***The Official Home Recording Studio Thread***

[BigDannyO]

what monitors are those?

I need to get some...Torn between the krk rokit 6 and the presonus eris 5

They're Mackie MR5mk3. With a limited budget I spent aaaaages deliberating over so many different monitors like MAudio BX5 and Tannoy 402, and the pricier stuff like the ones you mentioned, but managed to stretch a little to get these. I'm a fan of Mackie stuff so though it only right to match my mixer.

 

[Jono]

Rokit 6s are lovely. They really are.

 

[Lowe]

So here's some of my play areas - excuse the phone pics. Feel free to ask any questions.

Studio 1 Control Room:



It's a Solid State Logic AWS948 console, PMC TB2S-Aii monitors in 5.1 (about to be changed for twotwo.6 in 5.1). Pro Tools HDX, 48 channels of I/O. 2x Lexicon PCM 96 Surrounds and a Drawmer 1968 Mercenary. Planning on getting some more outboard in the future.

Studio 1 Live Room:





In here's a Steinway Model A, Mapex Meridian kit and plenty of general sundries. There's lots of plexiglass shielding too for isolation, or you can put it on the floor to create a reflective surface. The curtains allow you to liven or deaden the space to suit.


Studio 2 Control Room:





Studio 2 is based around a Solid State Logic Matrix2, PMC IB1S-Aii monitors, Pro Tools HDX with 24 channels of I/O. The rack has an SSL bus compressor, a Lexicon PCM 96, a Bricasti M7, 2x Distressors and a dual UA-1176. Mic pres are SSL Alpha VHD's and Audients.

Studio 2 Live Room:



Very similar to the other live room, only slightly narrower and you have an upright Boston piano instead.



Listening Room:



PMC twotwo.6 in 5.1, with an RME Madiface for your laptop. It's quite a nice space to just listen to music, or you can use it as an 'in the box' mix space straight off your laptop.

 

[Cosimo]

So here's some of my play areas - excuse the phone pics. Feel free to ask any questions.

I wondered why you had PMC in your sig.

Are you a sound engineer, musician, producer?

Any famous bands/artists recoded there?

 

[Lowe]

I wondered why you had PMC in your sig.

Are you a sound engineer, musician, producer?

Any famous bands/artists recoded there?

Yeah, I'm a bit of a PMC fan hah, and I'm lucky enough to have a really great relationship with them. They're incredibly supportive and make some great products. Unfortunately said products do rather spoil you though, once you get used to working with them not much else lives up to them! There's nothing worse than going home and listening to something 'normal' after using them all day. Cost me a fortune in the end, had to buy some for home haha!

All of the above really - primarily I'm a sound engineer, but do produce stuff now and then. I work best adding to someone else's creativity, so really enjoy the mix down and mastering stage. That said we had some new mics in over the summer which I've been really been enjoying, the AEA ribbons. You can see the R88 in the pics of the first studio's live room. That thing is rapidly becoming one of my 'go to' mics for nearly anything!

Famous people? We're not really a commercial outfit - we're a University - so whilst there's been a few people through the doors it's not something that happens all that often. Probably the most famous person that's been in is Ken Scott. Absolutely lovely guy, hope we can get him back in at some point.

 

[Lowe]

Might be of interest, something we recorded last summer.

 

[Cosimo]

Yeah, I'm a bit of a PMC fan hah, and I'm lucky enough to have a really great relationship with them. They're incredibly supportive and make some great products. Unfortunately said products do rather spoil you though, once you get used to working with them not much else lives up to them! There's nothing worse than going home and listening to something 'normal' after using them all day. Cost me a fortune in the end, had to buy some for home haha!

I've got twenty.23 speakers at home and they produce a wonderful, detailed and clear sound. Very impressive for their size. I can imagine what your PMCs sound like!

 

[redline]

That's the ticket..Its a Music creation space and it rocks mate

Ha-Ha! In that case I'll have to post a pic of mine too, which exists at one end of our living room... no, I don't even have a room of my own although we are hoping to move next year, so that is going to change.

It's all pretty basic and inexpensive stuff, but, I run Reaper on a Laptop as my recording device, connected to an Edirol/Roland USB interface. I record mostly acoustic instruments (flutes, whistles, cello, violin, guitar and all sorts of other stuff I collect) but also have a Novation synth and and E-MU Shortboard. I've a StudioProjects B1 large condenser and a matched pair of Sontronics STC-1S as my mics. I would never call myself a musician, but I get what I want, which is a sort of acoustic, ambient stuff that goes with my visual work, of painting, photography and film. I do love the process of recording and messing with sounds via a wealth of plug-ins and external apps, which is great fun.

Anyway I'll sit here feeling green at you guys nice setups.. Lowe that is just not fair

Good luck with your build easyrider

 

[easyrider]

Ha-Ha! In that case I'll have to post a pic of mine too, which exists at one end of our living room... no, I don't even have a room of my own although we are hoping to move next year, so that is going to change.

It's all pretty basic and inexpensive stuff, but, I run Reaper on a Laptop as my recording device, connected to an Edirol/Roland USB interface. I record mostly acoustic instruments (flutes, whistles, cello, violin, guitar and all sorts of other stuff I collect) but also have a Novation synth and and E-MU Shortboard. I've a StudioProjects B1 large condenser and a matched pair of Sontronics STC-1S as my mics. I would never call myself a musician, but I get what I want, which is a sort of acoustic, ambient stuff that goes with my visual work, of painting, photography and film. I do love the process of recording and messing with sounds via a wealth of plug-ins and external apps, which is great fun.

Anyway I'll sit here feeling green at you guys nice setups.. Lowe that is just not fair

Good luck with your build easyrider

Thanks mate look forward to some pics of your setup

 

[ShortWarning]

Awesome set up, Lowe!

 

[robfosters]

I have a Novation launchkey sitting here still boxed.

Going to try and sort it out next week to have my own little place to do a bit of recording. Need to get a pair of rokits as well.

 

[ShortWarning]

Here's a couple of pictures of my very modest set up.



(The monitors are level, it's my picture taking that isn't).



I'll be recording some vocals next weekend so I'll post some more up then.

 

[easyrider]

Nice mate....it's got mojo

 

[Lowe]

I've got twenty.23 speakers at home and they produce a wonderful, detailed and clear sound. Very impressive for their size. I can imagine what your PMCs sound like!

Enjoyed that, sounds very good.

At home I've got a 5.1 of FB1i and DB1i. 23's are lovely, and as you say for something that's relatively small they don't have produce a big sound... which is why when you do hear the big ones, they take your breath away.

Glad you enjoyed the recording - I'm doing some acoustic stuff with Steve over the next few weeks. Will take a few pics on the session and show the video after.

...and a matched pair of Sontronics STC-1S...

These are surprising little mics. I've got 4 of the STC-10's and whilst they have a sound that's a little unnatural they're amazing on drum overheads if you're looking to capture a 'modern' sound for cymbals. They're nicely hyped in the top end, but not excessively so. I did a shoot out with a colleague with a few mics (including some fairly expensive ones) and we both blind chose the STC-10's. He bought a pair the next day haha!

Awesome set up, Lowe!

Cheers but I can't really call it mine in the truest sense. Doesn't count when you're spending someone else's money!

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I know you've posted those pics before Lowe and said where it is but which Uni is it again?

On a mic'ing up point I went to watch a band the other week at a local pub called The Jokers and their drum sound was to die for.
I then noticed one of my ex drummers floating around and messing with their mixer so at the end I commented on the amazing drum sound.
He said "Check out all the mic's on each drum", I said "Oh, I can't see any!" and he informed me that the one condenser over the drum kit was doing all the work.
I know the theory behind it because Stuart Copeland of the Police worked that way in the studio, just two condensers over the top and if all the drums are tuned perfectly then the mic's pick up a perfect sound instead of each drum being mic'd and you make the sound on the mixer..
Forward to this weekend and he was there at our gig setting up his magic condenser and to be honest the drums sounded awesome and during the first set I was able to get out front and they sounded really good.
At the end I said I was impressed, setting up would be way easier so how much?
Only £1000

 

[easyrider]

I know you've posted those pics before Lowe and said where it is but which Uni is it again?

On a mic'ing up point I went to watch a band the other week at a local pub called The Jokers and their drum sound was to die for.
I then noticed one of my ex drummers floating around and messing with their mixer so at the end I commented on the amazing drum sound.
He said "Check out all the mic's on each drum", I said "Oh, I can't see any!" and he informed me that the one condenser over the drum kit was doing all the work.
I know the theory behind it because Stuart Copeland of the Police worked that way in the studio, just two condensers over the top and if all the drums are tuned perfectly then the mic's pick up a perfect sound instead of each drum being mic'd and you make the sound on the mixer..
Forward to this weekend and he was there at our gig setting up his magic condenser and to be honest the drums sounded awesome and during the first set I was able to get out front and they sounded really good.
At the end I said I was impressed, setting up would be way easier so how much?
Only £1000

What mic ? I'm in the process of sorting my drums mic wise...

I want simple

Thinking sm57 on snare another on Tom and two overheads

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb14/articles/rode-m5.htm


And Shure Beta 52a on the bass drum

 

[SexyGreyFox]

What mic ? I'm in the process of sorting my drums mic wise...

I want simple

Thinking sm57 on snare another on Tom and two overheads

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb14/articles/rode-m5.htm


And Shure Beta 52a on the bass drum

We usually have all the drums mic'd with an SM57 on the snare and obviously a bass drum mic but this was just one condensor above.
If the drums are tuned correctly then the condenser will pick up a true sound of the drums which is what Stuart Copeland did in the studio on the Syncronicity album.
Stick a mic two fingers above a drum head and you are altering the sound of the drum and never catch the quality of the drum so I know the theory behind it.

I didn't ask what the mic was because I just turned round and walked off.
I can't get the lads buy another set of bass bins let alone a £1000 mic.

 

[Lowe]

Dimple - University of Wolverhampton

There's a lot to be said for the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method of sound engineering, and I'm a huge fan of it for live work. A single (or pair) of overheads along with a kick drum mic to add depth can be more than enough. You do have to be a little careful with positioning since you can run into feedback problems, but it will give you a far more 'natural' sound than individual mics.

The AEA R88mk2 mic in the pics above is incredible for doing that. Not so good for live use though really, bit delicate for such jobs.

http://www.wesdooley.com/microphone/legacy-series/r88-mk2

 

[easyrider]

Dimple - University of Wolverhampton

There's a lot to be said for the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method of sound engineering, and I'm a huge fan of it for live work. A single (or pair) of overheads along with a kick drum mic to add depth can be more than enough. You do have to be a little careful with positioning since you can run into feedback problems, but it will give you a far more 'natural' sound than individual mics.

The AEA R88mk2 mic in the pics above is incredible for doing that. Not so good for live use though really, bit delicate for such jobs.

http://www.wesdooley.com/microphone/legacy-series/r88-mk2

It's $1795

 

[Lowe]

It's $1795

I said it was good. Not cheap haha It's a hand made stereo ribbon mic so never going to be a cheap, but as far as a 'reference' mic goes, it gives you a very faithful representation of what your ears hear in a space.

I'll be using it for some acoustic guitar work on the 29th, will post up the results after.