Setting up my own studio advice needed

[fiatcoupe432]

Hi guys , decided to set up my own studio and need some advices on how to really do it?
Atm moment this is my gear ...,
Audient id14 sound card
Mac Pro 16gb ram quad core
Sennheiser za5600ii
Sm58
Cad drum mics
Various guitar and bass amps
. So what do I need if I wanted to record drums with 4/5 mics?

[cheddatom]

It looks like you have a 2 channel interface already. You need an interface that can record enough channels. For each mic you also need a pre-amp. You can get interfaces with built in pre-amps, which is probably the most cost effective way for you to go. There are loads to choose from. Also some of these new digital mixers tend to have USB for multi-channel interface - I think the Behringer X32 does this?

For drums, I like 1 mic on the kick, 2 on the snare, 1 for each tom, 2 overheads, 1 or two room, and occasionally a hi-hat mic. Figure out the number of channels you need and then look for an interface to match. The Tascam US-16x08 looks like good value to me!

I'm not sure whether you'd want thunderbolt rather than USB - don't know much about Macs, hopefully someone else will help on that front

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Your Audient ID14 has adat optical connection, so you can connect up another device with adat connectivity to add up to eight additional preamps (depending on sample rate you get [email protected]/48 or [email protected]/96 on devices that support higher sample rates). Cheapest self contained new option to expand your interface is probably the Beringher ADA8200 (don't dimiss it as trash without doing some research, and listening to some material that has been recorded with one), if you want to spend more (or less secondhand) there are lots of other options for ADAT compatible preamps or interfaces with more inputs.

[Bigwan]

The Audient has an ADAT in so you have, in theory, enough inputs already (10 in, 4 out on that interface I think). Just need to find an appropriate mixer/set of preamps with an ADAT output... There's where I draw a blank...

Edit: Damn, beaten to it! A cursory search would lead me to believe that if the Behringer ADAT pre doesn't float your boat you may be cheaper buying a new interface as after that it gets pretty expensive...

Edited July 31, 2017 by Bigwan

[charic]

You'll probably want a 16 channel interface but you might be able to manage it with 8 channels if you can work within the contraints, you'll either need to overdub or do it "live" recording style.

In a live recording setup on an 8 channel I would suggest

Kick
Snare
Overhead Left (Or HiHat)
Overhead Right (Or Close Overhead for Toms)
Guitar 1
Guitar 2
Bass
Vocals

It all depends what you want to do and what your budget is!

[sammybee]

Option for a 8ch ADAT Pre-amp is a used MOTU 8-Pre. Bought mine for £150 in mint condition.

[fiatcoupe432]

Could a mixer connect to the interface works?

[Dad3353]

[quote name='fiatcoupe432' timestamp='1501514499' post='3345176']
Could a mixer connect to the interface works?
[/quote]

It would work, but the mix would be fixed, once the recording is finished. No re-mix afterwards, as it would now be only stereo, and no removing 'flubs' after the event.
In passing, I'd suggest that one can achieve excellent drum recordings with only one mic, or two. Is this for recording for your personal use, or to take on recording of other folks..? That might change the vision of what's best.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='fiatcoupe432' timestamp='1501488924' post='3344897']
So what do I need if I wanted to record drums with 4/5 mics?
[/quote]

A really good sounding and decent sized room with a variety of movable acoustic treatments to record the drums in.

[SpikeBass]

I have an M-audio 26/26 with 2x behringer ADAT's connected. I use the M-audio as my main inputs then i feed out the lot into a TAC desk (love analogue mix & FX). I use 7 mics for drums, the 8th for Bass on initial recording.

kick/snare/tom1/2/3/hats/overhead I have a set of Samson drum mics that were/are cheap as chips but never seen the need to replace them at all.

Everyone's idea of a studio is different but as already suggested you can do it with an 8 I/O interface then simply mix to stereo.

[fiatcoupe432]

I think I'm gonna go for the Ada8200 .
Gonna see if I manage to put all the lot together .
So do you recommend feeding the output of the ada8200 into a mixer/console o there is no need of a mixer ?

[cheddatom]

no the ADA8200 has pre-amps in it (much like your mixer) but outputs each channel individually in digital data via the ADAT link into your interface

A mixer is generally used to mix multiple inputs down to one or two channels - E.G your live PA. You don't want to do that as you want to be able to process each channel individually after you've recorded

I do actually use a mixer in my studio, but I take the Direct Outputs of each channel, and feed them into my audio interface which can accept up to 24 analogue inputs, so I'm not really using the master bus of my mixer

[fiatcoupe432]

Thank you so far !!!
Now if you had my equipment how would you set it up? Sorry but I'm new at this and I'm sure u guys can help .
Also please use easy terminology as English is not my first language and I struggled when we talk recording gear stuff;-)

[fiatcoupe432]

This is what I need to record mostly
Vocals (ps I own a vocal booth)
Acoustic and electric guitar
Bass
Drums
Synths

[Dad3353]

[quote name='fiatcoupe432' timestamp='1501625540' post='3346106']...
Now if you had my equipment how would you set it up? Sorry but I'm new at this...
[/quote]

Maybe have a look here...

[url="http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/sound-gallery-workshops/"]Exeter Phoenix Sound Engineer courses ...[/url]

... or similar, in your region..? It would appear that you could benefit from a short, intensive course on the whole subject. There's a lot to it; it might be worth your while to invest a bit of time and money in decent training..?
We still don't know if this is just to record yourself, or to create a commercial recording studio, though.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Dad3353

[bazzbass]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1501490739' post='3344920']


For drums, I like 1 mic on the kick, 2 on the snare, 1 for each tom, 2 overheads, 1 or two room, and occasionally a hi-hat mic. Figure out the number of channels you need and then look for an interface to match. The Tascam US-16x08 looks like good value to me!


[/quote]

that is way overkill lol. TWO mics on the snare.

Plenty of great mixers can record drums with 3 mics, snare, kick and toms/cymbals.

seriously.

youtube has lots of how tos on this subject

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyy55ALu18Y&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=Kxcufuj-OCE

[BigRedX]

Yes you can record drums with just three mics, but you do need a decent acoustic space to record in if you are going to go down this route, as the fewer mics you use the more important the room becomes.

On the other hand you could close mic every drum individually with mics on both the top and bottom heads of every drum, various ambient mics in different parts of the live room and one in the stairwell down the corridor, with the door open just the right amount.

There is no right answer when it comes to recording anything. Do what is practical and what gives the end result you are looking for.

[fiatcoupe432]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1501627152' post='3346126']
Maybe have a look here...

[url="http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/sound-gallery-workshops/"]Exeter Phoenix Sound Engineer courses ...[/url]

... or similar, in your region..? It would appear that you could benefit from a short, intensive course on the whole subject. There's a lot to it; it might be worth your while to invest a bit of time and money in decent training..?
We still don't know if this is just to record yourself, or to create a commercial recording studio, though.
[/quote]


this is def good .
i don t have problem recording and mixing when everything else is set up .
is just the set up which i m not so sure .........
but ill def look to take a course

[cheddatom]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1501650930' post='3346156']
that is way overkill lol. TWO mics on the snare.

Plenty of great mixers can record drums with 3 mics, snare, kick and toms/cymbals.

seriously.

youtube has lots of how tos on this subject

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyy55ALu18Y&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be[/url]

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=Kxcufuj-OCE"]https://www.youtube....0&v=Kxcufuj-OCE[/url]
[/quote]

Yep, I've done plenty of that, but I like choices, and micing the snare top and bottom really helps. Sometimes I'll have two mics on the top and one on the bottom. It's not overkill lol, it's giving yourself maximum flexibility

[cheddatom]

[quote name='fiatcoupe432' timestamp='1501625540' post='3346106']
Thank you so far !!!
Now if you had my equipment how would you set it up? Sorry but I'm new at this and I'm sure u guys can help .
Also please use easy terminology as English is not my first language and I struggled when we talk recording gear stuff;-)
[/quote]

Well if you get the ADA8200, you connect this to your interface, then you plug your mics into the ADA8200 and point the mics at the sound source(s) you want to record

[Sibob]

Hey all,

Before you buy anything, take a look at our Focusrite Academy page, we have videos showing you how to record drums with everything from 1 mic to 12 mic's

https://uk.focusrite.com/academy/recording-drums

Si
(For clarity, I work for Focusrite)

[fiatcoupe432]

Thank you Si , thats very helpful

[bazzbass]

I defer to the more experienced of you with regards to room acoustics playing a big role and more mics helping in an acoustically poor room

I guess I need to buy a couple more mics hehe

Si, you are a legend, thanks mate

[roman_sub]

Really depends on whether you intend to mix in the same space as record. Room problems (standing waves, early reflections) occur in most household rooms that would make your monitors less "truthful" and make it hard to do mixes that translate well in other places!

Adding channels via ADAT is an effective way of expanding your kit to record drums - i recently purchased Audient ASP800 for this very reason, and connect it via ADAT whenever I need more channels than my RME's have.

I guess you should be careful about whether you are trying to optimise the space for recording, or mixing. Fashion nowadays is to record as dry as possible - which can be helped by doing things like hanging up duvets behind the singer. lots of good advice in Sound on Sound articles. That may work for a corner of your "mixing room", but an entirely different approach / new set of compromises may be needed if you want to record drums in the same space as you mix / monitor. Drums normally sound best in a good room, so making it completely "dead" is unlikely to get great results IMO...

It is definitely a journey, so take your time, experiment, and try to understand some of the physics underlying what's happening - then you can address problems as you become more and more aware of them. I guess I'm saying that you shouldn't expect to have a great sounding space with perfect results straight away - but don't get discouraged! It's definitely a hugely complex area - with the key pothole being that you can easily sink lots and lots of money into things that make objectively little difference to the results.

Studio gear GAS is even more dangerous than bass/guitar GAS, in my experience... you've been warned!

[fiatcoupe432]

[quote name='roman_sub' timestamp='1502374673' post='3351053']
Really depends on whether you intend to mix in the same space as record. Room problems (standing waves, early reflections) occur in most household rooms that would make your monitors less "truthful" and make it hard to do mixes that translate well in other places!

Adding channels via ADAT is an effective way of expanding your kit to record drums - i recently purchased Audient ASP800 for this very reason, and connect it via ADAT whenever I need more channels than my RME's have.

I guess you should be careful about whether you are trying to optimise the space for recording, or mixing. Fashion nowadays is to record as dry as possible - which can be helped by doing things like hanging up duvets behind the singer. lots of good advice in Sound on Sound articles. That may work for a corner of your "mixing room", but an entirely different approach / new set of compromises may be needed if you want to record drums in the same space as you mix / monitor. Drums normally sound best in a good room, so making it completely "dead" is unlikely to get great results IMO...

It is definitely a journey, so take your time, experiment, and try to understand some of the physics underlying what's happening - then you can address problems as you become more and more aware of them. I guess I'm saying that you shouldn't expect to have a great sounding space with perfect results straight away - but don't get discouraged! It's definitely a hugely complex area - with the key pothole being that you can easily sink lots and lots of money into things that make objectively little difference to the results.

Studio gear GAS is even more dangerous than bass/guitar GAS, in my experience... you've been warned!
[/quote]


thank you for your opinion man .
def recording and mixing in the same space .
however the room is massive , is an old barn so very cool .
i will post some picture for you
P.s i know about Gas , is crazy i could sell my wife ;-)