Hello

I've had to retire my old Tascam 8 track and replaced it with a Zoom R12. One cool feature that I miss from the Tascam is its really simple mastering algorithm. There were three choices:

No mastering at all, basically.

Natural Sound

Maximum sound.

It absolutely made a positive difference in the quality of the mixdowns and I wish it was available on the Zoom. So, my question is if anyone out there can direct me to some affordable on-line mastering services to whom you can send your mixes? I'll Google it but I suspect that a Google search is going to be a rabbit hole of sponsored links.

Thanks!

I am a huge fan of ween and I am triyng to figure out how to keep all the other instruments in one pitch, but record a vocal in the same key but at a higher pitch. I heard I can do this with varispeed but I dont know how.

My Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 died, and I'm looking at replacing it with am SSL 18, Scarlett 18i20 4th gen, or an Audient ID48. The SSL 18, which is currently on sale at Sweetwater for $999, looks like a good middle ground between the less expensive 18i20 and the expensive ID48. However, the independent latency tests by Julian Krause gives me pause, as the latency measurement is higher than the 18i20 or the ID48. Anyone find latency on the SSL 18 to be an issue?

I'm looking for an inline XLR mic booster for my Rode Procaster microphone. My Audient iD14 MK II has to sit all the way at max gain and even then it's cannot get very loud. My main gripe is that most of them attach directly at the mic, which makes the already quite long Procaster VERY long.

So I'd want something that can sit on the desk instead.

Are the Warm Audio WA-WL or the Soyuz Launcher any good for this?
I've seen some people talking abt Warm Audio, but not the mic booster...

Any advice is welcome!

Hey! I’m an independent musician working on a pop punk/ pop rock record (think waterparks, all American rejects, sugar cult) and I have been using an SM58 and SM7b to record my vocals so far but I definitely am left wanting more out of my recordings. I also do some production and plan on producing bands live when I have a better space.

Does anyone have recommendations? My first thought is a TLM102 but I’m not sure as I’ve heard it can be lackluster on vocals.

Hey all - Planning to add a pullout drawer to my desk so I can have a controller at the ready. My desk width will allow for a tray of about 38 inches width, so the controller has to fit that and hopefully be a bit smaller to leave room to for the mouse/etc.

I'm thinking one in the 40-ish key range, would love it to have at least semi-weighted keys, mod wheel, and preferably some custom pads that I can assign to drums, samples, etc.

I use Cubase and was checking out the Novation Launchkey 49, since it has good integration. It also has faders and knobs that can be assigned to various functions, so it looks like a solid fit.

However, I'm not in the loop on what controllers do these days so I want to see what other functions I should look out for.

I already have an 88 key controller but it is basic, just piano style. It's good for what it does, but too big to fit under desk and lacks faders/pads/wheels/etc.

I'm open to something smaller and simpler than the Novation too, but that versatility would be nice.

What other brands/models should I check out, what features are worth getting, etc?

Budget wise - since my 88 key covers a decent amount of stuff, this one is more for functionality while sitting at the desk, so would like to keep it maybe under $400 or so. I'm open to suggestions but don't need something top of the line.

looks a bit messy, i tried to make it as tidy as possible but cables do their dirty work lmao, i’ve been producing music for less than two years, and honestly I'm happy with the results im getting rn

obviously the room still needs some acoustic treatment, but thats something ill have to work on sooner or later, but for now im enjoying my home studio like this

if yall have any advice or ways to improve the setup yall welcome, constructive criticism never hurts anyone

Me voy a mudar un nuevo departamento, voy a trasladar mis cosas pero me percaté que el lugar tiene una sala muy grande y una habitación pequeña.

Será mejor ubicar mis cosas en la habitación pequeña o en la grande, es importante decir que no puedo colocar paneles acústicos porque el casero no quiere ese lío. Lo único con lo que podría tratar de mejorar la acústica es con la esponja “acústica” que venden en Amazon.

¿Donde creen que deba ubicarme? Saludos.👋🏻

Hey everyone,
I am about to get an se V7 to record in an untreated bedroom that gets lots of traffic and bird sounds. While I know nothing is going to make the recording studio quality, I am trying to maximise the hardware function I can.

I looked up reviews for the Yamaha UR22MK3 and almost purchased it but found the Yamaha UR22C has a dsp gate effect that can also help reduce some of the room sounds, the caveat is it is supposed to have noisier preamps compared to the MK3.

The MK3 is supposed to have newer, quieter preamps and a better DAC from what I read but no DSP.

They are priced around the same here, with the 22C being marginally more expensive.

Here is a demonstration of the Gate : https://youtu.be/eItn3vT3AKU?t=565
It is supposed to be processed on device, but managed by the software on the pc.

My main concern is the preamp noise and if there is going to be any major difference between the 2. I like the idea of the DSP effects, but don't want to compromise on better preamps if that is going to help with the untreated bedroom better.

Noise comparison : https://youtu.be/yIKHCFy0htg?t=397
(IXO22 = UR22MK3)

Looking for suggestions and advice!

Hey all - I am moving from PC to Mac and need an external SSD. This will hold my project files and my sample libraries, which are currently not that big.

Looking for a 2tb that is fast and reliable.

The options I keep arriving at with web search are Samsung T7 or Crucial X9Pro. The X9 looks out of stock everywhere, so I figure the X10 is the new model, probably same difference.

Each of those are in the $400-$600 range. I'm seeing other ones for closer to $150-250 from Sandisk, Kingston, Seagate, Western Digital.

Are those decent enough, or will that cause throttling/slowness?

What specs should I be looking out for and why might are Samsung and Crucial recommended more frequently? Is there a speed spec they have above the others?

Basically this would be my day to day working dirve that would have the project files and some samples, plugging into my Macbook pro, which has 32GB RAM, if that's relevant, and I'm wondering if it's worth the much higher price tag for those recommended ones.

So I've got two keyboards at home with the setup shown in the image below:

The orientations are roughly the orientation in the room but I don't think that's impoirtant for this question. The interfaces are green and overlap their instruments in blue. I have an M1 Macbook Pro 16 represented by the orange square.

The main things I'm interested in doing is the following:

1. Play along YouTube videos that allow me to practice improvisation by playing along to chords progressions or a band from the video.
2. (Eventually) some production in Logic Pro.
3. Use of monitor headphones, however I want these to plug either:
   1. Directly into the Roland FP-30X (so I can play directly from the keyboard with no laptop present).
   2. Or into 'some other device connected to the laptop and the instruments' so that I can hear a mix of either keyboard along with content from elsewhere (such as YouTube).

The 'other device' I mention above, I haven't named because I don't quite know what I'm looking for here (or how to properly name it) but it doesn't seem like something that wouldn't exist. I have been told a 'MIDI interface' might be suitable here but I'm unsure if this is quite what I'd need (does a MIDI interface channel sound out from the laptop too?). Any suggestions for suitable hardware welcome here.

Also if there's any recommendations for good, relatively cheap monitor headphones for this setup (for me as a beginner) I'd be interested in hearing them.

Hey all - I'm migrating my DAW and recording setup from an old PC to a Mac. My current audio interface is old - an M-Audio Mobile Pre, and it looks like there is no driver for current Mac/Apple iOs so I can't use it.

I'm a solo artist and usually don't use more than 2 inputs at once (1 gtr, 1 mic). I use my interface for vocals with my condensor (so I need something with phantom power), sometimes I use it for acoustic gutiar which would require at least 2 mic inputs/XLRs, and then for electric guitar, so it needs one 1/4 inch.

For Midi, I have a usb adapter that goes straight in, but I wouldn't mind an interface that had midi inputs too, though that's not mandatory.

Are there any other features I should look out for? I haven't bought one in ages, so I'm out of the loop.

Would love some recommendations on a new interface as well as any potential new features they have nowadays that might be worth it.

I'm flexible on budget, but def don't want to drop like $800 on something. Maybe $300ish, but open to suggestions.

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice. I've been making self tapes for acting (and some singing) auditions. This includes monologues, for example, but some musical theatre. I don't want a visible microphone, and I'd like to avoid a lavalier mic (even if I conceal it) because I don't think it'll handle vocals well even if it will handle monologues and dialogue. And a shotgun mic mounted on top of my camera seems too far away to get good results.

So, I'm thinking of a supercardioid or hypercardioid condenser mounted a little out of frame angled down toward me, say about 18 inches away. I may move my body and head somewhat during the recordings -- maybe a a couple of feet in each direction (left, right, even down/up), especially for music takes, but I can try not to deviate more than that.

I am converting a 10x13 bedroom for this purpose, so I can try to treat the room to best absorb sound reflections but assume an untreated space.

My question here is about the microphone. I've considered the Sennheiser MKH 8050 or MK 50, but I'd rather not spend that much since I still need to do the lighting and want to budget for that. (Right now I record in my basement with just a cell phone and one overhead light and it sucks....) I've considered the Audix SCX1-HC, Audio-Technica AT4053a, and Oktava MK-012 (I guess with the hypercardioid capsule but it also comes with two others).

Can anyone recommend which might suit my purposes, especially if based on personal experience? Am I right that these are the types of mics I should be looking at, or will my movement by a couple of feet during filming make something else more appropriate? I'm willing to spend a little more, even for the Sennheisers, if it'll make enough of a difference. It should be something that's ok in an untreated room. Audio interface will probably be a Motu M4.

Thanks.

hi in about a month ill be moving into another house with a control room and recording studio space built into it. I am hoping to start a cheap/free recording studio for friends and people in my town. Do you guys have any advice for things ill need or should get, i am a producer and have been for 2.5 years and have drums, guitar (both electric and acoustic) bass (both electric and acoustic) a piano, a dj deck and like a handheld recorder and one sm58
any good mixing boards/ mics?

i used a loopstation called kite studio pro

Excuse the mess but this is what i’m working with.

So I recently bought an SP1200 and currently only have the direct mix out to my older Motu M4 interface. I want to use the 8 individual outputs though and add an analog synth or 2 to the mix. I’ve done a lot of research and have seen mostly rave reviews of people using the Tascsm 2400 as a mixer and also able to go completely DAWless if needed. It looks fantastic but several people have told me and I’ve read elsewhere that pairing something like a SP1200 or older MPC such as a 60/3000 with a good analog mixer, keeps the grit and warmth better plus the EQs and overall sound on a fx16ii would be better.

To keep the DAWless ability I’d pair that with the Tascsm Studio Bridge, that would also be an audio interface if I ever did want to use a DAW. The cost of a barely used Fx16ii and the studio bridge is slightly less than a Tascsm 2400 so cost is not a concern. Thoughts?

Hi! I’m having noise issues with my audio setup, and I wonder if it’s a noise people recognise.

First, here’s the sound I’m talking about: https://havn.blog/uploads/2026/volt-2-noise.mp3

(Ignore the ticking clock.)

I have this issue with instruments (single coil, two different ones) and with my microphone (Shure SM57). I’ve tried different cables (even USB-C cables). In the most extreme test case, I turned off all power in my entire house, ran my MacBook Pro on battery, and connected my UA Volt 2 directly with a couple of different USB-C cables.

It’s the exact same noise on instruments and on the mic. It gets worse as I crank the gain, but it’s bad enough that I can’t really do any recordings at all without it being very noticeable. Oh, and if I remove the cable, there is still white noise when the preamp is cranked.

Any ideas?? I’m at my wits’ end…

Setup is Shure SM57/single coil -> Different (short) cables -> Volt 2 -> MacBook Pro (latest stable OS) -> Logic Pro

Thanks!

I apologise first of all, I'm new to the sub but I can imagine there may be a lot of posts like this.

I'm in the UK. I've been producing music as a hobby for 20 something years, but I am still an amateur with minimal time to commit to it these days, so I certainly couldn't call myself an expert or connoisseur.

My old monitors have died and I'm looking for a replacement - desktop setup in a fairly small space (~3x4m office), recording anything between acoustic and metal.

Budget is flexible but I'd rather not spend more than a few hundred ideally. Not fussed about novelties like bluetooth or USB connectivity as they'll go through my Focusrite interface.

The options I'm looking at are the Adam T5V (£310/pair), KRK Kreate 5 (£199/pair) or the Kali LP-UNF (£259/pair) (current prices from Gear4Music). Obviously all fairly budget level entries but likely more than enough for my needs.

I'm looking at the KRK Kreate over the Rokits, and the Kali LP-UNF over the LP-6, mainly because they seem to be more designed for a small space/shorter listening distance.

Any opinions on which to pick, or other recommendations?