Compiling a Basic Home Studio for Mostly Electronic Music

chillum

Hello all.

Been lurking on here for quite a while, absolutely fascinating and invaluable resource for the home production N00B. Keep up the good work!

I'm looking for advice on stop-gap equipment until I can afford to put together/accumulate a properly respectable setup over the next year or three.
I'm using Ableton 7 and Cubase on a PC with a dual core processor and 3GB RAM (it's plenty powerful for my current needs), and an M-Audio Fast Track Pro as my soundcard.

I'm mostly writing electronic (softsynth) tracks using Ableton and various VSTs, with occasional vocal (through a Studio Project B1) and guitar/bass parts (either straight into the soundcard, or micing a Vox SS amp), and I'm getting sick of clicking notes on a grid for all the rest.

That said, I'm on a budget of absolute max. 600 Euro for all of the following:
- MIDI Controller Keyboard (preferably 61 keys, but I can live with 49 until the next inevitable gear upgrade)
- MIDI Controller for beats/triggering samples (I'm pretty much set on the Korg PadKontrol (I like the X-Y Pad) combined with a NanoKontrol, unless someone can convince me of a viable alternative)
- Monitor Headphones (Monitor speakers are unfortunately out of the question, as I'm renting and can't treat my bedroom due to budget and space constraints)

I've been looking online at the M-Audio Axiom and Emu XBoard series of keyboard controllers, and they seem to be ok for the price. I'm not sure if the features of the Axioms justify the added cost. I'd probably lean towards the XBoard a little more. Anybody used both?
I'm trying to get as many knobs/sliders/buttons for my money as I can (without compromising too much on quality), and I'd like a seperate controller for beats etc. (hence the PadKontrol/Nanokontrol combo).

As for the monitor headphones, all my mixing has been done on home stereo speakers, some nasty Technics headphones I got years ago, and Sennheiser PX100s. As you'd expect, all my mixes sound like mud, and completely different on every set of speakers I've heard them through (it's hard to EQ when your reference points are shaky!). I'm looking for something that's got decent response through the whole frequency range, if I can get it for around 100 Euro. This would be the area I most need advice on.

I won't be able to try out any of this gear myself, which is why I'm looking for suggestions from you wonderful people, with your collective (and individual) wealth of experience. I'm also going to be keeping an eye on the Euro/Sterling exchange rate in order to actually be able to get all this gear for under 600 quid!

A bit about myself; I've been playing guitar for about 8/9 years and have been picking up the bass more frequently over the last two years. Started getting lessons in Piano and music theory 12 months ago, got hooked on theory and and am now studying for my grade 6. I'd previously been skeptical about the benefits of theory, but it really opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. I never thought I'd be able listen to a symphony orchestra and be able to understand any of what was going on!

Sorry about the length of the post, wanted to cram in as much info as I could. And thanks in advance for your responses!

jtsuited

ok just some general advice I can give:

If I were you, for 600 euro I would...

Get a cheap midi keyboard (I have the axiom...complete waste of money tbh).
Get a pair of Yamaha Hs50m's.

A few of us on here have them (including myself), and their greatest strength is that you can get quality mixes out of them even if you are in a really awful room.

DO NOT mix on headphones. Trust me on that.

Midi things like the nanokontrol etc., while might be useful live, are a complete waste of time and money, and are essentially gimmicks imo.

So yeah, my advice is get the hs50m's (290 from thomann) and get a cheap but cheerful midi keyboard (about 100).

Save the rest of the money.

thecraichead

Never mix on headphones alone
I recommend getting some quality cans (I use beyerdynamics 990)
but also going for some monitors to reference on. Checking your mix between the two will give you a good idea of its sound

gsparx

I'd agree with the above. Get monitors and a midi keyboard controller (it'll probably even have triggering knobs and buttons!).
The Yamaha's are probably your best bet for monitors. Never used them myself but I know people who have them.
I would also get decent headphones for tracking a live instrument.
Headphones are also good for a different perspective for when mixing.
I use Sony MDR 7506's. Expensive but worth it and they'll last forever.

PaulBrewer

Chillum,
If as you say 'monitor speakers are out of the question' - then a reasonable amount of money needs to be spent on Headphones. Perhaps a bigger proportion than one might normally apportion in such a budget.

Studio Regulars like Beyer DT150s and Sony MDR 7506 (as mentioned above by gsparx) and 9506 won't let you down and are comfortable for the longer than norm time you'll be wearing them.

What's the issue with not trying gear? Geographical?

chillum

Thanks very much for the replies, lads. Bit of a consensus! And all solid advice.

Decent monitors are quite literally the next thing on my list, and it looks like I'll be springing for the HS50Ms before the new year (they're affordable and, from the more sensible reviews, seem to be becoming a standard for all the right reasons).

As I say, I'm currently buying stop-gap gear for writing my own tracks, so I'm (temporarily) compromising between getting the tunes recorded, and making them sound commercial. I'm essentially buying gear that I'll be able to use in the mid- to long-term, but that I'll only be totally relying on in the short term.

In no way am I disregarding any of your advice re:monitors (everything I've read and, indeed, my own ears agrees with all of you), but I will have to put it to one side for a few months (there are a few factors conspiring against me here). Headphones will have to do for a little while.

I've used the Beyer DT150s briefly in the past, and I've spent a fair bit of time with, and liked, a friends AKG 271s (although they've since been discontinued). You've given me some nice choices here, one of which will most likely be what I settle on.

Thanks for the MIDI advice, jtsuited. I'll save my money and get a cheap keyboard. I agree that the Korg Nanos seem to be pretty gimmicky, but I currently only have a mouse and a computer screen, so anything at all is a step up! As a quick (and therefore temporary) fix, it'll probably do the job until I can upgrade.

Paul - Yeah, it's geography. I'm not aware of anywhere in Galway where I can try out any of the gear I'm looking at, and I don't think I'll be in Dublin anytime soon.

Hesho

If your looking for a cheap alternative to a Nanopad you can check this tutorial and the ones on youtube
http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?t=55664&highlight=rejoice

Its basically using a ps2 controller to control various functions in Ableton. I have two ps2 controllers set up and its a bit of laugh for jamming out ideas in the session view triggering clips etc. It can be a bit of effort to set up but i've seen tutorials that allow you to use the analogue sticks on the gamepad to control the xy field on some of the ableton effects...
Handy as a cheap option!

chillum

Using the analog stick to control X-Y parameters is a cool trick. Might have to try that.

Had a sudden change in circumstance, and suddenly near-field monitors are back on the table (well, on bricks of foam). Based on advice gleaned from here and from other internet-y places, Yamaha hs50ms seem to be the way to go (after arbritrarily ruling out KRK Rockit RP5s). They're scraping the ceiling of my adjusted budget, so I can't really spend any more.

Should be ordering next week, hopefully.

Thanks again.

jtsuited

good stuff, best of luck with that. I had the krk rokit 5's for a while. Probably better sounding than the hs50m's (as in nicer sounding) but i find it a hell of a lot easier to mix on the hs50's (oh yamaha and your legacy of crappy speakers that are absolutely phenomenal to mix on).

anywho hope you enjoy.

workaccount

Hi there,
What kind of stuff are you producing? I'm based in Galway aswell. Into producing myself and I'm getting Adam A7's in the next few weeks.

chillum

Another change of plans. Came off my bike and shattered my right shoulder, so keyboard is being replaced by headphones (I'll be in a sling for the next few months, so there's no point in getting a keyboard). Recommend me some decent semi-closed headphones!