Reddit mentions of Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 (1st GENERATION) USB Audio Interface With Eight Focusrite Microphone Preamplifiers

This could get expensive, just warning you haha.

First you'll need mics. Now, you can either buy these all seperate, or get a drum mic pack, which is what I did when I first got into recording, and still use quite a bit.

Here's a link to a really cheap drum mic pack that sounds pretty good for what it costs.
http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PDKM7-Microphone-Mounting-Accesories/dp/B003FW0IHA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388658490&sr=8-1&keywords=pyle+pro+drum+mic

Now, the mics go into an audio interface via XLR cables. The mics go into the inputs of an interface which in turn give you seperate tracks on your daw that can mix individually.

The interface I use is the Tascam US-1800. I would recommend it, but honestly I would get a Focusrite interface instead.
http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Interface-Microphone-Preamplifiers/dp/B00AZLA9VY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1388658715&sr=8-10&keywords=focusrite

Now you'll need a DAW on your computer so you can mix everything. Audacity is free but it kinda sucks, so I would get Reaper or something. It has a free trial that never ends. I have Logic Pro 9 and love it (even more so than Logic Pro X).

Then research monitors and headphones so you can mix with them. I would recommend Yamaha HS-8's for monitors and Audio Technica m50s for headphones, I have them and love them to death.

Signal Flow:
Drums -> Mics -> Cables -> Inputs on Interface -> DAW -- Mixdown on Monitors or headphones

But please, please listen carefully to me on this: you can buy like the most expensive gear in the world and it won't do any good at all if you suck at mixing. So PLEASE do yourself a favor and IMMERSE yourself in online articles about drum mixing, mixing in general, and audio in general. research everything heavily, It will pay off I swear.

A mixer with six XLR inputs like a Mackie ProFX12 ($229)

http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-PROFX12-12-Channel-Compact-Effects/dp/B00352MHGK/

Or an audio interface like a FocusRite Scarlett 18i20 ($499) with eight XLR inputs.

http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Interface-Microphone-Preamplifiers/dp/B00AZLA9VY/

Or a Zoom H6 recorder ($365) with the Zoom EXH-6 Dual XLR ($70) add on for a total of 6 XLR inputs.

http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H6-Six-Track-Portable-Recorder/dp/B00DFU9BRK/

http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-EXH-6-Dual-XLR-Capsule/dp/B00E3XY6LE/

Are you recording to a computer? Live streaming? Skype guests? It all depends. Frankly the Zoom H6 is likely the simplest to just record six mics.

!

http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Interface-Microphone-Preamplifiers/dp/B00AZLA9VY

I know you said you wanted cheap, but this one will let you hook up multiple effects and analog gear at the same time. I bought a sound card with less inputs/outputs, and quickly regretted it, and eventually broke down and bought the 18i20. Black Friday isn't too far away, and there will be lots of sales.

If you want to use your external compressor with sidechaining, and be able to hear anything at the same time, your audio interface will need at least 5 outputs (monitor L & R, mono sidechain, send L & R) and 2 inputs (return L & R). Keep in mind that lots of interfaces will say things like they have 18 inputs and 20 outputs, but only half of those might be 1/4" connectors.

If you must can use the mac's Audio MIDI Setup app to combine multiple audio interfaces into a single interface that Reason will talk to. So maybe you get a cheap interface with only a pair of outputs and inputs, and then use the onboard sound card to plug your monitors into.

Don't forget about latency, audio you send out from Reason to the compressor will come back into Reason with a slight delay.

Set a bit aside to build some room treatment like absorption panels and bass traps. Your mixes will thank you. :)

Also, if you like the Focusrite Scarlett products and want more channels, you might check out the 18i20.

It really doesn't hurt to put up a wishlist of stuff you could use (even if it is Empty Nest DVDs). After all, it is a wish list, and you never know that Elon Musk won't suddenly become a huge fan.

Agreed that for this kind of work, a recent Macbook Pro is one of the most useful tools.

The Zoom H6 is a pretty decent solution for audio recording a multichannel interface like this gives you a lot more flexibility, though.

But where you are lacking is definitely on the video and live streaming front. Using a phone to Periscope is pretty sketchy.

At least get set up so you can get the microphone's audio into the stream, even better with a real camera. YouTube live streaming is very powerful, and doesn't have a very steep learning curve.

I'd recommend working your way up to 7 mics. If you try to buy all seven at once, you'll end up getting cheap ones, and it'll sound worse than buying four good ones. Monoprice has a decent matched pair of condensors for $100. For the snare, you can go with an SM57. They're $100 new, but you can get them more cheaply used, and they last forever. I have the same ones I used in highschool, and they still work just as well as the day I got them. You can use it on your guitar cab, as well (or just buy two for live tracking). I also use a Beta 52 for the kick drum. That runs for a bit under $200.

As for stands, if you're not using them live, Guitar Centre sells a 10 pack for about $90. They aren't perfect, but they'll work.

So, for good equipment, you're looking at almost $600 in mics alone. You can get cheaper kits, but the sound quality won't be as good and they'll break more easily. You get what you pay for.

For bass, I just DI. You can buy a proper DI box or just plug into the interface. But, for $40, having a few DI boxes around comes in handy, especially if you want to record live. You can also mic the bass cab with something like the aforementioned Beta 52.

As I said before, you'll want an SM57 for the guitar cab. It gets the job done, and is pretty much the industry standard. You can spend more on fancier mics, but that money is best spent elsewhere.

As for vocals, you can buy a decent condenser mic from Monoprice, but to start off, just use the same 57 you've used for the guitar and drums, and just put a $14 pop filter on it.

Finally, you'll need an interface. If you really want to track seven drum mics, I'd go with a Tascam 1800 or a Focusrite 18i20. The latter is better quality, but also double the price.

Sadly, there is no good cheap method of doing things. But here in the digital age, things are a whole lot easier than going through to a 4-track cassette Portastudio when I was your age. If I was in your place, and had $1,000 to spend, I'd buy the following:

Tascam US-1800 ($250)
Two Behringer DI-100s ($80)
The Monoprice Small-Dia Matched Condensers ($100)
Shure Beta 52 ($200)
Two SM57s (or 58s) ($200)
The Guitar Centre 10 Mic Stand pack ($90)

And spend the rest on XLR and 1/4" cables from Monoprice.

After working on recording and mixing for a while, see if you want to expand your drum tracking, or if you want to invest in additional gear as needed. Nothing sucks more than blowing your budget, never using a certain thing, but having to do without something you discover you need.

And most importantly of all, have fun with it. It's a great experience.

If you want the ability to use 6 (or more) mics and record everything via USB for your podcast, have a look at the Scarlett 18i20

Hello /u/ZeosPantera! I keep trying to think up a way to expand my 2.1 setup for use with my computer and trusty little headphone amp (FiiO e09K, which I bought large because of your recommendation in the video you have on YouTube).

I have an SVS SB-2000 and a pair of Yamaha MSP5A. I love these babies; they've been churning out tunes faithfully for over 10 years now, but I can't help wonder how much I'd gain from having another 2 speakers in back (or these in back and a new pair in front).

Because getting the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20seems to be the cheapest way of achieving anything more than 2.1 with monitor speakers (and would cost $400), I had to think of something else. So:

1. Would hooking up 1 front monitor and 1 rear monitor to the FiiO's left channel input using a splitter and doing the same for the right work?
   
   
2. I understand this would still be a 2-channel setup, so the rear speakers would be duplicating the front ones. Do you think this is worth it? I want to surround myself with speakers to feel more immersed in the sound and wanted to know whether you've tried doing this.
   
   
3. If I choose to do this, which pair of monitors do you recommend I buy to accompany the Yamaha MSP5A? Do you think the Yamaha HS line would be a good choice?
   
   Thanks for taking the time to read!

Aha! Well, I run /r/buildastudio and spend quite a bit of time fiddling around with gear. I'm in the process of making a table to make picking an interface easy for any price point.

This is what it looks like at the moment. (Google drive is being annoying, it cuts off the bar with the amazon links but they're there if you download it and open in Excel or Numbers or Open Office).

Of those interfaces, the ones I haven't personally used are the Zoom R16, the Motu 4Pre, the Steinberg UR44 and the Akai models.

Any of the interfaces on that list other than the Behringer 302 have better preamps than the Tascam US 1800. If I were you, I would look at the Saffire Pro 40, the Roland Octacapture (really cool interface) or the not-mentioned Focusrite 18i20 if your dedicated computer will be a PC.

Focusrite 18i20 is definitely a great interface, and would be perfect for your situation. I used a Saffire PRO40 (FireWire version) for a few years, and was pretty happy with the sound quality. I recently moved over to a RME Babyface because I don't need a lot of inputs anymore.