:

This is the model board I have, a Behringer MX9000

It can be seen in place in the studio here:
Video 1 =11M

and here:
Video 2 =9M

All the furniture, room effects, racks, etc. are all hand-made by me.

Close-ups of the "main" equipment:

The mixer's power supply, and my amps; Crown (1100W), Peavey (300W), and Sony(100W)

My effects rack

My patch panel. The top silver ones are Behringer 1/4" patch bays, the bottom
black ones are milspec telephone industry patch bays (1/4"- 52point, and TT - 96point)
which I've custom wired. (and also which I just noticed you cant see in this pic...they're on the bottom, though; six of them. Oh; and the top rack slot is my Korg tuner. Tunes... things.

My Babies. Shure, Ampeg, AudioTechnica, Sony, Nady
Dynamics and condensers.

This all culminates on my DAW; which I custom built for this function. It's an
AMD64 2G proc, on an ASUS K8V w/2G of DDR
The software I use ranges from SONAR 3 back to Cakewalk 8 Pro, Cool Edit Pro, Sound Forge 6, ACID pro, and. . . I think that's all I actually use.
I've just been finishing up building/wiring the studio in the above vids; so I havent been recording anything new for a few years. Mainly just software-based editing audio that already exists; usually something from someone wanting it cleaned up or some sort of "blade" edit. New stuff to come soon, though.

TheJudge · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2007, 06:53:58 AM »

Erm... I have a computer

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2007, 07:55:42 AM »

I have a shitty old laptop with a broken screen hooked up to an old CRT with speakers I bought when I was in the states for two bucks.

milifist · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2007, 01:18:32 PM »

Impressive as always, 12AX7!

I’m glad you posted your mics, it reminded me that I need to ask some advice from someone more knowledgeable about recording.

I need some advice about miking an acoustic. Sometime over this summer, I intend to record some of my dad’s playing. He used to play for all of the kids when we were little, but now his arthritis is getting too bad for him to play much longer. We’d like to record some stuff so the various grandkids will be able to hear him play. I don’t know much of anything about miking acoustic guitars (I don’t even have any mics to use at the moment). I won’t be able to spend more than $250-$300 on mics.

I was planning on getting a pair of Shure SM57s to use in a standard X/Y 110° setup. My dad’s guitar is a 1975 Alvarez DY76 12-String.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Pyrenus · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2007, 03:42:39 PM »

I bought a used Korg Triton and fooled around with it for a while. It sounded really good. But, I don't know anything about it and it was too frustrating trying to learn how to use it, so I sold it.

Wisht I still had it.

Fruityloops is the extent of my recording equipment now.

dcrog · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2007, 04:39:13 PM »

I don't know about mic's on an acoustic. But for voice I like the Shure PG-58's more than any other microphone I've tried. Plus they seem to be as tough as nails when it comes to abuse. They're not the most expensive, but I like the way they sound.

But 12 will lead you in the right direction.

Believe me when I say "He can take a song and cut it up, change it, put it back together, and nobody can tell the difference".

Thanks again my friend.

ivan · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2007, 04:50:31 PM »

I don't have a good mic.

So I have to sing really loud.

dcrog · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2007, 05:01:11 PM »

I don't record anything, but I do have a fairly decent home karaoke system. Or he wife does anyway.

12AX7 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 14, 2007, 08:01:36 AM »

Quote from: milifist on March 13, 2007, 01:18:32 PM

I was planning on getting a pair of Shure SM57s to use in a standard X/Y 110° setup.

That's a nice guitar!
A pair of 57s would be great; particularly if you plan to use them for multiple purposes. They're tough as hell and consistently sound great. They can be used on nearly everything; from vocals to drums. They also have pickups made for acoustic guitars; a lot of them sound really good. A mounted pickup and a large-diaphragm condenser mic at about 3 feet would sound heavenly, too. Mix it heavy on the mic; with the pickup for crispness, clarity, and presence. Either way you go; be it the trusty 57's or else, make sure you fool around with the mic placement until you get the most appealing sound. Mic placement is much more important than even the mic you use; so experiment a LOT. Just a tiny smidgen of a move can make the most drastic change. Also- if you use more than one mic, and they are not "together"(a stereo pair; such as you mentioned), they should be apart approximately three times the distance from mic to sound source. For example; if you place one at the sound hole about 6 inches away; the other mic needs to be at least 18 inches from the first mic. This helps eliminate phase cancellation; which can make the most expensive mics sound like total crap. Anytime mics get close to one another, wavelengths from the sound source will arrive at each mic at a slightly different time. When mixed together at the board, some of these wavelengths WILL be in phase (making them seem louder), and some will be out of phase at varying degrees; cancelling that wavelength, or diminishing it. Story short; it makes em sound like shit. So play around with the mic placement; it can make all the difference. Also - RECORD EVERYTHING! ! ! ! !! ! I cant stress that enough. SOOOOOOOOO many times I've heard / seen / done the best playing ever heard; only to realize it's gone forever cos they were "warming up" and nobody figured it shoulda been recorded. I'll start recording somebody when they're tuning up, lol. Believe it or not; that's when some of their smoothest riffs fly out. I'll play it back to them an hour or so later on break, and they're like, "Weird Tingly Feeling? That's MEE? OHShIT!!!!

" So... anyway...record everything! Tape, drive space, CDs, DVDs.. you can always buy more. A momentarily super-inspired piece of soundcraft unrecorded and gone is lost forever. Don't wait till "everyone's ready" to hit RECORD.
As far as recording, those are probably my main techniques; placement, experimentation, and recording/logging it all.

12AX7 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 14, 2007, 08:08:37 AM »

Quote from: dcrog on March 13, 2007, 04:39:13 PM

But for voice I like the Shure PG-58's more than any other microphone I've tried. Plus they seem to be as tough as nails when it comes to abuse. They're not the most expensive, but I like the way they sound.

That's Shure for ya. You can see one of my mics looks like it's flat on one side... cos it IS. It was a road mic. It has been flattened onstage twice; now it's actually square - but still sounds great. It's a Shure.

Quote from: dcrog on March 13, 2007, 04:39:13 PM

Thanks again my friend.

Anytime man!

ivan · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2007, 10:54:47 AM »

Right now what I'm trying to work with is this: a beat up cobbled together PentiumIII with a meager 850MB ram running Cakewalk 2.2 with some cheesy low end soundblaster card. It took me a couple of days of reloading drivers and clicking on settings just to get some sound out of it. Last night I tried to bounce a couple of MIDI tracks onto an audio track so I could spin off an MP3 or something, and discovered that I can't get the audio track to hear the MIDI playback, and I have no idea why.

hate computers

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2007, 12:12:57 PM »

That totally just reminded me of that scene in Pick of Destiny when Jack Black freaks out at Kyle because he didn't hit record on the tape in the pentagram and wasted the magic.

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Author Topic: What Gear? (Read 3682 times)

milifist

What Gear?

dcrog

Re: What Gear?

jeee

Re: What Gear?

12AX7

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TheJudge

Re: What Gear?

Agent_Tachyon

Re: What Gear?

milifist

Re: What Gear?

Pyrenus

Re: What Gear?

dcrog

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ivan

Re: What Gear?

dcrog

Re: What Gear?

12AX7

Re: What Gear?

12AX7

Re: What Gear?

ivan

Re: What Gear?

Agent_Tachyon

Re: What Gear?