Dear All,

OK - I have to build a business plan for my venture.

Basically, it is mobile recording - all styles.

I wonder if you could help?

I have to price up equipment which I may need - I have access to all of
it already, but, there is nothing wrong with upgrading. So, what do you
reckon would be the 'best' pieces of gear:

(1) Multitrack recorder - which one?
(2) ... or rack-mounted PC setup, with multiple channel audio
interface.
(3) Digital mixer for 1 or 2.
(4) 2 vocal mikes (different, to allow flexibility)
(5) Set of Drumkit mikes.
(6) Guitar cab mike.
(7) Bass cab mike.
(8) Headphones.

Think up to =A35000 ($9400) in total.

Any comments welcome.

Thanks.

JBB
http://members.aol.com/jackbarotbass

JackBarotBass wrote:
Dear All,

OK - I have to build a business plan for my venture.

Basically, it is mobile recording - all styles.

I wonder if you could help?

Well, "all styles" is a very wide range. The kit you want for a classical
gig is very different than the kit you want for a gospel client that demands
64 tracks for no apparent reason.

I have to price up equipment which I may need - I have access to all of
it already, but, there is nothing wrong with upgrading. So, what do you
reckon would be the 'best' pieces of gear:

(1) Multitrack recorder - which one?

Whatever your customers want. If you are in a market where people want
2", you need a pair of 2" decks. If you're in a DA-88 market, you need
a DA-88-class machine. You probably want outboard converters with any of
the digital machines, and you definitely want a backup machine, if not
several backup machines. Clients are not easily placated when machines
fail.

(3) Digital mixer for 1 or 2.

For what? You want a mixer to make submixes or you want a mixer just
for monitoring? Maybe you want two consoles. Are you going to use
the console preamps? And how many tracks do you really need?

(4) 2 vocal mikes (different, to allow flexibility)
(5) Set of Drumkit mikes.
(6) Guitar cab mike.
(7) Bass cab mike.
(8) Headphones.

Where's the splitter? Where are the ambient mikes? For most styles,
you probably are going to want to have as much money in ambient mikes
as in all the other mikes together.

You aren't going to have any real field monitors, just headphones?
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I have considered a very similar venture. Personally, this is exactly what I
would do.

Laptop w/ firewire and extra batteries
Firewire or USB bus-powered audio interface like the 8-channel MOTU
Traveller or 2-channel Edirol UA-5 (which btw has 48v phantom and great
sounding preamps, plus can be modified to sound even better by Doug @
oade.com)

Spend the rest on mics and accessories. For mics, I would totally agree with
Scott about ambient mics. If you want a great selection of highly versatile
mics with great bang/buck ratio, here are some I would suggest

- AT 4060 (You MUST get this mic, it does everything from vocals to kick
drum, plus it's a great ambient mic, consider a stereo pair)...only downside
is bulky power supply
- Oktava MK012 (same as MC012) stereo pair ....again, great mic, great
bang/buck....perfect for drum OH's and stringed instrument or any stereo
application. If you want a slightly "better" sounding version of the same
mic, for about three times as much money get Neumann KN184's....requires 48v
phantom
- Several SM57's and a couple 58's....no mic closet is complete without them
- Good lav mic or two and wireless transmitter. The Tram TR-50 is a great
mic ....Lectrosonics makes the best wireless systems....sennheiser is
probably the best bang/buck....I promise you'll fall in love with wireless
recording. Just make sure you get UHF transmitters
- Maybe a good shotgun mic? The MKH 416 or 50 and 60 are standards in the
field recording industry, used primarly as "boom mics"....I've also heard
good things about the 4041 ....Shure K6P is a great budget choice if you
want ultimate flexibility, they offer interchangeable capsules. Although if
you have the money, the Schoeps CMC6 offers the same incredible flexibility
and it's sound quality can't be beat....with the right capsules, these mics
can do anything with incredible results, from ENG/run 'n' gun to classical
concert halls
- If you don't use or like the 4060 for kick, maybe a D112 for good measure
- Perhaps a PZM boundary mic for lectures?
- Or a parabolic mic for spying on x-girlfriends? =)

Mixer
This kinda depends on what interface you go with and if you need preamps,
and what quality preamps you want. The traveller has 4 inputs with decent
preamps/48v and 4 line ins....you might consider a cheap portable mixer like
the battery powered behringer MXB1002....this will give you 5 more (crappy)
mic pre's if you absolutely need them, plus the ability to do a seperate
2-mix that you can record seperately, or add to the other 6 tracks being
recorded via the Traveller (effectively giving you 6 seperate tracks, plus a
2-mix consisting of up to 10 more tracks....pretty cheap way to get a
16-channel, completely portable recording, eh?)....in fact, now that I think
of it, Alesis makes great USB powered mixers in different configurations.
Check out their MultiMix line, this would probably be better than the
Behringer, but I can't say from experience.
Other high-quality mixers are made by Shure, Sound Devices, Wendt, Cooper,
Sonosax, etc....be prepared to pay $1000-$6000 for these.

Accessories should include the obvious as well as some kind of convenient
stereo mounting system or decca tree if you want to go all out. Will you
need boompoles for ENG-type work or quick on-stage mic'ing, how bout wind
protection, will foam be enough or will you need zeppelins/furries for the
shotgun mics? Also, you should top the whole thing off with a nice flight
case.....I would find a guitar case or other case that's large enough to fit
everything, pull the foam out and make my own custom foam insert. Cheap and
effective. Custom cases can run over $1000 alone.....a pelican or pelican
knockoff might be another way to go.

Good luck!

--

Jonny Durango

"Patrick was a saint. I ain't."

http://www.jdurango.com



"JackBarotBass" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dear All,

OK - I have to build a business plan for my venture.

Basically, it is mobile recording - all styles.

I wonder if you could help?

I have to price up equipment which I may need - I have access to all of
it already, but, there is nothing wrong with upgrading. So, what do you
reckon would be the 'best' pieces of gear:

(1) Multitrack recorder - which one?
(2) ... or rack-mounted PC setup, with multiple channel audio
interface.
(3) Digital mixer for 1 or 2.
(4) 2 vocal mikes (different, to allow flexibility)
(5) Set of Drumkit mikes.
(6) Guitar cab mike.
(7) Bass cab mike.
(8) Headphones.

Think up to £5000 ($9400) in total.

Any comments welcome.

Thanks.

JBB
http://members.aol.com/jackbarotbass

Just remember, you should have doubles of many things. What if you
show up to your gig and your mixer doesn't work or one of your mic
cables is crackling?

For example, I would get a pair of Mackie 1202's and a 1604 rather than
the big 3204. That way you can take a pair of 1202's to a smaller
acoustic gig (one for use and one for backup). Then at a bigger show
bring all three mixers. Submix the drums all into the 1202, put a
compressor over the master out, then submix that into a pair of line
inputs on the 1604. Then you still have the extra 1202 around in case
something craps out on you.

Consider using that cash to buy real estate instead. You'll thank me in
10 years.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

wrote:
Consider using that cash to buy real estate instead. You'll thank me in
10 years.

I dunno, the money that I put into audio junk thirty years ago sure did
better than the money I put into real estate....

Wish I had dropped the $50 on the Fairchild 670, though, but I didn't think
it was worth the money at the time.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On 1 Apr 2005 08:12:44 -0800, wrote:

Consider using that cash to buy real estate instead. You'll thank me in
10 years.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

Yes that does sound like wise advice...

Al