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gear Information Shopping

Mic Stands, Do You Need Them?

Mics are important for any recording you may be doing, now or in the future. But do you have to, by all means and circumstances, have to have a mic stand. Well… yes and no.

A mic stand holds and stabilizes the mic, pretty straight forward. If you can find a way to do this without a stand (which is easier for miking instruments than vocals) then go for it! However, having a mic stand tends to make things a lot easier for recording and more straightforward, and therefore makes life a little more simpler and doesn’t leave room for error regarding placement. For info on placements, check out this Sweetwater article.

According to the article, you can easily mic a guitar or other amped instrument by hanging a mic above it–no stand required!

You may also be interested in constructing your own stand if we’re really talking budget. If so, check out this article for more on that,

Thanks for stopping by as always, should have a new podcast coming up sometime soon. Was planning to have one done by today but weather in Nashville got really nasty last night.

See ya!

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gear Shopping

Amazon Special! Focusrite Solo Bundle

Amazon is currently having a flash sale for the Focusrite Solo 3rd gen audio interface. This interface only houses one input, but that makes it perfect for solo musicians on a budget. For $120, you can get it paired with studio headphones and an xlr cable.

This setup will be perfect for starters, all you’ll need extra is just the mic equipment and you could start recording using the headphones as the output.

For more info on basic studio setups, check this out.

Thanks for stopping by, see ya!

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Information Shopping

Record Players!

I know this may already be a little far off from what I said we would get to, but that’ll be here soon, just asking you to be patient with me!

Today’s topic of discussion is record players, or turntables, or just whatever people want to call them. They play vinyls, or in other words, records, by spinning the record while a needle on an arm goes over the record and retrieves signals from the grooves of the record to play back media.

Audio-Technica turntable

But enough of the science lesson. I wanted to talk about purchasing record players if anyone was interested in getting one, so here’s some tips.

  • Built-in audio is a no-no: built in speakers are the biggest risk you can take with a turntable and I can almost certainly tell you they are never worth said risk. There’s a lot of 6-in-1 players that offer a lot of functionality but don’t seem to do anything really well. You can get really far with a cheap speaker and upgrade as needed if you get a player that doesn’t have the audio built in.
  • Records require a lot of care, and sadly, there are some players that can even damage them. Put a lot of research into the specific model you’re looking for. There was a really neat looking Crosley I found at Walmart last winter, but I read online later from multiple sources that these players can easily damage records! That stuff is expensive, so make sure you have something that takes good care of them.
  • You may have to shop a little bit on the pricey side for a good record player. My current player of choice is the AT-LP60XBT and I’m very impressed by it. I hooked it up to my Presonus Eris speakers and it sounds perfect to my standard.

I know this isn’t necessarily an “on budget” kind of thing, but if you’re interested in supporting artists you love and want something new, (or old, depending on who you ask) a record player may be just the thing for you!

See ya!

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Shopping

Some Advice For Shopping

Considering we’re working to do this all on a budget, here’s some tips for buying audio gear, or even instruments in general.

  • Don’t be afraid to purchase used gear: many stores have a used gear return policy, and for the most part, the music community is pretty honest. If there isn’t a glaring flaw in anything you’re trying to purchase, you should be okay. Also, many stores allow you to try their equipment if applicable, so you can see for yourself if it’ll suit your needs.
  • There’s a line between “good for my wallet” and “good quality”: If you like the price of something that’s great, but do your research to avoid heartbreak or even losing your money depending on the seller.
  • Student discounts: Pro Tools is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to purchase if you’re enrolled in a college program. Like hundreds of dollars kind of cheaper. I would take full advantage to outright buy the perpetual license if you’re serious about the long run of this.
  • Free trials: Plenty of programs have free trials that allow you full access to the program just to see how it works. Since we’ll be using pro tools, see for yourself! All you have to do is make an account on Avid and download the free trial from there. There is also a free, but limited version of the software that you can keep forever!
  • Shop locally: Whether if you’re looking for instruments or audio equipment, business always tends to be booming somewhere nearby. Guitar Center is a great chain for not just guitars, but everything else you’ll need too! However, independent businesses can definitely offer better deals and it always helps to support them, so just be on the lookout.

Well, that’s all for now.

As always, thanks for stopping by. See ya!

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