I'm am on a $10K budget and I plan on putting together a good quality studio that will grow well once i make some more money. Im determined to go analog, despite a million folks at homerecording.com telling me im an idiot. I figured this would be the best place to get advice. Ive got a good few months to find a good space to record in with low enough rent. one of my priorities is a big main room with high celings for drums. I still need advice on equiptment and any hypothetical studio setups you can think of would be great to read. heres a rundown of my current plans for equiptment and what i think it will cost:
Tascam MS16 1" recorder $2000
Soundcraft 16-track Mixer used $1000
Mics:
Beyer M160 $500
Royer R121 $1200
AT 4033 $300
D-112 $200
2x Oktava 012 $400
3x SM57 $300
Comp/FX/Headphone amp
power conditioner/monitors
24bit soundcard/DI boxes: $2000
Cables/stands/foam/baffles/desk: $2000
what do you think??
Starting a studio- need advice.
2Can't comment on most of the items (although they all look good), but do be careful about your Oktavas. I love mine - they sound great on everything you'd use small-diaphragm condensers for - but Oktava's quality control is notoriously bad. If you get them from the Sound Room (www.oktava.com) you should be fine. I wouldn't trust any other source. They are well-designed mics, and a good pair will serve you well. Just make sure you get a good pair!
Complexity isn't a problem, it's a solution.
-Richard Barrett
-Richard Barrett
Starting a studio- need advice.
3If you're looking to be a 16-track studio, you may want to invest in a 32ch. console. I'm assuming that you will be using the console for the preamps, as I see no outboard pres on your list. If this is the case, and you end up recording bands live in the studio, the extra channels will make playback a TON easier. Some other "bang for the buck" pieces of gear that I have found to be very helpful (especially on my shoe-string budget 
) are:
Audio Technica PRO37r Small Diaphragm Condenser: $80
R0DE NT-1A Large Diaphragm Condenser: $200
FMR Really Nice Compressor: $200
Shure Beta 57a: $140
You will also need an oscilloscope and oscillator for tape machine alignment, otherwise you will be pissing money down a hole by paying others to do it for you. One last thing...I notice that you have a good amount of ribbon mics on your list. You probably want to get a separate 4ch. mic pre to run these, so you have the option of keeping the phantom power off. Some consoles only have one phantom power switch that applies +48v to ALL channels, and when using condenser mics (which require phantom power) in conjunction with ribbon mics (which can be damaged by phantom power) on the same console, you run the risk of smoking those lovely ribbons. Good luck!
) are:
Audio Technica PRO37r Small Diaphragm Condenser: $80
R0DE NT-1A Large Diaphragm Condenser: $200
FMR Really Nice Compressor: $200
Shure Beta 57a: $140
You will also need an oscilloscope and oscillator for tape machine alignment, otherwise you will be pissing money down a hole by paying others to do it for you. One last thing...I notice that you have a good amount of ribbon mics on your list. You probably want to get a separate 4ch. mic pre to run these, so you have the option of keeping the phantom power off. Some consoles only have one phantom power switch that applies +48v to ALL channels, and when using condenser mics (which require phantom power) in conjunction with ribbon mics (which can be damaged by phantom power) on the same console, you run the risk of smoking those lovely ribbons. Good luck!
Starting a studio- need advice.
4I'm doing something similar, except I'm not trying to make money. Just recording my own band and freinds.
Don't forget about patchbays. Also, it looks like you're going to be mixing down to a computer..... so why go analog for the mutitracking? I kind of know the answer to that, but what about getting a decent 1/4" 2-track?
Another peice of advice is go in with someone else to help split the costs/work, and get a different perspective and whatnot.
Check out http://www.iamajunkedoutformerpinballstarcirca1973.com/
That's our studio. If you're in the Chicago area you should stop by sometime because what we're doing is almost exactly what you're talking about.
Also, I'd invest in a couple of cats, if you haven't already.
n
Don't forget about patchbays. Also, it looks like you're going to be mixing down to a computer..... so why go analog for the mutitracking? I kind of know the answer to that, but what about getting a decent 1/4" 2-track?
Another peice of advice is go in with someone else to help split the costs/work, and get a different perspective and whatnot.
Check out http://www.iamajunkedoutformerpinballstarcirca1973.com/
That's our studio. If you're in the Chicago area you should stop by sometime because what we're doing is almost exactly what you're talking about.
Also, I'd invest in a couple of cats, if you haven't already.
n
Starting a studio- need advice.
5I recommend you build two separate rooms, not just one room and an iso booth for example. One live room and one dead room is probably the most useful. It's the best way to record a band playing live, seperating amps from drums.
I bought three 57s when I started out thinking I had to have a bunch of them. I wish I'd spent my money on as many beyer M201 as I could get (i only have 1). Or any decent dynamic...
I think you'll find a couple of omni condensers really useful. The Stapes seem like the best value for money.
I hope this helps.
Javier Ortiz
I bought three 57s when I started out thinking I had to have a bunch of them. I wish I'd spent my money on as many beyer M201 as I could get (i only have 1). Or any decent dynamic...
I think you'll find a couple of omni condensers really useful. The Stapes seem like the best value for money.
I hope this helps.
Javier Ortiz
Starting a studio- need advice.
6I'll second Javier and say get more 201's than 57's. You have to have a 57 (you just do....) but I find (and have probably said it here before) that anyplace I would use a 57 I can use a 201 and it will sound better.
I only have a pair of them and one is not working so I'm hurting....
I only have a pair of them and one is not working so I'm hurting....
Starting a studio- need advice.
7This is my advice, which I hope is not too disconcerting: Don't start a studio. Especially if you're in an urban area, don't do it. Use a third of that $10k to buy some nice mics, then find a few studios you like in town and work there.
If I lived in Chicago, I'd never even entertain the thought of trying to start a studio. There are plenty of places that are already great: Electrical, Soma, The Keyclub, yadda yadda. These places are available to you.
If you're in a really rural area, okay, sometimes there just aren't studios around. I can see the motivation to build something up in that environment. In Japanese, "shoganai" - "it can't be helped".
If I lived in Chicago, I'd never even entertain the thought of trying to start a studio. There are plenty of places that are already great: Electrical, Soma, The Keyclub, yadda yadda. These places are available to you.
If you're in a really rural area, okay, sometimes there just aren't studios around. I can see the motivation to build something up in that environment. In Japanese, "shoganai" - "it can't be helped".
josh bonati | www.bonatimastering.com | www.sleeep.com/aa
Starting a studio- need advice.
8I don't see it on your list of things, but if you want a good studio that can grow with you over time, I'd suggest spending some money on the studio environment.
It would be nice if money and good will were all that it took to build the studio. But the rooms that you'll be recording (and listening) in will greatly affect the quality of your recordings. So, I say take half of your budget and spend it on the rooms - treating with diffusion or bass traps as necessary, building the separation you want, properly grounding the electricity, providing quiet air, etc. This approach takes a lot longer than an expensive trip to the music store, but it will yield you better results in the long run.
And in case you haven't done it already, don't forget - $39.95 - The Master Handbook of Acoustics.
Best of luck. I'm doing something similar myself - building it on weekends over the past two years.
= Justin
It would be nice if money and good will were all that it took to build the studio. But the rooms that you'll be recording (and listening) in will greatly affect the quality of your recordings. So, I say take half of your budget and spend it on the rooms - treating with diffusion or bass traps as necessary, building the separation you want, properly grounding the electricity, providing quiet air, etc. This approach takes a lot longer than an expensive trip to the music store, but it will yield you better results in the long run.
And in case you haven't done it already, don't forget - $39.95 - The Master Handbook of Acoustics.
Best of luck. I'm doing something similar myself - building it on weekends over the past two years.
= Justin
Starting a studio- need advice.
9justin wrote:And in case you haven't done it already, don't forget - $39.95 - The Master Handbook of Acoustics.
Seconded! I was just telling unarmedman about this one earlier.
Starting a studio- need advice.
10Have you thought about accommodation for bands, lavatories, a kitchen, heating in winter?
How much is "low enough rent" for a building with a big room for drums?
$2000 to buy a MS16? Do you want to buy mine?
When I was reading the first sentence of your post I thought "How does he/she wants to built an analog studio for 10K?" Then I was reading on and saw that your budget is meant to buy the gear as well!
If you have no gear at the moment and that's what I assume if I'm looking at your shopping list, why do you want to start a studio?
Seriously, why do you want to start a studio? Just, because? If you're serious about "putting together a quality studio that will grow well" once you will make some money- that implies a commercial, professional studio- it would be more realistic to add a zero to the end of your $10K.
There are so many hidden costs that you probably don't think of. You're still looking for a building? If you have the chance to buy, buy it! You will have to change a lot of how your building may look at the moment. New floor, new ceiling, soundproofing the walls and windows, tie-lines in the walls, installing a control room and improving the sound of it and so on. Are you sure that you want to spent all the money and time and not own the place?
What leads you to the assumption that you will start to make a profit? Profit means, you earn more money than you invest and you're still able to pay for the rent of your studio, the electricity and water bills, buy food and cloths, pay for maintenance of your gear,...
Are you an experienced recording engineer who can offer services to bands that they themselves can't do? I'm often surprised about the quality of demos that bands come up with. Stuff they've recorded by themselves in their rehearsal spaces. Sometimes they are really happy with it and there's no point in telling them that if they had recorded it in a "real studio" it would have sounded so much better. Especially if they are on a tight budget.
What about the studio infrastructure in the area you live at? I'm in a rural German small town and chances are quite good that if you'd through a stone into a random direction you'd hit a small DAW studio that will call itself professional. I used to work at the only all analog pro place around and they're having a real hard time at the moment.
If you've never worked at a professional or semi-pro studio, try to become a freelance staff member, an assistant or intern. You can learn a lot there and establish some useful business relationships that are helpful once you open your own place. When it comes to borow some expensive vintage tube mics it's good to know the people who have them.
The suggestions about "The Master Handbook of Acoustics" by F. Alton Everest are really helpful. He also wrote a book called "How to Built a Small Budget Recording Studio from Scratch". If you're not familiar with any of these books, go and read them from the first to the last page.
Best of luck,
Max
How much is "low enough rent" for a building with a big room for drums?
$2000 to buy a MS16? Do you want to buy mine?
When I was reading the first sentence of your post I thought "How does he/she wants to built an analog studio for 10K?" Then I was reading on and saw that your budget is meant to buy the gear as well!
If you have no gear at the moment and that's what I assume if I'm looking at your shopping list, why do you want to start a studio?
Seriously, why do you want to start a studio? Just, because? If you're serious about "putting together a quality studio that will grow well" once you will make some money- that implies a commercial, professional studio- it would be more realistic to add a zero to the end of your $10K.
There are so many hidden costs that you probably don't think of. You're still looking for a building? If you have the chance to buy, buy it! You will have to change a lot of how your building may look at the moment. New floor, new ceiling, soundproofing the walls and windows, tie-lines in the walls, installing a control room and improving the sound of it and so on. Are you sure that you want to spent all the money and time and not own the place?
What leads you to the assumption that you will start to make a profit? Profit means, you earn more money than you invest and you're still able to pay for the rent of your studio, the electricity and water bills, buy food and cloths, pay for maintenance of your gear,...
Are you an experienced recording engineer who can offer services to bands that they themselves can't do? I'm often surprised about the quality of demos that bands come up with. Stuff they've recorded by themselves in their rehearsal spaces. Sometimes they are really happy with it and there's no point in telling them that if they had recorded it in a "real studio" it would have sounded so much better. Especially if they are on a tight budget.
What about the studio infrastructure in the area you live at? I'm in a rural German small town and chances are quite good that if you'd through a stone into a random direction you'd hit a small DAW studio that will call itself professional. I used to work at the only all analog pro place around and they're having a real hard time at the moment.
If you've never worked at a professional or semi-pro studio, try to become a freelance staff member, an assistant or intern. You can learn a lot there and establish some useful business relationships that are helpful once you open your own place. When it comes to borow some expensive vintage tube mics it's good to know the people who have them.
The suggestions about "The Master Handbook of Acoustics" by F. Alton Everest are really helpful. He also wrote a book called "How to Built a Small Budget Recording Studio from Scratch". If you're not familiar with any of these books, go and read them from the first to the last page.
Best of luck,
Max