Audio Heads... I Need Ur Input

[Lawgix]

ProTools is okay.... and ProTools 8 HD looks outstanding... i think people use ProTools to give them that "this is the real fuckin deal" feeling... i've seen millions of videos between ProTools and Presonus and i'd say Presonus Studio One is SO much better than ProTools plus its easier to navigate... but like DJ said... doesn't matter if you have ProTools, Studio One, Cool Edit, Audacity or whatever... your still gonna sound like shit if your hardware isn't in tact...

[Relief Recordings]

Reason would be a good way to go for simple production, but deff get the Mbox for recording. That along with a decent cheap Audio Technica Mic will get you going solid.

[Lawgix]

^^^ yeah but the mic also plays a big factor in quality as well... you don't wanna shitty mic hooked up to an M-Box when its gonna make you sound like shit... so bad that u have to put 40 EQ's on one vocal to make it sound half as decent as a good mic would make you sound... thats a cheap money-wise way to go but a HUGE waste of time and effort...

[Slicka]

that microphone not good at all......even if you get the basic pro tools package and get like a 100 dollar mic it will be alright......i used to record at my hommies house and he mix real good i jus used write n record but i got my own pro tools now n gettin better at the mixing i got a really good mic jus got figure out this dynamic shit but i almost got it down pat. Mbox makes a big difference but like said above a bad mic gives bad results

[NoVeL]

looks ok to me

[TreTru]

nah dont do it.....

that mixxer is aight for small live shows but its not that good for recording..unless u got a garbage mic and no interface...if you have an Mbox you thats a start get a good mic..and skip da bullshit til u get money for a nice preamp...

thats just for starters

get ya some monitors(not from best buy) try musicians friend ..they usually got some decent bundles avail..that are better quality...

[Kurse]

Agreed. If you're going to spend $250 ...I'd drop it on an M-Box2 mini instead. You get the MBox by Digi-Design, the latest copy of protools and the USB connection. The MBox is a sound interface made for clarity. And once recording into protools...the mixing is very minimal. After that..I'd say take atleast $100 and buy a decent condensed mic with the XLR in-put (MXL makes condensed good condensed mics in that price range) and you'll be good to go, especially if you already have some good headphones. If you need decent headphones...Yamaha makes a decent pair for $29.99 ...if you can afford something better, Sony makes a nice DJ turn-style headphone for $99
...but with these items, you can build yourself a clean portable studio that you can take with you anywhere and doesnt demand alot of space for under $400 ...and you get EXCELLENT QUALITY out of that, assuming you have decent mixing skills as well.

[jayzon_black]

Personally, I think it depends on what you are trying to do. You don't need a lot on physical inputs if you are going to be doing mostly sample-based (not live) instrumentation. If your sounds are in the computer and they aren't based off of a separate keyboard/instrument/voice/etc. then it isn't necessary to have a large mixing board, especially since most audio software come equip with full fledged mixers (at least the better ones do).

So with that in mind, here is a good set up for vox:

AT2020 Condenser Mic (condensers capture the best sound) $99

Art Duo Pre Audio Interface (has phantom power support and comes with Audacity Recording Software) $79

So far that's $180 but we need monitors...

This is where it really comes down to preference, if you wish to go truly mobile with your recording then a good set of cans (headphones), but even if you are going to be stationary, good headphones are a cheaper solution to monitoring as you can often get two for the price of a low end speaker system like:

AKG K77's they run $49 a pop, so that would put you at $280 for two cans, software, an interface, and a great mic. I have a pair of the K44's for reference monitors while tracking vox and the k240's for production.

OR

You can go with a basic low end speaker system like:

Alesis M1 Active its $99, comes with all the bells and whistles you could ask for and can plug into your computer straight thru the usb if you want.

All of this you can find at sweetwater.com and make three payments for the tag. 280 split three months is 93 a month, money well spent.

[LoDaMack]

Thumbs DOWN! Save some money and do it right. Get the mbox 3 w/protools 9 and be done with it. Go to guitar center or somewhere similar and let them help you pick out a good mic for your budget. Also ask them about monitors. You can always hit up guitarcenter.com or amazon.com and check the used sections