OK... so you've gotten some good advice to this point.

Here's my take on gear.

Determine what you're going to use it for. Are you going to record bands and other musicians or is this a one man hobby studio where it's mostly just going to be you and maybe the occasional friend?

If you plan to record bands, you will need a mixer. If you're doing the solo thing, then you do not need a mixer unless you just want something to take up desk space and have to dust from time to time.

My studio rig is very basic.

I have a decent computer. i5 Intel quad core with nice sized hard drives. Nothing fancy, just solid. I run XP Pro 32 bit.

I have a Focusrite interface. (external sound card) It has midi and audio inputs and multiple audio outputs. Built in preamps and phantom power running ASIO as the driver.

I use a pair of Mackie MR-5 monitors and a 10" 100w sub.

Basically... that, is my studio. No mixer needed. I plug in my mic and guitar to the Focusrite and there it is. Ready to roll and rock.

In my computer, I run Band in A Box as well as it's companion Real Band and I also run Cakewalk's Sonar X1 DAW. While getting a DAW in a bundle with other gear is free, I recommend that you buy a full version of a DAW as opposed to using the LE "free" versions since they often have disabled features. Cakewalk has a nice DAW that comes with several nice synths and costs $50 to get started. They have packs that bundle it with some other stuff you will likely want, for more money. Look at Music Creator 7 and Sonar Home Studio. I get the feeling they're replacing MC7 with SHS. Both are excellent starting DAW's, priced right and fully capable of doing everything you need.

I write the songs in BB and then use Real Band to render the tracks to wave. I then copy them into Sonar where I work on them and add my live tracks for vocals and guitar. Mixing and treatment is done in Sonar.

A couple thousand dollars invested in good equipment will get the job done nicely. Then, you can set about the task of learning how to make it all work to produce good music. That's the fun part.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 05/07/17 02:41 AM.
You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
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