Let's talk (budget) home recording setups!

[sturla]

A bit bummer that the Macbook Air doesn't have Firewire. I am not sure if you can use the Thunderbolt yet for any audio-oriented stuff. So I think you must use a USB-equipped interface .
You'd also should most likely consider an external harddrive, since audio recording eats up GB quite rapidly.

Logic Pro 9 (if that is an option you consider?) you can now get directly from Mac App Store for $199.99 as opposed to $499.99.

[chris perra]

I'd try to get the best mics you can afford and the Maudio unit..

4 ins would give you overheads, kick and snare.. if you do the recorderman technique you'll get decent toms..
most of your mix will be the overheads, tuck in the kick and snare as needed.. just supplementing the overheads..

A big part of bigger sound is buss compression.. so the software you get needs to be able to send effects or create submixes or busses..
The Maudio pro tools should do it for you..

Another thing If you are still recording in the Blue room. Is you should get some blankets or something to kill the room wash... That will help alot even with you current setup..

Lots of mics in a shitty room. is worse than 1 mic in a shitty room haha..

Also get another external drive and write the data to that.. So your O.S. / Pro tolls software is running off the mac book's drive and the data being recorded goes to and external

[sturla]

Very good points and tips there, Chris.
I also think that is perhaps your best way to go.

[chris perra]

This makes me want to do a video on full on micing vs bare minimum micing,..
and how you can get bare minimum to sound pretty damn good if you try...

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks for all the info guys - Sturla you sound great in those clips man.
I'm not doing this as a solution, what Im doing now is working. I'm doing it more for learning (and maybe get a a better sound along the way).

[Randy Walker]

for limited miking i would either do overheads with a kic mic, or knee high technique with a kic mic. either works really well.

[Christopher]

Lots of mics in a shitty room is worse than 1 mic in a shitty room

+1

Also get another external drive and write the data to that.. So your O.S. / Pro tolls software is running off the mac book's drive and the data being recorded goes to and external

Very true. Firsthand experience with that one too. Logic (especially) works a ton better when it has I/O to an external drive and split up as you described.

For the budget, two decent overheads, a solid kick mic and the m-audio bundle should be a nice little solution.

[DSOP]

Let's say around $1000.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/msg/2755130265.html

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/msg/2670337789.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/ms ... 76632.html

[langmick]

Anyone have any experience with these things?

http://www.samsontech.com/zoom/products/multi-track-recorders/

[kinkymook]

I spent about $3000 on my setup, drum kit, computer, and all the accessories. Also, it should be noted that I bought all of my stuff except for the computer, bass drum mic, and Logic Express, off Craigslist. I've posted this info before in a separate thread, but here it is again.
I use:
21.5" iMac with 8 gigs of Ram w/500 gig hard drive w/ a 500 gig backup drive. $1100 (Steve, you've got the computer already, so, skip this piece of the budget.)
Alesis IO26 8 channel firewire interface (good and bad reviews out there on the "internets", but I got a good one. Works fine for me.) $150 on Craigslist.
Apple Logic Express: $120 off Ebay.
Shure Beta 52 for kick drum: $125
SM 57 for snare: $50 including cable.
Audix Fusion 5 set for Toms: $100. (Frequency response isn't the greatest, but with Logic Express you can eq to the n'th degree and then save the settings.)
AKG Perception 220 for overhead: $125
MXL 990/991 for hi hat and overhead: $50. Again, not great but def usable along with a:
ART Tube Mic PREAMP: $40. Definitely adds some warmth to overheads.
Mic Eze clamps for toms: $10 bucks a piece off Craigslist rather than $16.99 each in the store.
12 mic cables for $80 bucks. Score!
3 boom stands @$10 apiece.
7pc, Pearl Master Studio: $1300 off Craiglist.

Add all that up, and it's pretty inexpensive without the drum kit and computer. I'm able to get a great sound in my basement, and am currently recording my group in our practice space using only 8 channels. I'm thinking that in the near future, I'm gonna pick up an old ADAT (going for $100 on Ebay and/or Craigslist) and utilize the "light pipe" to hook up to convert/expand to 16 channels.
Another thought on mic'ing: Hi hat mic's are NOT necessary "most of the time" IMO. A good snare signal is going to put enough hi hat in the mix. Anytime I've used channel 7 for the hi hat mic's, I've 90% of the time, cut it out or, mostly all the way out of the mix.

Do it, Steve. You'll wonder why you waited so long in the first place. Plus, you can always import your Logic Audio to iMovie and sync up your audio to video. Again, a pretty easy experience.

Hope this helps, Steve.