1 Topic by bubble metropolis (edited by bubble metropolis 2012-02-19 00:30:14)

  • From: Seattle, WA
  • Registered: 2012-01-18
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Synth studio setup - newb advice needed

Old skooel house, and electro producers: What do your signal paths look like?

I'm finally adding some vintage hardware synths and drum machines to my all-software setup, but I'm pretty clueless about what interfaces are necessary...especially to achieve an old-school, analog sound. All I have at the moment is a crappy M-audio FastTrack interface. I've got a budget of ~ $2000 to burn on this sort of equipment.

I'd like to be able to use MIDI (via Ableton or Logic) with three hardware synths...or more. So I take I will need a 4x4 usb-MIDI interface? (Not sure if daisy chaining will be an option.)

And then there's the matter of mixing (probably 6ish channels). I am trying to achieve a warm sound, and the software mixers just aren't doing the trick for me. A Mackie Onyx perhaps? Something older?

I take it that if I have each synth playing one track at a time, I can sequence all the notes in Logic, then record them all in real time in the software as just 2-channels. Does that sound right?

Cheers and thanks from a bubbly underwater metropolis.

  • Registered: 2008-07-08
  • Posts: 763

Re: Synth studio setup - newb advice needed

motu ultralite

  • rude66
  • robot des duivels
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  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 1,844

Re: Synth studio setup - newb advice needed

so you use logic? the thing to check for is the emagic amt8. i dont know whether this still works with the newer apple machines, but it works together with logic in a way no other interface does for rock solid midi timing. i have the same setup from steinberg (cubase into a midex 8) and the difference with other interfaces is dramatic. especially if you use a lot of clock to sync drum machines, something like that solves all your potential problems.
mackie onyx? mwah. i use it as my live mixer, but it can't touch my d&r. try to get an older, bigger mixer, they have a much warmer sound, use better components, and yes, they may have some issues too.. its all part of the game.
you could record back into logic but if you waqnt a real  vintage sound, pick up a reel to reel recorder. doesn't necessarily have to be a revox or studer, as long as it does 15 ips you'll be good. or be really lucky and find something like a revox g36 valve recorder, i just picked one up for not much and sounds amazing at 7,5 ips..

  • From: Dark Side of Uranus
  • Registered: 2008-08-01
  • Posts: 904

Re: Synth studio setup - newb advice needed

I agree with rude66 on the logic + amt8 combi, the recipe for a stabile and rocksolid midistamping

Yes there are stilll drivers for it and Logic still uses AMT protocol under the hood, there is just no checkbox or adjustments for it in Logic anymore since v7, but is still running it.

I like my presonus mixer, sounds rather good for a digital one, there are in different sizes and not too expensive. They are a Firewire audio interface aswell so you have 2 flies in one hit so to say (dutch saying badly translated hehe)

I know rude has a weak spot for older mixers, and he is right on the sound on those, but be prepared to do some servicing on them now and then and maybe a little higher noisefloor than newer ones.But if you are skilled with soldering iron no big issue perhaps.

Darklord Supreme of the Antigroove stellar systems
http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Septic_Underground
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  • From: Seattle, WA
  • Registered: 2012-01-18
  • Posts: 7

Re: Synth studio setup - newb advice needed

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll keep an eye out on craigslist for some old, chunky mixing boards and reel-to-reels.