I started producing band driven artists back in 2003 with what was out at that time. I had what most project studios had...a Digi 002 running PT native, a power mac, an 8 channel ADAT connected preamp unit for extra inputs, Mackie 8 inch monitors, a large diaphragm condenser for vocals and drum mic package. I think I spent 7,000 on that first set up with some extra Waves plug-ins. I ended up engineering tracks that made it on the radio with that set-up. I think what Steve is saying here is that for a basic but effective set-up this is what he is recommending from what is available and what is the best value at its price point. I agree on the sm7b...that mic is incredibly versatile, from screaming to whisper light females. You just have to have enough preamp gain to run it. I've owned the 8 inch Yamahas with a sub and the 5 inch versions before...in my opinion they are very harsh and will punish your ears on long sessions. At their price point not much else is better, as they are somewhat true in the low end due to a closed cabinet design with no ports, but I would recommend spending a little more for something that's more listenable yet still flat. The Apollo I want to try, as I'm planning a set-up for electronic pop production that is separate from my current PT rig. If I don't love the UA daw platform they include, I can always go into PT. The Komplete 12 package is a lot of dough, but I think his point is that it's the most bang for your buck if you are doing all electronic production with a vocal, and it will be something I will look at. In reality, I do believe there are many pros who are using the set-up he describing even with some of the components switched for others around the same price point. And yes, if it's for bigger artists, they are probably not doing final mixes and masters on it, but for the rest of the world releasing indie music on youtube, it's more than a competent solution.
And you get it! My video was not fit beginners or the gear they should get. This video was simply about a small pro set up that professionals are using like on the projects I mentioned. I agree 100% on the Yamaha monitors, I’ve never been a fan and never used them. I’m a Focal guys. I certainly remember the 002 days, my first Pro Tools rig was the 001 with pcie card! There is a big misunderstanding with this video that I am recommending this stuff for beginners, I’m not, but as every producer grows and becomes more successful, we upgrade our tools, the overall point of this video is that I have spent millions of dollars over the last 25 years on my gear and multiple studios in several states, it’s amazing to me that where we are with technology, a small home studio can produce amazing results with just $3,400. People have a hard time with me saying “just”, but when you do this professionally, there are expectations from clients. They want to use high end gear, if that weren’t the case, the gear manufacturers would only make cheaper gear. $3,400 to a professional is nothing as far as costs for a complete small home setup. I have mics that cost 5 times that and they sit in a closet. It all depends on what level you are playing the game.
@@TheSteveFreeman Absolutely. A lot of studios and producers that have higher end gear are servicing a certain client level or are simply offering those pieces to demand a higher hourly rate for studio rental. To me, at least in the old days, the biggest difference was the converters a high end studio would have running PT HD both ways through a neve or ssl compared to what you could do in the box at 44.1khz...the differences today, minus having an analog desk for summing purposes, are negligible. Of course it's nice to have real hardware instead of emulations as well, but that gap has closed too. As it's been said, many times it's not the gear you have but how you use it...and as both of us know...how good the song and the performance is. It's really always about that in the end in my opinion no matter what system, gear, or process someone is working with.
@@ustulo3488 well, I think the smartest thing is to run in a hybrid mode. Some analog gear and analog synths and then processing all in the box. As far as mastering I think it's a completely different topic and the sky is the limit. But for the hybrid studio you would have to spend more than what this video recommends.
i know im asking randomly but does any of you know a way to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow forgot the account password. I would love any tips you can give me.
@@angelorozul241 everything starts with a great song for sure. From there you'll want to be able to use gear and craftsmanship that will make the song stand through the ages of time.
@@TheSteveFreeman looks like the one lacking common sense is the guy who missed the wink emoji on that comment there, got baited, and chose to take an overly aggressive stance
My band (no names will be dropped) had a $200k budget for our last record. We used millions in analog gear and every penny plus some of our budget. Nearly every album review mag stated that the sounds and samples we used were dated and sounded cheap, haha. It was all actually played real gear!! Everything we did with plugins only on a quarter of the budget had much more commercial success, comparatively. Ill never make that mistake again. Ever.
Steve Freeman If I was to make up a “pro” story, it certainly wouldn’t be about how my band lost a major label deal by wasting a bunch of cash on a record, just to have had more success on previous records on a quarter of the budget, haha. Nothing to prove here. Just my experience I felt like sharing. Was more or less agreeing with you anyhow.
Unless I completely miss read that and you really were saying that was a good read and that the “pros” had us spend a bunch on a record. In which case, I still have to take the blame, as I wanted to do it the old school way and with the current style, it just didn’t sonically translate. So, it was actually my fault, haha. It was a fun ride, though! Just don’t want to share the band, out of respect for everyone involved. Not a tiny band. Your vid is 100% on point, though.
@@bce3210 I had a similar thing happen with my band back in the early 2000s. Had Jimmy Iovine working with us, we went with a celebrated engineer trying to become a producer. We went super old school, authentic everything, raw, etc. And we just didn't sound "new" enough. Sonically our new music sounded old.
TJ HUMPHREY SHOW I make my money from the hit songs I’ve written, my publishing deal, the records I produce, and the points on the platinum records I’ve produced in the past. I don’t do sponsored videos and could care less about TH-cam ad revenue.
Steve Freeman I respect your point of view, from your reaction video I get where you coming from , most platinum artist are used to seeing certain things, it’s more mental, people associate quality with price. 💯
Back in the day, I used to have friends who made the most incredible music out of their closet with an ASR-10 and a bunch of Radio Shack mixer and cheap mic. I would be blown away asking what they used until i actually went to their house and saw the closet for myself. This 3400.00 studio would be an upgrade for them and can just imagine what they would produce with it.
This video wasn't about the mixing and mastering process, it was about the tools used to create the songs. You also have to realize, of it isn't good going in, it won't be good coming out.
@@TheSteveFreeman Yea, true. It's a good list and i couldn't argue with any of the selections, appreciate you putting it together. To your point though, shit in = shit out. Maybe some acoustic insulation would be a good addition to a list like this. Bump the budget up to 3,500 😂
@@jonathanbolger6173 Agreed... need to treat your room, makes a huge diff in the sound in and the playback quality. DYI Owens Corning, cover them, radical transformation
@@TheSteveFreeman with this set-up you could mix a song with just a good pair of headphones, don't you think? (provided, of course, that the material you're working with is good enough)
Motu makes great affordable interfaces with really good converters... but if you are in an untreated room with yamaha monitors youwould be lucky to hear any difference between different converters or preamps.
Don’t get me wrong. This is all fantastic equipment and as someone who has been doing audio engineering and music production for almost 20 years and music merchandise in retail I’d say you’re spot on with your choices and reason for picking them. But, there are still a lot of things missing. First off cables and stands. Anyone can tell you even just decent cables cost a fair amount and none of that equipment comes with the necessary audio cabling to hook everything up. You’ll also need something to put those monitors on to isolate them. Otherwise you’re going to get inaccurate mixes. A decent set of headphones are needed for vocal takes as well. Lastly room treatment. It doesn’t matter how good the equipment is if your room is lying to you. It doesn’t take much but it’ll go a long way to helping you get accurate mixes and better sounding vocal takes. All in all still a great video and a great choice of gear. Honestly it’s a lot of the same gear I recommend to my customers who wanted to build a high end home studio, and I’ve definitely sold my fair share of SM7B’s with the “It’s the mic Michael Jackson used on Thriller” mention.
As far as the room treatment, I agree with you and so does the thousands and thousands of dollars it cost me to properly have my 3 studios dialed in, I think it's an area where people can get lost and confused and more and more producers are going to mixing and mastering with headphones over more traditional treated rooms and monitors. Most of today's music is mixed and mastered so far below actual quality levels so that it sounds good on a set of Beats or apple airpods. I can't tell you the number of times I'll finish a project, turn it in to the label and they want revisions because it doesn't sound the way they want it to sound in their fucking earbuds. Sounds amazing on my $50,000 worth of monitors, sounds great in the car, but sounds "too compressed" on earbuds, so i have to go in an remove all the dynamics that make a record a record to please the low bar for quality of the current consumer! Sad days! LOL!
Oh my god, the amount of people that have come to me asking if they could just use their beats to record. It makes my skin crawl. 😂. Totally agree though. Unfortunately we have to mix for the platforms people are using.
Thank...that's the truth ...just like the inferior things China produce that makes original things not getting in turn again...and because of these social media thing everyone is now a mix master engineer ...the world is looking crap now,now because of the new mislead generation who dont learn basic and get lost in it over time...ask him if he had won a Grammy before talking on marketing strategy to get more views on Facebook.....The truth is that an ssl console cant sound same as the latest crap interface...talent is enhance my money and what you have access to in an environment...I live in Africa now I am a mix and master engineer studied abroad .. spending minimum of 50 thousand dollar on my home studio ...with a carefully selection of advance audio fidelity as a type. ..I cant be in a class with a low quality engineer. ..talent with equipment is the ultimate. ..today I could have been a successful footballer, but I was born in a part in Nigeria where my potential as a child wasnt exposed to the world because of lack of good money...just imagine me playing football at 7 with a standard where people saw me as a genius ..now today I an doing music cause I lost the the chance of money to push myself or parent that can help me ..money makes you move fast with standard that's the truth.
Exactly!!! Balanced cables are VERY important, otherwise you have buzzes, and noise on everything, and not know where it´s coming from. Room treatment, or at least the Sonarworks program to calibrate your monitors and headphones is also very important. 2 or 3 decent mic stands will do it for a 1-2 man production studio.
What "tons" of instruments does luna come with? You have to buy them separately and they're freakishly expensive..... I also, i doubt VERY much, that anyone watching this video would own focals or barefoot. I will also argue that most people don't have rooms that justify having 8" monitors.
Nobody seems to point this out... 8inch monitor as an absolute reference is just bullocks... The thing I learned by purchasing my dream monitors a few years ago (cms65) and now have add a sub to them... The size is so important to match the room... Hs8 are the worst of this line and every top engineer (who have use this line) now that the 7 inch are the more balanced of them all and so the most bang for the buck!
As soon as I used the Arrow, I was all in on the UA ecosystem. Then I got the x8 for my main studio, and then got the Twin X for my testing rig, and it is pretty much my perfect interface. Two great preamps. Processing. And expansion if you want.
This video is deceitful and nobody is pointing out that you need talent and skills to make platinum music not just a home studio and also you don't have to have a 3400 dollar setup to make Platinum records, there are way more budget friendly Setups that ppl can get just as good a sound out of! This is the reality of ppl that were never broke in there life lol, He said its only 3400 dollars multiple times like its pocket change and that is wack the average teen or young adult getting into music production dont have that kind of money!! With skills you can Make PLATINUM records on a way more budget friendly setup than this. I know yall are prolly friends and im not trying to be mean its just deceitful when ppl do this, YOUR TH-cam PAGE IS WAY MORE HONEST THAN THIS AND THANKS FOR THAT I"VE LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU BRO!
@@BrijeshSarin what I mean I use audient to produce commercial tracks that goes on tour and compete very well with other mix coming out of apollo interface as a matter of fact the audient preamp is better than uad preamp The thing that save the uad preamp is the mic unison which is great for what they do. The shark processor is great for processing too But the audient is powerful real powerful transparent sound n clean that I can color with vst or outboard gear but mainly vst n get the job done real good
Great video, but you obviously don’t need all of this. I will say, this is the ideal set up for all-in-one solo jobs for sure. I have an Apollo twin x duo, but I also have an MTrack 2x2 which is MUCH cheaper. I track with both because the Apollo Twin is great for Mac but won’t work correctly on my PC. You don’t need an Apollo. You can just use selection based processing in Logic, or “apply fx to item” in any other DAW. There are ways around using the exact items listed, if you don’t have the money. So don’t get discouraged my friends. I think I’ll make a $100 set up to compare against this set up and see who does it better! Trust me, this $3400 set up will NOT run circles around a $100 set up. Stay tuned 🙂
Appreciate the tips. Aren't you forgetting the DAW? Headphones? Mic stands/screens? Mixer? I've heard good things already about the Twin X duo, but never about the Complete Ultimate 12. I've been looking to upgrade from my MOXF, so will definitely check this out!
Dude I have a 5.1 Mac pro and its from 2010 with no problems with plug-ins. Also use a motu 828es and love it. Without a treated room kiss it all goodbye. Oh ya and also talent. Your miss leading new folks
The truth Shall not be hidden! Silva this video had nothing to do with all the gear you need for a proper home studio or how to build a home studio, it simply was showcasing the gear used on the projects incited in the video. Glad you love the gear you have.
To those who don't have 3400$, here's a 1000$ alternative. Audient iD4 200$, Kali Audio LP6 300$, Audio Technica AT4040 mic 200$, Audio Technica M50x Headphones 100$, Native Instruments A49 keyboard 220$ (comes with essential Komplete software which you can upgrade at a discount later when you have more money). You can buy most of them used - especially monitors, mics and keyboard. They depreciate quick and don't be cheap on the interface - which is already budget - there could be sth wrong with it and you wouldn't know. Buy used if you can always. And get the highest CPU you can afford.
let me add that you dont need to buy all at once, you can get the interface, headphones, and mic, as a start and then get the monitors and keyboard after, and the keyboard when you are well set financially
@@dulla8469 Yeahhh. I only have a laptop for the first two years before I bought all of it. Took me 4 years to buy all of it. You don't need any of this to make Grammy winning music tbh. There's plenty of unknown grammy winners who made music on decade old equipments.
@@StephenOrion i started recording with a macbook and a guitar hero mic, and used my guitar amp as a speaker... with two or three socks as pop filters, it was hella fun though
Very true! I don’t believe you have to have this specific gear to be successful or win Grammy’s and didn’t say that you did, I was highlighting the specific gear that was used in the projects I mentioned
@@TheSteveFreeman You did a good job, man. Hope to see an alternative video that goes absolute budget. And also wish more music youtubers do specific PC building or buying stuff (with benchmarks, real world performance, from low to unlimited budget, Linus Tech style). This is just what i would value to see on youtube.
I used the focusrite interface and then switched to the apollo twin soon after I love it the loudest and clearness made me fall in love I feel like the focusrite doesn’t compare to apollo as far as the loudness and pre amps
hah! focusrite has some of the best pres in the biz! most, if not all of these companies that make consumer grade products will also have professional grade gear. maybe not behringer, but focusrite most certainly!
I think it’s worth mentioning, if you send your tracks out for mixing and mastering , you can cut back significantly on all this. No need for tons of plug ins or super great monitors . A clean signal with proper gain staging and real talent, and u can make excellent records. That being said, this is thorough content so thank u. And if u can afford this set up it’s professional grade quality for sure.
Tim Aka TAllent agree 100%. I do not believe any artist should be mixing and mastering their own work, especially when you want your music to compete in the marketplace. I’m not at all saying that it’s not possible to do it well, I’m saying that when you bring in a great mixing and mastering engineer, they bring their stamp, expertise and talent to each song and when you use the right ones, it elevates the product and takes it to a new level. I never mix or master the projects I produced, the same reason I don’t fix plumbing problems at my house, I’m not a plumber. I could probably fix it, but I wouldn’t do near as good of a job!
@@TheSteveFreeman lol! perfect analogy and a thorough response, thank you for further convincing me , and saving me and many others a ton of time, while also encouraging us!
Also, you'll need that extra grand to pay for the ONE thing he did not mention.......a LAPTOP. All this equipment is useless without one....duh. Also, you'll need a pair of headphones. Also necessary. I think that $3400 target is pretty doable overall.
@@chinmeysway 80% of my gear has been purchased from e-bay. 100% of that gear worked perfectly with absolutely no issues. Find the sellers with lots of sales under their belt and a 100% positive rating and you'll be fine. Why spend full price for something when you can buy it lightly used at a 30-50%+ discount? I've probably saved about $40k this way.
This is extremely useful! although I'd also add a powerful computer, which I think is crucial in terms of not ruining your workflow.The Apollo interface can help you with the processing of UAD plugins but what about the rest of the plugins?. Totally agreed on omnisphere, you can get absolutely any synth sound you can imagine. Extremely powerful (and CPU hungry)
The Presonus eris xt8 and Yamaha NS speakers are so similar, what the difference....The Crossover points...that's it. An interpretation! Go listen and choose...If your local store doesn't have Presonus line of monitors set up ask why, then demand it!
I know this is an old video but BOY!!!! I’m so glad I watched it… I’m a new producer starting out and learning but I’m already a DJ and very musically minded apart from that… I was recently starting to think, am I crazy for thinking I want to create my own music from scratch while everyone else is dragging and dropping loops… thank you for pushing aside my fears!
You forgot to mention sound treatment Steve! That's a very important element in any studio. You can have crap monitors and make them sound great with the right room treatment.
Chris Answeeney I didn’t forget, this video was not about mixing and mastering, just the creation tools. I understand the importance of room treatment, but I can also say that I’ve produced 5 platinum selling records in rooms that had absolutely none. If you are mixing and mastering final product, then absolutely, proper room treatment mid essential.
I went with the Presonus 32S, and bought the upgrade to Studio One Pro, which because they just came out with version 5, I got the upgrade for free, as well as I spend 14 bucks a month on their Sphere package which it comes with tons of loops, synths, plugins, cloud storage and the ability to backup everything to the cloud as well as collaborate. Though my setup was a bit more than $3,500 because I wanted to have a control interface instead of making adjustments with a mouse. I am incredibly happy, and after upgrading to the Adam A7x's I am pretty set for a while. I did build a ridiculous PC for my studio so I would never worry about the machine being taxed.
Love your list but you need to make a correction. The Yamaha HS8 monitors are $400 dollars each. So that's $800 dollars for the pair of monitors, so $3,800 Grammy winning studio. Then of course the XLR to 1/4" cables are about a hundred bucks for the pair (at least for Morgami Gold which I think is a good investment since they are easy to repair if needed). So $4,000 (roughly) Grammy winning studio. Still good though. You pretty much listed everything I'm looking into investing in for my home studio upgrade. The SM7B is spot on, I have a Rode NT1A which I have no complaints and a couple SM57s and an SM58 but my next mic is definitely an SM7B. I currently use the old PreSonus Audiobox 44VSL 4 channel interface. Again love it no complaints, but the Apollo would help with latency issues due to its internal processing and the plugins are clutch, preamps are great UA is awesome in general. Good upgrade from the 44VSL and if I need more channels in the future I still have the PreSonus. Too bad I run PC so no LUNA for me, I already use Cubase which is what I need for my niche anyway. I'm getting the S88 controller due to the instrument libraries I have. The full range will be easier to use key switches etc. not to mention the hammer weighted keys are great! (been using the Axiom Air 32 Mini for a few years, ouch!) But yeah good list, maybe a cheaper alternative to the Yamaha monitors are the KRK Rokit G4 8s they are like $300 each so you'll save $200 on the pair and they have the digital EQ meter on the back now. IDK I'm torn between the Yamahas and the KRKs. I use AKG k240 and k92 headphones which are great. Yeah I know you can do every thing with headphones. But monitors are a nice break from wearing headphones for several hours. Which is why I'm deciding to add monitors to my studio. I'm interested in the Komplete 13 Ultimate coming out next month (October 2020), the new choir library is pretty cool! The Stradivari strings sound pretty nice too. Two words when it comes to virtual instruments if you don't have extra cash, Spitfire LABS (just google it). Oh also Spitfire BBCO Discovery (just google it too). But anyways I've droned on long enough. Good video!
Focusrite offers no onboard dsp processing for plugins and the AD/DA in focusrite interfaces can't come close to competing with the conversion from Apogee, Universal Audio or Lynx. I'm not saying you can't get a great recording or sound from them, but they are consumer grade at the level they offer most of their interfaces.
Steve, i've done some converter comparisons. for today's gear it's so subtle i won't let it waste my time anymore. for any of you that are able to do comparisons please do them and see for yourself. digital converters have some a long way in 30 years.
Just a note in 2022 - Most current gen computers and especially M1 macs will blow the apollo twin out of the water as far as processing power goes. You need to spend 1000's on UAD to have a decent amount of dsp. You're better off looking at something like an Audient for example, and leave the heavy lifting to your computer. Then Spend what you save on the Room treatment that Steve left out of the budget.
Crazy cuz you just described my exact home studio ! Couldn’t agree more with all of your recommendations. Apollo into the shure with the HS8’s can accomplish just about anything! I will say my only gripe with the video is the whole bit about sample / loop users aren’t producers etc, I’m a multi instrumentalist but still use loops from time to time. It’s about what you do with the sounds, not how you got them! Great video nonetheless. Cheers
Didn’t fail to mention anything, this video was not about mixing and mastering, it’s about the creation tools! You can only mix and master tracks that exist….
@@TheSteveFreeman at 12:40 you make it seem like finneas mixed it on the hs8’s which to someone who doesn’t actually know they would believe that. But for creation, yes this video is very accurate.
@@Francisco-dr4yi I didn’t “make it seam like” anything. Those are the monitors he has in his home studio. I didn’t talk about mixing and mastering, neither which he does. This video was about creation tools, not mixing and mastering. Anyone taking themselves seriously is having their product mixed and mastered by a professional mixing and/or mastering engineer.
Recommending Shure SM7B over SM58 as starting studio mic without propper chain is like recommending to use BMW M3 over a tractor on a field. The whole video is like this.
If I were to pair a sm7b with the Apollo twin would I need a cloud lifter? I didn't love the sound of the sm7b previously- but I am willing to give it another go with a different set up.
No, I travel with 2 Apollo Twin X quads and have no issues driving the SM7b. The unison pre's on in the Apollo have plenty of gain. No cloudlifter needed
I like the clarity of Antelope Audio personally. Just my preference. But UAD is good as well. But the yammies are more than $400.00 for the pair bro!!!
What about the Kali Audio LP-8s as a monitor choice, considering the built-in attenuation and it being 400 for the pair wouldn’t that be a better deal? Also, they’re front ported which means they’re a little more flexible with placement.
I've never used them, but I've heard great things. I may get them to send me a pair and we'll check them out and I'll report back. A friend of mine has a pair he uses in his studio and he swears by them.
I'm still recording through a Reason Balance interface. Old school , I know. Would my recordings really improve with the Apollo twin? Not sure if it makes that much a difference
@@TheSteveFreeman Thanks for the reply :) It's working but I wonder. Is there a huge difference in recording quality between the Apollo and cheaper interfaces. Cleaner sounds, more detail? Or is it more the software that comes with it that makes the difference?
@@dede-sm7sl REgardless of what other people on this thread will tell you, YES, there is a huge difference in the quality. Higher-end interfaces have way better converters, AD/DA and in the case of the Apollo, it offers DSP, Unison pre's and available plugins, that in my opinion, are industry-leading and more natural sounding as it relates to analog gear that I'm used to working with. That is not to say that can't achieve GREAT results with lower end interfaces. I have a friend of mine that has produced 3 platinum-selling records this year using Focusrite Scarlette interfaces. They aren't my fav, but to each his own. The end result is all that matters.
perfect video man my home studio Universal Audio Apollo , Monitors: Focal Alpha 80 Evo, Mic AKG P220,Headphones AKG K712 PRO,Midi Keyboards Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2 & maschine MK3,DAW FL STUDIO & Cubase 12
Everybody hes talking about the best set up for the best price.....of course you can get great results on a focusrite scarlett, jbl speakers, $50 mic.... but ones you want to upgrade your equipment and if you have the money .... this is proberly the best stuff for the price ........ theres plug ins/vst that cost $1000 plus....so .....
I have a MPC X, Kronos X ,went with Presonus Studio One V 5. My S88 on order, I have Keyscape and Omnisphere 2.6. getting into Trailer music. Just bought a few Spitfire VST's. Will get that Shure mic. Checking out that UA interface... thanks
The converters in the TwinX are better than the Arrow, as is the processing power for UAD plugins, but the Arrow is a great buy for the cost, especially as an entry to the UA ecosphere.
Excellent information and price point. You are right, Most of what we have now is way over kill. And I’m still learning how to use this hardware. So I’m definitely enjoy how you talking- keep it up.
All that is great but when you buy this Grammy winning setup and write what you think to be some great songs, and you but them out there amongst the billion other folks with there Grammy winning recording setup... when do I win my Grammy!
Hit songwriter and multiplatinum producer spending his time making advertising videos for cheap equipment in his cheap studio (judging by those cheap Focals in the background). Times must be tough man :D
Yeah I only made 3 million last year, times are certainly rough. By the way, this isn't my set up. It's my mobile rig. And I happen to prefer the cheap Focals for that room, which is a C room at my studio in Nashville. If you would like to compare setups and studios and income, I'm ready when you are.
@@TheSteveFreeman yeah, i don't see why not. Just please be patient for a month or two couse im in the final stage of my new studio. Alsow I would like to compare sound if you don't mind... You got me at years income tho ;)
@@d.r.dmedia2481 Let me know when you're ready! LOL. I'd love to hear about your new place though, seriously! Both of my tracking studios in Nashville and LA are outfitted with 2 UA Apollo 16x's for a total of 32 channels and 12 cores of UAD processing. Each studio has 8 API 512'c for drums, 8 Neve 1073's for guitars, bass, vocals. We have a couple API lunchboxes with various 500 series pre's and compressors in case someone wants something specific. Then on the second 16x we have 4 Universal audio 4-710's for analog inputs on those channels. Since they have an 1176 style compressor on each channel, they are great for just about any instrument or vocals. I'm sure someone here will disagree, but that's what I like. For monitoring in both studios we use the Focal Trio11's, matched pair obviously. Gear is so personal and subjective. I've chosen the gear I love and that sound the way I want my projects to sound. IT is by no means what is right for everyone or the only way or tools to get the job done. There are so many flavors, just like ice cream. At the end of the day, it's about the flavor you want, you like.
ADD RADZ so highlighting popular gear that thousands of people use is an infomercial? I no usually hear comments like this from people who can’t afford the gear and chose to troll in the comments.
I agree with the stuff you mentioned but I had to go with an interface with more channels due to close mic'ing drums and room mics. I'm lucky enough to have a basement room instead of a bedroom. I love the SM7B it's my go to for just about all vocals that I record. I have an older version of Komplete Ultimate and the original Omnisphere. I still use them both for almost everything I do. What's your thoughts on the KRK Rocket 8's? I've been using them for years and I'm used to the way they sound. Now all I need to do is record a Grammy winning song I guess lol
Tell all the producers who are getting paid placements to stop using Splice... why would they? I have all this that you’ve recommended and I use splice too, sometimes you just want a riser that you don’t feel like programming.
Interface is good however, we do LIVE stage recordings. Im talking full band playing Live while im recording. Quality we get is dang good, and theres not the need to do one track at a time. The production time is cut way back. Every signal recording at the same time. I use mixcraft pro 9, a digital soundboard as interface and also has internal daw if i choose to use it. We use and EV ND 96 vocal mic that is very good for the price.
The loudest boo's come from the cheapest seats. I made this almost a year ago and don't really have time to make them anymore, but if I could come up with something that would piss them off more, then it might be worth doing :)
I didn’t realize everything you spoke on until 3 years in the game. Although I haven’t used a shure mic but heard a lot of good things about it,I have this exact set up with a few extra things and a Tlm103. Keep up this valuable info brother,cause u saving someone money in the long run. Cause Ive had many setups until I got a uad interface
I agree with the UAD but there's also the RME interfaces with the TotalMix DSP for the same price, with arguably slightly better converters. I'm really not sure about the SM7b for EVERYTHING too lol. I hear what he's saying though, about technology has advanced and got cheaper to produce industry quality music.
I agree on everything. Except kontakt is basically playing samples. Literally no different from using samples from splice. Yes, loops are produced by others, but as long as you are changing them as much as possible to make them your own, you are not doing anything many big producers aren’t doing. I agree, make your own loops. But if you use Kontakt, you’re literally using samples.
Can't go wrong with Motu or rme They aee renown for making some of the best drivers in the industry because they are developed In-house. Other manufacturers relies on a 3rd party device driver developer and of course Apples Audio core. I had a Scarlett and it was crap shoot. It was always cracking and pooping, some times crashed my computer...
Side Note....Acustica Audio.....if you already have a full Studio....Upgrade your RAM and get.... Dreamware Bundle and Mackie FX22.....AT 40s.... Way better Idea...than going UAD
Good info Steve, I think some people are missing the point of your video, no you won’t be a Grammy winner, ( maybe ) but what you have shown, is that with the gear you recommend you are at least, ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. If you can’t get a song published with the gear you recommended , it ain’t the gear that’s the problem. ps I use maschine rather than s49
I think what this guy means is that this particular setup is the most optimal in his very own opinion with a balance between quality and expenses. All the gears he talks about are great, nothing to say about it, but the only things which can get you a Grammy are talent and hard work (and btw, winning a Grammy shouldn’t be a goal or an achievement and doesn’t mean that a record is great or not, most of my favorites records never won a Grammy). Once again, the gear he listed is great but it’s all about you, about what you feel comfortable with and about your skills. Also regarding the monitors it is important to mention that your room size matters, most of home studios go with 5inches monitor but of courses you can have 8 if you have a big room or you make bassy music. It’s also important to talk about room acoustic treatment. Anyway I don’t agree with everything he says but there is no need to bash him.
You get it! I don’t understand why people can’t just see the video for what it is, showing the gear that was used on those Grammy winning projects and telling you how much it costs. This video was not about building a home studio, everything you need to build a proper home studio or what it takes to win a Grammy or be successful, just simply showing the gear that was used to win 5 Grammys. What you choose to use is completely up to the individual, no matter the price point and as I’ve said many times what comes out is only as good as what goes in and the gear has nothing to do with what goes into it. That’s where it starts.
@@TheSteveFreeman Welcome to the wonderful world of Internet I guess haha but more seriously, I get your point in the video but sometime your speech might have been a little bit ambiguous and as you know some people never miss an occasion to leave bashing comments when they can ...
@@nasserinho4145 that’s the truth, everyone is trying to read into the video what they want when I’m reality the video is simply showing the gear that was used on a project that won 5 Grammys and how much it costs.
@@TheSteveFreeman❤ THIS video was displayed in the right context for just how you stated your title. I was very interested in the best comparative overall goals for knowing WHAT TOP ARTIST who won Grammy awards used for their production purposes. As a starter, I see how a best overall investment budget for the closest approximated quality & sound potential is a great idea. One can always add or subtract, but it's nice to have the equipment that spans several categories, gives you ultimate quality and is comprised of a basic five piece system inclusive of a MAC PRO COMPUTER. Thanks❤.
In fact you need even less. Skrillex produced Benny Benassi - Cinema Remix which won a Grammy Award on a used MacBook Pro and broken KRK's Rokit 5's in abandoned LA Warehouse that still had some electricity running it while being homeless.
just because someone famous uses it doesn't mean it's good. in some cases, that kind of "advertising" a company will use just guarantees that they'll put less effort in because they know they'll get kids that want to be just like they're favorite artist buying their overpriced gear. not all the time, but just food for thought.
Aidan Swift I agree, but in the case of the gear I chose to cover, it’s top notch gear no matter who uses it or doesn’t. Gear is such a personal preference! I’ve never endorsed any product I don’t like and/or use regularly on record of any size, from major label platinum records to indie records.
The Yamaha monitor you mentioned is 400 per unit, wouldn’t one need 2? What about the sub woofer, might that be a nice addition to capturing the bass frequencies accurately? Please advise! Thank you!
Just use what u got. Talent will win overall. A free daw (garage band or cakewalk)and ur phones voice notes app can make a hit song if u have talent. I'm not trying to get hostile, I just don't think this point was emphasized. Not everyone can afford that.
@@nutellaontoast4281 I don’t want to do the thinking for people who can’t think for themselves and have no common sense. I also don’t see the issue with even beginners using industry standard and respected gear. It’s not my problem if they can’t afford it. Work hard, sacrifice, get good at your craft and earn it, the same way myself and other producers that have achieved success have.
@@TheSteveFreeman man im not trying to be hostile or anything, respect for trying to help people find the right gear, but one issue is that u say "throw everything else away" and stuff like that. Music gear is specific for people. What if u want to record acoustic guitar, the sm7b would be a horrible choice for that. You need to be more suggestive and give alternatives, and if not that, explain the market/demographic you are trying to reach. Also, if this is also open for beginners, it's a big budget for a hobby. And they are exactly that, beginners! They can't do all the thinking cuz they don't know what to think, they have come here for guidance and advice. This video also implys that this is what you need for Grammy's. Good video from the right place, Id just reccomend a quick disclaimer.
Why “fix it in post” when you can track it right to begin with? People get into the UA system specifically for UAD and mostly due to the capability of have info console like tracking with being able to monitor with or record with added UAD plug-Ins
I would make sure you get an i7 processor with 32g of ram and use either an external or internal SSD for your working drive. These specs are more than most of the manufacturers call for, but you want to over buy when it comes to computers for studios
I see you got the focal alpha 65 or 80 behind you. The alpha 65 cost around 500$ and I'm most likely going for them next week, replacing my old mackies (both with almost blown up drives due to being heavily exploited through the years). Even thinking about the alpha 80 because my room is like 25 sq ft, so what would be your suggestion? And what is your opinion on the focals so far?
Great advice! Just in time for my new revamp of my home studio with some older gear. This is definitely the route I'll take thanks @SteveFreeman. Also, quick question - in your experience with the Sure SM7B is the use of a Cloudlifter (or similar product) necessary or better to have?
NO, if you are using any mic pre at all, a cloud lifter is not needed! Don't waste your money :) Thanks for watching and leaving your comment and question!
You can use Apollo interfaces with any DAW, my point is that there is no additional charge for Luna, which means it's free. You are paying for the interface, not the DAW
Huge thanks, i've been looking for a video like this for an hour, because everybody elses video only talks about, organization, lights, acustics treatment(which they are also important) but nothing about production gear that really matters. Thanks a lot. I left a thumbs up :)
@@emyhR same here, i mean i like how my focusrite scarlet sounds, but i know it can sound better for example, ignoringtechniques,m cables and everything else
What do you reckon is the best interface when wanting to record drums, say 10 channels? Been looking at studiolive 16.0.2, have really found an equivalent at that price range.
I use 2 UA Apollo 16x’s daisy chained in my main tracking studio. But 1 UA 16x would be great for 8-10 tracks of drums and then channels left over for other instruments. Antelope also makes some really great multichannel interfaces that would be great for drums with onboard dsp and mic pres. also, TASCAM makes a killer analog style desk, 16 channel, the mic ores sound good and can be used as a DAW controller, price is very reasonable!
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
I started producing band driven artists back in 2003 with what was out at that time. I had what most project studios had...a Digi 002 running PT native, a power mac, an 8 channel ADAT connected preamp unit for extra inputs, Mackie 8 inch monitors, a large diaphragm condenser for vocals and drum mic package. I think I spent 7,000 on that first set up with some extra Waves plug-ins. I ended up engineering tracks that made it on the radio with that set-up. I think what Steve is saying here is that for a basic but effective set-up this is what he is recommending from what is available and what is the best value at its price point. I agree on the sm7b...that mic is incredibly versatile, from screaming to whisper light females. You just have to have enough preamp gain to run it. I've owned the 8 inch Yamahas with a sub and the 5 inch versions before...in my opinion they are very harsh and will punish your ears on long sessions. At their price point not much else is better, as they are somewhat true in the low end due to a closed cabinet design with no ports, but I would recommend spending a little more for something that's more listenable yet still flat. The Apollo I want to try, as I'm planning a set-up for electronic pop production that is separate from my current PT rig. If I don't love the UA daw platform they include, I can always go into PT. The Komplete 12 package is a lot of dough, but I think his point is that it's the most bang for your buck if you are doing all electronic production with a vocal, and it will be something I will look at. In reality, I do believe there are many pros who are using the set-up he describing even with some of the components switched for others around the same price point. And yes, if it's for bigger artists, they are probably not doing final mixes and masters on it, but for the rest of the world releasing indie music on youtube, it's more than a competent solution.
And you get it! My video was not fit beginners or the gear they should get. This video was simply about a small pro set up that professionals are using like on the projects I mentioned. I agree 100% on the Yamaha monitors, I’ve never been a fan and never used them. I’m a Focal guys. I certainly remember the 002 days, my first Pro Tools rig was the 001 with pcie card!
There is a big misunderstanding with this video that I am recommending this stuff for beginners, I’m not, but as every producer grows and becomes more successful, we upgrade our tools, the overall point of this video is that I have spent millions of dollars over the last 25 years on my gear and multiple studios in several states, it’s amazing to me that where we are with technology, a small home studio can produce amazing results with just $3,400. People have a hard time with me saying “just”, but when you do this professionally, there are expectations from clients. They want to use high end gear, if that weren’t the case, the gear manufacturers would only make cheaper gear. $3,400 to a professional is nothing as far as costs for a complete small home setup. I have mics that cost 5 times that and they sit in a closet. It all depends on what level you are playing the game.
@@TheSteveFreeman Absolutely. A lot of studios and producers that have higher end gear are servicing a certain client level or are simply offering those pieces to demand a higher hourly rate for studio rental. To me, at least in the old days, the biggest difference was the converters a high end studio would have running PT HD both ways through a neve or ssl compared to what you could do in the box at 44.1khz...the differences today, minus having an analog desk for summing purposes, are negligible. Of course it's nice to have real hardware instead of emulations as well, but that gap has closed too. As it's been said, many times it's not the gear you have but how you use it...and as both of us know...how good the song and the performance is. It's really always about that in the end in my opinion no matter what system, gear, or process someone is working with.
@@ustulo3488 well, I think the smartest thing is to run in a hybrid mode. Some analog gear and analog synths and then processing all in the box. As far as mastering I think it's a completely different topic and the sky is the limit. But for the hybrid studio you would have to spend more than what this video recommends.
i know im asking randomly but does any of you know a way to log back into an Instagram account?
I somehow forgot the account password. I would love any tips you can give me.
@Malachi Azariah Instablaster :)
You don’t have to have $3400 to make platinum hits.
Beacon, Hill I didn’t say you did.
He's just saying that this stuff will help you get professional (ready for release) quality
Good song really matters. Not the gear
@@angelorozul241 everything starts with a great song for sure. From there you'll want to be able to use gear and craftsmanship that will make the song stand through the ages of time.
He is saying for those are starting out…
I've just swapped my Neve desk for an apollo interface.... can't wait for the Grammy's to come rolling in. ;)
For real 😂😂😂
Triggered one 😂
If that’s the overall meaning you got out of the video, you’re an idiot incapable of common sense.
@@TheSteveFreeman looks like the one lacking common sense is the guy who missed the wink emoji on that comment there, got baited, and chose to take an overly aggressive stance
@@STEViEZHUU truth, I did not see the winky face! Lol
Can't buy the talent to use it....
perfectly stated!
The reason why pop music is garbage; it IS often purchased!
actually Waves has a new Talent plugin... jk
People swear it’s talent. It’s not it’s dedication.
@@nirobispruill908 its both
My band (no names will be dropped) had a $200k budget for our last record. We used millions in analog gear and every penny plus some of our budget. Nearly every album review mag stated that the sounds and samples we used were dated and sounded cheap, haha. It was all actually played real gear!! Everything we did with plugins only on a quarter of the budget had much more commercial success, comparatively. Ill never make that mistake again. Ever.
Shows you just how much the "Pro's" know! Great story man, please give me the name of the band, I would love to go take a listen!
Steve Freeman If I was to make up a “pro” story, it certainly wouldn’t be about how my band lost a major label deal by wasting a bunch of cash on a record, just to have had more success on previous records on a quarter of the budget, haha. Nothing to prove here. Just my experience I felt like sharing. Was more or less agreeing with you anyhow.
Unless I completely miss read that and you really were saying that was a good read and that the “pros” had us spend a bunch on a record. In which case, I still have to take the blame, as I wanted to do it the old school way and with the current style, it just didn’t sonically translate. So, it was actually my fault, haha. It was a fun ride, though! Just don’t want to share the band, out of respect for everyone involved. Not a tiny band. Your vid is 100% on point, though.
B C E lol, that’s exactly what I meant! The “pro’s” at the labels thinking you have to spend all that money to get quality!
@@bce3210 I had a similar thing happen with my band back in the early 2000s. Had Jimmy Iovine working with us, we went with a celebrated engineer trying to become a producer. We went super old school, authentic everything, raw, etc. And we just didn't sound "new" enough. Sonically our new music sounded old.
Micheal Jackson used a Shure SM7 on Thriller, not the Shure SM7B. Just clarifying🙏
True
is that even true?
@@JeyfahAswani True indeed👍
Oh shit. Am getting one for myself
@@JeyfahAswani Remember... That was the mic he used; but it's important to also know the chain that was used in that setup with that mic🙏
Don’t hate on this guy, he is doing his job, he is getting paid to do this. Don’t throw away your interface.
TJ HUMPHREY SHOW I make my money from the hit songs I’ve written, my publishing deal, the records I produce, and the points on the platinum records I’ve produced in the past. I don’t do sponsored videos and could care less about TH-cam ad revenue.
Steve Freeman I respect your point of view, from your reaction video I get where you coming from , most platinum artist are used to seeing certain things, it’s more mental, people associate quality with price. 💯
Back in the day, I used to have friends who made the most incredible music out of their closet with an ASR-10 and a bunch of Radio Shack mixer and cheap mic. I would be blown away asking what they used until i actually went to their house and saw the closet for myself. This 3400.00 studio would be an upgrade for them and can just imagine what they would produce with it.
I’ve used the Apollo and I didn’t like it compared to my SSL 2.
Let's be real, none of those artists songs were mixed or mastered in 3,400 dollar studio
This video wasn't about the mixing and mastering process, it was about the tools used to create the songs. You also have to realize, of it isn't good going in, it won't be good coming out.
@@TheSteveFreeman Yea, true. It's a good list and i couldn't argue with any of the selections, appreciate you putting it together. To your point though, shit in = shit out. Maybe some acoustic insulation would be a good addition to a list like this. Bump the budget up to 3,500 😂
@@jonathanbolger6173 Agreed... need to treat your room, makes a huge diff in the sound in and the playback quality. DYI Owens Corning, cover them, radical transformation
@@TheSteveFreeman with this set-up you could mix a song with just a good pair of headphones, don't you think? (provided, of course, that the material you're working with is good enough)
Motu makes great affordable interfaces with really good converters... but if you are in an untreated room with yamaha monitors youwould be lucky to hear any difference between different converters or preamps.
Don’t get me wrong. This is all fantastic equipment and as someone who has been doing audio engineering and music production for almost 20 years and music merchandise in retail I’d say you’re spot on with your choices and reason for picking them. But, there are still a lot of things missing. First off cables and stands. Anyone can tell you even just decent cables cost a fair amount and none of that equipment comes with the necessary audio cabling to hook everything up. You’ll also need something to put those monitors on to isolate them. Otherwise you’re going to get inaccurate mixes. A decent set of headphones are needed for vocal takes as well. Lastly room treatment. It doesn’t matter how good the equipment is if your room is lying to you. It doesn’t take much but it’ll go a long way to helping you get accurate mixes and better sounding vocal takes. All in all still a great video and a great choice of gear. Honestly it’s a lot of the same gear I recommend to my customers who wanted to build a high end home studio, and I’ve definitely sold my fair share of SM7B’s with the “It’s the mic Michael Jackson used on Thriller” mention.
As far as the room treatment, I agree with you and so does the thousands and thousands of dollars it cost me to properly have my 3 studios dialed in, I think it's an area where people can get lost and confused and more and more producers are going to mixing and mastering with headphones over more traditional treated rooms and monitors. Most of today's music is mixed and mastered so far below actual quality levels so that it sounds good on a set of Beats or apple airpods. I can't tell you the number of times I'll finish a project, turn it in to the label and they want revisions because it doesn't sound the way they want it to sound in their fucking earbuds. Sounds amazing on my $50,000 worth of monitors, sounds great in the car, but sounds "too compressed" on earbuds, so i have to go in an remove all the dynamics that make a record a record to please the low bar for quality of the current consumer! Sad days! LOL!
Oh my god, the amount of people that have come to me asking if they could just use their beats to record. It makes my skin crawl. 😂. Totally agree though. Unfortunately we have to mix for the platforms people are using.
Thank...that's the truth ...just like the inferior things China produce that makes original things not getting in turn again...and because of these social media thing everyone is now a mix master engineer ...the world is looking crap now,now because of the new mislead generation who dont learn basic and get lost in it over time...ask him if he had won a Grammy before talking on marketing strategy to get more views on Facebook.....The truth is that an ssl console cant sound same as the latest crap interface...talent is enhance my money and what you have access to in an environment...I live in Africa now I am a mix and master engineer studied abroad .. spending minimum of 50 thousand dollar on my home studio ...with a carefully selection of advance audio fidelity as a type. ..I cant be in a class with a low quality engineer. ..talent with equipment is the ultimate. ..today I could have been a successful footballer, but I was born in a part in Nigeria where my potential as a child wasnt exposed to the world because of lack of good money...just imagine me playing football at 7 with a standard where people saw me as a genius ..now today I an doing music cause I lost the the chance of money to push myself or parent that can help me ..money makes you move fast with standard that's the truth.
Exactly!!! Balanced cables are VERY important, otherwise you have buzzes, and noise on everything, and not know where it´s coming from. Room treatment, or at least the Sonarworks program to calibrate your monitors and headphones is also very important. 2 or 3 decent mic stands will do it for a 1-2 man production studio.
What "tons" of instruments does luna come with? You have to buy them separately and they're freakishly expensive.....
I also, i doubt VERY much, that anyone watching this video would own focals or barefoot.
I will also argue that most people don't have rooms that justify having 8" monitors.
Nobody seems to point this out... 8inch monitor as an absolute reference is just bullocks... The thing I learned by purchasing my dream monitors a few years ago (cms65) and now have add a sub to them... The size is so important to match the room... Hs8 are the worst of this line and every top engineer (who have use this line) now that the 7 inch are the more balanced of them all and so the most bang for the buck!
That is misleading.
As soon as I used the Arrow, I was all in on the UA ecosystem. Then I got the x8 for my main studio, and then got the Twin X for my testing rig, and it is pretty much my perfect interface. Two great preamps. Processing. And expansion if you want.
Apollos are great. Anyways whats your take on Audient Interfaces?
This video is deceitful and nobody is pointing out that you need talent and skills to make platinum music not just a home studio and also you don't have to have a 3400 dollar setup to make Platinum records, there are way more budget friendly Setups that ppl can get just as good a sound out of! This is the reality of ppl that were never broke in there life lol, He said its only 3400 dollars multiple times like its pocket change and that is wack the average teen or young adult getting into music production dont have that kind of money!! With skills you can Make PLATINUM records on a way more budget friendly setup than this. I know yall are prolly friends and im not trying to be mean its just deceitful when ppl do this, YOUR TH-cam PAGE IS WAY MORE HONEST THAN THIS AND THANKS FOR THAT I"VE LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU BRO!
@@BrijeshSarin audient is perfect friend this is half truth an whole lie
@@jaymusik1235 didn't quite get you... 😅
@@BrijeshSarin what I mean I use audient to produce commercial tracks that goes on tour and compete very well with other mix coming out of apollo interface as a matter of fact the audient preamp is better than uad preamp
The thing that save the uad preamp is the mic unison which is great for what they do. The shark processor is great for processing too
But the audient is powerful real powerful transparent sound n clean that I can color with vst or outboard gear but mainly vst n get the job done real good
Clickbait apollo commercial
and....
Hey after I bought the *one* Yamaha HS8 for $400, my mixes have been sounding worse.
Plz help
At the time I made this video almost a year ago, Sweetwater was running a special for the pair for $399.98
Great video, but you obviously don’t need all of this. I will say, this is the ideal set up for all-in-one solo jobs for sure. I have an Apollo twin x duo, but I also have an MTrack 2x2 which is MUCH cheaper. I track with both because the Apollo Twin is great for Mac but won’t work correctly on my PC. You don’t need an Apollo. You can just use selection based processing in Logic, or “apply fx to item” in any other DAW. There are ways around using the exact items listed, if you don’t have the money. So don’t get discouraged my friends. I think I’ll make a $100 set up to compare against this set up and see who does it better! Trust me, this $3400 set up will NOT run circles around a $100 set up. Stay tuned 🙂
Appreciate the tips. Aren't you forgetting the DAW? Headphones? Mic stands/screens? Mixer? I've heard good things already about the Twin X duo, but never about the Complete Ultimate 12. I've been looking to upgrade from my MOXF, so will definitely check this out!
Dude I have a 5.1 Mac pro and its from 2010 with no problems with plug-ins. Also use a motu 828es and love it. Without a treated room kiss it all goodbye. Oh ya and also talent. Your miss leading new folks
The truth Shall not be hidden! Silva this video had nothing to do with all the gear you need for a proper home studio or how to build a home studio, it simply was showcasing the gear used on the projects incited in the video. Glad you love the gear you have.
To those who don't have 3400$, here's a 1000$ alternative. Audient iD4 200$, Kali Audio LP6 300$, Audio Technica AT4040 mic 200$, Audio Technica M50x Headphones 100$, Native Instruments A49 keyboard 220$ (comes with essential Komplete software which you can upgrade at a discount later when you have more money). You can buy most of them used - especially monitors, mics and keyboard. They depreciate quick and don't be cheap on the interface - which is already budget - there could be sth wrong with it and you wouldn't know. Buy used if you can always. And get the highest CPU you can afford.
let me add that you dont need to buy all at once, you can get the interface, headphones, and mic, as a start and then get the monitors and keyboard after, and the keyboard when you are well set financially
@@dulla8469 Yeahhh. I only have a laptop for the first two years before I bought all of it. Took me 4 years to buy all of it. You don't need any of this to make Grammy winning music tbh. There's plenty of unknown grammy winners who made music on decade old equipments.
@@StephenOrion i started recording with a macbook and a guitar hero mic, and used my guitar amp as a speaker... with two or three socks as pop filters, it was hella fun though
Very true! I don’t believe you have to have this specific gear to be successful or win Grammy’s and didn’t say that you did, I was highlighting the specific gear that was used in the projects I mentioned
@@TheSteveFreeman You did a good job, man. Hope to see an alternative video that goes absolute budget. And also wish more music youtubers do specific PC building or buying stuff (with benchmarks, real world performance, from low to unlimited budget, Linus Tech style). This is just what i would value to see on youtube.
I used the focusrite interface and then switched to the apollo twin soon after I love it the loudest and clearness made me fall in love I feel like the focusrite doesn’t compare to apollo as far as the loudness and pre amps
Great to hear!
hah! focusrite has some of the best pres in the biz!
most, if not all of these companies that make consumer grade products will also have professional grade gear. maybe not behringer, but focusrite most certainly!
@@eman0828 u seen the new red 8pre?? 😯😯😯
Eman 08 yea don’t get me wrong focusrite is a great interface but me personally I have better mixes with the Apollo
I think it’s worth mentioning, if you send your tracks out for mixing and mastering , you can cut back significantly on all this. No need for tons of plug ins or super great monitors . A clean signal with proper gain staging and real talent, and u can make excellent records. That being said, this is thorough content so thank u. And if u can afford this set up it’s professional grade quality for sure.
Tim Aka TAllent agree 100%. I do not believe any artist should be mixing and mastering their own work, especially when you want your music to compete in the marketplace. I’m not at all saying that it’s not possible to do it well, I’m saying that when you bring in a great mixing and mastering engineer, they bring their stamp, expertise and talent to each song and when you use the right ones, it elevates the product and takes it to a new level. I never mix or master the projects I produced, the same reason I don’t fix plumbing problems at my house, I’m not a plumber. I could probably fix it, but I wouldn’t do near as good of a job!
@@TheSteveFreeman lol! perfect analogy and a thorough response, thank you for further convincing me , and saving me and many others a ton of time, while also encouraging us!
Tim Aka TAllent thanks for taking the time to watch and engage brother!!!
Steve Freeman very welcome !
Eman 08 great point!! Acoustic treatment is critical, a vital part of your recording signal to get that clean audio to then be mixed
this is a UAD commercial lol
I would like to recommend one overlooked factor of saving even more money while achieving a professional sound, Microphone Modification.
plot twist: You can get all this for $2000,99 on Ebay😉
Also, you'll need that extra grand to pay for the ONE thing he did not mention.......a LAPTOP. All this equipment is useless without one....duh.
Also, you'll need a pair of headphones. Also necessary. I think that $3400 target is pretty doable overall.
I was thinking the same thing
Totally can, and it’ll be hella not working correctly 🥺 yaaaauye bay
@@chinmeysway 80% of my gear has been purchased from e-bay. 100% of that gear worked perfectly with absolutely no issues. Find the sellers with lots of sales under their belt and a 100% positive rating and you'll be fine. Why spend full price for something when you can buy it lightly used at a 30-50%+ discount? I've probably saved about $40k this way.
@@damelos4039 He did mention it.
This is extremely useful! although I'd also add a powerful computer, which I think is crucial in terms of not ruining your workflow.The Apollo interface can help you with the processing of UAD plugins but what about the rest of the plugins?. Totally agreed on omnisphere, you can get absolutely any synth sound you can imagine. Extremely powerful (and CPU hungry)
The Presonus eris xt8 and Yamaha NS speakers are so similar, what the difference....The Crossover points...that's it. An interpretation! Go listen and choose...If your local store doesn't have Presonus line of monitors set up ask why, then demand it!
is the e5xt good for mixing?
This is a UA Commercial lol
My Mbox pro works fine with Slate Digital and Waves plungins running
Low if it works for you that’s all that matters
I know this is an old video but BOY!!!! I’m so glad I watched it… I’m a new producer starting out and learning but I’m already a DJ and very musically minded apart from that… I was recently starting to think, am I crazy for thinking I want to create my own music from scratch while everyone else is dragging and dropping loops… thank you for pushing aside my fears!
You forgot to mention sound treatment Steve! That's a very important element in any studio. You can have crap monitors and make them sound great with the right room treatment.
Chris Answeeney I didn’t forget, this video was not about mixing and mastering, just the creation tools. I understand the importance of room treatment, but I can also say that I’ve produced 5 platinum selling records in rooms that had absolutely none. If you are mixing and mastering final product, then absolutely, proper room treatment mid essential.
Steve Freeman good point !
Steve Freeman drop me a link, I’d like to take a listen. 🙂
I went with the Presonus 32S, and bought the upgrade to Studio One Pro, which because they just came out with version 5, I got the upgrade for free, as well as I spend 14 bucks a month on their Sphere package which it comes with tons of loops, synths, plugins, cloud storage and the ability to backup everything to the cloud as well as collaborate. Though my setup was a bit more than $3,500 because I wanted to have a control interface instead of making adjustments with a mouse. I am incredibly happy, and after upgrading to the Adam A7x's I am pretty set for a while. I did build a ridiculous PC for my studio so I would never worry about the machine being taxed.
Love your list but you need to make a correction. The Yamaha HS8 monitors are $400 dollars each. So that's $800 dollars for the pair of monitors, so $3,800 Grammy winning studio. Then of course the XLR to 1/4" cables are about a hundred bucks for the pair (at least for Morgami Gold which I think is a good investment since they are easy to repair if needed). So $4,000 (roughly) Grammy winning studio. Still good though. You pretty much listed everything I'm looking into investing in for my home studio upgrade. The SM7B is spot on, I have a Rode NT1A which I have no complaints and a couple SM57s and an SM58 but my next mic is definitely an SM7B. I currently use the old PreSonus Audiobox 44VSL 4 channel interface. Again love it no complaints, but the Apollo would help with latency issues due to its internal processing and the plugins are clutch, preamps are great UA is awesome in general. Good upgrade from the 44VSL and if I need more channels in the future I still have the PreSonus. Too bad I run PC so no LUNA for me, I already use Cubase which is what I need for my niche anyway. I'm getting the S88 controller due to the instrument libraries I have. The full range will be easier to use key switches etc. not to mention the hammer weighted keys are great! (been using the Axiom Air 32 Mini for a few years, ouch!) But yeah good list, maybe a cheaper alternative to the Yamaha monitors are the KRK Rokit G4 8s they are like $300 each so you'll save $200 on the pair and they have the digital EQ meter on the back now. IDK I'm torn between the Yamahas and the KRKs. I use AKG k240 and k92 headphones which are great. Yeah I know you can do every thing with headphones. But monitors are a nice break from wearing headphones for several hours. Which is why I'm deciding to add monitors to my studio. I'm interested in the Komplete 13 Ultimate coming out next month (October 2020), the new choir library is pretty cool! The Stradivari strings sound pretty nice too. Two words when it comes to virtual instruments if you don't have extra cash, Spitfire LABS (just google it). Oh also Spitfire BBCO Discovery (just google it too). But anyways I've droned on long enough. Good video!
What's wrong with focusrite? I've had massive projects running with no cpu/memory issues. Got an old computer too.
He's not sponsored by them
Focusrite offers no onboard dsp processing for plugins and the AD/DA in focusrite interfaces can't come close to competing with the conversion from Apogee, Universal Audio or Lynx. I'm not saying you can't get a great recording or sound from them, but they are consumer grade at the level they offer most of their interfaces.
and wouldn't want to be
Steve, i've done some converter comparisons. for today's gear it's so subtle i won't let it waste my time anymore. for any of you that are able to do comparisons please do them and see for yourself. digital converters have some a long way in 30 years.
Just a note in 2022 - Most current gen computers and especially M1 macs will blow the apollo twin out of the water as far as processing power goes. You need to spend 1000's on UAD to have a decent amount of dsp. You're better off looking at something like an Audient for example, and leave the heavy lifting to your computer. Then Spend what you save on the Room treatment that Steve left out of the budget.
Crazy cuz you just described my exact home studio ! Couldn’t agree more with all of your recommendations. Apollo into the shure with the HS8’s can accomplish just about anything! I will say my only gripe with the video is the whole bit about sample / loop users aren’t producers etc, I’m a multi instrumentalist but still use loops from time to time. It’s about what you do with the sounds, not how you got them! Great video nonetheless. Cheers
My guy ain’t playing
Failed to mention Billie and Finneas pay $1000+ per mix to have someone mix it in a professional studio
Didn’t fail to mention anything, this video was not about mixing and mastering, it’s about the creation tools! You can only mix and master tracks that exist….
@@TheSteveFreeman at 12:40 you make it seem like finneas mixed it on the hs8’s which to someone who doesn’t actually know they would believe that. But for creation, yes this video is very accurate.
@@Francisco-dr4yi I didn’t “make it seam like” anything. Those are the monitors he has in his home studio. I didn’t talk about mixing and mastering, neither which he does. This video was about creation tools, not mixing and mastering. Anyone taking themselves seriously is having their product mixed and mastered by a professional mixing and/or mastering engineer.
Recommending Shure SM7B over SM58 as starting studio mic without propper chain is like recommending to use BMW M3 over a tractor on a field. The whole video is like this.
Right now I picture Billie Eilish high af with her eyes half closed staring at her Grammys.
In the....firsthand smoke?
@@isaacdynys6518 No from the second hand smoke from Snoopp Dogg and Martha Stewart who is good friends with Snoop. Allegedly.
@@___David___Savian Specific
If I were to pair a sm7b with the Apollo twin would I need a cloud lifter?
I didn't love the sound of the sm7b previously- but I am willing to give it another go with a different set up.
No, I travel with 2 Apollo Twin X quads and have no issues driving the SM7b. The unison pre's on in the Apollo have plenty of gain. No cloudlifter needed
Hey bro! Great video! I have some of this gear but also have acquired some others. Keep up the great work bro!
where are these Yamaha 8inch monitors for 400 a pair? The HS8 are about 400 each. Is he talking about another powered monitor by Yamaha?
At the time I made this video, Sweetwater was running a sale for the pair
I like the clarity of Antelope Audio personally. Just my preference. But UAD is good as well. But the yammies are more than $400.00 for the pair bro!!!
BLACK REIGN MUSIK at the time of this video Sweetwater was running a special for $399.98 for the pair...
@@TheSteveFreeman Ok thanks, didn't hear the part about any special.
What about the Kali Audio LP-8s as a monitor choice, considering the built-in attenuation and it being 400 for the pair wouldn’t that be a better deal? Also, they’re front ported which means they’re a little more flexible with placement.
I've never used them, but I've heard great things. I may get them to send me a pair and we'll check them out and I'll report back. A friend of mine has a pair he uses in his studio and he swears by them.
I'm still recording through a Reason Balance interface. Old school , I know. Would my recordings really improve with the Apollo twin? Not sure if it makes that much a difference
de de if it’s working for you and you are happy with the results, then there’s no reason to change.
@@TheSteveFreeman Thanks for the reply :)
It's working but I wonder. Is there a huge difference in recording quality between the Apollo and cheaper interfaces. Cleaner sounds, more detail? Or is it more the software that comes with it that makes the difference?
@@dede-sm7sl REgardless of what other people on this thread will tell you, YES, there is a huge difference in the quality. Higher-end interfaces have way better converters, AD/DA and in the case of the Apollo, it offers DSP, Unison pre's and available plugins, that in my opinion, are industry-leading and more natural sounding as it relates to analog gear that I'm used to working with. That is not to say that can't achieve GREAT results with lower end interfaces. I have a friend of mine that has produced 3 platinum-selling records this year using Focusrite Scarlette interfaces. They aren't my fav, but to each his own. The end result is all that matters.
I got a budget but can figure out what to buy first how much they pay ya
great suggestions. Ive got two apollos (blackface 8 and Apollo x16). HOWEVER this gear isn't necessary.
perfect video man my home studio Universal Audio Apollo , Monitors: Focal Alpha 80 Evo, Mic AKG P220,Headphones AKG K712 PRO,Midi Keyboards Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2 & maschine MK3,DAW FL STUDIO & Cubase 12
I have a pair of the Alpha 80’s, LOVE THEM!!!!
@@TheSteveFreeman It is fantastic
The only time a TH-cam ad brought me to a great channel
LOL, great to hear that bro and good to have you here!!
Thanks Steve! Love the show!
Everybody hes talking about the best set up for the best price.....of course you can get great results on a focusrite scarlett, jbl speakers, $50 mic.... but ones you want to upgrade your equipment and if you have the money .... this is proberly the best stuff for the price ........ theres plug ins/vst that cost $1000 plus....so .....
I have a MPC X, Kronos X ,went with Presonus Studio One V 5. My S88 on order, I have Keyscape and Omnisphere 2.6. getting into Trailer music. Just bought a few Spitfire VST's. Will get that Shure mic. Checking out that UA interface... thanks
I some what agree with the interface. I have that and the Antelope sc and honestly the pres amd converters is better just shitty drivers. Great vid
Is the Apollo better Than the arrow?
The converters in the TwinX are better than the Arrow, as is the processing power for UAD plugins, but the Arrow is a great buy for the cost, especially as an entry to the UA ecosphere.
lol DONT THROW AWAY YOUR SOUNDCARD !!!
Excellent information and price point. You are right, Most of what we have now is way over kill. And I’m still learning how to use this hardware. So I’m definitely enjoy how you talking- keep it up.
All that is great but when you buy this Grammy winning setup and write what you think to be some great songs, and you but them out there amongst the billion other folks with there Grammy winning recording setup... when do I win my Grammy!
Hit songwriter and multiplatinum producer spending his time making advertising videos for cheap equipment in his cheap studio (judging by those cheap Focals in the background). Times must be tough man :D
Yeah I only made 3 million last year, times are certainly rough. By the way, this isn't my set up. It's my mobile rig. And I happen to prefer the cheap Focals for that room, which is a C room at my studio in Nashville. If you would like to compare setups and studios and income, I'm ready when you are.
@@TheSteveFreeman yeah, i don't see why not. Just please be patient for a month or two couse im in the final stage of my new studio. Alsow I would like to compare sound if you don't mind... You got me at years income tho ;)
@@d.r.dmedia2481 Let me know when you're ready! LOL. I'd love to hear about your new place though, seriously! Both of my tracking studios in Nashville and LA are outfitted with 2 UA Apollo 16x's for a total of 32 channels and 12 cores of UAD processing. Each studio has 8 API 512'c for drums, 8 Neve 1073's for guitars, bass, vocals. We have a couple API lunchboxes with various 500 series pre's and compressors in case someone wants something specific. Then on the second 16x we have 4 Universal audio 4-710's for analog inputs on those channels. Since they have an 1176 style compressor on each channel, they are great for just about any instrument or vocals. I'm sure someone here will disagree, but that's what I like. For monitoring in both studios we use the Focal Trio11's, matched pair obviously.
Gear is so personal and subjective. I've chosen the gear I love and that sound the way I want my projects to sound. IT is by no means what is right for everyone or the only way or tools to get the job done. There are so many flavors, just like ice cream. At the end of the day, it's about the flavor you want, you like.
Gee I wonder if there's a conflict of interest buried deep in this infomercial?
ADD RADZ so highlighting popular gear that thousands of people use is an infomercial? I no usually hear comments like this from people who can’t afford the gear and chose to troll in the comments.
@@TheSteveFreeman Great professional attitude right there!
@@pedrosilvaproductions thank you
I agree with the stuff you mentioned but I had to go with an interface with more channels due to close mic'ing drums and room mics. I'm lucky enough to have a basement room instead of a bedroom. I love the SM7B it's my go to for just about all vocals that I record. I have an older version of Komplete Ultimate and the original Omnisphere. I still use them both for almost everything I do. What's your thoughts on the KRK Rocket 8's? I've been using them for years and I'm used to the way they sound. Now all I need to do is record a Grammy winning song I guess lol
Tell all the producers who are getting paid placements to stop using Splice... why would they? I have all this that you’ve recommended and I use splice too, sometimes you just want a riser that you don’t feel like programming.
Awesome! Thanks for the direction...really cuts to the main point for me of having a home studio.
Interface is good however, we do LIVE stage recordings. Im talking full band playing Live while im recording. Quality we get is dang good, and theres not the need to do one track at a time. The production time is cut way back. Every signal recording at the same time. I use mixcraft pro 9, a digital soundboard as interface and also has internal daw if i choose to use it. We use and EV ND 96 vocal mic that is very good for the price.
I thought i wouldn't be bombarded with commercials once i pay for youtube premium. xD
I have a msi labtop so I do not have a man book pro but I'm saving to get one
Was the SM7B available back when Michael Jackson recorded Thriller? Was it just an SM7?
but then will I have any left in/outs for hardware synths?
Mr. Freeman people are hating on this video. Make another one!
The loudest boo's come from the cheapest seats. I made this almost a year ago and don't really have time to make them anymore, but if I could come up with something that would piss them off more, then it might be worth doing :)
I guess nobody records real drums anymore…
Right? I certainly do...
I was thinking bout that too..
I only use real drums in every record I produce, but believe me, 80% of what’s being released right now is programmed and it’s a shame
Real drums in their natural form they are great. I hate that plastic sound from programing drums or triggers.. they lack of that real human touch
Saint Vulturesoul AMEN!!!
I didn’t realize everything you spoke on until 3 years in the game. Although I haven’t used a shure mic but heard a lot of good things about it,I have this exact set up with a few extra things and a Tlm103. Keep up this valuable info brother,cause u saving someone money in the long run. Cause Ive had many setups until I got a uad interface
I agree with the UAD but there's also the RME interfaces with the TotalMix DSP for the same price, with arguably slightly better converters. I'm really not sure about the SM7b for EVERYTHING too lol. I hear what he's saying though, about technology has advanced and got cheaper to produce industry quality music.
I agree on everything. Except kontakt is basically playing samples. Literally no different from using samples from splice. Yes, loops are produced by others, but as long as you are changing them as much as possible to make them your own, you are not doing anything many big producers aren’t doing. I agree, make your own loops. But if you use Kontakt, you’re literally using samples.
Not like the focusrite clarett .. I see it eat my cpu.. Awesome
I've never been a fan of Focusrite
@@TheSteveFreeman never liked focusrite ever, after someone used a 2i2 or a solo, i don't remember to do a mix for me. I have since moved on
Can't go wrong with Motu or rme They aee renown for making some of the best drivers in the industry because they are developed In-house. Other manufacturers relies on a 3rd party device driver developer and of course Apples Audio core. I had a Scarlett and it was crap shoot. It was always cracking and pooping, some times crashed my computer...
Steve what about the soundproof I have the alcatron is that enough?
Honesty, I’ve cut platinum selling albums in rooms without any, so if you have some, you’re ahead of the game!
What do you think of the antelope zen audio interfaces? I'm debating between the uad twin and that one. Just can't decide!!
I’ve never used it, but have friends that have said some really positive things about them and love using them
good video the only thing I would have included was a budget for consumables because they can get expensive like XLR cables etc
Thanks brother I already have a few mics Neumann, akg & and a few shares & krk monitors Sony cans guess need the apolo & the midi board. 👌
Right on!
Can you make a video about the best rack mount gear? Or even the most pointless rack mount gear.
I can do that!
And you also need billion dollars of talent along with the 3,400$
What have you produced that has made you a platinum producer? I can't find it online anywhere....
Great stuff. Can’t argue with ay of the choices here...since I have most of it already.
and you're not in the Top 40!?! i call shenanigans!
U won a Grammy yet ?
you just had to flex didnt you?
Just waiting for the Grammy like we all do bro
I have a band with Ambien drums in a need at least eight channel interface, what would you
Recommend?
Universal Audio Apollo 8x or 16x, Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt
Side Note....Acustica Audio.....if you already have a full Studio....Upgrade your RAM and get....
Dreamware Bundle and
Mackie FX22.....AT 40s....
Way better Idea...than going UAD
Good info Steve, I think some people are missing the point of your video, no you won’t be a Grammy winner, ( maybe ) but what you have shown, is that with the gear you recommend you are at least,
ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
If you can’t get a song published with the gear you recommended , it ain’t the gear that’s the problem.
ps I use maschine rather than s49
10:48 is priceless! Thank you, I tell people this all the time!
I think what this guy means is that this particular setup is the most optimal in his very own opinion with a balance between quality and expenses. All the gears he talks about are great, nothing to say about it, but the only things which can get you a Grammy are talent and hard work (and btw, winning a Grammy shouldn’t be a goal or an achievement and doesn’t mean that a record is great or not, most of my favorites records never won a Grammy). Once again, the gear he listed is great but it’s all about you, about what you feel comfortable with and about your skills. Also regarding the monitors it is important to mention that your room size matters, most of home studios go with 5inches monitor but of courses you can have 8 if you have a big room or you make bassy music. It’s also important to talk about room acoustic treatment. Anyway I don’t agree with everything he says but there is no need to bash him.
You get it! I don’t understand why people can’t just see the video for what it is, showing the gear that was used on those Grammy winning projects and telling you how much it costs. This video was not about building a home studio, everything you need to build a proper home studio or what it takes to win a Grammy or be successful, just simply showing the gear that was used to win 5 Grammys. What you choose to use is completely up to the individual, no matter the price point and as I’ve said many times what comes out is only as good as what goes in and the gear has nothing to do with what goes into it. That’s where it starts.
@@TheSteveFreeman Welcome to the wonderful world of Internet I guess haha but more seriously, I get your point in the video but sometime your speech might have been a little bit ambiguous and as you know some people never miss an occasion to leave bashing comments when they can ...
@@nasserinho4145 that’s the truth, everyone is trying to read into the video what they want when I’m reality the video is simply showing the gear that was used on a project that won 5 Grammys and how much it costs.
@@TheSteveFreeman❤
THIS video was displayed in the right context for just how you stated your title. I was very interested in the best comparative overall goals for knowing WHAT TOP ARTIST who won Grammy awards used for their production purposes.
As a starter, I see how a best overall investment budget for the closest approximated quality & sound potential is a great idea. One can always add or subtract, but it's nice to have the equipment that spans several categories, gives you ultimate quality and is comprised of a basic five piece system inclusive of a MAC PRO COMPUTER.
Thanks❤.
In fact you need even less. Skrillex produced Benny Benassi - Cinema Remix which won a Grammy Award on a used MacBook Pro and broken KRK's Rokit 5's in abandoned LA Warehouse that still had some electricity running it while being homeless.
just because someone famous uses it doesn't mean it's good. in some cases, that kind of "advertising" a company will use just guarantees that they'll put less effort in because they know they'll get kids that want to be just like they're favorite artist buying their overpriced gear. not all the time, but just food for thought.
Aidan Swift I agree, but in the case of the gear I chose to cover, it’s top notch gear no matter who uses it or doesn’t. Gear is such a personal preference! I’ve never endorsed any product I don’t like and/or use regularly on record of any size, from major label platinum records to indie records.
The Yamaha monitor you mentioned is 400 per unit, wouldn’t one need 2? What about the sub woofer, might that be a nice addition to capturing the bass frequencies accurately? Please advise! Thank you!
At the time of posting this, Sweetwater was running a special on the pair…I would absolutely get a sub if it’s in your budget
@@TheSteveFreeman I will thanks for the advice!!!
You make plenty of good sense man 👍🏼
Thanks man!
Also presonus studio one is way easier on could than pro tools with same exact results with good recording and mixing💯💯👍🏿
True if you are doing everything in house in your own studio, but Pro Tools is the industry standard. I' am excited about LUNA though!
Just use what u got. Talent will win overall. A free daw (garage band or cakewalk)and ur phones voice notes app can make a hit song if u have talent. I'm not trying to get hostile, I just don't think this point was emphasized. Not everyone can afford that.
For beginners and those just starting out, I agree completely, by this video is a more pro set up used beyond passion and hobby.
@@TheSteveFreeman I'd reccomend mentioning that in an obvious manner. Would save alot of confusion
@@nutellaontoast4281 I don’t want to do the thinking for people who can’t think for themselves and have no common sense. I also don’t see the issue with even beginners using industry standard and respected gear. It’s not my problem if they can’t afford it. Work hard, sacrifice, get good at your craft and earn it, the same way myself and other producers that have achieved success have.
@@TheSteveFreeman man im not trying to be hostile or anything, respect for trying to help people find the right gear, but one issue is that u say "throw everything else away" and stuff like that. Music gear is specific for people. What if u want to record acoustic guitar, the sm7b would be a horrible choice for that. You need to be more suggestive and give alternatives, and if not that, explain the market/demographic you are trying to reach. Also, if this is also open for beginners, it's a big budget for a hobby. And they are exactly that, beginners! They can't do all the thinking cuz they don't know what to think, they have come here for guidance and advice. This video also implys that this is what you need for Grammy's. Good video from the right place, Id just reccomend a quick disclaimer.
Why do you need to run plugins during tracking? Process later. Give the vocal a bit of reverb and voila. A decent computer should be able to take it
Why “fix it in post” when you can track it right to begin with? People get into the UA system specifically for UAD and mostly due to the capability of have info console like tracking with being able to monitor with or record with added UAD plug-Ins
Hey Steve how about a recommendation for Computer set up, processing speed. Memory. Storage, etc.
I would make sure you get an i7 processor with 32g of ram and use either an external or internal SSD for your working drive. These specs are more than most of the manufacturers call for, but you want to over buy when it comes to computers for studios
I see you got the focal alpha 65 or 80 behind you. The alpha 65 cost around 500$ and I'm most likely going for them next week, replacing my old mackies (both with almost blown up drives due to being heavily exploited through the years). Even thinking about the alpha 80 because my room is like 25 sq ft, so what would be your suggestion? And what is your opinion on the focals so far?
You'll love the Focal's
Thanks for the tips. I guess best bang for the buck is a good approach.
Great advice! Just in time for my new revamp of my home studio with some older gear. This is definitely the route I'll take thanks @SteveFreeman. Also, quick question - in your experience with the Sure SM7B is the use of a Cloudlifter (or similar product) necessary or better to have?
NO, if you are using any mic pre at all, a cloud lifter is not needed! Don't waste your money :) Thanks for watching and leaving your comment and question!
So I should get rid of my focusrite solo I just got it lol 😭😭😭😭
Luna's not free it's the price of the interface coz it's only available/useable with UAD interface
You can use Apollo interfaces with any DAW, my point is that there is no additional charge for Luna, which means it's free. You are paying for the interface, not the DAW
Huge thanks, i've been looking for a video like this for an hour, because everybody elses video only talks about, organization, lights, acustics treatment(which they are also important) but nothing about production gear that really matters. Thanks a lot. I left a thumbs up :)
I liked the video because everyone else’s was budget studio and I’m looking for best possible quality that’s not insanely priced
@@emyhR same here, i mean i like how my focusrite scarlet sounds, but i know it can sound better for example, ignoringtechniques,m cables and everything else
What do you reckon is the best interface when wanting to record drums, say 10 channels? Been looking at studiolive 16.0.2, have really found an equivalent at that price range.
I use 2 UA Apollo 16x’s daisy chained in my main tracking studio. But 1 UA 16x would be great for 8-10 tracks of drums and then channels left over for other instruments. Antelope also makes some really great multichannel interfaces that would be great for drums with onboard dsp and mic pres. also, TASCAM makes a killer analog style desk, 16 channel, the mic ores sound good and can be used as a DAW controller, price is very reasonable!