System

[matty]

I will want sound in 3 rooms, and yes I have Mics, I will want to record both vocals and Instruments.

[bullit]

Hmn bit of a late reply, my suggestion with that kind of budget is to ask a stuio, but not a huge studio.

Artist/Producers that are producing on small scale such as 10" new dub style are running out batches of 500 of so and are needing small to medium size studios and would of set up on budgets similar to yours.
Therefore they would have good advice on what equipment to buy, a question like this would be very good on the bloodandfire forums

[MightyZ]

I would go with the studio suggestion

I would base the whole thing around a really good audio PC www.dolphinmusic.co.uk sell this kind of thing (i'm sure there are similar US sites)

This will act as the base for your recording and will need a soundcard with a breakout box with extra inputs and outputs to record the different sound sources. I recommend Reason as a great piece of music software which will give you oodles of quality virtual instruments, samplers and fx.

Then get a mixer - not a DJ one but a studio style one - how many channels depends on how many instruments you need to record and playback simultaneously.

This will act as a hub for everything - linking your pc, mics and instruments to hi fi separates to your amp and speakers.

Seriously - if you are spending $10000 you should go for a total solution such as this. I produced my album Mighty Dub on this kind of set up - but on a much, much lower budget!

MightyZ
Check out Mighty Dub on www.soundclick.com/themightyzallstars

[leggo rocker]

Good advice except of course I'd suggest a Mac not a PC seeing as you want quality .

They are easy to use, reliable, and will even run Windows (if you must). They hold their value exceptionally well and you'll find plenty of ten year old macs around still working perfectly well.

I used to swear by Windows boxes, until I bought a Mac in year 2000. I've never gone back and doubt I ever will. I still have to use a PC at one of the places I work at. It's like purgatory after using a Mac - it drives me NUTS!

I know MightyZ will HATE me for saying this, but they simply are far better machines hardware wise and have MUCH better operating system. More secure, more user-friendly, and more versatile. And just imagine life without ever having to the fear the dreaded computer virus / spyware etc.

The mac Pro's are incredibly robust in their alloy chassis. My son has a Mac Pro quad that he bought from a guy who had been thrown out of home by his wife for having 'relations' with his secretary. She knew he loved his Mac so she threw it down a flight of stairs at him! Yes! This is 100% true. It still works perfectly of course!


http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop ... a252670800

http://www.apple.com/macpro/performance.html

http://macaudiopro.digitalmedianet.com/

http://www.proaudiosolutions.com/Defaul ... directed=Y

[leggo rocker]

But for listening to Hi-Fi sound, rather than making your own sound, I'd avoid computers altogether and get some good mono-block amps and a hi-end phone pre-amp, a hi-end record deck, some top notch speakers and a good armchair.

[MightyZ]

But for listening to Hi-Fi sound, rather than making your own sound, I'd avoid computers altogether and get some good mono-block amps and a hi-end phone pre-amp, a hi-end record deck, some top notch speakers and a good armchair.

if you notice my suggestion includes 'hi-fi separates' which are linked to the mixer - and do not need to send anything via the pc (or mac as leggo will insist ad infinitum) - the pc is only there to create and record - and thus provides a solution to burn to cd from any source on the system

MightyZ

[leggo rocker]

Yes, I noticed that. But if I were Matty I'd have the studio stuff in one room and then a completely independent and very high end hi-fi in another. You won't want a PC anywhere near this hi-fi ruining the purity and clarity of sound with it's infernal humming fans (or the RF interference from it). Unless of course you've got yourself a Mac Mini which runs totally silently due to the use of heat sinks rather than fans and is easy to hide being only the size of 5 CD cases in a stack! They make very good MP3 machines in a Hi-Fi set up for these reasons.

Sound from the studio set up available in the other room via a multi room link. There are many ways of doing this, both wired and wireless. Although all the wireless sound I've heard lacks delivery in the bass for technical reasons once explained to me but I don't understand / remember.

It would seem he has the budget for such a set up.

If you listen mainly to reggae, then select your hi-fi specifically for reggae. What other hi-fi buffs who don't listen to reggae suggest may not fit your bill at all.