I'm still bidding (and not winning) interfaces for my laptop so I can simply and functionally haul in audio. I'm horny for an Edirol FA-101 but the price of an Event EZBus looks mighty good right now that The Season has zapped my funds.
Currently I'm using Cubase/VST and a cheesy mic plugged into the soundcard until I buy something proper.

You guys and gals are firing up mp3s that sound terrific and I just thought I'd harvest some configurations that you've pulled together.

So... if you care to share how you've started a home studio.. let me know what you're working with.

Got a basic rig, can't produce anything stunning from my set-up. so i will be very interested in others' responses here too! cool thread.

I'm using Cubase SX, nuendo (for surround mixing) and Cool Edit pro. A Bheringer 1832FX mixer, outputed to an old soundblaster Platinum front panel soundcard [which i woudn't wish on anyone]. I'm trying to develop my technique for micing the amps. using crppy dynamic mics at the moment.

I will consider my set-up much improved once i get an RME Multiface, and two good condensor mics. and once i've eliminated that F&%*£$IN noise.

Using a Fostex MR8, a Shure BG 1.1 mic.

I'm a dinosaur with my ADAT, ADATConnect, CoolEdit, Acid and Tracktion. It may be old but it works.

My setup consist of a PC with Sonar 4, and Echo Mona audio interface w/ built-in preamps, a Shure SM57, a cheapo Japanese Condenser mic, and a Johnson J-Station. I usually with either mic my Mesa or will use my Tonebone run into the Johnson for guitar sounds.

As you bid on these interfaces, are you sure you'll get them up and running on your system?

Mike Gug just got one and found his computer and it didn't get along. So often I've read where people are cursing the device but never did they actually find out if people using the same computer set up had any success with the device in question.

I have a roland VS 1680 and a computer built specifically for recording by Scott and his team at adk. Now if I actually had time to use any of it anymore I'd be a very very happy man. I mean it-- as I drift off topic--, I think it would be best described as the same feeling Bevis and Butthead had as they walked off into the sunset with two stacks of magazines at the end of one of their cartoons. I could see it now. Me, my guitars and basses all perfectly set up, my amps and stomp boxes, my mics and paultry preamp selection, my old empty victorian house with 12 foot ceilings, enough money too keep me in Pizza for a couple of weeks, a coffee pot with all I need to wake back up in the AFTERNOON, and-- dare I even think it-- Newcastle Brown Ale, oh, and my drum kit somehow magically tuned.

Huh!? Oh, yeah make sure the thing will work in your computer. That is what I like about the stand alone devices like the Rolands, they work. My computer is better than my old roland but not every computer is really geared up for recording and not every device and computer gets along all that well.

Time to finish lunch.

Well, I'm fortunate to be scaling down to a home studio from having a small commercial studio in the past. I've kept some of the better goodies like ProTools LE w/Digi001 interface, Yamaha 01v digital mixer, Kurzweil 2500 Rack, Genelec 1030a monitors with 1092 sub, Studio Technologies StudioComm for routing, an AKG 414 and a pair of AKG 451 mics ... that's mostly it. Here's a photo of my last room when it was all setup ... got the furniture in storage at the moment.

Steevo\'s Room

There are several folks here that can answer home studio questions. I tend to steer people toward the Protools side of things. M-Box and ProTools software is relatively inexpensive for what you get. Lots of other software/interfaces might work for you depending on what you want to do ... and of course, $$$. Later, S.

That's a good point to raise and I'm not certain what issues I'll hit. I have a Toshiba P20, P4 3.2, 1gig RAM, 60gig HD, 4-USB, 1-1394, S-video, PVR kit, IR Remote control, External 90gig HD, XP Media Edition, 17" screen. I just figure it's well ahead of most everything I'm looking at and will take it willingly. It's got guts that's for sure.

Nice Steevo.

I haven't actually done so much recording, as I would need to write complete songs first.. And I've had a problem with finding musicians to play with (mostly good drummers). Now I'm in a music school, so I haven't got the problem with drummers or other musicians, and at the same time I have the school's studio (small commercial studio) I can work in for free when I like, so I don't need to think about my own rig..

But, what I have is a PC (1,3 GHz, 512 RAM, currently using Vegas), a Hoontech DSP2000 soundcard, two DBX Mini-Pre pre-amps, and a couple of self buildt electrec-mics which I don't really like (but for 10€ each, what would you expect?). I use my brothers home built speakers, until I get off my ass and build new enclosures to my own. When I can afford it I'll buy a couple of 57's and a decent pair of condensers. When recording guitar, I'll go straight to disc from my Behringer V-Amp PRO, and the bass goes direct into the soundcard's preamp.

I've got lots of stuff I'd want, but I haven't got the money right now, and I'm concentrating on learning the bass, so the time is running out too.

I'm using a Tascam four-track. I think that makes me a trilobite ...

i can't get over how easy my pc-based Aardvark Q10/Cubase setup is to operate. i spent about $1500 to get fully operational, mics, monitors, the whole spiel.

you can hear it by clonking on the guy banging his head with his guitar down there... the first four tunes were done with my rig and nominal engineering skills.

Of course I get all happy and go chasing these devices down and get smacked by my obvious lack of a PCI bus

Back to Eeb 'Eh!

I wouldn't worry about lack of PCI too much since there are so many USB and Firewire interfaces out there now. If I was looking for one for cheap I'm sure I'd be seriously considering the new M-Audio stuff.

My Current rig;

Mac G4 dual proc 1Ghz, 1.5MB RAM
RME 9632 PCI interface

I just gotta get a new G5 soon though!

RME Digiface, Mytek converters, Sequoia software, Waves Platinum plugs, Cello amplification, Dunlavy speakers; Korby, Neumann, RCA, Coles, Schoeps, AKG, Sennheiser, Beyer, etc mics; Focusrite, Hardy, ATI, Oram, True Systems, Great River mic pres, other stuff.

Bill

show off

Hey funkjazz!
I listened to a couple of those tunes. VERY nice. I love that style, but I really don't play that stuff. I want to however. I'm going to PM you later with some questions. Nice job. To answer the question:
Digi 001
G4 867 SuperDrive and Glyph ext. drive
ISA220 mic pre,converter, compressor and eq
Studio Projects mic and pre
Shure Sennheiser Rhode mics
Pod xt PRo , various amps (want a new one)preferalbly a Carvin Vintage 16
Lexicon 550 multi effects. other junk
Larivee D70
American Strat (warmoth neck)
Ibanez 990 bass

oh wait I forgot my best thing.
Mackie 824's. I know there's alot of opinions out there on monitors but I love mine. And, if you've listened to Funkjazz's stuff it's evident that sometimes a good recording resides in the hands of the performer.

I have a Yamaha AW4416 (if you subscribe to EQ, I wrote an article about my home studio in the September '04 issue). It's an all-in-one mixer/hard disk recorder like the Roland VS series, etc. IMO, the quality is better than the Roland units.

I went with a standalone unit for several reasons. For one, I don't want to have to deal with too much technical crap when I'm recording myself. I want to focus on playing guitar, not syncing up a bunch of stuff or worrying whether I need to upgrade my OS to be compatible with anything. I have to worry about that enough with my day job. :rolleyes: Second, I hate mixing with a mouse - I like real faders and knobs. I came up as an engineer in the analog era, and the Yamaha allows me to use it kinda like a mixer and a tape deck, it's pretty intuitive to me. Third, I find the visual stimulus of a computer screen in the studio distracting. I want to be forced to listen to what I'm doing, not look at it.

I certainly don't have a closetful of great mics or outboard gear either. But what I have gets the job done - that is, allows us to capture good performances with minimal hassle.

Noodlesbad sez:
I'm using a Tascam four-track. I think that makes me a trilobite ...

grunt!



YamahaMT4X... best dern $600 i ever spent next to the guitar itself.

I guess I'm a single cell organism then. I'm using a Fostex X-14 and a Shure 588SB "Unisphere" dynamic mic and my 2.5 GHz PC with Cool Edit Pro 2.