Karaoke Forums

Assuming one has 100-150$ in the pocket, and plans to get beyond the beginners type of recording set up that might comprise:

a) Desktop with onboard Sound
b) Multimedia type headset mic  

* Knowing that we already have some sorta recording program, I will leave out the cost of software.

What recommendation would you make? I know the question involves lots of variables, but let's say we are talking about spending close to our max budget - in order to have a system that would be good for a few years to come For example. a Soundblaster (@ around 20$) is better than onboard sound, but the Audigy is only a tad more expensive. Then there is the PG48 which is about 50$, but the SM58 is 99$ (and good for years to come).

If this sorta thread has been discussed before, please ignore this!!

Cheers!
Ron

Well there's only a few option:

Interface = Soundcard + Preamp
OR sound card + preamp seperately

and a Mic

Maybe a pair of monitors to edit the music a little better

None of that is going for 100-150. a pair of monitor (KRK RP5) is around 200. Interface is around 100-200 (I would recommend 200$ models such as the mackie onyx sat). A mic is gonna run you another 200+ or so (maybe more), we're probably looking at some decent mic like an AT40XX or the studio project TB1.... That should get you going ok.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, Clockwork. I do understand that the monitors alone will exhaust my stated budget, but I was thinking more in terms of a very simple upgrade from the basics. I guess most of us who do nothing more than sing to Karaoke backings, work within that 150-200$ budget. Having said that,  I would love better monitors!

Cheers,
Ron

I think most of the stuff I've listed is kindda at a budget range if you're going into the recording stuff. That doesn't even include the room treatment, but on a budget not many will not go with room treatments, open closet + alot of dampening stuff in the room (carpet, beds, clothes ect) would minimize the echo.

Other wise the onboard sound isn't built for recording, it might work but you'll run into alot of unwanted problems, so at the least we're probably looking at some consumer sound card that'll run you 50-60 bucks, BUT then you'll end up with just 1 input (line in), no phantom power, no monitor out + a bunch of small features that'll make your life easier.

IMO the mackie unit for ~200 is very very nice, it's outboard firewire, decent preamp, bunch of input/outputs, monitor controls ect...

Then comes the mic, if you have one already then it'll not cost you anything, but at the very least we're probably looking at something like 100 dollars (MXL V67), but since we're shelling out the money, I would just go up the food chain to something a little better, I have a CAD M177 which cost me 90 bucks, it's actually not too bad, so you might want to look into that.

Monitors: primary just for critical listening after the recording, and you want to look for translation into other system - accuracy, there's a bunch under 100, but IMO you need to shell out atleast 200, the KRK PR5 is discounted, it used to be 300 for the pair, IMO it's a very good deal for now.

So I guess we're probably looking at around 500 bucks, which is not THAT bad, start off with the mic + interface and you're looking at 300.

PS: I forgot you need some sort of isolate headphones to monitor while singing, cheapest solution IMO is probably the creative EP630 (20 bucks)... it's an IEM, if you're looking at something a little more conventional, then it's probably something like the sen 280 or sony V6 (closed monitor headphones)... I have the equation RP21 which is roughly the same price as the senn and the sony, I think it works a little better.

What OS do you run Ron?

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I think I would maybe get a good sound card, like the M-Audio Audiophile 192.  Or maybe start with a small mixer - a firewire mixer would be better, but also more expensive.

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I would not waste money on a mixer for home recording. you can just stack the tracks in multi track DAW (almost all DAW are multi track recorders). A mixer normally has under average preamp unless you're really shell out the money.

hey Ron, I am no expert  but manage to put out a reasonable recording. I have an m-audio fasttrack recording interface and an alto stereo tube preamp with a studio projects condenser mic. I never use anything other than headphones to edit and mix cos the puter is in the family room and generally my family is about watching telly or something.
Mixing with cans has its disadvantages like at the moment my ears are full of fluid which makes hearing any small pitch error almost impossible, but that would occur with monitors too I guess

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Um, ok, you never once mentioned you had a DAW multi-tracker - yes I think I am familiar with them!  If I would have known that, I would not have suggested the mixer.  But I can see you have things handled here so.....

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well he's doing it with a computer, and most software in the computer, even free ones like audacity are multi track.

this is a similar setup that I was talking about, but it'll still go up to the 500 range easily IMO.

Right, but even computer programs can benefit from a real mixer properly interfaced, but no they aren't needed.  The question was asked "What recommendation would you make", that's what I would do personally, but since his budget is only 150, then a mixer would be out of the equation, which I stated would be more expensive for a good Firewire interface mixer.  I would then opt for a good sound card  
Yes I know all about multitrackers, use Audacity in my shows - just a tap off the tape out, but record each singer as an individual track, use Mackie Tracktion for home use, am quite proficient with ProTools in a studio setting & have owned a 24 track analog/digital studio which we used to record full bands as well.

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Lonnie I used to use my alesis fx6 mixer but it made recording to seperate tracks a pain...it was ok if I was recording on the fly but it was a several step process to sucessfully record vox on seperate channel.
the most annoying aspect being having to have headphones plugged into the sound module instead of the mixer and the music channel on the mixer turned down. It also meant that I couldnt hear my voice in my headphones, so I had to have the cans on one ear for music and off the other so I could hear myself. The pre-amp solved all that...no more need to unpack my gig gear, just leave the mic setup plugged into the pre-amp and away I go any time I get the urge

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Thanks to all who responded to my question. I know that the possibilities are endless, but my question was in keeping with what many of us do in the Showcase… and how one might go about it on a shoestring budget!  After all, it is a question that is often asked in Karaoke circles. Meantime, I also thought that running the question up the mast (lol) might bring about some answers which might be of help to some of those wishing to upgrade. Thanks again for taking the time to share  your views.

IMO, a small mixer is not a bad idea at all, especially if one plans to use a condenser mic that requires phantom power. On the other hand, there are also some 100$ tube preamps which will do the job, but in my case, a mixer also comes in handy when I invite my buddies over for Karaoke parties by the poolside!

BTW Vicki, I always thought you used a Delta 1010LT, in which case, your problem of monitoring  could have been dealt with by using the Delta’s own built in mixing console.   Though I am presently running the Focusrite Firewire interface, I also have a Delta, that I use with a small mixer (only for the phantom power). The only precaution I took was to drop the gain of the Delta (to minimize effects similar to cascaded preamps). I had no issues monitoring both the loaded track and the mic input off the same output at the breakout cables.  

Coming back to our shoestring budget,  an interface like Vicki’s  M-Audio unit,  offers an ideal solution(IMO). It not only provides the flexibility of being switched between laptops and desktops, it also has built in phantom power.  At 99$ (for the M-Audio USB interface), we only need to push our budget up to 200$, to buy a decent mic like a SM58 (99$) or one of the many condenser mics in the 100$ price range.  For those wishing to spend more of the budget on a good dynamic mic,  I see that Creative’s Audigy @30$+.. is a popular Soundcard choice of many. I am sure that there are lots of other options out there. For the 100$ budget, you can't go wrong with the the Audigy and the PG48!

BTW Cathi, my OS is Vista.  I am not sure if you received a related PM I sent you. Luckily for me, I seem to be getting along fine with Vista! Thanks also to Focusrite, their upgraded Vista drivers have worked flawlessly.  Wish I could say the same of some of the other Firewire interfaces I have tried with Vista and  their so called Vista compatible drivers!

I do not wish to be seen as having asked the question and answered it as well ! Just wondering what options we might have with this kinda budget. Like I said, I hope it might interest someone

Cheers!
Ron

honey the m-audio fasttrack doesnt have phantom...the next one up from it does...which is why I use an alto tube pre-amp  :hug:

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Thanks for the clarification re the phantom power, Vicki. Beats me why M-Audio didn't make that available in the FT. But of course, they wanted to throw that in with the next one up! BTW, I built my first 48v PSU for no more than 10$, but then, I've been a Ham op. since a tender age Young I am not, tender.. I hope I still am )

EDIT: Wow, I notice that GC is now offering the Fasttrack for 79$.

I never really like the fast track, one of the interface I've been eyeing is the mackie sat (around 180), that thing is firewire and it packs alot of usable features for 180.

well the Ron I know is tender...tis a pre-requisite if you are to be a friend of the witch
Clockwork I am happy enough with the fasttrack for home recording. will no doubt look at something else when the time comes to take a step up...but for now my recordings are crisp and clear...well at least they are till I add efx [schild=11 fontcolor=C0C0C0 shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]I am the reverb queen[/schild]

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Considering the budget I would think the best way to get a quality recording with your computer is to use it to buy a quality tape based multi-track off of ebay or craigslist. They are pretty cheap these days and still produce a pretty good sound.

Just a suggestion....

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