Third World Recording Studio Upgrade

I have been asked to advise on an upgrade to a recording studio in a school in the third world.  I don't have much of an idea about what is needed yet, or even the current status.  But right now they are working with a Mac, and a USB mic, and I think they want to go multi-track.  Requirements I know about are durability (no budget, no spares available in remote area) and price.

I think the plan is a modest upgrade, from one mic and a mac to an environment to allow more creative options, multi-track, room acoustics,etc.  I think they are using the studio for mostly musical work (rather than voice over, etc).  I was thinking perhaps some small converter with adat, so they can later expand with an adat converter interface.  I will update later with more specifics, but just looking for ideas.

I know that it is early to come up with answers, before understanding the question fully, but I am thinking some SM58/SM57 and an interface.  Question is what interface, should I suggest some "mixdown" front end (cheap little used mixers, etc).  If you had to build a studio for young people to use, and a shoestring ( I will find out how big the shoestring is when I repost), what would your ideas be.

This is way below the quality levels that we are all used to , but what better group to talk to.... for creative ideas (for instance, maybe using locally available speakers and chip amp's for monitors, rather than monitors (depending upon what they have))
Thanks for any ideas.

bang for your buck gear comes to mind. The big question is how much they think they can do at a time. If it's only say 8 mics rme converters are awesome and good value. Maybe you can incorporate their existing mac into the new set up?

bruce0 said:

...Question is what interface, should I suggest some "mixdown" front end (cheap little used mixers, etc)...

Click to expand...

I would recommend keeping what little budget they have focused on capturing the audio. I think this is a perfect case where keeping everything "in the box" makes the most sense. Cost and complexity wise.

Also one thing that often seems to go un-calculated in a budget is all the cables used to connect everything up.

This is a really interesting project to me.  We are so used to budgets that are essentially "unlimited" in third world terms, even though we feel they are severely constrained.

So far they have been putting vocals with original lyrics over found or pre-recorded backing tracks.  They made a youtube video... They want to go further.


I agree capturing is the key.  They need more mics (they have 1, a USB Blue Ball Mic).  They need to be able to mix and get the levels right, in the past they had no tools for that.

I plan on sending them some home-made linkwitz modified capsules configured as boundary mics.  I can send them an old Shure mixer with phantom power, so they can power them, or maybe a little wall wart power supply. Boundary mics can make good vocal mics (on a stand with a scavenged 2 foot square of plywood... or on the wall), and I think will avoid phase cancellation distortions and work better than the blue mic in their "sound booth" (which is classroom tables stood on end in the corner!).

They can scavenge materials.... Looking for ideas on sound absorbing/diffusing materials.  ( I know the egg crates don't work).

When they record they have a lot of kids interested, breathing, whispering... (this is hard to control, and it is a community effort so we don't want to discourage that too much) so some sort of isolation is called for.  They have got a dedicated room now, which is good, so I am thinking they can build some GOBO's but what materials?  They have the ability to re-configure the room a bit, so I think they could construct a wall to keep the observers further from the performers during the recording.  Anybody had any success with scavenged sound absorbing/diffusing materials?

Anybody have any success with home-made mic-stands?

Someone has donated a PC and Pro-Tools 7.4, they were having issues with the software.  I don't know Pro-Tools... I use Logic Studio.  Should I suggest that they just use garage band, or is Pro-Tools the way to go?

There is a M-Box mini that has been donated (2 inputs - 1 has a mic pre, both inputs can be a DI.). I figured they could front end the second input with a mixer, either for use as a second preamp, or to pre-mix down if they get ambitious or have a larger group.

I may bite the bullet and make a donation of equipment - I was wondering if any of the USB based 8 input converters work at all?  Is USB fast enough?  Can they use multiple small USB converters (like a second MBox) and use them simultaniously (aggregate device in the mac perhaps?)  They don't have a firewire input currently. 


Any designs for cobbled together sound panels, mic stands, etc.


They keys are durability, price, simplicity...

There are some really great voices in this bunch, and they have something rolling.  Maybe this could be a good thing for the third world (after jobs and food) music...

I will post more as I learn more, and post some of their earlier work.  I have a meeting with the "ringleader" next week.

I haven't provided details on the actual location yet, because I don't know the politics, and don't want to rock the boat.  But I think I will be able to do that next week. 

Any suggestions for companies that do charitable support donations of equipment, etc?

Any suggestions appreciated, and the responses so far are great.  Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post.

Thanks

bb

Maybe its better to use simple SM58 type cheap mics. http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_mb45_ii.htm
These could be had for little money and are easier to replace if they brake or get stolen.
With this type you also have decent separation if the audience/Gobo issue is hard to solve.

Boundary mic techniques could be difficult to realize if the people who are recording have
less experience. Most people know how to behave with a handheld, "hairbrush in front of the mirror" situation.  8)

Garageband have enough features for semipro work, is easy to use and less prone to compability
issues. 

Using a USB mic indicates that they may have no "real" converters or i/o options. Probably the place to start.

I would suggest getting them a copy of one of F. Alton Everest's books on small-studio acoustics on a low budget. You say somebody gave them a PC? Then a copy of Reaper might be a good idea. M-Audio interfaces -- good bang for the buck. If you're thinking of a gift -- a pair of even semi-decent monitors would be a really good idea.

Peace,
Paul

In the third world? Where is that?

Well more details

Studio is in Haiti, on an island off of Port-Au-Prince, ile de la Gonave.

Here is a link to what they accomplished using school desks piled up as a vocal booth, and ripping some backing tracks.  They have quite a bit of distortion (I need to explain compression), but http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VodPi86nuEI

They have a room, unfortunately it is actually ROUND and concrete.  So the acoustics are going to be going to be challenging.  They have actually got something done using the USB ball mic, and a laptop.

So the upgrade this time (in early June) is going to be:
An M-Audio firewire SOLO with a little "audio buddy" dual preamp front end (so they can do 2 mic's at one time), and a couple of Dynamic handheld mics, and a condenser mic, a couple of mic stands, Logic, and a g4 mac, some cables (all donated).

They are going to try go scavenge some materials to partition the space.

Power is a problem (which is why a laptop is better) because it is all solar, and there is not very much of it.  Hey.. at least if it is solar, it is probably cleaner (fewer spikes) than what I get in the city.

Right now I am testing if the g4 mac will run logic well enough to make it workable.

I guess we can try Reaper if Logic fails us.

Thank you for the suggestion of the acoustics book. I know something about it, but I will check it out.  I don't think I will send it however, as the english is a problem.