Setting up a recording studio!

[Schweppy]

Anyone on here had any experience with setting up a recording studio?

I'm looking to buy a Mac Pro with Logic Studio but am a bit confused whether to have a mixer or keep it digital and which is the best firewire interface to use as there are so many.

I will also be buying a standard Macbook to edit (not record) on the move.

If anyone has any of this equipment for sale secondhand or knows a good place to buy it from, it would be much appreciated.

Also if anyone can enhance my choices of gear that would also be great!

Cheers

 

[sn00p]

Logic Studio is excellent. Just get a midi console for doing mixing, you'll be able to map it in logic.

How much you wanting to spend on your interface?! Some of the pre-sonus stuff is nice, but there's so many out there that you'd probably be better going into somewhere like digital village and seeing/hearing/looking at demo systems.

 

[Schweppy]

I'm confused by the different terms though.

What is a midi console for?

Why is it different to a firewire rack mounted interface and which is better because i have seen mixers with built in firewire interfaces!

So confused...

 

[sn00p]

I'm confused by the different terms though.

What is a midi console for?

Why is it different to a firewire rack mounted interface and which is better because i have seen mixers with built in firewire interfaces!

So confused...

Erm....ok.

Recording Interface - This'll probably be a firewire interface which provides your inputs and outputs, I wouldn't go for anything other than 8 in/8 out if you're serious and don't want to get limited real quick.

Inside your software (Logic) you'll basicall be able to set up the inputs & outputs and create "routes" through a virtual mixer.

Console - Recording is fine, but that magic happens post recording. You'll most likely want to play with (at a minumum) balance, volume etc. You can do this direct in the software on screen, but having an external console (i.e like a mixing desk, but all it does is send its state back to the computer for the computer to process) will make everything much easier and less fiddly. Depending on how much you're willing to spend, you can get ones which are motorized, so sliders will change to previous positions as you play back the track.

 

[Schweppy]

Brilliant thanks for that. So is it better to go the separate route then because i have seen mixer/interface built in together.

 

[sn00p]

Brilliant thanks for that. So is it better to go the separate route then because i have seen mixer/interface built in together.

There's so many variations! I wouldn't go down the combined route for a very simple reason.

If at some point you want to upgrade your recording interface or you require extra channels on the console, then you're going to have to replace both. If they're separate entities then you don't have that issue.

Not sure on the quality of combined ones either.

Recording interfaces get real expensive real quick!

 

[Schweppy]

Thanks again mate! One last thing If I buy a firewire interface such as this -

http://www.andertons.co.uk/acatalog/info_FIRESTUDIO.html?utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=Froogle

How would i go about adding extra mic pre-amps? Does the new pre-amp rack plug directly into this or into my Mac?

 

[sn00p]

Thanks again mate! One last thing If I buy a firewire interface such as this -

http://www.andertons.co.uk/acatalog/info_FIRESTUDIO.html?utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=Froogle

How would i go about adding extra mic pre-amps? Does the new pre-amp rack plug directly into this or into my Mac?

You'll need an ADAT light pipe compatible recording interface & pre-amp rack to expand.