Going to start building a hardware studio.

[Zoiberg]

and if you can only afford a behringer, then its still better than the digital EQ in your software.

I wouldn't be too sure about that...

[Ruso]

a cheap and great fx solution is a Korg KAOSS pad 2... it's not very expensive I bought a brand new one at Guitar Center for only $200 bucks after getting through to a manager and letting him know that "my budget is kind of low"... ... the best part about the kaoss pad is that you can also use it as a midi controller touch screen and also record midi from it into a sequencer. This lets you create some kickass variations especially for synths.

[steevio]

and if you can only afford a behringer, then its still better than the digital EQ in your software.

I wouldn't be too sure about that...

on second thoughts your'e right, it was badly worded, there's some excellent software mastering tools out there, i was meaning that an analogue desk in a hardware domain is going be better than routing everything back into ableton and using the EQ in there. sorry.

[Zoiberg]

on second thoughts your'e right, it was badly worded, there's some excellent software mastering tools out there, i was meaning that an analogue desk in a hardware domain is going be better than routing everything back into ableton and using the EQ in there. sorry.

I'm still not sure that Behringer EQ is better than Live EQ8.

IMO the most important hardware in a studio is a great pair of monitors.

[credit_agro]

and if you can only afford a behringer, then its still better than the digital EQ in your software.

I wouldn't be too sure about that...

on second thoughts your'e right, it was badly worded, there's some excellent software mastering tools out there, i was meaning that an analogue desk in a hardware domain is going be better than routing everything back into ableton and using the EQ in there. sorry.

Isn't it protools then that you'd use for this mastering stage. Would it work out better to get a hardware controller and use protools for all equalisation if its eq's are better than say a 800-900 desk which is all id be willing to spend.

Also, Virus C....Keyboard solutions???? As asked above!

[steevio]

on second thoughts your'e right, it was badly worded, there's some excellent software mastering tools out there, i was meaning that an analogue desk in a hardware domain is going be better than routing everything back into ableton and using the EQ in there. sorry.

I'm still not sure that Behringer EQ is better than Live EQ8.

IMO the most important hardware in a studio is a great pair of monitors.

ok let me explain myself better, it's easy to be misunderstood on quickly thrown together posts. in no way would i argue in favour of behringer eq., if you read my post original post again i was saying that i hardly used the eq on the behringer because i didnt like it. what i'm arguing FOR is if you are going to build a hardware studio, its far better to work in the analogue domain altogether and avoid the digital domain especially as far as a mixing desk is concerned. believe me ive tried lots of different set-ups involving total analogue, total digital, and combinations in all sorts of ways, and ive settled on a 95% hardware set-up, and usually only use software for sequencing my hardware, and for final editing if say i make a mistake during a live mix which needs attention, or if the mix needs shortening or something.
the mixing desk is the absolute heart of that set-up, without it i simply couldnt do what i do. heres an example ; i have a sherman filterbank, and i have an auxilliary send from my desk going to the input, and another send going to the ADSR trigger, the sherman is then routed back to the desk on two channels, those two channels also have sends which means the signal can go to reverbs, other filters etc via auxilliary sends, then the output on those channels goes into a subgroup, that subgroup is subsequently sent via an insert to a moogerfooger murf which has outputs back to its own channels on the desk which can be sent via auxilliaries to whatever etc, etc, ad infinitum !!!
so a simple turn of 1 degree of one auxilliary knob on one sound going into the desk, which triggers the filterbank,can send a cascade of signals running round my system, creating highly complex multiple pathways of sounds, effects, filtering etc. in an instant. considering there may be 24 channels of sounds with 8 possible auxilliaries and subsequent re-routings. it gives me an almost infinite range of possibilities at the simple turning of a few knobs, and heres the important thing, it's analogue, so theres a knob for absolutely everything, and you can FEEL it doing what its doing, so you play it like an instrument, its real siganls going down wires, through circuits.
i'm not saying any of this cant be done with a software mixer, of course it can, but you'd have to route all of this complexity, in and out of your soundcard backwards and forwards, believe me you just wouldnt bother, you'd never try half of the things that could be possible, because it would be just too much hassle and you'd have to have a control surface that had a knob for every job if you wanted to be as live and spontaneous. a digital desk is a half way compromise, but you've got to deal with menus.
if you want to play in a live way with hardware, theres just no comparison, give me an analogue desk any day !!!
EQ is much more important in the software domain i reckon, especially with sampled material, which quite often need serious EQing to get rid of unnecessary frequencies and mudiness etc. but we are talking about hardware here, if youre making your own sounds, you make them sound right from the outset. even with my quality desk i have now, i hardly EQ anything, i dont put frequencies in there that need removing, thats just stupid. before i made techno i was a sound engineer, and the first rule of sound engineering is, dont mess with the EQ if you dont have to !!!
with acoustic instruments, you often have to EQ things a little, but why should you with a synthesizer ?? why create a sound that you have to EQ later ?? the sound is much more powerful if it only has the frequencies in there that you want. removing frequencies alters the entire tonal balance of a sound, removing one frequency will make another louder etc.
ok theres no right or wrong way to do anything, i'm just relating my experiences to you, the system i use works, is intuitive, spontaneous, and is basically the way techno was made right from the outset. if youre going to go software thats cool, i'm not dissing software, but if you are building a hardware studio, you need a hardware desk PERIOD !! even a starter desk like a behringer.

of course good monitors are very important in a studio, but your studio is only as good as its weakest link ! remember that. also good monitors are equally as important in a software or hardware studio, so that isnt really relevant to this post.

[steevio]

Isn't it protools then that you'd use for this mastering stage. Would it work out better to get a hardware controller and use protools for all equalisation if its eq's are better than say a 800-900 desk which is all id be willing to spend.

Also, Virus C....Keyboard solutions???? As asked above!

ok mate, read my previous post about hardware desks,

you can use any midi mother-keyboard, they arent expensive, or buy a virus model that has a keyboard !!

[steevio]

i'm sorry guys that last post but one from me sounded all heavy and technical, man its just all about enjoying yourself, and just doing it the way it works for you, theres limitless possibilities and an infinite number ways to do it !