Studio Layout

[NativeLuv17]

Hey guys, Ill be building a small studio within the next month or two and need some feedback for a few issues I have been concerned about. I am only running the Digi 003 with the Presonus digimax as of now, which will be my main recording setup until I step up. I want to put in an 8 panel xlr plate into my live room along with 2 DI ins, and a 6 panel xlr plate into the vocal booth with another 2 DI ins. Obviously The 4 total DI will run to the 003, but with 14 total XLR ins in both rooms and having just 12 micpres, am I looking at using a patchbay? Especially when the DI's run with the 4 micpres on the 003. I also want to use 6 micpres from the presonus in the live room, with the remaining 2 in the vocal booth - pretty much mixing up my micpres to make them accsesible to both rooms. I hope I explained that right haha. In the future I will also upgrade to a decent console such as the Cl24, expanding the amount of XLR inputs goin to the control room. So my overall question is, what is the best way to do this?

[Obsidian Dragon]

A patchbay is the way to go. You don't really want to keep plugging and unplugging things on the back of the 003. Now I'm a little confused by your use of the term "DI." A DI box allow you to plug an instrument level signal (guitar or bass guitar pickup) into it and then connects to your other gear via XLR cables at mic level. It connects to your 003 or Presonus Digimax via XLR mic inputs. It seems like you are calling the 003's 1/4" line level inputs "DI" which is technically not correct. Line level (keyboards, samplers, CD Players, etc.) and instrument level (electric guitars, acoustic guitar pickups, bass guitars, etc) are not the same.

Building out your personal studio is a great and fun project, Take it slowly and do your best to do things right the first time and you'll have years of great usage. Make sure you get good information on how to do it right to avoid frustration. The DI/Line input confusion just means you'll need to do a little more homework as you get going. Here is a tip: The most important item is not equipment, it is acoustic room treatment.

[NativeLuv17]

My bad, yea im actually familiar the "DI term" generally I used to use a DI box to turn my line level into mic to get a guitar/bass to the board. But started using the 1/4 inch once I realized I didn't need the box for that connection. Good looks, on the feedback.

[IntelDoc]

Definitely run everything to patchbays. Makes life so much easier. BUILD PANELS THAT ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED!!!!
I have 1 room that has 24 ins, another has 16 and my vocal booth has 8. Ya never know when you may want to mic a guitar cab in that small space. Patchbays are critical though. Get it all in and then patch away. Some things you can set to fully normalled so you do not have to patch, etc. but a bay is the way to go for sure. TT bays are even better, but alot more. Just takes up less space.

Keep us posted and definitely ASK QUESTIONS....

Glad to help in any way.

Doc

[KroNEe]

Lots of great advice here. You might want to check out John Sayers studio building forum: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php

I learned alot and my next build will be up to his standards as far as room layout and acoustics. It is most important. You can also chek out my small 003 studio at www.kineticrecordingstudios.com

Originally Posted by IntelDoc

Definitely run everything to patchbays. Makes life so much easier. BUILD PANELS THAT ARE MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED!!!!
I have 1 room that has 24 ins, another has 16 and my vocal booth has 8. Ya never know when you may want to mic a guitar cab in that small space. Patchbays are critical though. Get it all in and then patch away. Some things you can set to fully normalled so you do not have to patch, etc. but a bay is the way to go for sure. TT bays are even better, but alot more. Just takes up less space.

Keep us posted and definitely ASK QUESTIONS....

Glad to help in any way.

Doc

[JMS40]

+1 on www.johnlsayers.com

Good looking web site Brent.

[KroNEe]

Why thanks man, my brother built it for me. You get what you pay for, unless you are a good coder yourself

Originally Posted by JMS40

+1 on www.johnlsayers.com

Good looking web site Brent.

[NativeLuv17]

Wow thanks alot guys, this def. helps, I have one more question if anyone is willing to take a stab at it. Im lookin at gettin the hosa phb 265 patchbay for my control room. If I solder the xlr panels in the live room, and run those into the outs of the patchbay, with the corresiponding ins to my presonus or digi 003 mic pres will this layout work, or do I have no idea what im doing?

[IntelDoc]

I HIGHLY recommend spending the extra few bucks to go Nuetrik. Not a HOSA fan at all. I have 1 96TT bay (very expensive sadly) and 3 or 4 48 TRS Nuetrik bays. All my line ins from the rooms go to the top and then it all chains down from there. If you send me a email with your gear list I can try to help you make a decent patchbay layout to make life easy on you.

This is sorta how my bay setup looks now. All the top 2 rows are fully normalled into a I/O setup where when mixing I can literally insert and go. No patching needed for that gear. I have a MIX and TRACKING template. When I track all the Inputs are A1 thorugh 40 (yep 40 inputs capable) and then when I mix I import that session into the current one and it then goes to my MIX layout. Everything is labelled in Pro Tools. Ya want a 1176, boom there it is and so on. Works well and keeps everything in line.

The only thing I patch is mic pres from the other rooms. The main live room has 8 fully normalled pres that are ready to roll without patching. The others are easy to get to.

www.monumentsound.com/patchbay.htm


Best,

Doc

[NativeLuv17]

Thanks again doc, ill fill u in when i have a minute, with my gear and what I want to accomplish.