 Studio questions |
xCeed 
Tourist
Registration Date: 13-01-2010
Posts: 12
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Hey guys, i have some questions about how to setup a home studio, what hardware do i need, i hope you can help me.
First of all, my OS is Windows XP. I use Ableton live 8, and sometimes Cubase SX. I have a ReMOTE LE midi keyboard, connected via usb cable, and when i play it i have a very short delay ( i use Asio4all driver ). So i think that happens because i don't have usb sound card. Can you tell me what sound card i should buy and how to connect it?
Secondly, can you suggest me some monitors? I also need to know how to connect them and do i need to have usb sound card to use them.
And finally, is there any other useful hardware that i could buy?
I know these questions are a bit nooby, because i don't understand much about this, but it would be great if someone could give me the answers.
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14-06-2010 16:56 |
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goonybag
Wicked Producer
Registration Date: 12-11-2006
Posts: 349
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Native Instruments make a good little soundcard. Audio Kontrol 1. I use it and have no problems, and you get a free Native Instruments synth when you purchase it, and they make some really good softsynths.
Try looking in your preference settings in cubase regarding your latency issues, there should be something in there where you can reduce your latency to reduce the delay to a point you dont notice it. I hook up my midi keyboard via usb and have no problems at all, although I use mac, and am pretty sure Asio drivers are a PC thing.
Monitors come down to your budget, everyone bags the shit out of Behringer, but I have a powered set of Behringer monitors that cost about $600 AUD and I think for the money they are great. If I had the cash, id get Dynaudio monitors (about $5000 AUD). Work out how much you want to spend, look for what types are available for your budget, and start googling to see how people rate them. With monitors, I think the best approach is to listen to what you think is a really well produced track through them, note the lows, mids, and high freq's and try to reproduce them in your productions, cross referencing as you go.
Once you get your monitors, your soundcard, and your latency sorted. Id learn cubase, get a couple of softsynths (as I said NI make great ones, eg. Massive, Absynth etc) and a good collection of samples (try www.producerloops.com they have really good quality sample packs that contain loops as well as one shots) and you will be set to go.
DONT GET HUNG UP ON HARDWARE! Trust me, gear lust is a terrible thing, and I suffered it for years in the days when computers were not capable of doing what they can do now. The programms you can get to create sounds and mangle audio these days are unbelievable, and for someone starting out, dont worry about hardware synthersizers, drum machines, compressors, eq units, pre amps etc etc
Thats all I got. Good luck with it 
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www.soundcloud.com/hyphae
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15-06-2010 10:25 |
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xCeed
Tourist
Registration Date: 13-01-2010
Posts: 12
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Thanks for this info, it was really helpful. I like NI synths, i already have some of them and looking forward to getting more. I think that the monitors are not very important for me now. I have pretty nice 4 creative speakers and a woofer. They are about 8 years old, but good as new. Gonna search some usb sound cards on ebay. I also found pretty nice web-site http://www.build-a-recording-studio.com/index.html. Maybe it can be helpful for someone 
Thanks again.
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16-06-2010 16:31 |
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goonybag
Wicked Producer
Registration Date: 12-11-2006
Posts: 349
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hmmm, monitors are very important. But if your 8 year old creative speakers do it for you, well, go for it.
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www.soundcloud.com/hyphae
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18-06-2010 00:39 |
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KILLER_FAN
sssomebody ssstop me!!!
Registration Date: 23-01-2010
Posts: 215
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| Originally posted by xCeed I think that the monitors are not very important for me now. I have pretty nice 4 creative speakers and a woofer. They are about 8 years old, but good as new. |
Well as gonny said monitors should be important. think of them as your set of fine tuned ears. i said the same thing in the begining ahh who needs monitors, i'm a noob, gonna buy me some good headphones for now.
monitors will ease your learning that's for sure.
people say good things about the yamaha hm-80. check out the threat in the production q&a section.
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18-06-2010 22:12 |
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