Printable Version of Topic

Click here to view this topic in its original format

GMC Forum _ GEAR & PRODUCTION _ Your Home Studio Setup

Posted by: Opetholic May 23 2012, 10:03 AM

Hello GMCers,

As far as I understand many of you use Guitar Rig for your recordings, REC takes, practice sessions and what not.. I was planning to have a go at this option. But before that I would like to learn about your setups. Maybe you guys can post here some pictures and/or some explanation on how you connect your guitars to your computers, how you record, what kind of speakers/monitors you use and anything else you can think of

Looking forward to hearing about your home studio setup.
Cheers,
O.

Posted by: SpaseMoonkey May 23 2012, 01:42 PM

Guitar > Effects > Mesa Triple Rectifier > 1960a (GT12t-75 Speaker) > SM57 and e609 mics > Presonus USB Audio Box > Reaper.
http://soundcloud.com/spasemoonkey/skyrim-real
Needs worked but 2 tracks main with an envelope at the start to pan it to the right, then back to center for lead. Harmony Track panned left.

Posted by: Zoot May 23 2012, 02:04 PM

If I'm mucking around I go DI into a Neve 1084 clone preamp I built and then run it through amp sims and into Studio One and then mix/master using UAD plugins. Currently I'm in love with Amplikation Creme for hi-gain sounds as well as TSE's most recent beta. For clean or crunchy stuff I love Scruffham's S-Gear2. In my opinion those three blow anything from the majors out of the water in terms of realism and playability. I'm also using either Poulin's LeCab or Recabinet for speaker box emulation at times.

If I'm doing "real" recording then I'll mic up my '78 Fender Princeton Silverface with a Celestion G10/Vintage speaker either clean or through an overdrive and/or Area 51 wah using an SM-57 and whatever large diaphragm condensor I can lay my hands on - normally an AKG C-414 in omni mode and back off the speaker. From there I'll fiddle with placement to make sure the phasing is ok and then blend them down to a mono track and repeat to build up layers. For higher gain stuff I'll pull in my other guitarist's old Laney stack with the 4 x 12" celestions and use a similar approach to mic'ing. All mics go into either the Neve preamp clone or a cleaner version using a Lundahl input transformer and into the RME Fireface 800 and from there into Studio One to record and UAD plugs to mix/master.

I record everything in my little dog-box of a studio which is a normal bedroom size and has acoustic treatment to do a bit of sound proofing but mostly to deaden it so I don't get box-like room reflections imprinted onto every mic track.

I'm using Dynaudio BM5 and a Yamaha sub-woofer. The Dynaudio's are heaven - maybe too good because everything sounds amazing out of them.

My recommendation to you is -

- Buy cheap, buy twice
- Spend as much money on a sound card/audio interface as you can
- Get decent monitors

Doesn't matter what software you use to record or do amp simulation - they'll all sound crap if you don't have a decent front-end and you won't know it unless you can really hear it.

Fun! I love recording!!

Z.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 23 2012, 02:30 PM

Hi mate! I use a Line 6 Pod HD 500 connected directly to my audio interface to record my guitar for lessons, composing and practicing. You could also connect it via USB. There is not too much secret about it. If you can get a M-audio Fast track and something like Guitar Rig or Revalver it will be ok for a home studio. A pair of monitors is also a god idea to listen to your guitar and mixs. There are lots of brands and models, it depends on your budget. Having a mic (SM 57 for example) is a good idea for recording vocal references, acoustic guitar and any other instrument.

Posted by: tonymiro May 23 2012, 03:10 PM

We don't tend to get in to recording much but our usual studio set up when we do:

We usually mic the amp: a Shure SM 57 and either a Rode NT1 or a Neumann TLM103 depending on what we after. Very occasionally we might use a 3rd mic.

If we can't mic the amp then we have an Engl recording preamp that we DI.

The mics run to a preamp - either a Prism Orpheus and/or a Neve Portico. There will also be some outboard on insert, which we use in moderation at tracking (tend to use it at mixing and mastering).

ADC for the above is the Orpheus.

Very rarely, if we're recording a large multi mic live band set up we'll use a 64 track layered digital console and that runs to either a Lavry Blue or an RME HDSP 64 digi i/o to the pc.

Again very rarely we might drop to a multitrack for a small live set up. Depending on what we're doing we'll often stereo mic the group, usually as an ORTF sometimes supplimented with a mid-side set up or sometimes spot.

DAC - Prism Orpheus and Lavry Black 11 they feed our ATC SCM pro monitors.

If we're out on location though they go to a pair of Tannoy Reveals - the ATC are just too big and heavy to move.

My advice, in addition to what's already been said - spend time getting the recording right. Don't assume you can save a bad recording at mixing/mastering.

Posted by: Tangomouse May 23 2012, 07:31 PM

Mine is two computers ,one running Reaper and amplitube (all versions) guitar rig 5, using a guitar link usb cable, the output from that computer goes to the line-in of the other computer and the out put from that goes to logitech speakers, the second pc is also used to record video and also has video editing software on it, I theres a sony Dv camcorder connected to the second pc via usb, so i can record video and audio from the first pc.

That way i can beat match the audio perfectly from the final render of reaper.

Sounds complicated but real is not.

But I am a computer engineer

Posted by: WeePee May 23 2012, 08:19 PM

Mine is Guitar - Line6 Toneport - Mac - Reaper - Guitar Rig 5
Usually I listen my playing through headphones or basic Locitech 2.1 speakers.

Also take a notice that with Windows you can get way more cheaper amp sims, pulses etc. than with a Mac. Many of those don't work with Mac.

But of course Guitar Rig is a hell of a software. I recommend that.

Then If I make video for REC / Youtube I just film it with my vidcam and edit it with iMovie.

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu May 24 2012, 11:30 AM

Mine is pretty simple as well:

Guitar -> AMTSS20 -> Soundcard -> DAW (Samplitude 11)

I add the effects in the DAW - usually reverb, compression and some delay, nothing to fancy - the real deal lies with that little AMT