Setup to get started...

[dr244]

I'm setting up a home recording studio from scratch, with absolutely no recording or hardware experience, so forgive me for any silly questions. I'm completely new to this, and have been learning by asking in stores and reading books or online.

I've decided to start with a MacBook Pro with Pro Tools, but what other hardware is needed to begin recording some simple guitar and drum machine tracks, just to begin familiarizing with the software and recording process?

Would it just be the software, computer, interface, and mics? I'm going to have instruments amplified, then miked. I was looking through racks today, and can't tell one apart from the other. What do I need to be looking for, and whats the ideal setup with that, and mics?

[stainless]

Familiarize yourself with whatever interface you're going to use (M-Box,002, 003, etc)- this will determine how many inputs/mic pre's are available to you without buying additional gear

yes, you'll most likely need a mic(s)... which ones, depends on your budget

you may also need a DI box (or 2)... and again which one depends on your budget

familiarize yourself with Protools

in short, start by downloading the user manuals

golden rule: equipment (or plug-ins) doth not make the recording golden

careful research (questions are good) , but have a foundation of understanding in the beginning goes a long way, both in results and saving $$$$
in all likelyhood, you will need acoustic treatment to your room you will be recording in AND MIXING in (advice... start with researching acoustic treatment first... it will save you hours of crappy mixes... not to mention buying more stuff in the hopes it make everything sound better)

you will need both headphones (for recording) and monitors (for mixing)... again a budgetary consideration

there is real meaning in "buy the best you can afford"... there is a reason for the BIG range of prices for 'stuff'

lastly... keep in all perspective to what you're trying to accomplish

[flommer]

Would it just be the software, computer, interface, and mics?

As a starting point, pretty much. The Mbox mini has only a single Mic Preamp, so that means only one mic at a time. Mbox 2 and pro have 2 mic preamps each.

Guitar can be recorded direct, with guitar amplifier modeling applied as a plugin effect.

You say "instruments".. What else besides guitar?

Do you foresee needing more than 4 channels recorded at a time? Then you will be better off with Digi003 family..

There is lots to learn...

A good place to become familiar with the different Digi interfaces are the "getting started" guides. If you go to the product info pages for the different interfaces, then click on "downloads" you'll find the guides. They discuss the basics of setting up the systems and what the limitations might be.

[albee1952]

You need an interface and the choices are many. Maybe a used Mbox or Mbox 2 would be a good starting point(the biggest difference is that the Mbox 2 has midi ports). When these interfaces are sold new, they include the Pro Tools software. I you get a great deal on a used interface, it may come with some version of Pro Tools but your Macbook will need a specific version of Pro Tools to go with whichever version of OSX it has loaded(i.e. Leopard requires PT version 7.4.2 or 8 while Tiger requires PT version 7 thru 7.4). One or two mics are enough for most hobbyists(i.e. ONE MAN BAND setups). I would look for a decent vocal mic(I like the MXL V69 a lot) and a decent guitar mic. For electric guitar, the old standard SM57 is decent choice but I would spend a bit more and get a Cascade Fat Head II ribbon. For acoustic, a small condenser would be good. Check out the AT3031 or the Mojave M100 if you have the cash. Next you need some monitors and price will direct you. How much can you spend on everything? Okay monitors can be had for under $300-500. Good monitors are in the $1K range and great ones are $1500 and up for a pair. AT the low end, the Behringer 2030A are okay(the 2031A 8" woofer seems to have exxess woof to me). In the mid price range, look at the Adam A7, DynAudio and Event SP8. AT the upper end, DynAudio and Genelec would be tops on my list.

Watch every video you can find(DigiTV and youtube for starters). Read the manual......twice.....and the part about the MIX knob, read that 3 times. And get yourself an approved firewire drive because you should not record to the internal system drive.

I would skip the drum machine and get ezdrummer and the Nashville expansion pack.

[dr244]

Originally Posted by flommer

You say "instruments".. What else besides guitar?

To get started, it's only going to be guitar, bass, and drum machine recorded individually. I'm hoping to expand into a full studio sometime, when I'm capable of it. I'm co-running a small record label and wanting to eliminate having to pay for outside help to get anything recorded. That's going to be a long time coming, and drum mics and others are quite expensive.

I am hoping to keep everything as cheap or mid-range as possible, but still quality. If I have to spend a little more money to get something with superior quality, that's not a problem, but I do have limits. I'm saving up to buy each piece individually. I'm a college student, after all, I'm not made of money.

I'm hoping to get by cheap on monitors and mics, and can upgrade later. The interface seems like something worth investing a good amount into from the beginning.

Thanks for the replies.