Post by schmalzy on Oct 15, 2015 11:41:59 GMT -6
Hey, guys! Before you see this wall of text and click "back," let me tell you that you can answer the surface of my question by just answering this: Does a small home studio see any benefit from a low-cost ($3000-$8000 used or new) console?
Read on if you want details and/or would like to give a more detailed response. Thanks for any reply/feedback you can give!
(backstory/preamble is between the sets of dashes)
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My whole thought-process requires a bit of a pre-amble. Excuse me while I blurt a novella for you to set up a simple yes/no question (I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have about it but the core of the question is yes/no).
To call my home studio "fledgling" would be kind. It's a new thing. I've been doin' audio work here and there for people - some live and some recorded - but I've not really made a push to do it in any sort of real, professional fashion until just recently.
In fact, all the work I've gotten has been word-of-mouth and without any sort of "business" presence. I'm still working on a website, I don't even have a logo, I don't have any sort of social media, etc. All that's to say "the professional version of this thing I've been doing for fun is pretty new."
I'm booked pretty solid (at not-very-good rates, unfortunately...pricing when starting out as an unknown is difficult) with two full-length records I'm mixing currently plus three EPs booked for recording/producing/mixing in the future as soon as I'm done with the two full-lengths. In addition, I’ve had to turn away some other work because I can’t guarantee any sort of timeliness on getting those projects complete. Apparently, I'm good enough at my price point that people from the area want to work with me. I'm sure I could go up with my rates but I'm trying to build a notable portfolio first.
Obviously, like all of us I suppose, I'd love to be producing audio full time - whether it's recording/mixing projects or post production work (my full time job is in tv/radio commercial post-production and I'd love to get out of my specific office but I like the field). I also live in a non-major-market area where studios are either high-priced or bad to work in.
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Here's the longer version of the original question:
Does a low-cost console - think something like a used Ramsa or Soundcraft Ghost up to something like a Toft ATB (probably just the 24-channel) or maybe stretching up to something used closer to $8000 - add anything really tangible to my studio? I'm planning to use up to 16 of the channel strips (that's my max A/D for now) for recording - I do a lot of drums because I'm low-cost and have a well-treated room. I'm planning to use 8 channels (my current D/A) for summing - up to 16 channels later if I expand my D/A and I see real benefit from OTB summing or decide to mix stems on the desk.
I've done the age-old pro/con list. I keep coming up with a few real pros and not a lot of real cons.
Pros:
1. EQs for everything going in. I end up EQing most channels. It would be great to have a useable EQ on the way in for every channel.
2. Flexible monitoring. Right now my monitoring is not as up-to-snuff as I'd like both in quality and quantities of output (I'm using a Mackie Big Knob as my controller out of my Focusrite SaffirePro40).
3. Some sort of sonic signature from the entirety of the channel strip and summing.
4. Looks cool as hell and lends a legitimacy - "oooh this guy must be serious!" I think I have a real legitimacy problem - no one thinks it's a REAL studio making REAL records when I show them the space. "This is everything?" one guy said. Funny, he liked the sound of my work enough to track down my phone number but my setup didn't say "capable" to him.
5. Worst case scenario, I could take a small-ish console out for a live show if it's ever needed. Most of my live sound work is freelancing on other people's gear but I've had to say "no" to some jobs because I don't have a board.
Cons:
1. Cost. I'd love to just sit on that cash but, truthfully, it'll probably go to something else studio-related as long as I have my full-time job.
2. Space. I have a one-room 21'X15' space that could eventually move to a two-room situation but it's not likely.
3. Noisy PSUs (but might not be a problem - some are quiet and I could probably, assuming the cable was long enough, put the psu in another room).
4. Potential maintenance issues.
What else am I not thinking of?
Am I crazy for considering it?
What say you? Do you have a console of any sort? What are your pros and cons?
Sorry for the long post! Thanks again!
Obviously, I'm confused. Look at how damn much time I spent just typing THAT thing!
Read on if you want details and/or would like to give a more detailed response. Thanks for any reply/feedback you can give!
(backstory/preamble is between the sets of dashes)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––
My whole thought-process requires a bit of a pre-amble. Excuse me while I blurt a novella for you to set up a simple yes/no question (I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have about it but the core of the question is yes/no).
To call my home studio "fledgling" would be kind. It's a new thing. I've been doin' audio work here and there for people - some live and some recorded - but I've not really made a push to do it in any sort of real, professional fashion until just recently.
In fact, all the work I've gotten has been word-of-mouth and without any sort of "business" presence. I'm still working on a website, I don't even have a logo, I don't have any sort of social media, etc. All that's to say "the professional version of this thing I've been doing for fun is pretty new."
I'm booked pretty solid (at not-very-good rates, unfortunately...pricing when starting out as an unknown is difficult) with two full-length records I'm mixing currently plus three EPs booked for recording/producing/mixing in the future as soon as I'm done with the two full-lengths. In addition, I’ve had to turn away some other work because I can’t guarantee any sort of timeliness on getting those projects complete. Apparently, I'm good enough at my price point that people from the area want to work with me. I'm sure I could go up with my rates but I'm trying to build a notable portfolio first.
Obviously, like all of us I suppose, I'd love to be producing audio full time - whether it's recording/mixing projects or post production work (my full time job is in tv/radio commercial post-production and I'd love to get out of my specific office but I like the field). I also live in a non-major-market area where studios are either high-priced or bad to work in.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Here's the longer version of the original question:
Does a low-cost console - think something like a used Ramsa or Soundcraft Ghost up to something like a Toft ATB (probably just the 24-channel) or maybe stretching up to something used closer to $8000 - add anything really tangible to my studio? I'm planning to use up to 16 of the channel strips (that's my max A/D for now) for recording - I do a lot of drums because I'm low-cost and have a well-treated room. I'm planning to use 8 channels (my current D/A) for summing - up to 16 channels later if I expand my D/A and I see real benefit from OTB summing or decide to mix stems on the desk.
I've done the age-old pro/con list. I keep coming up with a few real pros and not a lot of real cons.
Pros:
1. EQs for everything going in. I end up EQing most channels. It would be great to have a useable EQ on the way in for every channel.
2. Flexible monitoring. Right now my monitoring is not as up-to-snuff as I'd like both in quality and quantities of output (I'm using a Mackie Big Knob as my controller out of my Focusrite SaffirePro40).
3. Some sort of sonic signature from the entirety of the channel strip and summing.
4. Looks cool as hell and lends a legitimacy - "oooh this guy must be serious!" I think I have a real legitimacy problem - no one thinks it's a REAL studio making REAL records when I show them the space. "This is everything?" one guy said. Funny, he liked the sound of my work enough to track down my phone number but my setup didn't say "capable" to him.
5. Worst case scenario, I could take a small-ish console out for a live show if it's ever needed. Most of my live sound work is freelancing on other people's gear but I've had to say "no" to some jobs because I don't have a board.
Cons:
1. Cost. I'd love to just sit on that cash but, truthfully, it'll probably go to something else studio-related as long as I have my full-time job.
2. Space. I have a one-room 21'X15' space that could eventually move to a two-room situation but it's not likely.
3. Noisy PSUs (but might not be a problem - some are quiet and I could probably, assuming the cable was long enough, put the psu in another room).
4. Potential maintenance issues.
What else am I not thinking of?
Am I crazy for considering it?
What say you? Do you have a console of any sort? What are your pros and cons?
Sorry for the long post! Thanks again!
Obviously, I'm confused. Look at how damn much time I spent just typing THAT thing!