help me rebuild a cheap recording set up

[panoramic]

Those MOTU units are nice. But I'd recommend checking out the Universal Audio Volt 2. I just got one a couple months ago and it's a great sounding unit that is affordable.

Good luck with the setup!

thanks I will check this one out too

[DrQuasar]

What DAW are you going to use? I'm looking at Logic and have been messing around with the free version of Live but haven't made a decision yet.

[panoramic]

What DAW are you going to use? I'm looking at Logic and have been messing around with the free version of Live but haven't made a decision yet.

I love logic but based on what i have lucked into I am guessing garageband for starters or whatever free daw comes with the interface I buy.

[Dok]

If you already have a mac, Logic is the best $200 you will EVER spend on music gear.

[Larry Mal]

I guess I said I was going to quit giving advice here, but I have licenses and experience with Pro Tools, Live, Cubase, Digital Performer and some other DAWs as well that I can't think of offhand.

They all have their strengths and weaknesses, however, like Dok says, if you have a Mac then it doesn't make sense to get anything other than Logic unless you have a very specific reason to do so.

For one thing, inexplicably, only Logic has Drummer. And frankly, Drummer is the only thing that keeps me on the Mac platform, although I will probably get one of those new Mac Studios.

[panoramic]

If you already have a mac, Logic is the best $200 you will EVER spend on music gear.

I loved logic when i used it previously, ultimately I feel like i would grasp it rather directly if i had a few days with it to brush up

[tdksa90]

What DAW are you going to use? I'm looking at Logic and have been messing around with the free version of Live but haven't made a decision yet.

I love logic but based on what i have lucked into I am guessing garageband for starters or whatever free daw comes with the interface I buy.

I'd recommend giving REAPER a look. It's highly configurable, and is constantly updated. It's not made by a huge company, but by a handful of coders who continually add features and squash bugs. A personal license is only $60.

http://www.reaper.fm

[seenoevil II]

Those MOTU units are nice. But I'd recommend checking out the Universal Audio Volt 2. I just got one a couple months ago and it's a great sounding unit that is affordable.

Good luck with the setup!

I was just looking at these as I need to upgrade my interface. I can't decide if they're a leg up with those front end compressor and preamp sims or a condescending cash grab with those front end compressor and pre amp sims. Like, I'm sure they sound nice in a lot of contexts, but they have no controls at all (more vexing on the preamp due to lack of EQ).

The likelihood of me getting any rack mount compressors or pre amps is pretty remote (maybe a mic pre for Vox).

I'm in stuff buying hell just like OP right now.

[marqueemoon]

Those MOTU units are nice. But I'd recommend checking out the Universal Audio Volt 2. I just got one a couple months ago and it's a great sounding unit that is affordable.

Good luck with the setup!

I was just looking at these as I need to upgrade my interface. I can't decide if they're a leg up with those front end compressor and preamp sims or a condescending cash grab with those front end compressor and pre amp sims. Like, I'm sure they sound nice in a lot of contexts, but they have no controls at all (more vexing on the preamp due to lack of EQ).

The likelihood of me getting any rack mount compressors or pre amps is pretty remote (maybe a mic pre for Vox).

I'm in stuff buying hell just like OP right now.

For whatever it’s worth I use a tiny bit of hardware compressor on the way in all the time.

All eq is in the box though. I just don’t trust making the right call printing eq (other than high pass) when recording myself.

[panoramic]

Update: I got my hands on a 2018 macbook pro for free so now this is escalating in timeframe. I'll be trying to order up an interface this weekend so i'll be checking all of these units out over the next day or so. Thanks for all of the input!

[Firecat]

I've started recording at home in the pandemic. Before that I had only recorded in studios or at my bandmate's place (where he did everything), so it was new for me. I wanted to find a cheap and practical way to record my own songs, so I guess we're more or less in the same boat.

I'd say the stuff you want to get started is:

- a computer with a decent DAW. The laptop you already have is probably fine.
- an interface: the focusrite scarlett series is nice and cheap.
- a pair of studio monitors. I've had a few and like the JBL LSR305 as a cheap option.
- foam decouplers if you're going to put the studio monitors on your desk, something like these: https://www.thomann.de/be/the_takustik_isopad_6.htm. These are cheap and make a ton of difference!
- studio headphones: I like my Audio-Technica ATH-M40X.
- a condensor mic to record vocals/acoustic guitars. I bough a cheap t.bone SC 400 from Thomann that got decent reviews and I'm pretty happy with it, but I don't do much vocals or acoustics. Some of the mics mentioned above are probably better options
- a dynamic mic: you already have a couple of good ones
- some kind of DI solution to record guitars if you don't want to mic amps and/or treat your room. For me this was also essential because I get to record mostly in the evening when my daughter is asleep. Not cheap, but I really like the Strymon Iridium for this. The Joyo American Sound is a nice and cheap option.

[panoramic]

I've started recording at home in the pandemic. Before that I had only recorded in studios or at my bandmate's place (where he did everything), so it was new for me. I wanted to find a cheap and practical way to record my own songs, so I guess we're more or less in the same boat.

I'd say the stuff you want to get started is:

- a computer with a decent DAW. The laptop you already have is probably fine.
- an interface: the focusrite scarlett series is nice and cheap.
- a pair of studio monitors. I've had a few and like the JBL LSR305 as a cheap option.
- foam decouplers if you're going to put the studio monitors on your desk, something like these: https://www.thomann.de/be/the_takustik_isopad_6.htm. These are cheap and make a ton of difference!
- studio headphones: I like my Audio-Technica ATH-M40X.
- a condensor mic to record vocals/acoustic guitars. I bough a cheap t.bone SC 400 from Thomann that got decent reviews and I'm pretty happy with it, but I don't do much vocals or acoustics. Some of the mics mentioned above are probably better options
- a dynamic mic: you already have a couple of good ones
- some kind of DI solution to record guitars if you don't want to mic amps and/or treat your room. For me this was also essential because I get to record mostly in the evening when my daughter is asleep. Not cheap, but I really like the Strymon Iridium for this. The Joyo American Sound is a nice and cheap option.

stupid question but can the Benson pre be used as a DI? I was looking at a few other options for a guitar DI including just picking up a quilter head to use for that. Lots of potential options and so many limitations on the funds I have right now.
My guess is i will go interface NOW, then a DI of some sort for guitar work. I have a few pairs of decent headphones to use already, I have a few decent mics and my main amp has a master volume on it that I can get to bedroom level volumes with but I hate to use it like that and i think you'd hear my strumming if i did that in my current place.

[Larry Mal]

The Scarlett will handle your guitar's DI just fine. You don't need anything else for that.

[Larry Mal]

However, here is something to consider as far as future expandability, this is also what I did.

I bought a Focusrite Clarett, this one:

https://focusrite.com/en/usb-c-audio-in ... -plus-4pre

These are expandable, you have four high quality inputs on the face of the thing, but if you look at the rear there is other ways to add other preamps to it.

As such I bought a Focusrite ISA One and have that running into the Clarett, and I could add three more preamp inputs that way.

Now, I'm not telling you to get the Clarett, although it's an excellent unit. But maybe consider future expandability when you look for your unit, as always, it's tempting to get the cheapest thing you can get, but if you spend a little more you have something that will serve you further into the future as your needs change.

[panoramic]

However, here is something to consider as far as future expandability, this is also what I did.

I bought a Focusrite Clarett, this one:

https://focusrite.com/en/usb-c-audio-in ... -plus-4pre

These are expandable, you have four high quality inputs on the face of the thing, but if you look at the rear there is other ways to add other preamps to it.

As such I bought a Focusrite ISA One and have that running into the Clarett, and I could add three more preamp inputs that way.

Now, I'm not telling you to get the Clarett, although it's an excellent unit. But maybe consider future expandability when you look for your unit, as always, it's tempting to get the cheapest thing you can get, but if you spend a little more you have something that will serve you further into the future as your needs change.

that's good advice for sure. I am probably not going to get super expansive in my endeavors. I plan to make recordings with friends using this stuff as my days of being in a full on band seem to be behind me. I'm not a spring chicken anymore