how would you tweak your studio with an extra grand?

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 6:26 pm

hi all. i'm getting a (US) grand in a couple weeks and i'm throwing the whole thing at the studio. i'm going over and over what to get and i was just curious how you guys would blow it. i realize everyone's needs are different, but i'm hoping to get an idea or two. here's my list so far:

TT500 turntable + cartridge - 350
kaossilator - 250?
sm57, cable & stand - 130
414MKII - 100

then the rest spend on records.

just for the record, my studio right now consists of:
sp-404
padkontrol
vmx300 mixer
us-122
stereo i'm using as a head unit for the speakers
5 disc cd player
2 61 key casio kbs i'm using as midi triggers

i've also got an ibook i use for recording and reason, but i'm trying to phase it out in favor of tape, at least until the final bit where i throw it on myspace.

oh yeah, yesterday i got a great find in a thrift store. a vintage 1987 sony boom box / dual cassette player in pristine condition for for 5 bucks! the volume is a fader, it's got 5 band EQ controlled with faders on the top, and freakin RCA ins on the top (!!!) with a button to switch to line in! so that's my new recording studio. anyway i'm eager to hear the opinions so don't be shy...

balazs · Post by **balazs** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:02 pm

http://www.zzounds.com/item--ROLCD2

and a nice tape deck.

post of a picture of that boombox. Where i work they have the same shit. i been wanting to jack that box for a while.

soopa · Post by **soopa** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:07 pm

well, im gonna be in the same position as you in a little bit, selling two of my mpc's locally so. that'll be around $1200

so that means right now i have

sp-404
old belt drive turntable w/ reciever as preamp
dual casette player hooked up to that (though i havent checked if it works)
some old speakers
borrowed headphones from my bro
and some cool records

if i was going to spend money i'd get:
my own headphones - $150 at most
a audio interface to track beats to computer - $200 most
some kind of monitors

and invest the rest in something? or pay off car insurance. i like a simple set up. i'm good right now with just a sp-404, happy with it a lot. who knows maybe i'll get something like a eps-16+, though i wouldn't know where to put that in my set up / really wouldn't need it. so now that i think of it, no, i probably wouldn't get it. lol.

hmmm let me add more

a midi keyboard
reason, cubase, ? whatever has some good, yet tweakable sounds
and fix up my computer to be able to run these things.

yeah i think thats about it.

so as for as beat making....
sp-404
midi keyboard
DAW

pretty simple, dont really want anytihng else. my gear lust is dieing down, and i wont lie, im happy about that. anyway, spend your money wisely. no strippers, booz, or bud, but something that can bring happyness to you for longer than just a few hours! orrrrrrrrrr if you want to be really generous..... my pockets are open for your money! lol

Dr. Tad Winslow · Post by **Dr. Tad Winslow** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:10 pm

Personally I'd upgrade my turn tables and buy one or two MoogerFooger analog effects boxes. I have my eye on the MoogerFooger low pass filter, and the MuRF. Those things look dope. The SM57 is a good call. I'm going to be buying one of those with my next paycheck.

EDIT:

Here's the MuRF I was talking about:
http://www.moogmusic.com/detail.php?main_product_id=111

and here's the LPF:
http://www.moogmusic.com/detail.php?main_product_id=5

Also, I meant to say I have that same four track you're picking up, and it's dope. Good call on it.

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:24 pm

soopa wrote:anyway, spend your money wisely. no strippers, booz, or bud, but something that can bring happyness to you for longer than just a few hours!

hey man, bud is an integral part or all my creative endeavors! =) but point taken. i'm gonna try not to blow more than a bill on consumables...

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:26 pm

Dr. Tad Winslow wrote:I have my eye on the MoogerFooger low pass filter, and the MuRF. Those things look dope.

that murf looks nice.

fauna · Post by **fauna** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:48 pm

with a thousand bucks i know what i'd add to my set up:

more arms.

i'd be throwing it down like vishnu!

blast1 · Post by **blast1** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:40 pm

[quote="Dr. Tad Winslow"]Personally I'd upgrade my turn tables

first off i wish i had a ''G'' to begin with... yeah i'd upgrade my turntables & my dj mxer, right now i'm just rockin numarks & a cheap mixer... the tt200 's are cool but they don't have that ''1200'' feel... i think i just spent a ''G' right there unless i cop it on craigslist, then if i had some change left prolly records & weed... but i'm content with what i got right now.... hey IG9 i copped a tt500 off of craigslist for $80!

also them MOOG JOINTS are off the hook...

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:38 pm

here's some pics of the tape player. it's not the biggest but i'm amazed the amount of sound it produces. it's fcking loud. also the eq and rca ins are the shit!

i'm posting pics of the whole lab in that thread if anyone's interested.

balazs · Post by **balazs** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:52 pm

nice. its too bad they dont make pimped out boxes like that anymore.

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:46 am

juxt wrote:nice. its too bad they dont make pimped out boxes like that anymore.

true dat. i wanna get one of those big, kill yo momma ghetto blasters...

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:14 am

so i decided to get a handsonic (10) instead of waiting for a kaossilator. those things are fresh. easy drum line for any track. i suck at making drums.

drewzle · Post by **drewzle** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:21 am

so you gonna sample the handsonic drums into the 404 as a loop?

what are the drum sounds like?

also that stereo looks fucking mad. how's the EQ?

iG9 · Post by **iG9** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:52 am

it sounds fucking dope. 400 instruments. tabla and taking drum and congas and vibes and 808 sounds... pressure sensative pads. you can push one side of the pad, hit it and the drum sounds muted. you can set the edges to be different sounds. the ethnic instruments sound rich and realistic. you can tweek diff parameters with a knob and it has a d-beam. i'm either gonna record myself playing as a loop for hip hop tracks or just wail on it as a lead. i played it in a store and it's a lot of fun. i was trying to get a rhodes but i think i'll hold off till i have the $1500 to get one with the amp and speakers. but the handsonic hpd-10 is crazy fun.

the eq works great. i love that little thing. i've been jamming on the couch at night and i play through it as a little mini-monitor. it's nice not to have to wear headphones, which is kind of isolating. during the day i have it set up through the mixer to get the same signal the main stereo / head unit gets and it really brings out the mids and highs, especially since my kid crushed the tweeters in my bigger speakers. =)

observ · Post by **observ** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:40 pm

man

i'd get a true analog synth......

right now im just messing and having fun with my 404 and rhodes, its kinda fun cause you can use all the effects running the rhodes into the 404 and kinda make it sound like a synth... also cant forget my dj set up....