From: kls30@duts.ccc.amdahl.com (Kent L Shephard)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Subject: Re: Recording Studio
Keywords: Multitrack
Date: 13 Apr 92 14:30:51 GMT
Reply-To: kls30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

In article <1992Apr12.195322.2544@news.larc.nasa.gov> kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov ( Scott Dorsey) writes:
>In article <1992Apr11.170543.8227@nic.unh.edu> dcm2@kepler.unh.edu (Tommy the Cat) writes:
>>
>>     Hello fellow net.people.edu  I have a slight predicament... I have 100,000
>>dollars to burn, and I/we (my band) want to open up a recording studio.
>>However, we are new around the music scene and equipment area.
>
>Take half of your money and hire a good recording engineer for a while.  He'll
>know what to use the rest on.
>--scott

He did say email but others might want to know

1. Forget spending 50K on an engineer.

Here's what I would do with $100K.
3 Alesis adat recorders    -----------------------  $3500 each
1 Alesis BRC for adat      -----------------------  $1600
1 Alesis smaple rate converter -------------------  $1000

1 Tascam M series board with VCA automation ------  $14000

Lots of effects processors  ----------------------  $12000

Lots of keyboards and racks ----------------------  $10000

Akai S1100 w/ HD and lots of memory --------------  $6000
Akai sampler expander ----------------------------  $2500

1 Mac Quadra with 32 megs of ram, 1 gigabyte drive
  Soundtools, DAT I/O,  Performer, MOTU MidiTimePiece
  19" color screen     ---------------------------  $12000

1 Panasonic  SV-3900 DAT -------------------------  $2000

3 good mics              -------------------------  $1800

2 Peavy  PMA-200 amps    -------------------------  $900
1 Set of PRM-310s monitors -----------------------  $600

1 Set of Tannoy monitors (concentric cones, dual
                          woofers -I forget the
                          number)    -------------  $1200

1 Set of Yamaha NS-10M monitors  -----------------  $400
Audio and Midi cables ----------------------------  $2000

Consoles and rack to house the stuff -------------  $4000

Line conditioners     ----------------------------  $1000
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                               $83500

Keyboards and racks includes drum machines.
Keyboards and racks includes sound cards.

Sampler expander is a playback unit only used to expand
the number of voices for the sampler.

The Alesis adat was chosen because you can do digital bouncing and
get more than 72 digital tracks if you bounce correctly.
This also allows you do go directly to DAT or digital editing and
never leave digital domain.

The Tascam board is my preference but any good board can be substituted.
Just don't pay more than about $15K otherwise you start eating into
money for other stuff.  Also a $15K board would more than suit your needs.

I use a NeXT for digital editing but since there is no MIDI software, yet
I would get a Mac for ease of use a PC could be substituted for a little
less and have all the same features.

A SV-3900 was chosen because it can be controlled by a Mac via it's
serial control pert.

Effects just like keyboards is a matter of personal choice.  I would
include compressors, limitors, de-essors, gates, reverb, vocoding, and
exciters.  Buy what you like.
Mics are also subjective get good ones is all I can say.  AKG, Shure,
and a host of other exist.

I like Peavey studio amps and use one in my small studio.  It's very
clean and quiet.

I also use the PRM-308s monitors the 310 just have a bit more bottom
end response.

The Tannoys were chosen because you not only need near field but something
to fill a room from time to time.
The NS-10M monitors were chosen because a lot of people use them and
since that's what lots of folks mix on you need them for a reference
also.

I also assumed you had a place to put this stuff.
There is money left to get the facility slightly remodeled.

Or you can use the money to buy more gear.

You could also use the funds to set up a small MIDI only room for
preproduction.

You can also buy a MIDI drum setup.  I wouldn't try to mic real drums
since it takes up lots of mics and recording tracks.


With this setup you should only have to go to another studio when a
serious mix is needed.  This should handle all the needs of most
people.
Wish I had $100K to spend. 8-(

I would also hire someone that has a little experience with recording.
I wouldn't hire someone that is completely green.  But they must be
aware that money will came as you start making money and be willing
to learn and get experience.  I don't think many old timers will do this.
You could also give him off-hour studio time for his own use as some payment.


I useually get paid for consultations like this.
--
/*  -The opinions expressed are my own, not my employers.    */
/*      For I can only express my own opinions.              */
/*                                                           */
/*   Kent L. Shephard  : email - kls30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com   */