Four Grand Budget

M

Matt Millard

Guest
Okay guys, i've got a £4,000 budget to create a home studio for practising post production work when am not a college. I need abit of assistance to debate whether or not the specific spec i have chosen is worth the value of money or not. A few hints on alternative products would be awesome.

Computer:
  • 20" Apple iMac - 2.16GHz, 1 GB Memory, 250 GB Hard drive etc... = £850
Mixing Console:
  • Digidesign 003 Factory inc Pro Tools LE 7.3 = £1300
Monitors:
  • Genelec Active 8020a nearfield speakers = £375
  • Genelec Active 7050 Subwoofer = £455
  • AKG K701 Open Headphones = £180
Microphones:
  • AKG C414 - Good all rounder mic! = £435
Extras:
  • 20" Apple Cinema Display = £335
  • Hughes & Kettner Red Box DI Box = £45
Total Cost £3,975
 
you could try to get a different computer, im sure if you build one yourself you could get one thats good for recording, all you would have to do is uninstall the software that came with it, you could scale down the mic a bit, or you could take the rack out, get pro tools mpowered an m-audio interface, a nice preamp and so on and so forth....

im not sure im just tryin to spark something for you to do...you also have to remember the accessories...xlr cords, spdif, 1/4, acoustic treatment, etc....
 
thought about building my own pc, as theres room for expansion and beening able to build it to suit music production needs most effectively! The only thing is that i have had bad times with pc in the past and prefer macs! Looked into the m-project mix alot but felt the 003 wud offer alot better mic preamps, manufactered better etc... It is alot more and the project mix has more mic preamps but i wont be intending to record a drum kit or nething in my flat! Av designed all the acoustic treament already and have the materials.
 
If your going to be Mixing and Mastering, get your room treated, a good set of monitors, a good soundcard, and a fast computer.

Then get some books and learn how to do things the proper way, then after you've learned that, put your own style into what you have learned.
 
It looks good to me, the only thing I might change is if you don't need dual monitors I'd get rid of the 2nd 20" monitor and get a better preamp like a P-Solo or a Grace 101.
 
There is absolutely no point buying a £435 mic if you're not going to buy a decent preamp to go with it. Unless you're gonna cut your costs by getting a different screen/computer, get a cheaper mic and a good preamp and your production quality will rocket. Not having a decent preamp is like saying you want to build a house out of sand, it's just not gonna happen ;)
 
Yeh i hear what your saying, and i think i am going to reconsider the 2nd Apple display by buying another brand of display for half the value and just as good. Or do the same with the microphone, it means i can gain both a good mic and mic preamp!. I really like the sound of the Grace 101 mic preamp! Anyone recommend any other single of double channel mic pre for round the same price as the 101?
 
Matt Millard said:
Yeh i hear what your saying, and i think i am going to reconsider the 2nd Apple display by buying another brand of display for half the value and just as good. Or do the same with the microphone, it means i can gain both a good mic and mic preamp!. I really like the sound of the Grace 101 mic preamp! Anyone recommend any other single of double channel mic pre for round the same price as the 101?

True Systems P-Solo
FMR RNP
 
invest $4000 in securities and sit on it for a while and before you know it your options will be alot more attractive
 
4000 GBP is a little over $8000 USD... I just moved to the UK and I'm trying to figure out why the hardware here is so expensive.

I would get a Mac Pro, add a separate audio drive, and 003R instead, but that's just me.
 
saying that me & my studio partner just bought a brand new digi 003 from the US for £999! UK vat free aswell!!!lol.

We might get charged the 2% import tax like, but still save £650!!!

For the price of a mac pro and what you get inside is not worth the money whatso eva!!!
My studio partner builds PC's and was able to build a more: faster, powerful, memory and storage for 1/3 of the mac pro price!
Though i do understand their are alot of apple advantages!
Thats why we went out and bought a new 24" imac with upgraded memory to 2Gb instead of 1Gb as we plan to buy aload of plug-ins! Vat free also!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well ask your friend if he wants to build me a PC like the one you just described and we can do some business... What area do you reside in?
 
Back
Top