🎤🎧🎤🎧 Do Expensive Studio Equipment Really Matter?? 🔥🔥

[Punk]

I have an Audio Technica AT2020 that I got from Guitar Center for around $100.I recorded the vocals below in Audacity but only compressed, delayed, EQ'd, and Reverbed in FL Studio

I record in my cousin's closet which is full of clothes LOL and a shit acer laptop sits on the shelf.

https://underground100.com/losvocalsample.mp3

^This is what I get when fucking around with noise reduction, EQ's, compressing vocals, etc.

It’s possible with a cheaper mic as well, like a $50 Blue Snowball. I only got the AT2020 though.

[OGxCERBERUZ]

Why? You can't rap anyways your a biter.lmfao

[Punk]

Why? You can't rap anyways your a biter.lmfao

Sir, if you’re going to post stupid shit, leave it to a thread that contains stupid shit.

This thread is for the benefit of actual musicians. People who can actually rap on a beat. Again save your posts for a thread where there’s actual bullshit. Thank you.

[OGxCERBERUZ]

Quit biting. U may be able to fool LB but you can not fool me. Period

[Punk]

Quit biting. U may be able to fool LB but you can not fool me. Period

I can’t rap but only one of us in this thread is Hall of Fame and A Champion. Lol

[IIAM]

Now do you absolutely need expensive equipment
to make music? Obviously No

However think about it- would labels spend hundreds of thousands of $ on professional studio time if it didn’t matter?

So with that said,
Depends on what you’re doing.

Example:

1. getting radio/commercial airplay -then yes

2. Fuck the radio- then no


Example 2: is the AT2020 any good?

1. recording vocals? -depends on the vocal

2. Will you be screaming into it? then fk no

3. Will you be tracking silky drake (lmao) tones? Then tbh i would go with a darker toned mic.

4. Will you be tracking room ambience? Or at distances greater than 3feet from mic?
Then Fk no

[Punk]

Now do you absolutely need expensive equipment
to make music? Obviously No

However think about it- would labels spend hundreds of thousands of $ on professional studio time if it didn’t matter?

So with that said,
Depends on what you’re doing.

Example:

1. getting radio/commercial airplay -then yes

2. Fuck the radio- then no


Example 2: is the AT2020 any good?

1. recording vocals? -depends on the vocal

2. Will you be screaming into it? then fk no

3. Will you be tracking silky drake (lmao) tones? Then tbh i would go with a darker toned mic.

4. Will you be tracking room ambience? Or at distances greater than 3feet from mic?
Then Fk no

To be fair, you honestly don’t need expensive to get radio air play. As I said if you can put together a dope ass mix, and a solid master, you really don’t need a studio budget higher than $500.

If you have a simple non expensive mic recording, send it to me. I’ll clear it up and show you what I mean.

[Erupt da Monsta]

Well currently I’m recording with an independent label, and they have a 1500 mic. A booth, etc. The vocals sound good, but it depends on the mix tbh. You can have clear vocals but if the mix is trash won’t do you any good.

---------- Post added at 02:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:11 PM ----------

I recorded and mixed all the songs on my profile, $150 dollar mic, and the quality is good. Not quite radio ready, but hella solid.


I think you need an expensive mic to get radio ready vocals tbh. Don’t think you can get radio ready with AT2020. Vocals might sound good, but there’s a big difference between good and radio ready.

---------- Post added at 02:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 PM ----------

Also on those vocals you posted. Think you need a slight de-esser. S’s coming through.

[IIAM]

No offense but that vocal u posted has tons
Of issues,

and if you need to “clean up”
A vocal then it really wasn’t recorded properly.

and yes equipment matters
And no the radio won’t play low budget recordings.

And also I used to engineer for a living.
But thanks for the offer.

Edit:
However Punk I do agree with you, in that You don’t need expensive equipment to make great music.

[Punk]

No offense but that vocal u posted has tons
Of issues,

and if you need to “clean up”
A vocal then it really wasn’t recorded properly.

and yes equipment matters
And no the radio won’t play low budget recordings.

And also I used to engineer for a living.
But thanks for the offer.

None taken my friend. But it’s an example basic editing. I should’ve posted the original to compare

[IIAM]

Well currently I’m recording with an independent label, and they have a 1500 mic. A booth, etc. The vocals sound good, but it depends on the mix tbh. You can have clear vocals but if the mix is trash won’t do you any good.

---------- Post added at 02:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:11 PM ----------

I recorded and mixed all the songs on my profile, $150 dollar mic, and the quality is good. Not quite radio ready, but hella solid.


I think you need an expensive mic to get radio ready vocals tbh. Don’t think you can get radio ready with AT2020. Vocals might sound good, but there’s a big difference between good and radio ready.

---------- Post added at 02:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 PM ----------

Also on those vocals you posted. Think you need a slight de-esser. S’s coming through.


I agree 100% with this.
And I was gonna say something about the sibilance,
But didn’t want to sound fucked up, plus my teeth
Are fucked up and I get a lot myself :D

---------- Post added at 01:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:25 PM ----------

Performance and capturing
Said performance is key.
A lot of amateur producers/engineers (not the same thing btw)

Have that “I’ll fix it in the mix mentallity”

[Punk]

Lmaoo true. I’ve came across tons of videos of producers saying this.

“The mix will make it sound good. Don’t worry about your fuck ups”

But I’m you guys opinions, what would you consider EP/mixtape quality?

[IIAM]

In Rap-
A good performance.
That’s it.

[Punk]

In Rap-
A good performance.
That’s it.

I don’t just rap though 😂😂 THATS what makes it difficult.

I can show you one of them if you’re interested in hearing it.

[IIAM]

Yeah link it

[Punk]

Yeah link it

Check your pm

[Denton]

Studio Equipment helps alleviate the stress of the workflow. It makes the creative process easier. But if you are just referring to Headphones and a Microphone, thats kind of essential to begin with. Better headphones pick up better range for mixdown and mastering. Better microphone delivers crisp and clear recordings but that also depends on the acoustics of the room you record in.

Studio Equipment that help the creative process is midi keyboards, analog synthesizers, drum machines/racks, and multichannel mixers

---------- Post added at 06:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:30 PM ----------

Lmaoo true. I’ve came across tons of videos of producers saying this.

“The mix will make it sound good. Don’t worry about your fuck ups”

But I’m you guys opinions, what would you consider EP/mixtape quality?

The quality of the product is entirely on the producers personal knowledge of the DAW

[Barzooka]

I have an Audio Technica AT2020 that I got from Guitar Center for around $100.I recorded the vocals below in Audacity but only compressed, delayed, EQ'd, and Reverbed in FL Studio

I record in my cousin's closet which is full of clothes LOL and a shit acer laptop sits on the shelf.

https://underground100.com/losvocalsample.mp3

^This is what I get when fucking around with noise reduction, EQ's, compressing vocals, etc.

It’s possible with a cheaper mic as well, like a $50 Blue Snowball. I only got the AT2020 though.

This really needs a normalizer applied as well as some sort of hard-limiter. You can use the default one but I would recommend the Limiter No. 6 plug-in. You're vox be too loud bro bro.

[BizzyOne]

Personally, semi expensive equipment can make a big difference. When you got the right equipment, everything that you record going into your microphone and through your interface is being processed already, so you don't have to mix as much. The vocals come out clean so when go into the mixing process its easier to work with....Also keep in mind that depending on what type of music your trying to create makes a difference. Every microphone adds its own color to your vocals, so find a mic that will fit your genre.

[Barzooka]

....oh shit and to answer your question, yeah, for the most part it really does. Because it's easier to mix your vocals the higher the quality they are. They give your vocals more of a studio like, high definition sound opposed to some $20 cheat shits that will make your shit sound like my music lmao

[IIAM]

This really needs a normalizer applied as well as some sort of hard-limiter. You can use the default one but I would recommend the Limiter No. 6 plug-in. You're vox be too loud bro bro.

Normalizing destroys audio,
Specifically it brings up the noise floor,
Just recorded properly and there’s nothing
else you need to do to it