Help requested choosing my next mic

[MikeBmusic]

Kev's subtractive EQing instructions are right on.

The other thing I suggest, based on how you are monitoring: get some half-decent nearfield monitors. I'm not familiar with your hifi speakers but virtually all of them have frequency curves to make casual listening more pleasurable (and less fatiguing).
There are many choices in the $400-$600 range (per pair) that would serve you better than getting another microphone at this stage.

[alohachris]

Aloha Larp, er Larry!

Thanks for sharing your signal chain with us. It's very decent, but I agree w/ MikeB to look for some better near-field monitors so you can get the whole sonic picture across the whole frequency spectrum (even if you can't hear it, Ha!). That would really help w/ mix down accuracy, especially when mixes get denser than solo guitar. I love my Adam A7X near-field's. Great mic's & great monitors are where to put the Big Buck$, IMO Larry.

RE: Headphones. Sennheiser makes nice open headsets. But you may want to check out the AKG Studio K-240 or Audio Technica ATM-50's. Semi-enclosed, durable & very comfortable. Balanced, flat & accurate - what you want. The very affordable AKG Studio K-240's are an industry standard found in many studio's, including my own. So comfortable.

RE: Upgrade to Logic Pro ASAP, Larry. DO NOT HESITATE. DO IT! Despite all the impassioned suggestions to go w/ little Reaper as your DAW, Logic Pro & Pro Tools are the only fully pro-level DAWS out there & well worth the money! They provide so many options & quality. If you move to Logic Pro instead of one of the smaller DAWS, you won't have to learn another DAW in the future if/when your recordings expand - you're already on a pro-level DAW. And, GB projects are totally transferrable to & are read by Logic Pro with no issues.

For example, if you want to send tracks to an ME for help with mix-down or mastering, it's much easier - or even possible - if your tracks are in Logic or PT, which all studios have. Few studio's use Reaper. GB is a good beginners DAW - as is Reaper. But Logic Pro will inspire you! It has everything & more that you need - for any level or scope of recording - & can handle just about ALL external plug-ins of your choice. Amazing library - more than you'll ever use. Plus it's the one DAW that offers a workflow that really makes sense to me (& I auditioned 17 DAWS before switching from PTLE to Logic Pro - the workflow that made sense to me).

Additionally, Apple offers training in Logic Pro through it's "One to One" program at all of its stores. I received 56 in-store, one-on-one tutorials in a year through that program. I also met a couple of mentors there who I do tune-up's with a couple of times per year - extremely helpful. It's made ALL the difference & the program can be extended another year if necessary. Check it out, Larry. Apples Logic Pro forums are very helpful too.

I totally agree w/ Kev regarding addition by subtraction in terms of EQ philosophy. In a controlled, well-treated studio, it should be easy to get the "pop-out" vocals you're seeking (or whatever tone & emphasis you want) by rolling off rather than pushing EQ freqs.

Put a voice on that Mojave MA-200 I mentioned. Tell me what you think, Lah.

At work now, Larry, gotta go.

alohachris

PS: If you haven't already, think about using external hard drives to store your projects. Avoid storing on your computer's hard drive. Check out Glyph HD's. BTW, @ gearslutz, go to the Tags at the bottom of a thread. That's where to find more substantive reviews & info RE: mic's & gear. -alohachris-

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Larpy

Those of you who use (or have used) Logic, do you know if would be able to import my existing GB files into it? I've already got 5 or 6 songs in various stages of completion and wouldn't want to have to start again from scratch).

Yes, you can open GarageBand projects in Logic. I mixed a CD project a while back where the performer gave me GarageBand files, and it worked quite well. Logic maintains everything you've done in GarageBand, levels, panning, plugins, etc, so even if you've started mixing, you shouldn't lose anything.