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

Nothing really exciting is released in the hardware synth world nowadays.

I remember when I first got into electronic music back in the mid to late 90’s. It was so exciting, I used to pick up the Future music mag and there’d always be something new, exciting and awesomely named on the cover. Korg Prophecy, Trinity, Triton, Quasimidi Raven, Nord lead, supernova, emu orbit, Roland JP8000, the list was endless.

Now i feel bored looking at hardware synths. Most are just boring analog copies, many of which need to be used with software. Even the Korg workstations are nowhere near as exciting as they used to be. Yes, I know soft synths have taken over, but I don’t get the excitement from them as I used to with my Triton or especially my JP8000. I think I might buy some second hand stuff just to bring the good memories back.
 
ShortWarning said:
Street fighter 2 theme cover my bro and I did:

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Nice! Funny that, I did a quick drum cover in the summer of Street Fighter 2 'Sagats Theme' just to show someone who wanted to learn it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu2FxUJODZc
easyrider said:
Merlin did you get the new audio interface ?
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Hi easyrider :) Nope not yet, but I will still be buying the Presonus. I've basically started having a bit of a hard time with money recently, but I did treat myself to an inexpensive kick mic today, a copy of a Beta 52. I'll have a proper play with it tomorrow but first impressions are quite good. I've also treated my kitchen. I brought some soft furnishings in, split the kitchen in half and now the acoustics are bone dry!
https://s1.postimg.org/1lpmxt1gwf/20171016_145214.jpg
 
Well, a band I recorded have decided to release the results as an EP, which came as a surprise as initially I thought it was just meant to be a rehearsal / demo recording. Was tracked live with no isolation at all, then just a couple of guitar overdubs and vocals done afterwards. I know if we could've multi-tracked properly the results would have been even better. Opinions welcomed.

 
banja said:
Well, a band I recorded have decided to release the results as an EP, which came as a surprise as initially I thought it was just meant to be a rehearsal / demo recording. Was tracked live with no isolation at all, then just a couple of guitar overdubs and vocals done afterwards. I know if we could've multi-tracked properly the results would have been even better. Opinions welcomed.

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How much did you charge them for that EP?
 
Ha, don't ask :) The intial recording took only a couple of hours. They got a good deal.

I had nothing else to do with the video, artwork, CD production etc.
 
banja said:
Ha, don't ask :) The intial recording took only a couple of hours. They got a good deal.

I had nothing else to do with the video, artwork, CD production etc.
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Its a decent sound. You did ok....:)

What the video lacks is ECU's of lead guitar parts as its looks fake and lacks soul....

Basically solos are happening but no fingers are movin!
 
Thanks :) You're right, they don't. They're was something cool about those old midi tunes. Or maybe I forgot to remove my rose tinted glasses. :p


I have a question. Mostly directed at easyrider I guess. I'm pretty much ready to order the Presonus 1818 VSL and some mics. Really want the Audix DP7 but it's out of my price range, so I'm going for the Samson DK7.

But I need a dedicated computer for the interface and DAW software. I don't currently have my laptop and my desktop pc is too big and cumbersome to put next to the drumkit.

I've been looking at cheap laptops around £150, used or refurbished. Of course there isn't much at that price and they generally have processors such as Intel Pentium N4200
or Celeron N2840. Would basic CPUs like the Celeron be enough to run the Presonus and software? Also, would it matter if the laptop isn't USB 3.0? I believe the latest Presonus drivers upgrade it to USB 3.0.
 
Merlin5 said:
I have a question. Mostly directed at easyrider I guess. I'm pretty much ready to order the Presonus 1818 VSL and some mics. Really want the Audix DP7 but it's out of my price range, so I'm going for the Samson DK7.

But I need a dedicated computer for the interface and DAW software. I don't currently have my laptop and my desktop pc is too big and cumbersome to put next to the drumkit.

I've been looking at cheap laptops around £150, used or refurbished. Of course there isn't much at that price and they generally have processors such as Intel Pentium N4200
or Celeron N2840. Would basic CPUs like the Celeron be enough to run the Presonus and software? Also, would it matter if the laptop isn't USB 3.0? I believe the latest Presonus drivers upgrade it to USB 3.0.
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Don't worry about USB 3.0

But DO NOT BUY A CELERON

I would buy a refurb Dell or put a wanted add in MM

Don't buy new if funds are tight

i3 Gen 6 or 5 or i5 8GB Ram minimum mate :)
 
easyrider said:
Don't worry about USB 3.0

But DO NOT BUY A CELERON

I would buy a refurb Dell or put a wanted add in MM

Don't buy new if funds are tight

i3 Gen 6 or 5 or i5 8GB Ram minimum mate :)
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Thanks easyrider. :) I'm guessing you said that because Celerons will be too slow.

I was looking at refurbs but then a friend recommended I stay away from them and look for just used laptops from private sellers. But in your opinion a refurb is ok? The MM suggestion is good. Would you say a 5400rpm drive would be sufficient? There's not many laptops with 7200rpm.
 
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The search is over! And wow, what a laptop I just bought tonight. i7, 16 GB ram, 256 SSD, discrete nvidia graphics card. Everything works beautifully and boots up in 18 seconds. It's pretty much like a new laptop. All this for £250! Only thing broken is cosmetic, part of the grill over the air vent on the side. Now I can go ahead and buy the Presonus which Bax have been reducing and reducing, and it's now down to £285.

 
Merlin5 said:
The search is over! And wow, what a laptop I just bought tonight. i7, 16 GB ram, 256 SSD, discrete nvidia graphics card. Everything works beautifully and boots up in 18 seconds. It's pretty much like a new laptop. All this for £250! Only thing broken is cosmetic, part of the grill over the air vent on the side. Now I can go ahead and buy the Presonus which Bax have been reducing and reducing, and it's now down to £285.

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My Dell laptop is 7 years old and it was refurb. Still using it just upgraded to an SSD

where did you source the laptop?

Bargain price at BAX :D
 
easyrider said:
My Dell laptop is 7 years old and it was refurb. Still using it just upgraded to an SSD

where did you source the laptop?

Bargain price at BAX :D
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Absolutely a bargain price at Bax! They've got 6 left in stock. Actually, their price fluctuates and is now £287. Gear4music have one in stock for the same price. I called Bax to confirm they have it in stock and asked them if they had any working discount codes for it which they don't. But they mentioned black friday. I'm just wondering if it's worth hanging on for 2 more weeks for a black friday discount.

I sourced my laptop from gumtree. Part of a liquidation sale apparently, there were about half a dozen of this model and spec being sold for £300. I met this person at a local Starbucks last night, tested it out and I offered £250 which was accepted. Pretty stoked! :D No warranty mind you so hope it behaves. This machine and spec is going for a lot more money in other sales.
By the way, have sent you a message via trust.
 
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Merlin5 said:
The search is over! And wow, what a laptop I just bought tonight. i7, 16 GB ram, 256 SSD, discrete nvidia graphics card. Everything works beautifully and boots up in 18 seconds. It's pretty much like a new laptop. All this for £250! Only thing broken is cosmetic, part of the grill over the air vent on the side. Now I can go ahead and buy the Presonus which Bax have been reducing and reducing, and it's now down to £285.
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Bargain! I have a mac but it's exactly the same i7 w/16gb RAM etc and it takes everything I throw at it.
 
ShortWarning said:
Bargain! I have a mac but it's exactly the same i7 w/16gb RAM etc and it takes everything I throw at it.
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That's good to hear!

The DAW is going to be a steep learning curve for me. I'm wondering if you'd recommend any free plugins you might think I could/should use for things like compression, gate, reverb and general EQ, or will there be enough fx built into whatever DAW I use such as perhaps Cubase or whatever mixing suite comes with the Presonus?
 
Merlin5 said:
That's good to hear!

The DAW is going to be a steep learning curve for me. I'm wondering if you'd recommend any free plugins you might think I could/should use for things like compression, gate, reverb and general EQ, or will there be enough fx built into whatever DAW I use such as perhaps Cubase or whatever mixing suite comes with the Presonus?
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The Presonus comes with Studio One which is a solid DAW

All PreSonus interfaces come with PreSonus’ powerful, yet easy-to-use Studio One® 3 Artist recording and production software for Mac® and Windows®. Studio One 3 enables you to compose, record, and produce your masterpiece without getting distracted by the tools, thanks to a straightforward design, a powerful file browser with extensive use of drag-and-drop, in-depth editing, and an Arranger Track and Scratch Pads that let you experiment without losing previous work. It’s inherently Internet-savvy; comes with a wealth of effects plug-ins, virtual instruments, and loops; and can be expanded with Add-ons.

Moreover, Studio One integrates tightly with PreSonus interfaces, configuring automatically—no need to map inputs and outputs. You can even wirelessly transfer recordings from Capture for iPad to Studio One, so you can record anytime, anywhere and edit and mix later. And Studio One 3’s sound quality is, quite simply, unparalleled. These are just a few of the reasons that Studio One 3 is the new standard for DAWs. See what’s new in version 3.

Also comes with

Now includes Studio Magic Plug-in Suite.
This suite of plug-ins adds a wealth of fresh sounds and effects to Studio One. Cherry-picked from the first names in virtual instruments and effects, each plug-in brings a different flavor of practical magic to your songs. These plug-ins aren't gimmicky one-trick ponies — these are real-deal workhorses that you'll rely on for countless mixes.

If you want a great sound straight away with ease then look at MIXBUS

http://harrisonconsoles.lpages.co/specials/

A no brainer @ $39

It really easy to send groups of drum to Bus Tracks and has EQ and Compression right on each Channel just like the real Harrison Consoles.

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Thanks easyrider! Well firstly, it's great that the Presonus software is so comprehensive and of course I'll try it all out. But I like that you said Mixbus can get me a great sound very easily, as I might struggle otherwise with my lack of experience in mixing.
 
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