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This section covers misc studio equipment you might need or find interest in. All of what is mentioned here is used at our studio at one point or another. There are so many ways to combine this stuff for different result that it would be impossible to tell you exactly what to get or how to use it. You just have to do the trial and error thing.
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Microphone cables - get high quality XLR cords
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Adapters - you will no doubt need to convert XLR to 1/4" or 1/8" or RCA, grab a bunch of adapters so you don't get stuck with two like ends.
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Compressor - For recording vocals, drums and guitars, I run through a hardware compressor before going to the PC soundcard. This ensures a smooth signal without the loud/quiet spots that we all know and love. You can get low cost compression units just about anywhere, including ebay and Musicians Friend. I use the compressor within my Boss ME50 Guitar Processor, it works awesome.
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Gates - This is a VERY important part of recording a live drummer. Ever wonder how the pro studio's record a kit without the cymbals bleeding through the snare mic or any other mic on the kit? Well I found the answer after a long time searching. Not just any gate system, for instance, the old 2 knob peavey gates will not do what we need, they are more suited for live performance. What I found is this; The Behringer multigate pro xr4400. This little miracle lets you filter out frequencies, so if you have cymbal bleed, simply use the controls to sweep it out. Notice the Parametric Filter.
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Board - We use a Mackie 24x4 live/studio mixing board for both live and studio applications. It's quiet, powerful, flexible and is made for the in/out thing that is used in studio's for simultaneous input and output of multiple channels. Any board will do for home recording, but the cheaper it is the more noise you'll get and less features. Unless recording the full band live or a drum set in the studio, I skip the board altogether. No need for another piece of equipment if you can skip it.
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Power conditioners - If you have noise in all your recordings, it could be due to bad or fluctuating power from your ac outlets. A conditioner will smooth it out and get rid of the noise.
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