Do you really need all this "Studio" equipment?

[abZ]

I made tunes for years without much except a shit computer, crap tunes but I did it. Couldnt live without at least a fairly quick pc and monitors now tho.

[macc]

I am an absolute gearlusting whore and make no apology for it

I need all of it, both in the 'I need it to work' sense and the 'I need gear like a crazed drug addict' sense.

Recently: Maselec MLA-3

Edit - and a load of these

Next: Probably a Crookwood console

[komanderkin]

it totaly depends. my most expensive piece of gear is an alpha juno and it doesn't really get too much use. partly because i can achieve so much with the brilliant softsynths available, partly because i know that if i fuck up my juno, i will have to save up for ages before bying a new analog synth.

but in my expereince, while valuable hardware equipment is not exactly irreplacable, it can be quite inspirational if you feel the particular instrument/effect and its sound.

[Sirius]

It all depends on how far you want to take your production. You can make nice tracks with headphones & a laptop... but then ya mixdowns aren't going to be the best (no matter how trained your ears are)! A decent set of near fields and an acoustically treated room & your mixdowns can reach gold!

[Mad_EP]

It all depends on one's workflow...

For instance, I never got into synths. Sure, having an MS-10 would be wicked... but I can live without it. Even if someone dumped a load of money in my lap, I wouldn't go out and buy a bunch of synths.

On the otherhand, what i DO find lacking in my workflow are better mics, and all the tasty flavors that go along with that (better AD/DA conversion, pre-amps, maybe some character compressors, etc). If someone were to hand me 10 grand right now, it would be very hard not to spend it all on a few tasty mics, a couple pre amps and some sweet converters. It would be gone in minutes.

[paradigm_x]

Studio essentials (according to me, anyway)

legit DAW
Studio Monitors
a good synth (either VST or Hardware)
a good drum library

you don't "need" it all...

but for me... it feels nice to have a decent setup after dealing with substandard BS for about 15 years

Id say youd also need a couple of decent eqs/compressors/reverbs... most of the ones that come with daws are shite.

Like..... UAD !

But seriously, for the amount of time you spend pissing about trying to get a good sound from a crap eq its worth the money tenfold imo.

acoustic treatments pretty important too, youll never hear the benefits of great da/monitors without it. My next purchase, been moving house a lot and not had time to sort.

Actually i lied im getting a new interface next as i need latency free monitoring, preamps and more inputs. But acoustics next.....

[FSTZ]

Id say youd also need a couple of decent eqs/compressors/reverbs... most of the ones that come with daws are shite.

I have them...

the average FLstudio too broke for a midi keyboard user, probably doesn't care

what interface are you going to get?

[paradigm_x]

Not sure... Looking at a £300 focusrite dsp, then up to a £450 motu, then the Steinberg £500 MR816 now looking at a £700 fireface!

Want to get a mssive improvment from my terratec, decent mic pres, ADDA and some latency free mixing.

Just want to buy one thing that ll last a very long time and the firefaces seem to be the nuts.

[deadly_habit]

pretty much as you progress and move forward you don't want to look back and it becomes a necessity and not just a hobby but full blown addiction and passion

[MimikOctopus]

I'd love to build a custom modular synth.

[kejk]

Recently: Maselec MLA-3

Dude... SICK

[Sharmaji]

Not sure... Looking at a £300 focusrite dsp, then up to a £450 motu, then the Steinberg £500 MR816 now looking at a £700 fireface!

Want to get a mssive improvment from my terratec, decent mic pres, ADDA and some latency free mixing.

Just want to buy one thing that ll last a very long time and the firefaces seem to be the nuts.

yeah in that realm i'd got either RME, metric halo (mac only), or apogee. i love my metric halo-- tons of internal routing options and the DSP sounds fantastic.

[djake]

i want at least 1 or 2 maybe 3 synths. just for fun purposes.

[stappard]

All I've got is logic and some headphones. I'm not restricting myself through any sort of artistic statement. Rather, I'm just scared of regretting my choice of first bit of kit. Plus I'm a student so no £800 synths. doh

[Basic A]

CDJs, Laptop, Hifi and custom boxes, Korg Nano, broke sound out, needed interface, too broke, so bought Behringer USB plug.

Mmmm...

Nh you dont need all that its just totally fun.

I dont need half of what I ahve iether but I would hate not having it.

[abZ]

If money was no concern I have to admit I would be up to my eyebrows in all types gear. I would love to have some analog synths starting with Alpha Juno + Programmer and a Prophet 600 and go from there. I'd like to go full recording studio with mics and instruments drums, different amps and cabinets for guitar and an organ. Vintage console and analog processors...... but yeah the way things are I feel pretty lucky to have a decent set of monitors and a few pairs of high end cans.

[nowaysj]

Now that this has turned into a gear lust thread...

I feel like I'm totally set now. Much of this is superfluous, but I feel like things are moving, I have a lot of sound creation options, and it's all fitting together pretty good.

For sounds:

Virus b
Asr-X pro (sampler)
Technics SL -1200M3D & very small vinyl collection, though growing
Komplete and a couple others (most spoilage here, but vst's have different character...)


For control:

Akai MPK49 for keys, knobs, faders, and buttons
PadKontrol to bang on
[adding vestax vci-100, not for production, but for dj learnin']


Nerve center:

Flstudio XXL (or whatever they turned that tier into)
E-MU 1616m


Monitoring:

KRK Rp5g2
KRK 10"sub
Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro's (only out of necessity, hate cans)


If an unknown wealthy uncle died, I would pay off student loans... but if he was really rich and could cover my loans, a down on a house, healthcare for me and my daughter, decent education for my daughter, then I'd get:

A characterific pre for reamping shits
A characterific compressor to pump some shit UP.



I could get by with:

Flstudio at the XXL level (includes sytrus)
Rokit 5's w/o sub + freq analyzer
Quality compressor and eq plug

[Ongelegen]

Picking up Nord Lead 2 sunday . I would't say i necessarily need it, but its nice to have. Just jam out and tweak some patches if i don't feel like making a tune

[paradigm_x]

Not sure... Looking at a £300 focusrite dsp, then up to a £450 motu, then the Steinberg £500 MR816 now looking at a £700 fireface!

Want to get a mssive improvment from my terratec, decent mic pres, ADDA and some latency free mixing.

Just want to buy one thing that ll last a very long time and the firefaces seem to be the nuts.

yeah in that realm i'd got either RME, metric halo (mac only), or apogee. i love my metric halo-- tons of internal routing options and the DSP sounds fantastic.

yeah looked at the metric halo, the nuts, but just too much cash monnay for a non paid studio. £1200 ouch ! fireface seems to be the best highly regarded 'midrange' unit. Apogee and MOTU seem to be awesome on mac but crap on PC... drivers etc.

Steinberg unit apparently has awesome sound but steinberg are renowned for dumping hardware units with no support after two years. Also geeky things like preamps arent bypassed for line ines... SB are a funny bunch have bought Cubase 5 and their support is very frustrating.

looking like imma have to fork out for the fireface, the new Fireface UC with ultra low latency, famously decent drivers and total mix seems to be my only/best option. Should last me for a long time, be a significant upgrade and fulfill all my requirements I/O wise. Will just have to wait another month.

Can flog the terratec after that i guess.

cheers

[the dub lemon]

yeah looked at the metric halo, the nuts, but just too much cash monnay for a non paid studio. £1200 ouch ! fireface seems to be the best highly regarded 'midrange' unit. Apogee and MOTU seem to be awesome on mac but crap on PC... drivers etc.

FWIW I had a motu 828mk2 firewire for a good few years a while back and was running it with a PC and never had any problems with it what so ever...it did die for no apparent reason about 4 years after I bought it but I called them up and for £80 they sent me a brand new boxed & sealed replacement...sure it shouldn't have died at all but I though that was a fairly decent compromise since it was long out of its warranty.