Need help in spending money Wisely

[Stompa81]

Hi Everyone,

Ok heres my story.. I have $4024 USD ($5000 AUD) to spend on audio Equipment. (This is all for making dance music, hardstlye / hardcore)

Scope Professional is Defiantly 100% the First Purchase and Its already lined up. God bless the internet
I am having troubles in Deciding what I get with the rest of the money.

I live in a non-soundproofed apartment and spend every spare second of my time producing there during the week, So I was Thinking to get some Beyerdynamic DT-990 pro headphones with headphone amp for the weekly production in my appartment. ( Reference monitors would just rumble through the whole building, and I can't Renovate the place cause I rent it)

I have a pair of Technics SB-EH600 speakers (6 ohms )160w(music) 80W(DIN), that needs an amp with low and high outputs (4 wires per speaker).
-Should I use them at home just to test phaze issues etc etc before I Crank it on the STudio system??? OR just Stick to the Headphones @ home ???

myself and 2 other good friends get together on the weekends in the room we are converting into a control room, and hook my computer up to the Big system that is there ( Its my friends system, its pretty serious, its not a sony or anything, its got a big amp and 2 speakers with big 20 inch woofers in it and those trumpet looking things for the tweeter, im not very educated in big sound systems). So I use this time to fine tune my tracks with the big sound that cant be done with headphones.

Im not too sure about getting an ACESSS VIRUS TI, because it looks like I can achieve much of the same thing with Wavelength OP8, I think the only major difference is the Hypersaw Algorithim in the TI, but then again im no pro so its just the conclusion ive come to. any one shed some light on this for me ??

Im gonna get the SCOPE PRO, the Beyerdynamic DT-990 pro's w/headphone amp and the (novation remote 61sl or m-audio Axiom 61)

OR should i get the SCope PRO, the Virus TI and a Midi Controller of some sort and save more money and get some good Reference monitors??

Please Help!! I just want to Get a Package where I dont have to keep spending. I am %100 sure SCOPE will be my last stop soundcard (unless i get anohter 2 Scope pro's)

Im just unsure what direction I should go For monitoring in an appartment. what would you do with 5 grand ????

i

[faxinadu]

why not some very nearfield pair of monitors like tannoy reveal?

i would drop the virus in favor of monitors

[hifiboom]

0-200 for a good set of headphones is always great investment.... even if you get monitors...

my 2nd recommendation:
Don`t spent the whole money all at once....

Seriously! start with one scope board. As a kind of mixing center... checkout all that scope stuff (synth and fx). It will need you some time....
Then if you like the scope stuff, you may drop the idea to buy a virus.

I would also recommend you to have an eye on real analog stuff for complimentation of the digital scope platform... (synth, filterbox)

my 2 cents

[Mr Arkadin]

Forget all that, just blow that cash on the new Solaris hardware synth .

[darkrezin]

I also recommend not spending everything at once. It's really hard to plan a theoretical studio... you inevitably find things that you need that you didn't think of before. I've been there many times..

Virus is pretty weak IMHO, there are way better sounding synths (hardware and on Scope). It's also very over-used. If you want something to complement your rig, get a good analog synth, you'll have way more fun with it than the Virus.

[next to nothing]

scope, nearfields and acoustic treatment of the room!!!!!

[hifiboom]

what I really like about scope is the realtime thingy....

Even if you decide to go back to an analog mixing desk, Scope won`t be a faulty investment as you can use the delay, reverbs, vocoder and other fx like an outboard gear with an A16 ADAT Box connected to the outboard mixer...

[Stompa81]

HAHAHAH I want everything that everyone has suggested!!!!!!! ... I wonder If I can Busk in the street with my laptop, ableton and Creative computer speakaz to to raise more cash lol.

-I have done more research on the Virus .. Am i Right in saying its only powered by 2 DSP's ???? if so my Scpe pro and OP8 will eat it for breakfast so yes .. I will def not buy the virus At the moment. I was waiting for some negative feedback on the virus because every so called "pro" i speak to here reckons its the best. Where as I think a JP8080 sounds better than a virus does IMHO. and its so much older.

- Andromeda A6 ... how do you all rate this as a True analouge synth???

-Solaris .... Isnt that a Creamware plugin aswell ??? What would be the major differences between the standalone hardware version and the Scope version??

-Accoustic treatment of the room - I have read John Sayers forums inside out. All i Need is a control room ,vocal booth ,as my death metal band days are over, the only recording will be vocals for dance tracks. So im hoping I can devise some plans from the info there. We have enough room for the perfect diamond shape control room with the glass and all that stuff but i dont really know if I need to go that far. and I dont think the Ceiling is high enough. I think I might just pay John to build me one as im in the same country


-Monitors .... is Nearfield a Brand or a type of monitor?? Should I be getting the PLUS I/0 option on my Scope for the balanced outs or is there some sort of SP/Dif amp to power some reference monitors. so i can just use Classic I/O??

And ive decided I dont care about the neighbors so i will get the monitors but i also want headphones with awesome low and high response just to give the girl a break from my devastating beetz every now and then ... Ive heard DT-990 pros are the best for this ..

Keep the advice coming .. I have this money so i don't want to waste it !!

Thanks for all the info guys!!! your all Champions

[hifiboom]

for the monitor and headphones: try out yourself and take the ones that you like most....

It really does not help you much, if the press is telling you this is the best and you don`t like what comes out...
Its a tasty decision.
Its like with a girlfriend.... Its not important what others say: you have to like her and not the others..

For the Roland JP8000/8080: I like that aswell as you.... better get one of these from ebay for around 500 bucks and itegrate it into your setup....

It has a very great sound, I would set it also above the virus sound....
And I want one, too. A friend of mine has the keyboard version and its really great for all the electronic style stuff...

And the last point DSP power: do you really need 128 voices ? Me, I prefer to have 3 monophonic high end sounds. Thats sometimes already enough for an electronic track. The rest you can do with samples and stuff like that.
Actually I prefer to have one high class synth, fx or anything other that gives you a unique sound, than 100-voices-boring sounding stuff...
This won`t improve your sound in any way.

Scope is more adressed to quality sounds than much polyphony. so keep this in mind. You won`t get 100 voices out of it because it has 15 DSPs on a board.

two voices on Scope can sound pretty good:
http://home.arcor.de/soundspace2/kvr/terminator.mp3

[hubird]

for dance?
hardware: Elektron MachineDrum and the MonoMachine (offering 5 different sound generating sources each, including SID), both with classic steplight programming)
You won't find any better and more complete, if you ask me.
These machines are made for the job, with very tight clock for precise midi timing.
http://www.elektron-se

software: our own wavelength' OP8 and sparC: including a lot of (very noble) hard sinc sounds).
Both hardware and software offer SID like sound generators and can focus on nice low-fi sound character if you want.
Presets look like if they are made to be use in tracks from scratch.

4 times SID...

Nothing wrong with the Virus btw, maybe not the first choice for hardcore.

Next choice; good active monitors, i use A.D.A.M., but there's a lot on the market, and you could start with a low budget pair to grow into your new setup first.
http://www.adam-audio.de/

good luck

[Stompa81]

Hifiboom!!
Very cool sound !! I can see where your coming from.
I have never seen the keyboard version of the Jp8080 .. that would be a nice bit of kit to own.

And Yes I will Buy the Scope and headphones and hold onto the extra cash until i decide what i really need which im sure ill find out once i get my baby

Hubrid!!
Those Elecktron things look very nice. do you have one?? I think i Do need that because I want to be able to Synth my kicks instead of using samples so I have unlimited possibilities. Because I cant Find many 24 bit sample cd's for dance , unless im looking in the wrong places.I may be on completely the wrong track in thinking I can Synth a Kick thats going to sound any good (i mean like BIG phat punchy kicks for Harder styles). I have always used 16 bit kick samples and Vsts to try and process them into the hardcore style . they sound very "Similar" but you can tell its lacking the Bit depth and just has that VST sound to it i just dont like.

I will upload snippets of a track which is a perfect example of what i need to do. It might narrow down stuff i need but i am 95% confident Scope will do everything i need without forking out for a synth .

This First Snippet is the Start of the Track with the Vocals and Hard synth
http://www.speedyshare.com/273342921.html

This second Snippet is the Melody part with hardcore kick
http://www.speedyshare.com/273342921.html

Turn up your speakaz and make sure theyre plenty powerful in the low end or you might miss the whole point.
(I didnt make this track, this is just one of my favorite songs i like to reference for production)

[husker]

- Andromeda A6 ... how do you all rate this as a True analouge synth???

I love it. Fantastic sound, great UI (70 knobs, 144 buttons), amazing modulation options, ribbon controller.

If you can afford it, then I can't recommend highly enough.

[hifiboom]

@Stompa81: there is nothing in your examples that would be diffcult to make in scope...
I even think the kicks distortion is a worse one.... I got much cooler hardcore kicks...

make sure to get the Flexor packs, once you learned how to use this stuff, you can transfer a dry 909 kick sample into 100s of variations of hardcore kicks, you could dream of.

[hubird]

Tho I don't think that hardcore will never die -at least it dies with you and me- but given the first track I can assure you that you can do that with the Elektrons
An LFO on the long distorted basskick is a matter of one click and a specific knob, done

These guys knew exactly what they were doing, they took the best from old Roland sequencer programming style and combined that with uptodate sound generating/editing design.

If you're interested:
Bitrate reduction, sample rate reduction, both always on the screen and a pot, for every drum sound cq. synth sound...
They also can do weird vocal/formant stuff, and everything is well thought through for studio work as live as well.

Take this:
The MonoMachine has six monosynths parallel, each with his own midi channel.

By default, one to six corrrespond to the six 'synths', and you can reach them by chosing the right midi channel in your sequencer (if any).
You can 'play' the synth (sound), which you'll need if you wanne edit the different sounds.

But you also would wanne be able to just start the sequencer when playing a note, and play with only that pattern, but with keyboard tracking + yet in sinc.
And so on, you would also want to play the bank's patterns with every pattern under a key, triggering a sequence of patterns...life, all in sinc, just with a finger.

Therefor Elektron created midi channels for all the ways of using the them.
One to six for the single synths, seven for total sequencer play in sinc, etc.
Changing the active midi track would give you instantly another entry to the sound and/or to the sequencer.

If I missed something in the recent devlopments then it must be me, but it looks like Elektron has valuated the practical levels you work on more than what I've seen or heard of lately, but I'm not a specialist at all.

Just can command them

Btw., don't let me start to speak about the unbelievable spectrum of (easy accessable) sounds, it can really go weird very fast, yet musically, everything is sinced or sincable.
It's really design, in every aspect and on different levels.
No I don't get payed by them
In fact I had troubles with the MachineDrum, as you may know, it is more or less solved , the support is almost instantly and personal, amazing really.

The modules are said to be expensive, which is really nonsense
They are worth every penny, and I'm glad they are in the higher budget range...it's good to have one ask the Shroomz team :-=)

I 'd say, if you have also other stuff to buy, you could concider to get you a MachineDrum, get used to the way to get the shit out of it, and see if you wanne take the step to the MonoMachine.
I bought the MonoMachine almost 'blindly', when I got controll on the Machinedrum, in two nights actually, minus three days of circling movements
Kind of a plan it'd be, with quality and 'style addressing' as stakes

Btw, this is a first try rythm track made with the Machinedrum, could be interesting, nothing revolutionary tho: [tic-toc-tic...]

edit:
ah, sorry, forgot I wanted to search for the link after typing this

[hifiboom]

definitly great stuff, hubrid...

[hubird]

cheers man
typo? ; - 0

[hubird]

replying to my own post at the end;
I made a new post of it, because my tictoctic message could be understood in an not by me intended way, tho I dont think you did actually.
Anyway, here's the link:
http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21039

[Stompa81]

Awesome sound there Hubird
Those Elektrons will become apart of my collection one day .. but I spent a bit of cash today so they may have to wait for a little bit

I bit the Bullet Today and Bought A Scope Project I pick it up tommorow

The Reason I did this is because its the only one I can Get my hands on straight away. And the dude at one of the Shops said they (creamware) dont make them anymore. Thats the first I heard about that. so I got it before it was gone (last one left in brisbane and apparanly it was 1 of 6 cards left in AUS???)
I know I would need a scope Pro if i wanted to use crewamware synths and lots of plugins......

So i bought A Virus TI to compensate for that. Almost got a Nord Modular aswell but too much money to spend in one go I think. But i did get a Novation Remote 61 SL to control it all thats dented the bank a bit

Now its just the monitors I dont know much about monitors.
i goto test out a whole bunch tommorow so I guess ill just have too see what sounds best with the cd i take with my music on it.

I only want to spend about $1200 AUD ($969.156 USD)

I really want something with 8 inch woofers (or whatever the technical name is for the big speakaz down the bottom )
because I think all the 8 inch ones ive heard are alot phatter in the low end.

Any suggestions ??

[hifiboom]

congrats to your new equipment !

"first he asked what to buy" then
"he rushed and bought everything" !


why not !

[garyb]

Awesome sound there Hubird
And the dude at one of the Shops said they (creamware) dont make them anymore. Thats the first I heard about that.

first i heard it too....
i don't think it's true, except that CWA has been replaced by SonicCore....