How much should your studio cost? | FAQ Friday - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro

[@Producelikeapro]

Which piece of equipment do you think is a must-have? Why?

[@guillermodelnoche]

Produce Like A Pro A true passion for music creation. Hardware: best mic you can afford.

[@ksparbanie]

A very good AD/DA Converter, preferably an interface with killer mic pre's.

[@erictorres5935]

Room treatment first and then monitors

[@stevenswall]

Good speakers. They make the most audible difference as their frequency response differs more than mics, DACs, cables, etc.

[@devinunderwood9039]

A good Yamaha Bass is sure hard to live without

[@Niculwmusic]

When you talked about tracking at high levels it reminded me of something i was taught by a very renowned live mixer in Denmark. When creating your base live mix you want to mix it loud. Alone in a venue things might be loud enough for you, but not with a crowd. As soon as the crowd arrives you might have to turn your master up by 5-10dB. Your once beautiful mix wont sound beautiful anymore, 3-5k will dominate, ripping through ears. Because 1. loud speakers are getting pushed harder 2. frequency perception changes with volume. This is by some in the danish industry referred to as "American mixes". Luckily most mixers come with either a dynamic compressor or dynamic EQ now. Putting this on your culprit or on a bus, maybe as post-fade should solve this problem most of the time. However not many average joe live-mixers know exactly how these work, so they just dont use them.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Nicolai for sharing your insights! Very cool indeed!

[@tommibjork]

I think I've spend 13000€ on recording gear (preamps & microphones) + 5000€ for instruments. I started buying pro gear around 2004. Something everytime I have some money left after bills etc. When not doing it professionally it takes a lot of time and effort (and dedication) to keep slowly building it up. Good luck to everyone starting now, just remember that there's loads a great gear out there that will do wonders and not break the bank. Read the forums and learn to evaluate what sounds good to you.

[@michaelyoung7911]

Presonus studio one easy to use and it has so many awesome features.

[@Melvin7727]

My DAW is Reaper. It's the only one I've used. But I'm constantly amazed hearinf what other DAW users CAN'T do, that I can easily do in Reaper, usually in 5 different ways too.

[@JohnWallsrockmusic]

I agree totally!!

[@micheleperla]

Great vid as always, but you forgot to mention mics, even though I know you'd suggest Lewitts! My biggest suggestion would be to go for stuff that's good quality (I'm not talking Neumann), stuff that you know can last well over a decade when used properly; it doesn't need to be expensive, just buy smart. Tools I can suggest because I got them, I tried them, or because I looked them for my own project studio: bass - Cort Artisan B5, around 500€ new, active eq, 5 strings, super versatile; bass amp - TC BG-112, new for around 270€, 2 on board FXs and on board DI output, powerful and clear amp; drums - Yamaha Stage Custom, new around 900€, all around shells with good mechanics; interface - RME Digiface USB, around 350€, it's 32x34 channels with 4x4 ADAT IOs, low latency stable drivers and amazing support, add a Behringer ADA8200 (160€) to begin with 8 channels then get better/more ADAT pres; guitar amp - Marshall DSL 30, around 350€ new, two channels all valve head that sounds killer on Celestions; mics - Beyerdynamic TG Drum Set Pro, get the L one for around 900€ and you got yourself covered, add a couple of SM57s and a Lewitt LCT 240 Pro. Hope this will be helpful :)

[@RC32Smiths01]

Appreciate the well thought out and quality answers! Always a blessing to have and gain valuable knowledge indeed. Cheers

[@commontimeproductions]

Ibanez 305 or 405 bass used 300$. rip out the active electronics and take out everything but the volume and pickups, wire as a humbucker, double-ground and you have a quiet, great-sounding bass for cheap. Sound's realy good DI and threw an amp. LH 1000 Hartke bass amp. Absolutely the most bang for the buck @1000watts. You can find one used for around 300$ I like a 4X10 cab for bass, live and recording. Much Love

[@ProjectVastness]

I use Studio One Pro, but I can also work with Pro Tools or Cakewalk

[@sansocie]

Very cool. Hats off to you.

[@robertsimpson5801]

Here are my thoughts on how much money should be allocated to a semi-professional, start-up recording studio. Here are what I would consider the essential pieces of gear that you must have in order to record an entire band, assuming that you already have a nice sounding room. An audio interface with at least 8 xlr inputs. A dynamic kick drum mic. 4 dynamic mics. Two pencil condenser mics Two large diaphragm mics. Two direct boxes. 8 XLR cables. 2 TS/TRS cables. A decent computer with plenty of RAM and storage space. Some decent monitors. Several (3-4) sets of decent headphones. The DAW of your choice. With this equipment, you should be able to track an entire band fairly easily. Given, you would need to go back and over dub all of the instruments to make sure that you got clean recordings, but this would allow you to capture a solid, studio-quality recording of just about any band. You don't need a bunch of fancy outboard gear, preamps, Or even 3rd party plugins. What you really need to do is get experience with microphone placement, and learning how to use the plugins that you already have in your DAW. If you can learn those things, you will find that you don't really need anything else, although in time, you will want to add some tools to your arsenal that give you different sounds or that make your workflow more efficient. If the band needs you to provide instruments for them, I would say not to get involved with that. Either have them rent their own gear, or rent it for them and bill them for it. All together, you should easily be able to get all of those things for under $2000.

[@ritmocity]

On the ear maintenance question: make sure you are seeing an ear doctor once or twice a year. This is considered #1 essential ear maintenance. Also something i do is use ear plugs when outside, driving, etc. You may not notice but people expose their hearing to very harsh noises every day. Believe me, if you have good ear maintenance, you will be sooooo glad you did once you hit 50+ years of living, and long beyond. Of course if ur a rocker, your hearing can start collapsing after 30 y/o. The best thing i did was visit an ear doctor years ago. He prescribed a set of earplug that where custom made for my ears. I would not go to any gig without my trusty earplugs; served me well. Even today, even though my hearing is great i still use earplugs on every gig. And on most days when outside I'm wearing earplugs. Also, wear earplugs (i wear headphones) when practicing, especially if ur a horn player, or any high pitch instrument like drums, flute, etc. No musician should take his/her hearing for granted. Take care.

[@ChadWork1]

I love Cubase. What I like is how you have a volume bar on every clip, so you can adjust the individual clip volumes, or even a single note if you make a cut on both sides, then hit "x" and it creates crossfades. So I can do volume automation without locking the track into a state where you can't raise/lower the whole track due to traditional automation. That's not the main only thing abut Cubase, but it's the first thing I miss whenever I work in another DAW.

[@bz86054]

WARREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN YOU ARE THE MAN! I have been studying all your videos. I wrote the tips and the important stuff on paper and capture images of your videos (for example mic placement) for better understanding. You have all my respects and i wish you continue forever. . Hugs from Argentina dude!!! Here all the equipement cost a lot more, for example a Senheiser 421 cost near $840 dolars nowdays, so i am buying equipement of lower quality but i think the most important thing is the music and the production techniques that you use to make it sound modern and original. The last thing that makes the difference is the quality of the gear, what matters is the performance. Long life to you my friend!

[@ksparbanie]

For someone, like you, that learned recording and mixing during the analog era: In this wonderful world of DAW's and plug-ins, some of us still prefer the tactile experience of a console and outboard gear. You yourself sometimes do projects in a "hybrid" fashion. For those of us that can't afford an expensive Neve or Audient console, which desks available have the best sound and features for the lowest (or reasonable) cost???

[@Lalaland.001]

I would highly recommend getting an analog desk an Allen&Heath gl2800 comes to mind, which is modular meaning you can get it 24,32, and so on and so forth it is the one which I use. It can cost anywhere from $400 to $800 used in holland which is great considering that they still go brand new for about $3500. also a soundcraft spirit, tascam m 3700 comes to mind, which were some of my previous desks. You can't really go wrong with either, it all comes down to budget and preference. I just love the A&H sound. Hope that helps, have a magnificent day.

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes, I started with two cassette players then gravitated to a 4 track! I agree, an inexpensive used console from the late 80's through mid 90's that used to be over 10-10k can be bought at a fraction of the costs and give you many amazing sounding mic pres!

[@willtranchet7950]

@@Lalaland.001 I was able to get a used mackie 24/8/2 for about 700 $ here in Belgium, a great 8 bus mixer for sending any channel to a Motu 896 MK3

[@Lalaland.001]

@@willtranchet7950 congrats on the mackie, really nice man. Happy to hear you found something that suits your needs. Happy recording to you and have a magnificent day...

[@strike_true]

I think that something that a lot of people look over when starting a studio, is an education in personal finance and business. I was lucky to have lived in a small business family so I’ve learned how to properly finance myself. That’s why I feel confident in taking risks in purchases and financing myself through loans with the ability to pay them off. Seriously if you’re thinking of starting a studio research personal financing cause those tips will save you a lot of headache.

[@sansocie]

Thanks. Great post. Also remember to log your day! Keep notes.

[@L.Scott_Music]

For the new studio looking for amps a great choice is Synergy Amps. It's an investment like buying any one good tube amp but after that your amp collection is VERY inexpensive. And it take very little extra space. Used is usually pretty good but be careful buying used cables unless you have good soldering skills and a cable tester. I was impressed with the Iconic's acoustical tone before you plugged it in. My G&L ASAT has that and it translates to great amp'ed tone.

[@Bluehmind]

Such a beautiful guitar playing!!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much!

[@randyshaffer93]

Another good option for bass if you are looking for an extended range bass is the Stellar Neptune001. Ebay for around $150.00 new with case.

[@electricwhiterabbit]

Squire Vintage modified Precision Bass is fantastic for the $. I have one in my studio and it is really nice.

[@Producelikeapro]

Electric Rabbit that’s wonderfull!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@seabreeze2792]

Hey I have a home studio. I have much equipment. Too much.I played with a band years ago and kept everything.You really present this well. I like what you say. We can all do a great studio with some thought and planning. Your vid shows us this concept. Thank you for showing this to us. Hats off too ya.

[@splashesin8]

A lot if great stuff packed into this one! Thank you Warren and many of the commenters following!

[@realraven2000]

17:00 did you forget microphones? As an instrumentalist (keys, mandoline) with some decent nearfields i found acquisition of an acceptable large diaphragm mic (thomann sc 1100) the most inspiring investment.

[@Mcsteveberry]

bro im obsessed with your videos

First speakers, headphones and sonarworks and a DAW (reaper has the best pricing imo, but i work with cubase also). Cheap interfaces are perfectly fine nowadays, there are even very cheap microphones that are amazing( check out the frequency response of the AKG P420 on audio test kitchen and compare it to the u87 and prepare to be shocked!), and there is helix native i wasted so much money on other stuff and nowadays helix native is used mostly. When it comes to instruments invest in great pickups and locking tuners and great bone or graphtech saddles if needed the rest will not be that important it makes a difference but the biggest factor will be the pickups. After all the most important thing will be voice and Drums ... if you have no other chance then programming get superior drummer 3 and to get a nice dry vocal sound get acoustic treating or simply the isovox... it took me so long to get this but i am so happy to have that thing now ...

[@adrianl5899]

Fully recommend Warren's videos with Barry Rudolph on room treatment as a linked topic to the gear for those looking to get a studio going. Time and again, these videos highlight that no-one should wait around thinking that good work can only be achieved with lots of high-end equipment . I really appreciate how a wide range of budgets are thought of.

[@guitarz99]

i got about 50 grand into mine, just stuff i collected over the years, guitars, amps, drums, mics, outboard gear etc etc

[@Kineticartist]

Good Band Name? Schnizzleton and of course they would play german deth metal thru virtual amps

[@limbophonic1]

My main DAW is Reason 10.4, i find it easy to use and mix as i go along with the built in SSL mixer, been using it for about 12/14 years

[@jurgenschuler8389]

What about the studio essentials: a decent coffee machine, a small fridge (for the milk, not for beer), a lava lamp, some PLAP mugs and an Eric? Great video!

[@sansocie]

Great first steps. Skip the beer 90 proof works faster. Just kidding. Gave up working with the impaired decades ago.

[@gainstage4497]

I really like your guitar playing through out the channels videos!

[@ijaypeterson]

Hi Warren. I had just returned from an audiologist appointment when I watched this video!! I am in my late 50s and have lost some top end 😭 so, a full analysis is being done next Thursday. If I added an EQ on the mix bus to compensate which I removed upon mixdown, would that work? What do your colleagues do that have been mixing forever but have lost some hearing? Thanks for all the advice!! If I can suss this out I'll be joining your academy!

[@jpr1est783]

Ever played an Yngwie Malmsteen Fender, Warren? Feels weird at first, but the vibrato and bends feel fantastic once you get used to the scallops. It's a great shred machine, as Yngwie has shown time and time again.

[@aaronvennard9038]

I just got a presonus 24 rack mixer and so far I love it it's great for my studio it has a bunch of aux's for headphone mixes for musicians that they can control right Fromm their phones and the box itself acts like a snake since I control it digitally it doesn't even have to be inn my control room. Pre amps sound great to me and was very easy and affordable to set up. The amount of flexibility in it I'm still learning and will be for a while but I can record a full band have all the mics plugged in at once and have all their headphone mixes going from one box.

[@twitchgrass3849]

When Garth Richardson said he pumped bass and guitar through a PA while recording the first Rage record, is the PA mic’d in the same room as drums for a livelier sound? Are vocals there too? I can’t picture how that works or why. Isn’t that more difficult to deal with for mic’s bleeding? I gotta listen to it now.

[@mikaelsnare]

I use the Magix Samplitude Pro X4 DAW. I found a free version of it about ten years ago and have upgraded a few times. I just ordered a Focusrite 18i20 last week when I got a new one at the priced of a used, when it arrives I'll be able to record 16 XLR tracks at once (I already have a Behringer ADA8200). The laptop I bought last year and a few mic's I've bought used - and I'm always checking out the used market - but I've bought most of my gear new.

[@richcarosi5941]

I use REAPER, and I use an Focusrite 18i20 for an interface.

[@J_THOR]

The mapex mars is great for recording. U can get a used kit with 4 toms (10x7, 12x8, 14x12 and 16x14. 22x18 kick) for $400. Great for rock/metal if u tune the drums right at the point where the wrinkles disappear. Meinl cymbals are great. The schecter avenged sevenfold models are great for guitar and bass. Synyster gates guitars with sustainiac go for $1,000-$1200 new. Johnny Christ basses are about a $1,000. They are identical to what they use live. Grade a for hard rock and metal.

[@GeoffBosco]

Peavey made some cool guitars in the 90's. Got me a Tele Clone that has an amazing USA made neck.

[@damon_aaron]

I have an old Peavey Patriot bass that I love.

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes! I love my Peavey gear!! Thanks Geoff!!

[@Producelikeapro]

@@damon_aaron wonderful!!

[@zer0tzer0]

The FMR RNC, or "Really Nice Compressor. I just love it in my signal chain when tracking the Bass. I put it in front of a UA 710 pre-amp and it just tames it and smooths everything over. If I want some amp tone I'll put a Vox Stomplab bass pedal on an SVT setting in front of that. But I have to have the RNC in between. It just makes gluing it to the rhythm tracks later so much easier.

[@thatdrewrivers]

Yeah, I'm a Cubase user. It's what I started on back in the day of the Atari ST, so it's what I know, I can fly around it pretty much and I love it. I have tried other DAWs over the years, and I'm sure they're good, but my brain is trained for Cubase. As for headphones, I use the Sennheiser 650HD's as when I was finally in a position to purchase something more than budget, that's what everyone recommended.

[@MartinLuxen]

Thank you Warren! Love the first question and the enthousiasm you get when "designing" a new studio :)

[@Martin-kn6vc]

I've recently been thinking about the content of the first question a lot myself recently. If I could go back to when I started out and create a budget for backline and another for recording equipment, I would first and foremost buy a medium-priced drum kit (Mapex Armory or similar) knowing I would maintain it properly with new drum heads on a regular basis... More often than not, when I've relied on the drummer of a band to bring their drum kit in, it's usually covered in gaffa tape/moon gel and the cymbals are the same or cracked (I'd have the drummer hire cymbals if they were cracked/lacklustre). An acoustic guitar is also something that I find to be a weak link when bands come in, as I feel like gigging guitarists only want to know if the acoustic has a preamp built in and if it's a good price.

[@philiptalk]

Wow! I had no idea you have those kind of guitar chops. Great stuff all around. I learn a ton every time I watch.

[@Producelikeapro]

Aw shucks thanks ever so much!! That's very kind of you!

[@randyshaffer93]

The Peavey T40 was my main bass for years. It is a great bass with many different sonic options.

[@kaihoopersbx]

I started on Ableton Live Lite when I bought a small midi keyboard at 10 and upgraded to Ableton Live Suite when I turned 13!

[@jasonsimmons7479]

Fantastic advice as usual. One of the things you touched on we have experienced as well. Drums that are not tuned well. We've ran into it so many times that we (2 guitar players) had to learn to tune drums. It's amazing how many good drummers we've recorded that couldn't tune their drums. So indeed it's a skill to learn that will help you out when recording. Just like you said they don't have to be expensive drums to sound good if they're tuned well.

[@dylandolbyvlogs]

I use Studio One 4 Pro. Started with the artist version because it came with my first audio interface. Love it. Does everything I want it to fairly easily. I’ve never used any other DAW though

[@shayneoneill1506]

Oh and for Midi, just buy a second hand Yamaha Clavinova. Those things actually sound and FEEL amazing as pianos, but with that USB midi, it'll be your main weapon of choice. Though have a midi controller with pads and a pitch/mod shifter for instruments that need that.

[@Beatledave7]

Can't beat the look of a double bound guitar Warren! Looks & sounds marvellous with you playing it!

[@JJDPROMEDIAPRODUCTION]

Warren, out of all the "Pro How to" studio channels, I have to say that I've learned more in a year and has really expanded my knowledge of gear, mixes and hardware choices and selections. Thanks. And, keep up the good work!

[@MaksStaron]

Hi Warren! What configuration of Your balanced cables is? Are they have pin1 (GND) connected to the chassis of XLR connectors? It sounds silly but there is many discussions on forums about that.

[@bradgray5875]

A question for another Friday: I have a project studio, a small room (12x10) , where I track and mix. The challenge with my PC & DAW in this same room, is that the only way I can hear the source that's mic'ed is to record and quickly listen back. While this process works to a point, it has me rushing through mic placement, vs taking the time to hear each sound carefully when recording. Any suggestions? The only one I can think of is to build a second room. The material I'm tracking is work with myself and another musician, but we're recording acoustic drums, guitars, vox, etc. Side Note - Thanks for all the great videos that you do each week. Those interviews are just excellent! - Brad

[@OrgChromer]

Try putting a delay in the monitor chain. 1, maybe 2 seconds. Play, listen, play, listen, adjust mic placement, repeat... Turn it off once you're set, obviously!

[@TheReal_Dicey]

Question on ADAT connected preamps, like the Audient stuff. Most 8-channel ADAT preamps half the amount of channels you can use when you go from 48k-96k, and again when going from 96k-192k. This is a bit of a problem if you want to record a lot of mics, like on a drum kit (in/out, top/bot, spot/amb, etc), and have no real pre-daw summing capabilities to save on I/O usage. This is also where I see the real benefit of chained systems like any (well most) of the Apollo's or the HD I/O's for pro tools that give you the same I/O count no matter the sample rate, but are more typically more expensive (not counting the Slate VRS8, because fuck banked phantom power). Do you see this becoming something that companies like Audient will rectify in the near future?

[@ShutTheMuckUp]

I have a question about EQs. I see a lot of companies are making these Pultec style tube EQs, but I don't understand why they're so desired. Aren't they just basically 2 band EQs? How is being able to adjust only 2 frequencies better than a 15 or 31 band EQ?

[@americareal3]

Fun topic!! Started with Cubase... Ended up on Studio One Pro. PreSonus makes outstanding software... IMHO The "Hardware Mixers?" Ehhh not so much. Just wanted to say... I have the KRK VXT6's with a subwoofer... And man they are AWESOME!

[@UnrealSoundDesigner]

Personally i always say there's some things you shouldn't buy used, in this case speakers, i feel like you should always buy new speakers in case something happens you have the back up of the warranty and stuff like that. regarding headphones: AKG, i love my k240s they're very inexpensive less than $100 these days. mics: if you're barely starting out i thinks there's nothing wrong with getting an sm57 and a behringer condenser to start getting the hang of it. i have a matched pair of C2s and they work great, not expensive and they do what i need them to do. and then there's the easiest of starters... focusrite's mobile studio kit that comes with a pair of headphones, really good quality, a great condenser mic and one of their 2i2 interfaces which i love. this kit runs for like $250 and it will help you with half the things you need to start making music. M-audio makes amazing entry level keyboards, the keystation 88 is one of my favorites but if you need something with more controls the code 49 or 61 work great. if you dont have money for real amps but do have some money for something... positive grid's BIAS is in my opinion the best virtual amp there is. a must have for anyone making music.

[@ericanderson9383]

FAQ What is the value of knowing how to fix equipment on the fly? i.e. soldering, setting up an instrument, fixing drum hardware.

[@darcycoates1990]

I started learning protools with a 003, ended up migrating to Reaper and a Tascam US1800 - it seemed to make my flow so much easier and understandable.

[@ReeWebster]

Priceless info any good studio advice is. It's so easy to run over budget and over look really important things. Considering room acoustics would be my suggestion. It's the biggest improvement possible but also expensive and often a major overhaul. Kinda impossible to create a pro studio without it though so even if you're starting out on a budget, knowing you've got the space to improve acoustics in the future is something to consider for some.

[@acmeyakko]

G&L Tribute series (G&L's import line) for amazing, inexpensive bass. They are easily the best budget basses (and guitars) I have ever played. G&L has nice updates to Fender designs stock (many designed by Leo Fender and George Fullerton) e.g. high mass bass bridges. The US made instruments are great, but the single most important part of an electric guitar or bass sound is the pickups, and G&L Tributes come with US made electronics. I'd highly recommend G&L Tribute guitar and bass models over their equivalent Fender import models. You can get them really cheap used as well.

[@blokkadeleider]

Nasal spray? I just drink a glass of elderblossom lemonade when needed (not with additional grape juice, kills the goodness). Nice, gentle, long lasting. Haven't used nasal spray in 15 years. So good for the nose and throat!

[@SatyajitKhairnar]

thanks a lot for this... been selecting gear for my home studio lately. this certainly helped ❤️

[@Raul-yy9dq]

All my gear are came to me drop by drop and I always use it for personal or educational purpose (iow feeding my own curiosity). Have a pair equators 5" coax. Pluged into bmc-2 digital monitor and use a hybrid mk4 from motu to move it on. The daw is studio one artist on a pc laptop with 2 controlers which are prefader (to transport) and atom (for the drums). Have also an sg from storm(2 hambuckers pretty warm) a telecaster from sx and o bass from orange(just starting with it but really happy to care this piece). A well bulb driven sub zero to roar those guitars, mics and of course tons of cables. All this in a small room with a little bit of ac treathment. That's it, that's all. Waiting allways have more free time to spend it on my lovely room and btw paying attention to your videos! Thanks a lot

[@ADGreen-es6hm]

I have three interfaces two are thunderbolt , my new interface is the Audient id44 and I love it . Thanks Warren

[@braedenhenderson2358]

Acoustic treatment is absolutely critical to making good music too! The smaller the room, the more critical it is. Homemade bass traps and absorbent panels can be made fairly cheaply (go Rockwool!) and plans for making high-quality examples are readily available for free online (Bobby Owsinski's KZbin videos on this topic are ESSENTIAL). You can probably treat your whole studio for less than $500 and it will be a better investment than any premium plugin.A record mixed in an untreated small room will likely sound TERRIBLE the second you play it outside that room.

[@Seedoflifeskateboards]

You rule. This is a killer set up and close to what we use in our small studio. Just right to get a full band on tape and sounding good.

[@uncleoregon4586]

Such an incredible array of choices when it comes to recording studios! Great FAQ Warren!!

[@SeanKerns]

You covered "must-have" equipment pretty thoroughly. It depends on what your studio is about. If it's world class vocal recordings, then a great mic, pre, and dynamics are probably a must. If you're going to put yourself out there as a "guitarist's studio", then maybe some pro quality axes are more important.

[@ZamaNRaPBanD]

Hi Warren sorry that i have different question because i can not find answer anywhere. The question is can i connect tube condenser mics in audio interface or i must have preamp to use these kind of mics? thanks

[@WalkerKoldplay]

Great video, great advice (as always), AMAZING amp collection, Warren!

[@JedWunderli]

Is "Schnizzle-ton" a common term in England? I love it. :)

[@Melvin7727]

Jed Wunderli I hope it's used a schnizzle-ton of times

[@EddieVanAidan]

Nah we love a good casual swear! Warren just keeps it PG haha

[@Producelikeapro]

Haha thanks Jed! Just with my parents and especially my Grand Father! No swearing around him! He was a great man!

[@davidallenhammond2777]

Great questions and really solid advice, thanks Warren!

[@ulfsvensson9710]

Percussion. Shakers etc.. Play it live to fresh up loops.

[@richcarosi5941]

I like Fender amps. What do ya think of the Fender Champion 100? I have a small project studio and wanna get one of those. Lots of great tones for a small space. I also really like the Amplitube stuff.

[@twitchgrass3849]

Lava lamps. Maybe good microphones. Gotta capture the sounds man. Warren, has KZbin relaxed the loudness war fight? I’ve noticed a bunch of ads that are much louder than the thing I’m watching lately. You know anything about that?

[@gilbertspader7974]

Django Reinhuart love that ice cold guitar tone !!!!

[@MarcBecker_Music]

To me an awesome piece of equipment with a great value for the money, new or on the used market, is a DBX 160 A,X or XT compressors. They are easy to use, sound good on many different sources, are build sturdy and can neutral or make sound, if wanted.

[@emilianoyo]

FF Question here: How do you deal with the constant self doubt when recording? I mean when you get a tone you like but you are always having second thoughts and you are too afraid to commit to it.

[@Producelikeapro]

What an amazing question Emiliano! I really want to talk more about this! I have spoken about it before, however, I agree, we can talk more about it! I remember having a number one album and still feeling like I didn't know what I'm doing!

[@emilianoyo]

Produce Like A Pro , I would really appreciate it if you could talk more about it, but still, I'm going to look for ten videos where you talk about it. Thanks a lot!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi@@emilianoyo of course! Glad to be able to help! It's a marvellous subject!

[@sansocie]

@@Producelikeapro European and North American training teaches a final complete process. Look EAST. So many great people in music are Buddhist °○•●

[@Czyszy]

7:48 I should add that there are Turkish/Chinese-made cymbals which are good and really affordable. Like Amedia and Dream.

[@overknight7696]

talking about DAWs, get the demo version for all of the popular ones and see what sticks with you! if you have a mac, try out garage band since logic has no demo. i personally use fl studio, but used logic for 3 years before that. ableton i can work with, pro tools i really can't deal with

[@oldbluzguy]

A good condenser is a must.

[@AlexAvila-hw3ys]

Is John Botchaglupi (The Hanger/Inerhermonic studio off C st in Sacramento CA and I am all most positive I misspelled his name) still with Tape Op?

[@andaryal256]

I use FL studio because I primarily make techno and house music. It was what could afford at the time

[@Producelikeapro]

Aiden Warren that’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing!

[@jbaranowski1990]

The legendary Carol Kaye recommends Mexican made Jazz Basses too! She said that she love her Ibanez SRX700 but if she must recommend one factory made bass it will be Fender Jazz Bass MIM. It meet her sound standards. I wish I could get those basses but it's hard to get them in Poland. Especially this Ibanez bass. Both basses unfortunatelly are discontinued. I use my Ernie Ball Musicman StingRay with Thomastik flatwounds since 10 years now and it sit in the mix like a butter. FOH guys and producers love my sound too. Price? About $1,1k (bass and strings). My DAW is FL Studio since 5 years now. I try many different DAWs but FL is always intuituve for me.

[@jensjensen6665]

beyer dynamic 770 ------ sony 7

[@lahattec]

Ooo, that's a good question... How do you go about making a mix sound "exciting at all volume levels"? Thanks.

[@fromchomleystreet]

I use GarageBand and have yet to hear a good explanation of what it can’t do, specifically, or what level of sound quality it can’t achieve, that would require me to upgrade to Logic or another DAW. Can someone answer this?

[@UncleBenjs]

Lovely guitar!! The noise was bugging me a little tho, buzz really noticeably bleeding through the sound of the guitar. Maybe other setups mask it a little but it is very clear on mine.

[@gr328]

Jag-you-are my friend ;-) The nasal sprays squeeze your arteries and so are not good if you have high blood pressure/poor circulation.

[@yusifr287]

+1 on the used mexican P-bass. hot rod the electronics and bridge for $100ish, new flat wounds... give it a new set up... bone nut.. polish the frets.. great instrument for under $500... that's what i did.

[@orryfishburne5326]

I really want to upgrade my headphones to the sennheiser hd650 open back for mixing. I currently have the audio technica ath-m50x and they are great and solid, but I really want to hear some open back phones. I do have monitors, but I don’t have a treated room and my room has weird, poor acoustics so I don’t like to trust them for a mix, they are more for composition and playing instruments, samplers, synths, and getting my ideas out there, then move to headphones for more accuracy when mixing. I would love to treat my space, but I have no clue where to start. I definitely would need to move my gear into my bedroom first and make my living room also my bedroom. My living room is very oddly shaped so my bedroom would be much easier to treat and it is a better sounding room in comparison untreated, but I’m not sure if that’s a sacrifice I’m ready to make, plus the cost of treating the room I can’t afford at the moment.

[@atrakkzz3527]

Hey warren I have a question regarding direct monitoring that comes with focusrite scarlett 2i2. What do you think about mixing using direct monitor on? When I tried turning in it on and off the first thing I noticed was change in volume.. what do you think?

[@larrytate1657]

I have a Yamaha TRBX304 mahagony body bass for around 399 brand new. Thing sounds great and you could prob score it around 250 used.

[@GeoffBosco]

On your list of important things in drum sounds, I would put the room above all things you said. But, everything else is right on.

[@edwardlee6516]

all pieces. its a life time of collection unless your rich then you get whatever you need or want in the mean time collect the essential's computer, software, mic, good preamp for that mic a good stereo compressor with separate controls for each channel, a stereo 32 band eq a good digital board with good converters etc great video thank you Warren

[@chrismataran8302]

So much great insights, I love the FAQ videos! Thanks Doctor Warren. ;-) . For me recording a band is the next step, I have all that I need to mix ITB but I hardly have the stuff to record even a small band (drums, bass, guitars and vocals). I have a schnizzel-long way to go but I 'm patient :-). Here is my question : How to be mobile to record a band, what kind of equipment do you need when you want to have a "mobile recording studio"?. Some months ago, I saw a video of Jacquire King recording a band in a bar with a rack of Universal Audio Apollo 8 and a bunch of mics (for the vocalist, I remember that it was a Shure SM7).

[@gribb5967]

Whenever and wherever you can , buy pro quality gear. I have a rack full of "semi-pro" gear from my pre- DAW days that mostly just collects dust. A good mic pre can make a tremendous difference with even something like a 57, so that would be near the top of my list. These days I wait until I can afford the good stuff before I buy anything. On the other hand if you are just starting out, buy that 57 and whatever preamp and interface you can afford. The little Presounus 2 channel rig lives in my gig bag for quick and dirty recordings and it's fine.

[@darrenross9168]

Hi Warren, Great FAQ Friday, not long ago i got a Steinberg UR-RT interface, It has Rupert Neve designed transformers that add a little sparkle to the preamps, also having a DSP Channel strip and reverb built in to the interface that is latency-free is so handy, you can choose to use the channel strip as a pre DAW insert or for a headphone mix only, it also integrates with Cubase and you get plugin versions of the channel strip and reverb( ONLY FOR CUBASE )I must say it really is a great purchase and an asset to any home recordist, Thank you for another great episode, all the best.

[@Algabatz]

You know, like a wine connoisseur learns how to detect and describe minute and complex taste - is there a trick or check-list one can learn on how to listen to tracks to sort out what sounds good and what doesn't? Subtle differences or problems that can really enhance or sink the quality of your recording. Like "Does the bass guitar have the required focus not to sound blurry, does the 13" tom have a pizza carton tone, is there enough space in the recording to make it feel clear and crispy?" Etc.

[@moosehavenstudio]

OH my, Look for a Used Rogers Dynosonic. Absolutly !!!! Just fantastic!!!! PT 11, A mess of UAD2 Plugs, MOTU on the side, because of the included plugs. Audient ASP 800, iMac and only iMac, I just don't like Windows, been there done that and it SUCKED!!!!! I bought tons of yard sale equipment especially Mexican strats, and P basses. I also picked up old Yamaha acoustics and Godins that people just can't figure out and the get them refinishing and repaired that turns them into quality insturments. I love your videos and I thank you for all the good info!!!