Stupid, but serious question..

[NStarr]

Hey.

Ok, so, i'm interested in buying some recording gear. I love music, and I think recording and producing my own would be amazing, but before I spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars, I have a question.

Now, this will sound stupid, but is recording really hard? Dont think I give up easily, because I dont, but is it worth a 15 year old kid to spend tons of money, and be totally confused and frusterated over it? I've done a lot of research, and I think i've found out what gear I would need to get, but i'm worried about spending all the money, and then finding out that I dont have the skill to manage recording. Can someone help me out? :(

Thanks, Nick

[guy0012]

do you have a job? getting a decent setup for cheap isnt tooo hard, just buy some basic things, and slowly add to it.

[NStarr]

do you have a job? getting a decent setup for cheap isnt tooo hard, just buy some basic things, and slowly add to it.

No I dont have a job, but I just turned 15 last Sunday, so i've got over $300 as of now, and Christmas is right around the corner, so that means gift oppertunities + more money.

[SMX_Dizzy]

Well, what equipment are you planning on getting? If you tell us what you're thinking, we can kinda nudge you in better directions (if they're not the greatest to begin with).

[DrumRnick345]

Hah. Funny situation. A year ago, I was in the same situation as you. 15 years old, wondering about recording, didn't want to break the bank. (and we have the same name and live 10 minutes apart).

Anyway, recording is a big learning experience. It is frustrating, stressfull and confusing at first, but it's nothing that you cant over come. Also, no matter how much you think you know about the recording and production process, there is always more to learn. I would say go for it. That is, if you are positive you know that's what you want to spend your money on. Learning how to record and produce drums (as well as any instrument) is really essential, in my mind. With all of the technology today and how it changes weekly, it's important to keep up with the times. Learning all this at such a young age would be VERY beneficial for not only your playing, but your overall musicanship.

If you are willing to spend the money, I say go for it. Not only is it great to learn (especially if your looking in that field) it's a blast to do. It WILL cost a lot of money, though. I wont lie.

[NStarr]

Thanks Nick. That was really helpful. You've inspired me to do it:):).

Well, I know I want to run it through my computer for sure. I have an Apple iBook G4 (the 12 inch screen one). I have a small set. 4 piece SMX with hats, ride, crash, and splash. I was thinking about a Alesis MultiMix 16. Is that good? Is there something better for the same, or less money?

[surftex363]

Thanks Nick. That was really helpful. You've inspired me to do it:):).

Well, I know I want to run it through my computer for sure. I have an Apple iBook G4 (the 12 inch screen one). I have a small set. 4 piece SMX with hats, ride, crash, and splash. I was thinking about a Alesis MultiMix 16. Is that good? Is there something better for the same, or less money?


i just made a thread about this kind of stuff, check it out.

i own the alesis multimix 16 and i like it, but i am sending it back to get a repair this week so i dont know if i would suggest it to you now because of that, but i love it.

[SMX_Dizzy]

Yea, that's good, or you could try the Presonus Firepod or the new Alesis io|26 (Alesis' answer to the Firepod I assume).

[NStarr]

Would you suggest I get the Firepod or the MultiMix? Which ever is easier/better.

[DrumRnick345]

That's a great piece. Never tried that myself, but I have heard good things. If you only have a 4 piece, you could probably downgrade with the amount of inputs. I have a 4 piece SMX as well (Jeez, the silimilarities are getting scary!) and I can get a great recording from just 4 mic inputs. Anyway, you could get an amazing recording with 8 inputs, or even 6. But it's all up to you and what you're willing to spend.

Remember, you're gunna need a program to run the firewire piece in. (ProTools, Cubase, Ableton Live (My suggestion)). Or you could use Garage Band since you have a mac, but garage band isn't that great if you want really good quality.

What are you looking at for mics?

[MrPresident]

Well...I am 19 and I just spent the day setting up my recording area.

My main reason for investing 1,200 dollars into recording gear was because of how much it could improve my practice. Being able to hear yourself (and your mistakes) is unbeatable. I know now that I have put such an investment I will be more likely to practice and practice will be more productive for me.

For the cheapest gear you are looking at close to 1,000. That will buy you the stands, mics, cables, interface, software, and headphones. If drums are something you are serious about I say go for it, but if you think that it is something you are going to let sit around and not use...pass it up. This is a decision worth thinking alot about.

[surftex363]

Look At The Thread I Made!

[SMX_Dizzy]

The Firepod will have better preamps than the Alesis. It depends on if you really want a mixer over an interface/preamp unit. The Firepod is actually $100 cheaper than the Multimix, so I'd go for it.

[NStarr]

That's a great piece. Never tried that myself, but I have heard good things. If you only have a 4 piece, you could probably downgrade with the amount of inputs. I have a 4 piece SMX as well (Jeez, the silimilarities are getting scary!) and I can get a great recording from just 4 mic inputs. Anyway, you could get an amazing recording with 8 inputs, or even 6. But it's all up to you and what you're willing to spend.

Remember, you're gunna need a program to run the firewire piece in. (ProTools, Cubase, Ableton Live (My suggestion)). Or you could use Garage Band since you have a mac, but garage band isn't that great if you want really good quality.

What are you looking at for mics?


Haha wow, this is getting scary :eek: .

But for mics, i'm not really sure, just SM57 for snare (from what i've heard).

But I want to record a band all at the same time (if thats possible) so that is why I would want many mic inputs.

[surftex363]

Haha wow, this is getting scary :eek: .

But for mics, i'm not really sure, just SM57 for snare (from what i've heard).

But I want to record a band all at the same time (if thats possible) so that is why I would want many mic inputs.


LOOK AT MY FREAKING THREAD IT EXPLAINS ALL OF THAT!

[Butnutz]

That's a great piece. Never tried that myself, but I have heard good things. If you only have a 4 piece, you could probably downgrade with the amount of inputs. I have a 4 piece SMX as well (Jeez, the silimilarities are getting scary!) and I can get a great recording from just 4 mic inputs. Anyway, you could get an amazing recording with 8 inputs, or even 6. But it's all up to you and what you're willing to spend.

Remember, you're gunna need a program to run the firewire piece in. (ProTools, Cubase, Ableton Live (My suggestion)). Or you could use Garage Band since you have a mac, but garage band isn't that great if you want really good quality.

What are you looking at for mics?

protools runs only on digidesign hardware.

[DrumRnick345]

Ah. Not a Protools guy, dont know that much about it.

[Serge]

Why not just start with a cheap 4 or 8 track, and spend the rest on some decent mics? It's a great way to start and you'll spend more time recording then reading manuals and dealing with latency issues.

[guy0012]

look at an akg d112 for bass drum $200 brand new. excellent mic. and i would suggest the firepod, i've heard really good things about them. im looking to get one myself.

[NStarr]

look at an akg d112 for bass drum $200 brand new. excellent mic. and i would suggest the firepod, i've heard really good things about them. im looking to get one myself.

Yeah, i've been leaning toward getting the firepod. I havent heard any bad things about it. And as for mics, I dunno what to get yet. I'll have to do some more research when I have the time...

[SweetDrums1234]

if you have that much money to spend then you should get the firepod. from what i hear it is better than the alesis mixers.