Klarinet Archive - Posting 000202.txt from 2002/04

From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Home Recording Studio
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 14:37:01 -0500

The answer to your question here is that it depends upon what you want to
use this equipment for. If you just want to listen to yourself practice,
get a minidisc and a microphone that plugs directly into it. However, if
you value quality at all or if you want to use the recordings you make for
things that require quality, you need something better than that (and that
will cost you some $$).

I saw a sign the other day in my barber shop that said: "Quality is like
oats. If you want fresh oats, those come at a certain price. If you want
oats that have passed through a horse, that comes a bit cheaper" I can't
think of anywhere that this applies to more than to audio. Just because
something records digitally, it does NOT mean that it is a good recording
device. I consider minidisc a replacement for the cassette. The quality is
roughly the same. Most MDs are just as noisy and the media is just as flaky
as a cassette.

If you are going to want to edit things on your computer, you will want to
look at a recording media that does not use data compression *and* has a
digital output. For this I would recommend a DAT machine. DAT machines are
not as expensive as you may think. I would actually recommend getting one
on Ebay... If you don't care about it being able to run on batteries, I'd
recommend the Tascam DA-20 or one of the many Stand-alone CD recorders. Get
a Mackie 1202 to power a good pair of microphones. For mics at a reasonable
price, look at Shure SM-81s or Marshall 2003 or V57. You'll need a stereo
bar, a stand and a couple of cables.

Now, if you really want quality, I'd suggest going to a studio. Sure, you
may pay $100 for a decent room, but then you have access to engineers with
experience *and* good quality equipment. When I go out and do a recording
session for somebody, I bring top-flite gear to use. My mics cost several
thousand dollars each. Preams, recorders, etc... cost me several more
thousands of dollars. And you know what? The recording sounds like it too.

For the computer, there are several sound cards that work well that have
digital inputs. If you use Macintosh, you should check out the Digidesign
MBox. You could even do without the mixer and dat machine with this. It
has 2 microphone preamps and connects to the computer via USB. A copy of
ProTools LE comes with it. Cost: Under $500.

Digidesign also has a Free version of Protools that you can download from
Digidesign.com but it is pretty limited as to the kind of computers it will
run on. In the PC realm, check out Sound Forge (or SF XP), WaveLab, Cool
Edit, or many other programs. There you will have the ability to do editing
of any 2-track (stereo) material. In many of them, you'll be able to burn
CDs directly.

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Fifth Circle Audio
Los Angeles, CA
benmaas@-----.com
http://www.fifthcircle.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: S. Valentine [mailto:clarinetistvibe@-----.com]

>
> Anyone here have a home recording setup? I used to
> study with a voice coach who had a real simple setup
> in his home and the recordings were decent quality.
>
> Do you think its cheaper to build something at home as
> opposed to renting a recording space?
>
> Any ideas are appreciated.
>
> Stacy
>
>
>

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