This is...going to be really long....but here we go...



I have a PC I built a yar and a half ago...

It has two 380 Gig Hard Drives
4 gigs of ram.
and a Pentium 4 3.00GHz chip.

I know that's not top of the line...but I don't think I need a new PC...at least not yet.

Software I own:

Cubase 4
BFD 1.5

(And now a mess of free plugins from a close friend I haven't gotten to installing yet.)

Hardware I own:

Two Rokit Rp 5's
1 Rockit 10s Sub
1 RME Fireface 800
1 FMR RNP
1 FMR RNLA
1 Balanced Power Technologies 10 outlet Power Conditioner. (BPT II)
1 Pod XT (The bean, I got it used, I know the rack is better, I might go for a rack too later.)

Guitars:

1991 Hand made Gibson 1960 Reissue. (NOT a classic. This is the real deal, browned and faded sunburst finish...and all nickel hardware and all.)

1976 Fender American Strat I rewired myself. (VERY beat up, but it plays like butter, heavy swamp ash body, so I think it was cut from the bottom of the tree...and a U shaped baseball bat style maple neck. It's even heavier than my les paul.)

2006 Takamine acoustic...(I always forget the model/make...cost about a grand..made from mahogany...very mid rangey / dark sounding...but I like it.)

Guitar Amps:

Peavey 5150 Combo. (2/12)
Vox AC30cc2x (With 2/12 blue alnico speakrs.)

I have various pedals but I use a Skreddy ZERO fuzz and a Klon Centaur Overdrive mostly.

I do want to branch out and get a midi controller/keyboard with some great sounds that can run those electronic music style plug ins...I work at a recording studio full time as the studio manager...but I want to kind of make this my private home studio for tracking my own music...which is in the vien of Nada Surf / Pete Yorn / My Bloody Valentine / The Pixies / Rilo Kiley / Smashing Pumpkins / Radiohead / Wilco / The Flaming Lips...etc.

My one man band Fashion Victims was recently picked for a Pixies Tribute record coming out on American Laundromat Records with Mogwai, They Might Be Giants, OKgo, British Sea Power, Rosebud, and possibly the original Lineup of Dinosaur Jr (Supposedly they're having legal troubles with their cut.)

www.myspace.com/pixiestribute


But this record has been featured in newsletters from most of these bigger bands, and it will be sold on the next pixies reunion tour starting in november...and on top of all that pressure, now an artical in Spin Magazine is coming out...it was really kind of dumb luck that I got on there, and the label that's putting it out is seriously considering signing me if I can put together an LP or an EP during the summer to release around the same time on my own dime. (It would be a 50/50 mechanical split like rough trade...and some money to put a backing band together and out on the road to tour...)

I'd rather program drums in BFD than work with stubborn drummers or people with egos...I've been in bands before and it just isn't for me, too much arguing/noodling..not enough writing. But I'd also like to be able to kind of mix and match guitars from my POD with more vintage tube amp tones...so...

Ribbon mics? I know you guys have reviewed plenty...but really, which are the most versitle for tracking guitars and the like?! What other mics do you prefer for tracking guitars.

Vocal Mics...? I have a Billy Corgan on Anti-Depressants kind of voice...less atonal...but still higher pitched for a male vocal...I own an Audio Technical 40/60 but are there mics that you guys would definately want if you were tracking a voice like I described?

Pre Amps / Compressors:

If you were on a budget and you wanted to put together a rack...would you look into things like the Langevin Dual Vocal Combo....or the Chameleon Labs 7602 over more expensive counterparts?

How do you rate pres like that vs the Great River kind of preamp...or the Avalon / Tube Tech style tube gear...I don't know what my budget is...but I really don't want to spend more than $4000 to $6000 on gear if I don't have too...at what point is bang for the buck really working in my favor?!

Compressors...are there any LA2A style tube compressors that aren't nessesarily top brands...stuff that you find yourself using constantly...I know that's a classic tone I'm hearing on just about everything I own...But are there compressors that kind of get close that maybe cost a bit less?

For additional software I was really looking into pretty much everything by audio damage after reading that review on the reverence reverb...that's like $435 for all the software they publish...if you guys have other refiews on their stuff or opinions I'd love that...I was also looking at more drum sample libraries...

The studio I work at is Palisade Studios

And my business partner will be doing a lot of the mixing on this record...but we're really too booked up year round for me to get in there for an extended period of time this summer to make the reocrd I want to make, plus I'd just like to have the freedom of going with my idea's whenever I have them...I hope this post wasn't too long for you guys...

Thanks in advance for any replies you might give.

- Cary.

Sorry about that -- the board forced me to quote, and I couldn't erase stuff.


My impression is that you've already got enough gear, whether you're talking guitars or recording equipment. Keep your computer as long as you can, most of the happening stuff is on the net, as long as you've got a back up for your data, just use the old gear until it breaks down...

Check out alternative recording techniques, as in the live music, acoustic jazz, and chamber music route -- at least as a break from tracked songs, compressed and mixed and pan-potted, close miced stuff. OK used all of the modern techniques on 7 out of 10 songs. Explore something different on the others. There's a dude in London who has a site called 'The Innocent Ear'. Google these words, and try to assimilate alternate views, or consider them, obviously follow your own tune.

I've lurked around these forums and for me, I'm going with a live to digital sound, using a stereo AD converter and mic pre by Lavry, not the rack stuff, just a computer interface called the Mini PRS. Perhaps it's not fancy, but with so much gear they are into a features race, rather than analyzing what you need and how to satisfy the need..

You probably there already...

My fave guitar amp mics are AEA R92, sE R1 Ribbon, Shure SM57 and Audix i5.



Shure SM7





If I were on a budget, then I'd probably start with one of the Line Audio preamps or the Yamaha MLA-8.



I'd probably get a used Aphex Dominator. It's a limiter but gets a lot of use. The tfpro P8 gets use here as well.



I haven't had time to look at their other plugins but you can't go wrong with the reverb. It's the next best thing to a hardware reverb such as the Kurzweil Rumour.

You are gonna have to be careful, and know those monitors. I have them. Just check your shit before you comit. They can deceive, in the low mids.

Truth be told, I would be recorded, not record myself. You do not need the headache, and second guessing of yourself. Sure it would be cool. But this could be a big deal for your band.

I am thinking of a studio the Pixies recorded in very early, and you don't wanna know the stuff they used, or that that studio went on to acquire. While ou are spot on with the compressors, some of your favorite albums. in the same studio, may have been run through what is called crap in many boards.

All I mean to say is you seem to have a deadline. Throw money at getting the job done, not hoping too.

Ribbon mics? Oktava – Royer, if you can afford it.

Vocal Mics: My 1st choice vocal mic is the EV RE27. Though completely different, the Royer would be good too (also good for guituar cabs).

Pre Amps / Compressors: Joe Meek VC1 is a voice channel which has pre/comp/EQ/enhancer. Fairly inexpensive, but sounds great. Has a vintage vibe to it. Or step up to the Focusrite ISA range, w/ Neve designed pres. It’s the “iron” that makes the difference.

Good luck! Hope you make the grade! More importantly, hope you have fun recording!