20k to spend

[HD1]

Salutations all, i've just received a plump cheque for 20,000. The fact is, I'm going to spend most of it on a project studio. I was wondering what PC / midi interface / audio interface the live veterans might lust after, I have a nord modular, and I'm gonna pick up a couple of other synths, so keeping things in sync is important too.

anyways, I know its kind of a lazy question, but if you had 20k to spend on a studio, how would you spend it ?

thanks

[MarkH]

anyways, I know its kind of a lazy question, but if you had 20k to spend on a studio, how would you spend it ?

thanks

Assuming that whoever financed this wants to be paid back, I wouldn't go crazy. Knowing that Live 6 will support dual CPU I would get a nice dual core Mactel or Wintel machine, good quality soundcard like the new Apogee Enemble (Firewire) or Symhpony (PCIe), Dynaudio reference monitors, and a comfortable and ergonomical desk + chair.

[djadonis206]

20g's - seeing as how I love my PC

I'd probably buy a second hand Nord Lead and nice chair, maybe a better desk

then

I'd get a flat screen plasma and hook a XBOX 360 to it

get a nice couch for the homies

I'd start smoking weed again and buy a couple pounds

maybe some new carpet

better storage for my vinyl - I got records stashed in every nock and cranny

I'd pay off some old bills and student loans (I learned nothing at the Art Institute of Seattle FYI - actually I learned how to roll a blunt without using a blade, I can peel 'em apart with my fingers)


and maybe some fancy monitors


but other than that - you could take a hot escort www.eros-seattle.com to vegas or go to the bunny ranch and kick it for the weekend

save the rest for a rainy day

you asked


a

[HD1]

I'm feeling the ergonomic desk and chair ideas. As for paying the money back, nope - Don't have to. My uncle has handed out these lump sums to his relatives, he's basically on his last legs.

I'm definitely considering the apogee route. Also considering picking up protools, and lightpiping live into protools. Anyone got any experience in this realm ? On the synth front, I'm thinking elektron machinedrum or monomachine, Nord g2, a moog voyager, a sidstation, and a sherman filter bank.

syncing stuff together, and choosing the right interface is where I'm least sure

[thelike5]

I'm feeling the ergonomic desk and chair ideas. As for paying the money back, nope - Don't have to. My uncle has handed out these lump sums to his relatives, he's basically on his last legs.

I'm definitely considering the apogee route. Also considering picking up protools, and lightpiping live into protools. Anyone got any experience in this realm ? On the synth front, I'm thinking elektron machinedrum or monomachine, Nord g2, a moog voyager, a sidstation, and a sherman filter bank.

syncing stuff together, and choosing the right interface is where I'm least sure

I dunno, um, Ableton Live might be a good place to start. Otherwise, if you are creating techno, all of the classics were created using very minimal gear. The less is more approach has always seemed the best way to go IMHO. Take the cash and go on vacation/IRA...

[HD1]

vacation shmation. I've seen the pyrenees, swam the deepest oceans, sexed up the indigenous tribes; The seeds are sown. I want to churn out some warm analogue dub, and I don't mind spending the initial cash . What more could you need , other than a few synths - a good way to record the sounds, and a good way to play them, which is where live comes into it.

[djadonis206]

TheLike5 is on tot something

Not sure how far you are into your music career but all you need is Ableton
and a nice keyboard

You get to much shit and that's what you'll get - all this stuff you HAVE to use

Think minimal, think party and thank god you're blessed -

Have you heard the good news?

what?

He is risen.

(taken from the hit show on HBO THE SOPRANO's ... new season starts 3.12.06)


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[DeadlyKungFu]

Get good monitors!!

The rest doesn't matter if it doesn't sound good. Go nuts and get a full Mackie surround set!!

Investing in used quality synths is a good idea, they hold their value. Nord, Access, Moog, Dave Smith, TR808, TR909, TB303, Shermann Filter Bank(s).

A good mixing board is also key and will hold its value.

Computers and software have a half life of about 18 months, diminishing returns. Get NI's Komplete, at least in time the upgrades will be cheaper and you'll have some good stuff to work with.

And get some 'Cush' to round out the studio for a positive womb-like creative atmosphere.

Put the rest into a mutual fund and every year as it pays off, use the dividends to buy more gear or pay of any debt you have.

[inis]

ya, monitors should be first on your list. then a computer. i dont know why you would fuck with an intel mac. You guys know they still make something called the Powermac G5 right? lol. it blows the macbookpro out of the water.

[markaugust]

I would get an DSI poly-evolver keyboard in stead of the moog
or an andromeda a6 maybe
the chair-desk-monitor makes the most difference though
if you got that sorted out, you are on your way!

[radeon]

spend it all on equipmentr forget things like save the money. we only live the life once so make good of the life. if we make mistakes it is called life

get analog console. look at the new trident analog models and get some great outboard compressions and eq. you can have al best plugins in world but to make the sound great outboard racks make the differing from boy to men yes anf buy great synth hardaware maybe somethinks like korg triton and roland fantoms. no virtual synth sound even 10% so good as those macjines. old 909 303 things are good but you need to decidedng if you want the sound.

no need to lightpi[e live just rewire. if you go HD you only need HD1 if you buy fast computer so you use many plugins with rtas/ my system is like yours 20k it dont buy so much when you seeing the studio. i make some buy mistakes but not so many

[jbible]

If I had 20 grand to spend I wouldnt buy mackies or dynaudio. I would get a pair of Adam Audio S2.5A monitors.

Then I would piece together a super powerfull and silent dual core pc loaded to the max. Throw in a UAD-1 card and the Ultra Pak.

Then I would get one of the Mackie Onyx mixers with the built in Firewire Card as the audio interface and hardware mixer.

Then a Mackie Control Universal for DAW control.

Then I would probably get an Avalon Tube Compressor/Equalizer and a nice reel to reel machine and a stock pile of tape for it.

If I had anything left after that I would stalk ebay for a vintage vocoder and maybe some other vintage gear.

[DeadlyKungFu]

oh yeah... good pre-amps go a loooooong way to making GREAT sound.

[solovox]

All the above tips are great...especially the talk about pre-amps and monitors...very key. Event, Mackie, etc.

Definitely go for big-ticket convertors like Apogee...including the time-piece unit that keeps any jitter away...the big-studios apparently rave about it.

I myself would not get the Mackie Onyx...the Yamaha digital mixers look far more amazing, and programmable.

And while the Voyager is indeed fat, I would also suggest the SE Omega (8 voices compared to the Voyager's 1), and also Dave Smith's PolyEvolver, which I played recently and didn't suck. It's more "digital" sounding than the Voyager...but far more capable of different sounds.

As far as platform, even though I'm a PC guy...if I had the change you have, I'd go Mac with Logic 7.2, Ableton 4 (you hear that Ableton??), Reaktor 5, G-Media synths, Spectrasonics Stylus-Atmosphere-Trilogy, maxed-out UAD card, and possibly Reason 3.

Oh...and you'll still have some cash left over for the weed n' hookers weekend.

[subterFUSE]

I'd get a flat screen plasma and hook a XBOX 360 to it

Don't use video games on a plasma. They get bad burn-in.