HELP!!! Rookie Rap artist needs info on equipment!

[infinite59]

Yo... This kid that was going to produce for me ending up being full of shit...  I'm just starting out, I don't know anything about equipment...  I want to put an album together for myself, what is the best machine to start out on?  Anyone who knows anything about equipment help me out.

[Don Jacob]

www.djgear.com

[infinite59]

Thanks, but the problem is not where to get equipment, it's what equipment to get, and how to use it.

[Nino_Brown]

buy a pc mic for 5 bux & rap over a dpg song, it works for shortyo

[Don Jacob]

Thanks, but the problem is not where to get equipment, it's what equipment to get, and how to use it.

just get the production package that's good for a starter

[infinite59]

just get the production package that's good for a starter

yo homie, where is that at?  What link do I click on?

[infinite59]

the basic studio package? Is that what your talking about?

[Don Jacob]

here ya go

http://www.djgear.com/urecords/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=158&mscssid=GG60XUC8MXJQ8KXKPQWUGEKEPW4UF5AB


just click on that and go to the production package and buy the cheapest one... (the more expensive ones arn't anything really special they just want more money cuz of the name brand....you get the EXACT same sounds out of it)

[Gate Won]

AT least 4-TRAK MIXER......
PREAMP......
STUDIO MIC(with stand & spit guard)
& HEADPHONES.....
a keyboard of course...
sampler....
other shit ill add later when im not 2 high....
kinda depends on what ure monetary limitations....
once u get up there ull wanna get shit like MPCs
And EFFECT PROCESSORS

 its a great starter kit...

[Bishop]

here's what my studio consists of... but keep in minf i don't produce.  i get the beats from other people and then i lay down the vocals and maybe make some small changes to the beats and then i do the mixdown and all that.  here is all that i have...

a computer (which i got with a Sears Card and am way behind on with the payments)
i upgraded to a nice sound card for $100

a mixer (i just got a second hand Numark mixer from a local radio station that i got people at)

a stereo recveiver (this works as my amp.  it was my parents. they dont use it anymore)

a Shure SM-58 mic (it's technically not a "studio" mic, but a quality studio mic can run in the 1000's so i got this one since it is the world standard.  the list price is $200, but most places sell it for $129 or less)
with stand and pop screen it added up to about $150

Cool Edit Pro 1.2 (very expensive program but obviously just get Morpheus or whatever and get it like that)

mic cable and various rca cables add up to like $100 (you must not spare expense on cables.  and replace them every 4-6 months or so.  they can ruin a great setup or improve a marginal one.  the connections are what make or break quality)

studio monitor head phones $70 (i recommend nutin but Sony if u can find em and afford em.  the ones with "Professionial Studio Monitor" on the earphone)

studio monitor speakers $150-200 (i found some nice JBL ones at an electronic store that was closing out so they were 75% off, so I only paid $75... retail $300, but between 100 and 200 should be quality enough)

so all in all i spent a little over $600 or $700 (and not all at once)... but i got a lot of free shit though.

my setup is simple... i run the mic into the mixer with a 8 ft Monster mic cable... i got a RCA running from the AMP out on the mixer into the stereo receiver... i got a RCA running from one of the mixer channels into the speaker out on the sound card... i got a RCA running from the record out on the mixer into the mic in on the sound card... and then i run the channel with the sound card hooked into it and the mic channel into the monitor headphones so i can hear the music playin and myself as i perform... and of course all of this is going into Cool Edit Pro on the computer.

make sure your moniter speakers and yourself form a perfect triangle (the same distance between the two speaker as there is from you and each speaker) as you listen to your song to get the most accurate feel... also make sure you can get the room as quiet as you can without ruining the natural reverb in the room... you can maybe put some pillows or some comforters elevated around the mic but keep the room open and clear, this will keep background noise away from the mic but the reverb will still be present, also one of those black padded things on the mic will held.

shit i need to stop, i bout wrote a fuckin book...
main is to keep it simple as you start out and just get the essentials, a good mic and most important is to spare no expense on the wiring.

good luck

[cpc129]

Infinite, it helps if you know what kind of beats you wanna make before you buy your equipment.  For instance, do you wanna make beats that are sample heavy or do you want to create your own music from scratch?  If you want to make sample-based beats you can find a decent sampler for $200 on e-bay, just make sure you pick something that has a decent amount of sample time (from a min. and a half and up).  You will also then need a drum machine which you could pick up for another $200 on e-bay.  If you want to make beats that are 100% original then get yourself a nice keyboard.  It would be best if you got one with a built-in sequencer (8 or 16 tracks) so you could make your whole beat and mix it right on the keyboard.  For instance if you have an 8 track sequencer built-in to your keyboard you can put your drums on one track, bassline on another etc...  Reply back and I can give you some more helpful information.  By the way I have been making beats for two and a half years so I think there is a lot of shit I can tell somebody looking to get started...

[infinite59]

thanks ya'll.....

and CPC-129, check your personalized message