5 Pieces of Gear I Wish I Bought WAY Sooner For My Home Studio

[@snubdawg1386]

police taking away the mixing console is wild

[@BetterMixes]

Haha yeah, it was a weird day!

[@strait150]

i have to hear that story

[@Reedith]

I'm just like how do police know how to take apart a console?

[@bryantsimpson5060]

They will do that if you owe money on it those things are 6 figures

[@DanielC__]

The Audient 800 is an awesome preamp with loads of crystal clear overhead. I’ve had it paired with my RME UCX II for a couple years and they work great together.

[@gavinsmith2600]

I just turned 30 and built myself a fixed standing desk for my height. 6 inch cloud absorption panel is a must. Cannot imagine going back to a seated desk

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! I thought about trying to go full standing before getting the raising/lowering desk, but I chickened out!

[@charliebryce3783]

I've got back damage from multiple myeloma, I find 20 mins of yoga break from sitting at my desk is great for my back and for my mental/emotional wellbeing.

[@BetterMixes]

That's great advice! The couple times I've done yoga with my wife, I've felt great afterwards! I've been meaning to work it into my daily routine.

[@jamorahcito]

Ive had the standing electric desk for 20 years. And the audient for 4 years. Certainly made me smile. And i am old. Gonna get the behringer synth and the variable mic holder. Thx for advice! Ive had all the synth plugins and never used any of them. Too cool!!

[@BetterMixes]

Very cool! I hope you enjoy them if you get them!

[@MrEnginears]

There's a unit called the Cloud CX233, which is designed as an analog zoner for night clubs, but makes a superb monitor controller, and mixer-mixer. 3x stereo balanced inputs (and 3x unbalanced RCA) for mixers, computer etc 3x stereo balanced outputs for different monitors, record send, spectrum analyser send Send anything to anything (or indeed everything) Also two mic inputs. for talkback? There's a tidy HF / LF tilt eq on each output I use them on festival sound systems, and the sound quality is Mint. Inputs- FOH desk, Mon desk, DJ mixer Outputs - main rig, sidefills, and record. And the best bit? they're cheap as chips on ebay! Typically less than 100 UK pounds. I got one for 25!

[@BetterMixes]

Oh very cool! I just looked it up, and it looks like a seriously powerful pice of kit!

[@mikaelsehlin]

I own the Asp800 but I've never thought about using the first 2 pres for mixing. I will now though and try it on different sources 😊

[@BetterMixes]

It can be a lot of fun! Obviously there are a ton of great plugins for adding character as well, but I don't know, sometimes it's just fun to turn some real-life knobs!

[@mikaelsehlin]

@@BetterMixes After about 2 years in with analog gear there's quite a difference in depth between digital and analog. I prefer analog!

[@niozikpro5812]

​@@mikaelsehlincompletely agree. Analog is the thing. It is amazing how I stopped buying plugins once I discovered transfermers and tubes in real life. Oh boy if I new it sooner . . .

[@DanielC__]

Dude, you don’t know what you’re missing! Tons of opportunity on the first 2 inputs. You’ll be shocked at the end result, really great.

[@mikaelsehlin]

@@DanielC__ You were so right.. I tried the 2 channels on rock guitars today. It easily got 15% better. Warmer, fuller and so on... I know have 2 more tools to bring in my workflow. WOW! Thanks for this!

[@robert__]

you know what's awesome mixing with a standing desk, it would be nice to move and dance a little while writing tracks!

[@BetterMixes]

Haha absolutely!

[@PlausibleMountain]

Great video

[@BetterMixes]

Thanks so much!

[@BobMaulucci]

All great recommendations. For me, the game changers were my UAD Apollo and the Softube Console 1. Between the two of those and very few of their plugins, I can get almost anything I need to record, color a track, and adjust the important parameters at my fingertips. For hardware synths, I really think you are spot on about the too many options in the plug in world. I want to get one of the Yamaha Reface electric piano hardware units. It would have 90% of the sounds that I would ever use for about $400 used.

[@BetterMixes]

A friend of mine has Console 1, and it looks super cool! I'd love to mess around with one at some point. And I was actually looking at the Reface keyboards a little while ago! They looked really fun. I ended up getting a Yamaha digital piano, but similarly, it has like 3 pianos, a couple electric pianos, and an organ: everything I need with minimal decision making! Want a Rhodes, here's the one option. Want a Wurli? Again, one option! And like, that's how it is at big commercial studios, right? Most will have one piano, maybe a few tops, no need to try out a hundred different plugins/presets!

[@austinattack]

Would love to hear your take on gear that we shouldn't waste our time on. Like, when we're just starting out, what should we skip, and grab instead!

[@BetterMixes]

That's a great idea! Thanks!

[@codycreepcore]

game changers for me were more acoustic treatment and good acoustic advice!

[@BetterMixes]

Yes! That's absolutely essential!

[@justinreynolds3935]

I will vouch for the Audient pres. They are def pro grade pre amps. Even the new evo pre amps are very good. Hard to find a bad interface now a days. Splitting hairs at this point. Sure neve or api or ssl pre amps are a wow factor for clients but if you threw a neve logo on the asp800 they wouldn't know the difference

[@BetterMixes]

I've been wanting to try out the Evo line. They look really cool! But yeah, totally agree. I tell people all the time that whatever interface they have, it's almost certainly not holding them back, and it's very unlikely that it's the weakest part of their setup.

[@flou_art]

500 series in general, what a cool thing to have

[@BetterMixes]

Absolutely! That's definitely a fun and fairly affordable way to build custom chains!

[@liltrboofficial4671]

From a blind person who really wants to do audio production as a career these are some great helpful hints. I’m currently looking at Scarlet clarit pre-let me know what your thoughts about that

[@mithramusic5909]

I just picked up a Clarett+. I'm not sure what you have to compare it with, but for me it's very good. I especially like how I can flexibly change some of the inputs and outputs using the UI. My last preamp didn't have that, which made it difficult to route a track from my DAW through a hardware effect, and properly listen to the result at the same time. This might be a very common need for composers today. I think it's a good choice

[@BetterMixes]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Did you mean the Scarlett or the Clarett? Both are solid units for their price points and neither will hold you back from making great recordings. That being said, I do think the Clarett is a bit of a step up if it's within your budget. Like I really don't think you'd ever need to upgrade past a Clarett unless you were just looking for a different feature set, of course. But sonically, I think it's every bit as good as anything else in or slightly above it's class (I'd choose it over an Apollo any day...in fact I DID choose it over an Apollo!).

[@sonnyd1527]

Good stuff, You have a new subscriber. The Audient is fantastic, I however cannot let this go unsaid. There's a fantastic piece of gear out there (discontinued). They're very inexpensive and if you know what you're doing, what you can do with it is amazing. It's not better than the Audient, but it's much cheaper. it's the A.R.T. tube Opto 8. 8 channel tube pre (4 x 12AX7) with 8 XLR analog outs, 8 balanced quarter inch outs and of course ADAT. I paid $170 for mine, I see them routinely for around $300. For those of you who don't know and have pieces of equipment like an Apollo duo or any other small audio interface, if you look on the back and you see an optical input, that means you can use one of these things to give yourself eight more inputs.

[@BetterMixes]

Oh nice! I don't think I had ever seen that one before, but it looks cool, and you can't go wrong at that price!

[@mtthewmusic]

When u said the police, i really thought the band for a good minute

[@BetterMixes]

Haha now that would have been cool! And even weirder...

[@huberttorzewski]

Monitor controller, Auratones (passive 5Cs with a Bettermaker amp) + Console 1 . These are my top 3 for mixing I wish I've bought sooner

[@BetterMixes]

Solid choices! I've been really curious to try out Console 1, it looks really cool!

[@huberttorzewski]

@@BetterMixes It's great for mixing really fast and having more fun also. As for Auratones they just can't be replaced by anything else (any trick with high and low passing other monitors, 3 way speakers or buying cheaper Avantones/Behritones - none of that can replace/imitate what 5Cs are doing). Once the mix is good on Auratones, it sounds absolutely huge, wide and clean on any other monitors - you only need to adjust some tiny things in the highs (like a deesser's threshold) and lows (some hipass on the kick/bass for example). The sweet spot on the eq, volume fader and a compressor is so tiny it's crazy. It's either good when you hit it or suddenly bad when you're a bit off

[@REALEXIT]

i was thinkin to get hardware as warm audio wa2a and other but my interface is apollo solo it doesn't have line inputs and outputs since you have a hardware is it worth it ? plus i have a Tube mic it's avantone cv12 i wondering can i connect the tube straight to warm audio wa2a or it does need mic preamp

[@BetterMixes]

You'd need to get an external mic pre as well for that setup to go between the mic and the compressor. Then you could run the output of the compressor into the line input of the apollo (which would be using a 1/4" TRS cable into the combo jack). As for whether or not it's worth it, that really comes down to personal preference. Plugins sound so darn good now that I wouldn't expect a jump in quality going from a plugin compressor to a hardware compressor. But, some people just click more with hardware. Sometimes having your hands on physical controls just makes things make more sense to you. But if you're just looking at it from a sonic standpoint, I would probably say stick with the plugins. Especially for LA2A style compression, I feel like a lot of companies have really nailed that sound in the box.

[@REALEXIT]

@@BetterMixes well that's true the LA2A Sounds pretty close to the hardware it's not day and night different the problem is my interface is apollo solo i don't think i can use hardware as vocal chain i don't know if i can

[@SomebodyPickaName]

Gear I wish I'd bought sooner: RME UFX III. I also bought some used KS Digital ADM20 studio monitors with the ADM W0 subs that I wish I'd been using sooner. I wish I owned the Neumann TLM49 sooner (I rented it and loved it so much that I bought one). Great thing about it is that it doesn't need EQ for the vocal - the curve is already formed to make getting good vocal sounds easy.

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! Yeah, everything RME makes is great. And I've been really wanting to try the TLM49 again! I used one once years ago, but it was so long ago now that I don't really remember how it sounded.

[@thatcherdesign]

I'm about to make a purchase to record drums. I've been torn between the simplicity of Audient's Evo 16 (push a button to set levels) vs. getting the ASP800 plus an ID24 interface. I guess I could technically get the Evo 16 instead of the ID24 + ASP800 to run into it. Any suggestions?

[@BetterMixes]

Hmm, tough call! I haven't used the Evo stuff yet, but I've heard it's very good for the price. The benefit of the Evo is if you wanted to expand and add an ASP800 to it, either now or down the line, you'd have 16 channels (actually, I THINK you can add up to 2 ADAT pres to the EVO, giving you up to 24 channels) as opposed to the ID24 maxing out at 10. That may or may not matter to you, of course, but for drum recordings, you might find yourself wishing you had a couple more inputs at some point.

[@thatcherdesign]

​@@BetterMixes Thanks for your thoughts. I may start with Evo 16. Like you mentioned, I can add the ASP800 after easily enough. For mics I'm deciding between SE Electronics and Lewitt. The Lewitt bass drum mic has a condenser and dynamic mic turning "7 mics" into an 8-channel set up out of the gate, so I can see that doesn't leave room to try a second mic under the snare or dedicated hi-hat mic. I'm leaning towards Evo 16 as a good starting point for future expandability. Thank you again for responding.

[@BetterMixes]

@@thatcherdesign Both the sE and Lewitt mics I've used have been really good, but I haven't used the dynamic mics from either company. I will say, the sE8s that come with some of their drum mic packs are EXCELLENT. And the "condenser and dynamic mics in one" thing feels a little gimmicky to me. That's not to say it doesn't sound good, but they usually advertise those like "most engineers use both types of mics on kick drum, so we combined them!", but it's not super common to use both in the same position. Like usually you have a condenser outside and a dynamic inside. I used to have an Audio Technica mic that did the dual capsule thing, and it sounded good, but I'd usually only end up using one capsule or the other. So again, the mic itself might sound great, but I wouldn't personally consider the dual mic thing a major pro when deciding between the two packs. If it were me deciding between them, I'd PROBABLY go with the sE, just because I've used and liked a lot of different sE mics, and I REALLY like the se8. Like I said, the Lewitt mics I've used have been good as well, but I've only used a couple of them.

[@bLiNdEDM]

Nice! Wasn't aware of most of your list. My studio is mostly synthesizers so preamps aren't particularly important. Though the one piece of gear I have been invested in the longest and still use today is the sonic-core platform "scope" (xite-1 hardware). I had the PCI cards back in the early 2000s and the quality of the DSP is amazing, even today. I believe Hans Zimmer uses it/endorses it as well since it's made in Germany

[@BetterMixes]

Oh very cool! I had never heard of that before! It looks interesting!

[@bLiNdEDM]

@@BetterMixes yea, it's still kickin cuz of the die hard userbase. Personally I love using it but I know its not for everyone

[@jas_bataille]

My dad worked 50 years in the industry. You know what he did? He always carried an extra long headphone wire and always moved the mic around while listening until it was right. Problem solved.

[@BetterMixes]

I assume you're referring to the Dynamount? If so, yeah, using headphones can totally get the job done, but I think the dynamount is a significantly better solution. For one, most people *probably* know their monitors better than their headphones, so they should be able to make a better judgement on monitors. And even more importantly, if you're micing up a loud amp, you're going to hear a LOT of the amp in the room, even if you were using iso headphones cranked way up, so again, with the Dynamount, you'd be hearing exactly what's being recorded while adjusting the mic. And again, I'm not saying everyone NEEDS a Dynamount, obviously tons of great guitar tones have been recorded without it (although a lot probably used an intern moving the mic in its place 😆), but I think it's an incredibly helpful tool that dramatically improved my guitar tones.

[@fuzzyjack]

Dude you look like you're 20 and thats a compliment

[@BetterMixes]

Hahaha yeah, I know I look super young. I had someone ask me recently whether I was in college or still in high school 😆 I'm like "ma'am, I am 32..."

[@fuzzyjack]

@@BetterMixes haha, very unlikely a high schooler would have that much knowledge about sound!

[@OneTeenDiscipleship]

I'm going to wonder for the next few years why the heck the police took the console🤣I'm dying over here

[@BetterMixes]

Hahaha it's not as exciting as it sounds! Without getting into it too much, there was a bit of a legal battle going on surrounding ownership of the studio/equipment which ultimately led to the police showing up.

[@OneTeenDiscipleship]

@@BetterMixes I know this knowledge, and my life is now complete

[@BetterMixes]

@@OneTeenDiscipleship 😆

[@JimThompson-i3u]

A patchbay is a must if you have outboard gear.

[@BetterMixes]

Absolutely! Heck, even without outboard, a patchbay is still helpful! Like if you've got more patch panels in your live room than you have inputs on your interface, being able to patch in different mics is super useful.

[@Martin-kn6vc]

For me, in place of the Dynamount, I've gone for MIKKO2 from ML Sound Lab and a load box (but use amp sims predominantly). I also sold all my external mic pres and have just kept my OG Audient ASP008... It's so much nicer to focus on the big picture stuff instead of whether one preamp's tonal colour is better than another. Also considering a standing desk too! I don't think an expensive office chair with lumbar support is enough.

[@BetterMixes]

I remember watching a couple videos on the MIKKO2, and it looks insanely cool! If I was predominantly in the amp sim world, I would definitely be testing that out. And yeah, that was my exact experience with Audient! And a nice chair is good, but yeah, being able to move between sitting and standing has been great for me. If you do end up with a standing desk, I'd recommend also grabbing one of those anti-fatigue mats to stand on as well. Makes it much more enjoyable!

[@trebleboost7]

Would you say a Mojave MA200, Sennheiser MD441, and AKG 4033 B/ULS have me covered for vocals OK?

[@BetterMixes]

I assume you meant 414, not 4033? Or did you mean the AT4033? If you meant 414, I've used both that and the Mojave and thought they were both excellent mics! I've been wanting to try a 441 again. I only used one once years ago, but I know a lot of people really like that mic!

[@precisionsoundworksstudio]

You were actually in the studio at the same time the Police took the mic pres? What a Synchronicity…

[@BetterMixes]

Haha I see what you did there!

[@irife2771]

That's interesting, I find hardware synths are generally better without built in effects in most cases... and if they have them its kind of a neutral thing. On the opposite side, I dread when VSTs have effects sometimes (Like Arturia). The reason is I know what a JP or an OB sounds like, I don't want to load it up and work against the effects they put on it.

[@BetterMixes]

See the difference is that I don't know what the hell I'm doing with synths 😆 Having effects built in helps me to see the full picture when flipping through sound banks. I might end up using my own effects if the built in ones aren't quite doing it for a particular sound, but it at least helps me see where I'm going with the sound. I could definitely see the effects being annoying for someone who knows a lot more about synths and synth sounds than me though.

[@Clasam09]

#4: there wasn't much difference because Audient is really quality, without the marketing budget or the reputation

[@BetterMixes]

Yeah, they make really great stuff! I think I mentioned this in the video, but when I was doing a bunch of shootouts/comparisons of different mic pres, the Audient was consistently in my top 2 or 3 choices on every instrument I tried (and this was all against high-end pres!).

[@gavinsmith2600]

I have their Nero and it rocks

[@ocularrecords]

I do, Agree that a mic is the first thing people should buy, BUT. I also think getting a pre amp first of any kind goes way further than getting a mic first. Ive had to start over a few times and Usually when getting a mic you realize a pre amp is much needed. Most interfaces these days offer a clear sound, but to get that extra egde a pre amp is needed for sure.

[@BetterMixes]

I've just always personally found that I can get color from a lot of places if I want it, like I'm a big of fan of colored/characterful compressors myself, so I've always been happy with cleaner preamps. BUT, I have a bunch of friends who I respect the heck out of who prefer to get their color from the pre, so no wrong answers as far as I'm concerned!

[@agondistortion]

What ore the first monitors that we see on your setup besides dynaudio

[@BetterMixes]

They're just some random cheap speakers that haven't been hooked up in many many years 😆 Waaaay back I thought they'd be cool for similar purposes as Auratones (and they did kinda-sorta dis that), but I didn't end up using them. Now they just sit there cause it looks empty without them and I haven't found anything to put there that I'd actually use (although I've been considering trying out a pair of iLouds at some point).

[@agondistortion]

They do look cool 😎

[@random-_-2633]

I heard that the ASP800 can become really hot really fast, did you experience any heat with the unit?

[@BetterMixes]

It definitely get's warm, but never hot enough that I've really noticed. But then again, it's also living in a rack, so I only ever touch the front of it.

[@billyfubar2748]

My biggest problem is the way I sit when I'm working on music, I end up resorting to position so ergonomically unfriendly to my entire orthopedic existence I can't seem to find a way to stop this occurrence

[@BetterMixes]

I definitely recommend the standing desk (and maybe an anti-fatigue mat to go with it) for this! Just getting up for even a couple minutes feels like it kinda resets me when I sit back down. Alternatively, just try to move/reposition in your chair from time to time. Like if your chair reclines, try sitting back for a few minutes, then lean forward for a bit. Even if the different positions aren't "ideal" or whatever, I feel like moving and changing positions is still better than being stuck in one position all day (that being said...I am not a doctor...so...)

[@GuitarJesse7]

I’m really considering the Vanguard V13 mic based on a friends recommendation, and you mentioning it is giving me extra confirmation to get one.

[@BetterMixes]

It's a fantastic mic! I've got a video on my channel from about a year ago where I compare the V13 with a vintage Neumann U47, U67, and Telefunken 251. Both the singer from that video and I ended up preferring the V13 on her voice!

[@joshryan9397]

I have this mic. It sounds really great. I changed the tube to an early 60's vintage tube (RCA 6072) and it sounded even better (more present, fuller sounding, more mid range clarity).

[@paulwood4142]

Looking good for 32 Sir.

[@BetterMixes]

Haha thank you!

[@paullawson8610]

Audient gear is great

[@BetterMixes]

Absolutely!

[@kisho2679]

Why not the BBE unit?

[@BetterMixes]

Mostly because I don't have and have never used a BBE unit 🤷‍♂️

[@mrufino1]

The police took the modules from the console? That’s a bizarre story! I understand why you don’t want to expand on details, but it’s a funny picture in my mind of police disassembling a console.

[@BetterMixes]

Haha yeah, it was super weird! Someone had obviously told them exactly how to do it, cause well, that's probably not something they teach at the police academy!

[@victor2510]

Sting, Andy and Stewart took the modules?

[@BetterMixes]

@@victor2510 😆😆😆 I wish it was them!

[@mrufino1]

@@BetterMixes that does make sense. I can probably guess what they were looking for in those modules, and obviously they knew exactly what they were looking for.

[@jjack93]

Sounds like a partnership split and they sent the police to get their gear

[@jameswilson7519]

Neve Shelford. Unbelievable

[@BetterMixes]

I've really been wanting to try that unit! I've quite liked all the Rupert Neve gear I've tried.

[@Ted_Swayinghill]

I love the ASP800 (bought mine from a friend in L.A.) until it went up on me (A/D card went bad causing it to desync from the interface) and customer service gave me the run around and eventually ghosting me...Never EVER dealing with Audient again...got a RME Octamic D in it's place...NIGHT AND DAY both in quality and customer service

[@fredfox3851]

I came very close to buying two of them, until I read multiple stories of them actually smoking and Audient saying FU to the owners. Too bad, because they look very pro, and all reviewers were stoked about their sound. Sorry about your bummer.

[@mirkomarkovic3438]

They do sound good, i've had no such problem-it's been said they fixed the issues on the newer ones. Also i don't use the ad conversion on those because i have better conversion in my rack.

[@BetterMixes]

Ah man, that's unfortunate to hear! Definitely hoping they fixed that (both the issues with the units and, more importantly, the customer service). But yeah, RME makes great stuff, so I'm glad that unit is working out for you!

[@Ted_Swayinghill]

@@mirkomarkovic3438 I’ll give more detail into the troubleshooting I was doing. I thought it was my interface’s clock (focusrite saffire pro 40), nope but it did go obsolete so I was forced to upgrade to a Motu 8pre ES,SAME THING HAPPENED, bought a black lion audio micro clock mk2, then I thought it was something going on with my electricity, bought a new power conditioner from Surge X Same thing happened but less often While doing all of that trouble shooting nothing was being done on audient’s side, all they did was suggest me to a few spots that were nowhere near me that were certified in repairing audient products, I sent a email to the closest one (they were in california and on the east coast) NO RESPONSE. I just went “fuck it” and purchased a old RME Octamic D No more issues after that, the asp800 is collecting dust meanwhile my RME is in perfect sync with my motu through the black lion audio micro clock. It doesn’t need the clock honestly because the motu’s clock is great however since the RME is old it does help solidify things.

[@Ted_Swayinghill]

@@BetterMixes The ASP800 is collecting dust meanwhile the RME is working flawlessly. I was singing audient’s praises until that incident, I was literally sending them video after video as proof. They just eventually fizzled out and ghosted me.

[@11000038]

I wanted to be first to comment! I can't think of anything but an sm57 and some Yamaha HS7 studio monitors come to mind. Some proper heavy duty mic stands too. I agree about software synths. Like you I prefer the real thing especially my Modal (rip) Cobalt 8. I didn't have to buy it but the compressor in Reaper when recording is cool.

[@BetterMixes]

Those are all great ones! I'm a big of fan of 57s; they just instantly give you 'that sound' on snare and guitars! And having a set of monitors you click with is huge!

[@rickfowler3710]

Audioscape pultecs for me

[@BetterMixes]

I've really been wanting to try some of Audioscape's stuff! I've heard it's all killer!

[@alanredversangel]

Totally agree on hardware synths. Even digital gear that is outboard is more inspiring. I use minidexed a lot which is 8 DX7s on a raspberry pi. So much more fun to use than loading up 8 vsts.

[@BetterMixes]

Couldn't agree more! My JU-06A is digital, and it gets used all the time. I own a couple Juno plugins, and despite sounding just as good and being easier to set up (don't need to go find my 1/8" TRS to dual 1/4" cable), I literally never touch them.

[@geraldhenderson8474]

Walrus contraband. Bought it sold it, bought it again.

[@BetterMixes]

I've been wanting to try one of those out! Walrus makes a ton of cool looking stuff.

[@geraldhenderson8474]

@BetterMixes it's gated. Get the gate correct and rock out. Try stuff in front of it. Go crazy. Flanger, pitch shifter etc

[@WizWordofficial]

Mine is MPC Studio

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! Those look like a lot of fun.

[@joeschlicht]

Ha. I have the ASP800. Honestly i have no basis for comparison. I got it because my interface is the ID22 and I wanted matching Pres. I'll be googling the robotic thingy. That's super interesting. I know Eric Valentine use a similar proprietary setup. I did not know there was one on the market.

[@BetterMixes]

Yeah, I first saw the mic robot thing in some Eric Valentine interview years and years ago and thought it was the coolest idea, so once I saw Dynamount came out with a commercially available one, I was pretty stoked!

[@e.apollis2877]

i think a lunchbox with 8 SSL equalizers will do, for kik bass snare vocals etc.

[@BetterMixes]

Can't go wrong with that!

[@MalikEmmanuel]

You MUST tell why the police took the console. In fact, I need the entire story just just to feel while at this point

[@BetterMixes]

Hahaha without going too deep into it, there was a bit of a legal battle surrounding ownership of the studio at the time, so things got a little messy for a while.

[@11000038]

Please drop the zoom in and out. It really doesn't add anything. 😊

[@BetterMixes]

I appreciate the feedback! Still trying to find my editing style, and yeah, watching back, I might have went a little overboard with it in this one!

[@bobmccarroll7876]

Less is more...even when it comes to zoom switching. Just a thought. Great video subject, tho.

[@nickiden]

The zooms a totally fine. Great video.

[@zackorr421]

+1 to the less zoom. I found it distracting like it was making me feel like my eyes were bugging out

[@YusufQadir909]

😂

[@matthewchavezm.b.s5503]

I think it's a good idea to record vocals with the ShureSM58. Thats the most used stage mic and people hear that sound all the time. If that's what your gonna hear live, than might as well mix with it too.

[@BetterMixes]

A 58 can certainly work for some singers/styles! I mean it works for Bono after all! But on the other hand, I had a singer in a couple weeks ago helping me out with a mic shootout, and on her voice/for that song, the 58 was borderline offensive sounding compared to the other mics we tried. That being said, I don't think I'd ever personally try to emulate the live sound in the studio. I mean, most people aren't using 58s live because they're the best sounding option, it's cause they can survive being dropped or having beer spilled on them, it's easy to hold, it's got ok rejection, and maybe most importantly, they're cheap to replace if they get broken, lost, or stolen. In the studio, when we don't have those concerns, I'd much rather choose the mic that sounds the best for the song (which might sometimes be the 58! But often is not).

[@matthewchavezm.b.s5503]

@BetterMixes I get wanting to use different style mics for recording. They come with different built in eq curves and comp so they sound different and more polished going in. So that's what makes them appealing. But all of those adjustments can be made after in the daw which in live settings is what happens to the ShureSM58. It gets processed. Having a dry, clean single is all that is necessary when you know how to layer the FX on correctly. Cause different mics are liking clicking a different preset on the computer. But they are fun to play with.

[@BetterMixes]

@@matthewchavezm.b.s5503 To an extent they can be adjusted afterwards, but no amount of eq and compression will make a 58 sound like a 251, or the other way around for that matter (at least with nowmal-ish processing. Obviously like mic modeling is a little different, although even those I haven't been super impressed by. And maybe you could get close using a match eq or something, but that's not a result you'd ever get in a real-world situation). You can certainly make them much more similar but not the same. And for some stuff, that would be totally close enough. But again, like that singer I had in, she does kinda folk-ish music, just vocal and guitar, very open, very sparse, nothing to hide behind. I don't think all the eq in the world would have been able to get that 58 to sound more than ok on her. Probably passable, but not spectacular. In a big heavy rock song, on the other hand, a 58 might not need too much tweaking at all to sound spot on!

[@glitchunicorn]

For me its a hardware compressor.

[@BetterMixes]

Nice! Any particular one you're digging?

[@glitchunicorn]

@@BetterMixes I use the successor

[@BetterMixes]

@@glitchunicorn Very cool! Heritage makes great stuff.

[@SpirosPoullos]

Why did the police take the console?

[@BetterMixes]

Without getting too deep into it, there was a bit of a legal battle going on over the studio which ultimately led to the police taking the console (it was returned after a bit!).

[@anywherenearzero]

If you move your teleprompter further away you wont see you reading it

[@BetterMixes]

I'll give this a shot next time I'm filming!

[@LukeIcardMusic]

Did the console have coke in it or something?

[@BetterMixes]

Haha no, there was a bit of a legal battle surrounding ownership of the studio which ultimately let to this.

[@LukeIcardMusic]

@@BetterMixes that is wild.

[@HITMAN1er]

If you cant tell the difference between pres, might need to reconsider how you hear things.

[@BetterMixes]

Well if you watched the video, I said that there absolutely is a difference between different preamps. I just said it's WAY more subtle than the people on Gearspace and most KZbin videos would have you believe (assuming you're not full on distorting them).

[@classicalteacher]

I wish I never bought cheap Chinese crap. It's OK for live going through old PAs, but not for quality recordings. I now use Schoeps and Millennia's for pro classical recordings. For student or amateur recordings I use Oktavia. They are much more forgiving.

[@BetterMixes]

There's something special about Schoeps for classical recording! I used to occasionally assist an engineer who would bring in a tool case full of Schoeps for chamber sessions! I think we usually ran them through Grace pres, and it sounded fantastic!

[@juanmore12]

Mid level gear save your money buy a mic over 1,000-3,000 than you will see the real difference an the pres will stick out for the better like you never heard them before 😮.

[@BetterMixes]

I mean, the mics I mentioned in this video are all in that 1000-3000 dollar range. And I've tested pres with everything from a 57 to a vintage 251, and the difference is there, but quite subtle in my opinion.

[@coffeehigh420]

LOLz

[@BetterMixes]

😘

[@coffeehigh420]

@@BetterMixes 😍

[@RedMedicineRecording]

Less hands please….

[@adamhardman7927]

Excellent video, but just a tip, watching your eyes move reading your script is a little distracting. Try making your script document smaller so we cant see your eyes move across the screen :)

[@BetterMixes]

I appreciate the feedback! I'll see if I can shrink it down a little next time I'm filming.

[@williamshaneblyth]

never noticed

[@UltraCodex66]

HOW ARE YOU IN YOUR EARLY 30s ?????????

[@BetterMixes]

Hahaha I dunno, it just happened one day 😆

[@samprock]

Why did I watch this. Need to remember “click bate” exist for reason 😂

[@BetterMixes]

How is this click bait? The title says exactly what the video is about and the thumbnail is me pointing at one of things on the list in the video. It's all good if you don't like the video, but it's just not click bait.

[@samprock]

@ Right, dynamount, pre, “good” mic, what else, and talk of Neve console is all “home studio” topics. Hardware synth, right, otherwise it’s not “any” studio. One need at least a Behringer with at least hw FX. Made me smile :)

[@BetterMixes]

@@samprock ...how are dynamounts, affordable mic pres, and vocal microphones not home studio topics? And the story about the Neve was to talk about how good the affordable Audient stuff is, saying that you don't need a crazy expensive Neve to get killer sounds in your home studio. Again, I don't care if you don't like my list, but when the title is 5 things I wish I bought sooner for my home studio and I tell you 5 things I wish I bought for my home studio sooner, that's not click bait. Especially when I put in chapter markers so you can easily skip over the Neve story if it's not interesting to you 🤦‍♂

[@samprock]

@ Not important to me and to my opinion vid like that derailing for ppl who would search for “home studio”. Of course you totally right on your picks and said “I wish”. I’m not nitpicking but my guts rebel a bit on a bigger scale of things. Not essentials or deal breaking for a home studio, so it will stay click bait for me. Maybe it’s too harsh as you are sharing your experience (which is great!) and trying to find a catchy title (and I’m too grumpy this morning). Though would be interesting to talk to you at your 60s. Peace mate!

[@XCHADHIGGINSX]

​@@samprockI honestly have no idea what you are talking about.

[@MusicStillRules]

the finger wave made this unwatchable. good info, good voice, good video, but stop talking with your hands, it is very distracting to the point of irritating.

[@BetterMixes]

I appreciate the feedback! I'll keep that in mind next time I'm filming.

[@niozikpro5812]

Sounds like someone wanted to bite the finger . . . I mean, once you focus on the subject the finger is a bonus 😂😂

[@MusicStillRules]

@@BetterMixes I appreciate that you appreciate. I know that speaking with hands can be a tough habit to kick but if you have to you can sit on your hands for a while. You are nailing every other aspect. Control over the hand stuff will be icing on the cake and you will appear even more professional than you already do which in the long run may attract even more viewers. I can delete this and my original post if you want so that it does not appear to others that I am saying something negative? ... and then I will keep my opinions to myself going forward.

[@BetterMixes]

@@MusicStillRules It's all good! I don't consider myself to be an expert at making videos by any means, it's definitely a work in progress, so feedback from the people who are actually watching the videos is always welcome.

[@femmebutt9460]

I came for the finger wave,, stayed for the gear talk 👉🏻👈🏻

[@romanisawesome]

OK, but. Who are you?

[@BetterMixes]

I'm Mike 👋 I've been recording and mixing for around 15 years now, and in that time I've worked with and learned from legendary engineers like Neil Dorfsman, Ryan Hewitt, Joe Blaney, Joe Ferla, and Mario McNulty and worked with amazing artists like Shawn Mendes, The Lumineers, Vance Joy, Bob Weir, Glen Matlock, Slim Jim Phantom, and Jade bird.

[@romanisawesome]

@@BetterMixes Ah, OK. Nice to meet you)))

[@officialdiomer]

Weird question

[@EddieJarnowski]

So you are admitting that you are a noob.

[@BetterMixes]

Well, I've been recording for around 15 years now and have worked on multiple platinum records so...😘

[@EddieJarnowski]

@@BetterMixes well if it took you a long time to figure out you needed a good mic that's pretty noobish.just sayin.

[@BetterMixes]

I mean, that was over 10 years ago at this point when I bought the vocal mic I was talking about in this video, so yes, at one point I was a noob, as was literally everyone ever at one point. The point of talking about that in this video was to say hey, if you're earlier on in your recording journey and aren't sure what to buy next to improve your sound, consider a great vocal mic. Think of how many people are using an inexpensive condenser mic or an sm7 and have never used a high end vocal mic and therefore don't know what they're missing...

[@officialdiomer]

@@EddieJarnowskiyour arrogance is showing