Hey there, hobbyist dj and professional LD here. I've got some things for you to consider:

• Sound activation relies on a(n almost universally) shitty built in microphone in your fixture. Additionally, the program is guaranteed to look cheesy, and won't match up with the music you're playing. So with that said, I would encourage linking your lights up to a software controller.
  
  
• You'll need a DMX interface. I believe Pioneer's interface is $399, and unlocks the DMX features in Rekordbox. There are a few others out there on the market, but you'll need a separate piece of software to transmit data over them.
  
  
• Since we're trying to get your lights to look good, you'll want to consider a hazer. Why? Because without it all you'll end up seeing is a circular disk on the back wall of your room. With haze, you'll actually be able to see the beams of light in the air. You don't need a nice one, and if you're running it in a small space really all you need is a cheapo $40 fog machine that you can fire off once or twice over the course of an hour. Bonus points if you vape, the haze generated by that is plenty for our purpose in a small-ish room.
  
  
• Lights come in a few basic varieties, as follows: Par Lights, which are typically RGB fixtures capable of creating a wide wash of color. Moving Heads, which are either a single beam or a par light, mounted to a set of motors able to alter the direction of the beam. Derbys, Moonflowers, Etc, are lights which have a number of openings in them and cast out a wide angle of scattered shapes. I'm not a huge fan of them, and don't ever use them in my work. That said, they work decent in small setups and are easy to use. Pixel Mapping Fixtures, which have a series of RGB lights that are each independently controllable. These can be linked together in an array to function as a low resolution video screen, but they have other benefits as well. Lasers, which project a single, narrow beam of light. Most of these require a license to operate, and vary in power. As a blanket rule though, you should never direct a laser towards someone's eyes. Lasers should always be aimed horizontally, over the heads of your audience. Strobes, which are dedicated fixtures for alternating light on and off rapidly. Most other fixtures have strobe capabilities, but I wanted to mention them for the sake of completion.
  
  So, what would I recommend? Consult this list provided by Pioneer before purchasing any fixture, because only the ones on this list will be supported by Rekordbox. I'd personally recommend a Chauvet Gigbar 2, which a few other commenters already mentioned. It comes with two derbies, two pars, a strobe, and a red/green laser. It's all controllable via dmx, and has a 3-pin dmx connector. Another option is two Chauvet Colorband Pixband pixel mapping bars, which come in a few variations. You can point them up a wall, or out into your "audience" depending on what seems most exciting to you. They can strobe, do color washes, and have individual colored pixels 'bounce' along the length of the bars. If you wanted some moving heads, I'd recommend either the ADJ Pocket Spots or the Chauvet Intimidator Spots. Note that you'll probably want at least two of these, and maybe two par lights to supplement them.
  
  Here's what my tentative 'shopping list' would be:
  
  
• 1 DMX Interface -- $399 -- DJ RB-DMX1
  
  
• 1 Fog Machine -- $28 -- 1byone Wired Halloween Fog machine with Remote
  
  -1 Ten Foot 3-pin Cable -- $8 -- Amazon Basics XLR Cable
  
  At this point it's up to your own preferences, but I've pieced together two potential setups you might choose.
  
  
• 1 All-in-one lighting bar -- $479 -- Chauvet DJ Gigbar 2
  
  or
  
  
• 2 Moving Heads -- $260 total -- Tomshine 80W Mini Gobo Moving Head
  
  
• 2 Derby Lights -- $170 total -- ADJ Mini Dekker
  
  
• 2 Par Lights -- $56 total -- LaluceNatz 18 LED RGB Par Lights
  
  
• Misc Short Cables -- $22 -- JLPOW 3 pin XLR
  
  If you're looking for ease of use, I'd go with the gigbar. If you want to be able to tailor your setup to your room better, I'd suggest mixing and matching with the end goal being something like what I laid out. The movers provide a strong beam source that can be interesting, and can be placed either on the floor or the ceiling. The derbies serve to cheaply (and easily!!) create some excitement; they're literally and figuratively very flashy. And the pars are there just to fill out the illumination-- you don't want to be left in the dark when your derbies are off and your movers are pointed away, do you? You could consider replacing the pars with a Pixband or two, or adding another two movers for a total of 4 if you have some extra funds. Note that you may want to mount a small pipe to your ceiling to hang the pars and derbies from when you set this up-- otherwise, $50 at home depot and you'll probably be able to build a stand of some sort that sits on the ground.
  
  This quickly turned into a much longer post that I intended, so I hope I managed to keep your attention! Let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help. Just know that I don't have any personal experience with Rekordbox, so I'm probably not the best person to ask for help on those matters.
  
  Best of Luck!

Hey man....I'll give you a breakdown of everything I own to make music. But you have to be aware, that there is a HUGE learning curve to home recording...and until you get proficient with your DAW and learning about all sorts of settings and how to set up your audio and workflow and what cable gets plugged into where and yadda yadda, you will find that there are days where it can get aggravating. And then once you finally get the hang of it, and you can record something with somewhat ease, you will find that it sounds like garbage, and then you realize you gotta learn all about mixing, and the struggles that comes with.

So first and foremost, just make sure you are aware that even if you had all the money in the world, it's going to take a good chunk of time before you feel comfortable and etc.

BUT,

here is a list of everything that should help you get started.



I assume you're a guitarist yeah?

First off, just buy the full version of Reaper. It's $60. It's worth it.
Also, for drums, I use Steven Slate Drums...The full kit is worth it..but if you want just the $40 version, that will work also.

For an audio interface, the best quality/bang for your buck would probably be something from Focusrite

And then you will need a set of monitors as well....again, the best quality/bang for your buck IMO is a set of these

And then of course you're going to need things like cables, etc.

XLR cables for mics,

balanced cables for connecting things like your interface to your monitors, etc,

get some instrument cables as well if you don't already have some,

A good surge protector as well, can't recommend this one enough, it has rotating sockets so you can fit everything on it.



From then, its just a matter of how much money you want to spend, and what all you want to do.

How do you plan to get your guitar tone. Are you going to mic a cab? If so, look into something like an SM57. If you wanna do it the cheap/free way, be warned you will be dealing with a latency issue. USB interfaces have latency, so monitoring your tone can cause some issues sometimes. You plug in your guitar raw straight into the interface, and throw on some plugins on the track that give you your tone. If you want to hear just a raw, clean guitar, there won't be any latency. But if you want to record while hearing your distortion, the computer has to take your clean signal, process it through the plugins, and then back out to the monitors, so there will be a split second of latency if you don't have things set up correctly and if your pc specs arent up to par..and even so, you never can truly get to 0 latency without spending some SERIOUS money.

If you have some extra money, I would highly recommending getting something like this eleven rack...I personally use this. You can bypass the latency issue by choosing what you monitor on the interface...do you want to monitor what is coming from the input (the eleven rack) or the playback (the computer) or a blend of both. So essentially i can just listen to my guitar live as I'm recording straight from the Eleven Rack, but i'm not acutally 'monitoring' it in Reaper. By doing so, my guitar doesn't have to travel through the computer and back out, thus no latency. You can really get some great tones out of this thing also...I like to call it the 'Poor Man's AxeFX'. Here's an example of something i'm working on...both using the eleven rack and the steven slate drums, so you can get a sense of the quality of the drums and guitar tone. I have done some slight eq'ing and stuff, but nothing dramatic.

Of course you don't need something like that for guitar, there are plenty of plug ins that are free that can help you with tone.

And lastly, as far as plug ins go, if you dont wanna mic a cab, or use something like an eleven rack, just search on youtube "free plugins for metal guitar" or "free metal guitar plugins" or whatever, and just watch. Youtube is your friend when wanting to learn about how to use reaper and finding plugins. I know for a fact there are full playlists out there to learn how to use reaper properly, from start to finish. So consider looking for those.

For other basic plug ins like EQ, Compression, Noise Gate, etc, I wouldn't worry about those. Reaper comes with like 13 or so of it's own plugins. They honestly are some great plug ins as well, and are all you really need.

Here's a picture of my set up, with all the stuff I suggested in this post.


Hope that helps.

So, to a certain degree you've got a combination that doesn't play well with eachother. The NTG2 has fairly low sensitivity, and a noticeable bit of self noise, which means it needs a lot of gain. The H4n also doesn't have good quality pre-amps so it adds a lot of noise any time you have to jack the gain up. It looks like you've got the original silver body, which is infamous for being noticeably bad. The black body Pro model has upgraded pre-amps which are less bad. So, you can see how this combo isn't ideal, and more or less setting you up for a noticeable hiss even under ideal conditions.

Unfortunately a lot of people review the H4n highly because they're musicians and they've got it taped to the front of a guitar amp or something. It's relatively speaking easy to get good sound from an inch away from an amp, compared to a speaking voice from 2+ feet away. A few inches can make a lot of difference. Such as going from 20 inches to 6 inches overhead, that can often immediately make things sound a lot better.

If for stylistic reasons you need a lot of headroom, I recommend getting a lav instead. I have a Countryman B3 wired for xlr that I just plug straight into my recorder for shots like this. It'll almost certainly sound better by sheer virtue of being that much closer.

Make sure you're not on 4CH mode, as that will be recording from the built in capsules at the same time as your shotgun mic.

Make sure Stamina Mode is turned off.

Also, where you point the mic plays a large part. For example if there is a fan behind the person and you've got the mic pointed over the person's shoulder. Or pointed out a window, etc.


That all said though, if you're having to max the gain, something is wrong. Even with a low sensitivity mic like that unless the person is whispering you shouldn't have to crank it up that high. It is theoretically possible you've got an attenuated cable. Unlikely, since you usually have to look around for them, but some cables have a "pad" built in, so every so often if someone just grabs the first thing that comes up they can end up with a cable that has a -10, or -20, or even more pad on it, and you'll need to crank that gain way up to compensate.

Audiogadgets -10 dB Mic Pad / True Balanced In Line XLR Attenuator Cable https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00A9JWJ1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6NJCCbDSDT9WM

Just to check, because I have literally seen it happen multiple times, are you SURE you're turning up the gain(Rec Level) on the righthand side, or the headphone volume(Vol) on the lefthand side? They're both the same kind of buttons, so I've seen people get them confused. What levels was it showing when you were recording? Does the gain need to be that high while recording with the built in mics?

Try some experiments, move the mic around the area, and check if the noise is constant. Lots of people have mentally tuned out the sound of their houses and workspaces, so you can have loud fans, humming electronics, buzzing lights, etc and hearing it through a mic makes them notice it again and suddenly it sounds loud and foreign.

Or, another super common thing is that people are unused to the sound of their own voice. It will never sound as rich and deep as it does in your own head. Everyone sounds higher pitched and often more nasal than they think they do. So while we might think we've got a prime Movie Trailer Guy Voice that is rich and deep, we actually don't.

If you know anyone who has some equipment, or you've got a friendly local store with demo units, take your kit over and try your mic with their recorder, try their cable, try their recorder, try their mic with your recorder.

If you don't have any audio software, a DAW, I strongly recommend Reaper. Unlimited trial period, or a license is $60. If you're going to be working with audio it will be a much better option than what comes packaged with NLE video editors.

If you plan to do this more often, upgrading away from the H4n is strongly recommended if you can. The F4 is several generations newer, better in every way, and has been as low as $350 new.

I have an AT2020USB sitting on the floor (next to a Rode Podcaster). Good mic. Sounds good. Still a condenser and still sensitive. Still better choices to be found that'll work for most and sound better.

I generally avoid everything Alesis and Behringer because they're cheap. Not just in price, but in components, quality, reliability, and sound... generally speaking. That said, I have no experience with that particular audio interface. The Focusrite Scarlett Solo comes well reviewed at around the same price (I think?). Steinberg also has an interface around the same price. If you're looking more for a mixer (that's what the Alesis is), then I'd suggest looking at a Mackie or Yamaha mixer. Chances are, you're going to be looking a lot more money than the Alesis, but you're getting superior preamps and overall better hardware and reliability. Just be careful to get one that's USB unless you want to go analog everything (if you're not an audio engineer with a high end sound card, don't).

Whether you need a mixer or an audio interface comes down to what you're going to be doing. The mixer can be helpful for effects, additional EQ, monitoring, multiple inputs, etc., but it's not necessary in most instances. For most, an audio interface with one or two inputs is sufficient--you can always upgrade later and sell the interface on Ebay (or some such) because they're always in demand.

Regarding stands, I use a Rode PSA1 and have no qualms recommending it, but it's somewhat pricey. If you need cheaper, the Neewer arm has good reviews, but I have no feedback regarding it. Pretty sure several people here use and like the Neewer arm.

For a pop filter, anything, really, is fine. Don't worry about metal ones or filters made of exotic materials--any cheap nylon screen works as well as anything else. You likely won't need a windsock, but you can find plenty of those on the cheap as well. (I suppose you could go with just windsock or just filter, but either should be fine--I just prefer a pop filter to a sock.) For the XLR cable, meh... not Monster? I use these--they're nothing special, just cables. Work/sound fine.

It's easy to spend a lot of money on this stuff, but if you have patience and time, you can save a lot by buying used. Most of my mics are used and they work perfectly well--generally speaking, people take care of those (and it's obvious when they don't).

> I will be using this for filming only

If so, you might want to look at a real camcorder instead of a compromise still/video camera. The GH4 is a great camera on limited budgets, but with a £3000 camera and sound budget, you might want to consider a purpose-built video camera.

For a solo shooter, I recommend the 4K JVC GY-LS300 Super 35mm camcorder. You can [get one from Germany via eBay UK for about £2525 (postage paid)] (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=181849553804&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229508&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg).

This camera has built-in XLR inputs and decent preamps (features missing from cameras such as the GH4 and 5D), allowing you to plug pro mics directly into the camera.

It also has the built-in ND filters, dual card slots, power zoom rocker, SDI out and unlimited recording time that still/video cameras lack.

With a [£169 Rode NTG-2 shotgun mic] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/RODE-NTG2-SHORT-SHOTGUN-MICROPHONE/dp/B00093ESSI//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), an [£8.19 shock mount] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eggsnow-Microphone-Shockmount-Senheisser-Audio-Technica/dp/B00KXQIWTW//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), a [£19.99 LyxPro TMS-1 Tripod Boom Floor Microphone Stand] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/LyxPro-Microphone-Adjustable-Foldable-Rotating/dp/B01BPBKQ9C//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21) and a [£5.57 Stagg SMC6 6 metre XLR microphone cable] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stagg-SMC6-metre-standard-microphone/dp/B002PZXVRM//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), you should be able to set your mic up out of frame, run the cable back to the camera, and capture clean sound.

Like the GH4, the LS300 records at true DCI 4096x2160p 4K resolution. It also records to a highly gradeable 8-bit 4:2:2 .mov codec (as opposed to the GH4's 8-bit 4:2:0 internal codec), as seen here:

• [Luca De Gregorio & Beàs - Ripresa 4K con JVC GY-LS300 by KenwoodCommunity] (https://youtu.be/ouGvWcCQ2iA)
  
  This camera also has a maximum slow motion frame rate of 1080/120p (seen [here] (https://youtu.be/cYjOXIBVGrU)) and a factory LOG profile.
  
  I've rented the LS300, it was great to shoot with and produced some really nice looking video, as seen here (I didn't shoot these):
  
  J-LOG on Vimeo (please watch at 4K and your monitor's highest resolution)
  
  
• [Japanese garden with the JVC gy ls300 by NOA NOA] (https://vimeo.com/162712903)
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 4K J-Log Vision] (https://vimeo.com/138523082)
  
  
• [Palm Springs Photo Festival 2016 - JVC LS300 footage by Zachary Andrews] (https://vimeo.com/164723392) (4K J-LOG)
  
  1080p on Vimeo
  
  
• [Breathing in New Life] (http://vimeo.com/120445118)
  
  
• [“Honmonji Temple” in GY-LS300 by moribun] (https://vimeo.com/139214323) (downscaled from UHD to 1080p, downloadable if you're a Vimeo Plus or Pro member [if you're not, you can sign up [here] (http://vimeo.com/pro/new?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=prosubscribe-cj-vimeo-bizlander-300x250-20130424&utm_campaign=7696)])
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 Camera Test] (http://vimeo.com/122736335)
  
  
• [A Snowy Day in Ann Arbor, Shot with the JVC GY-LS300 by Chase Stanton] (https://vimeo.com/158042771)
  
  J-LOG on YouTube (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution)
  
  
• [GY-LS300 4K J-Log1 "KYOTO New Year's Day" by GAIPROMOTION] (https://youtu.be/efJrfawjVw0)
  
  Non-LOG Gammas on YouTube (2160p)
  
  
• [GY-LS300 UHD 4K w/ Canon 70-200 and 85mm lenses by JVCProfessional] (https://youtu.be/QYCdxMrvAoA)
  
  
• [JVC LS300 Clips by Hamilton Video & Sound Limited] (https://youtu.be/OzgGwCUdZV0)
  
  
• [EVS’s test footage for the JVC GY-LS300 4K super 35 Cinema camera] (https://youtu.be/S47dceBcuJI)
  
  
• [TOKYO“I”land KOWA PROMINAR w/JVC KENWOOD GY-LS300 by Satoshi Watanabe] (https://youtu.be/WO8DW5d0isE)
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 4K Footage by elton chong] (https://youtu.be/0pYEFhE3xLE)
  
  But the camera isn't perfect. The viewfinder is tiny - and, although 4:2:2 chroma subsampling is nice, I wish it had 10-bit color space.
  
  That said, a 4K Super 35 interchangeable lens camcorder with a LOG profile and 1080/120p slow motion below £3000 is a steal.
  
  Hope this is helpful and good luck with your upgrade!

That would work, but a couple notes:

1. The mixer: Keep in mind a cheap mixer will introduce more hiss/noise into the system, but proper gain-staging will help minimise this. It can also convert the stereo signal of the turntable to mono if the turntable won't do that itself.
   
2. If your cables to the mixer and/or amplifier will be very long or run along power cables then it would be better to use balanced signals (typically XLR, sometimes TRS when used correctly) to avoid buzz being introduced. You would want a mixer that has balanced outputs and inputs, and possibly a direct box to convert the unbalanced signal from the turnable to balanced if the mixer isn't close to it. With the right direct box and an adapter you technically wouldn't need a mixer as the direct box can convert to mono, but you might want a mixer anyway as the signal level from the turntable may be too low without it, plus then you can plug in other devices.
   
3. The speakers are 4 Ohm @ 500W continuous and the amplifier is rated for either 4 x 1600 Watts @ 2 Ohms or 2 x 3000 Watts @ 4 Ohms. It's okay that it doesn't match perfectly if the amp ohms are lower than the speaker ohms - it just means the amp won't be able to drive as much power through the speakers, which is probably good in this case since 1600W is too much. So running each speaker to 1 output on the amplifier is probably the best bet.
   
4. I don't know how the speakers are set up in the venue, and this might be the venue's responsibility unless they're your own speakers, but there are a couple extras that could help audio quality:
   
   1. A graphic equalizer would be a welcome addition to adjust the sound so that it sounds best for the room - ideally you'd also use a calibration microphone and software to take measurements and see where the peaks and valleys are in the frequency response, but it can also be done manually if you have a decent ear and listen closely - don't just make it V-shaped or some other nice pattern because it looks nice.
      
   2. It might be useful to use a signal processor that can independently add delay to the signal for each speaker so that they can be time-aligned. Sound travels pretty slow through air - about 1 millisecond per foot. This is getting a little advanced for just a DJ setup, but a professional system would consider this IF the speaker placement demands/allows it and the venue is large enough. This can be done using a combination of measuring tape and ear, or ideally a calibration microphone and software.

Attempting to build a system that will allow us to have in ear monitors for when we go live, as well as in our "studio", however I'm not sure if this will work together or not and I don't want to invest in something that won't work, or is garbage.

Can someone let me know if this will do what I expect, and won't suck? :)

Currently I have a 4 channel mixer plugged into some PA speakers and a Scarlett 2i2 to plug things into my PC.

What that really means is, I have two mics plugged into the PA speakers as well as going to the Scarlett with the rest of everything going through amps and just the drums themselves.

We are a 4 piece band with drums, guitar, bass, and vocals.

Currently with our setup, we can record everything through a mic I have setup in the practice space but it's less than ideal to set levels and actually have any sort of decent sound.

If we want to record things separately then I can just plug whatever we want to record (aside from drums) into the Scarlett and call it good.

However we'd like to have everything go through a central source, and be able to hear that central source play back to us through some IEMs while we play. We would also all like to have our own mixes, and have the mixes be stereo

I'd love suggestions/feedback on my proposed setup and would like to know if what I'm thinking of would even be feasible.

The proposed setup - Cables aren't necessarily a specific brand but the length/type:

1x Behringer XR18 Mixer

1x P16-M

4x Galaxy Audio AS-1100

1x Pyle Pro Drum Mic Kit or some other simple drum mic kit

1x Kick Drum Mic Stand

2x Overhead Mic Stand

6x Short(ish) XLR Cables

2x XLR to 1/4 Cables

How I'm seeing everything plug together is:
Into XR18

• Vocal mics
  
• Guitar amp output
  
• Bass amp output
  
• Drum mic kit
  
  Out of XR18
  
  
• Channels 1-2 -> Galaxy Audio
  
• Channels 3-4 -> Galaxy Audio
  
• Channels 5-6 -> Galaxy Audio
  
• Main L/R -> PA Speakers
  
• Ethernet Port -> P16-M -> Galaxy Audio
  
• USB Port -> PC -> Recording
  
  To me this seems like it SHOULD all work, but I'd like some other opinions on if it will work as I expect or not, or if I need/don't need components.
  
  Is anyone able to see anything that just looks inherintely BAD with the list of components I'm wanting to get? I know the wireless systems aren't great, but we don't want to spend a ton of money (at least right now) on some quality systems.
  
  For now this will all be free-standing but eventually I hope to build a case to house everything. Will all of the above be able to fit inside a case, or will I face any issues?
  
  What are some good cable brands I should go for or avoid?

The Making of

I decided to start making videos because a friend of mine (who happened to be roommates) decided that we were fairly funny and that it wouldn't be a bad hobby to just try out. Originally we started with hour and something long podcasts 4 years ago. At some point we decided that playing games for people on a regular basis wasn't a bad thing so we started streaming daily got to 150 viewers but we lost our home and had to move over 100 miles from one another and it got harder to stream on a regular basis and fell back into Youtube a little over three months ago. So that is how we started oh so many years ago

TL;DR We thought it was a fun hobby and really enjoyed making people laugh

Hardware

• 3 MXL R144 Ribbon Microphones
  
  
• 1 Nady VHM-7 Harmonica Microphone
  
  
• 1 Behringer Xenyx 1202fx Mixing Console
  
  
• 4 25-Foot XLR Microphone Cable
  
  
• 1 Elgato Game Capture HD60
  
  
• 1 Mono Jacks Cable Lead Laptop 3.5mm Jack To Mixer 2 X 6.35mm 1/4 Inch 1m
  
  
• 4 Microphone stands of different sizes
  
  
• Wii U
  
  
• Playstation 4
  
  
• Playstation 3
  
  
• Sega Genesis
  
  
• 2 Pop filters
  
  
• 1 2011 Imac
  
  Software
  
  
• Adobe CS6 (Audition for vocals, Premier for editing, Photoshop for thumbnails)
  
  
• OBS
  
  
• Elgatho Capture Software
  
  
• Manga Studio (for thumbnails)
  
  Sorry if I have rambled on but this is something I am passionate about and in no way do those links support me. This is just something I thought I would include so if you wanted to know exactly what we are working with, in case you wanted a visual or if you were looking to start yourself and liked our quality.
  
  Thanks for the Question :)

• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a good start. $150.
  
• Audio Technica AT2020 $100ish
  
• Ultimate Telescoping Boom Stand $35ish. Stay away from cheap stands, like "On Stage Sound."
  
• Shure SM57 $100
  
• Mogami 25' Cable $30 x 2 = $60
  
  Grand TOTAL - $445
  
  I know you don't NEED two microphones, but, judging by the variety of instruments your man plays, he'll want the options of a condenser AND a dynamic. The AT2020 and SM57, I feel, is a better bang for your buck than the single Blue Spark. That said, Nine Cats has been generous with good advice.
  
  Best of luck to you and your BF!

I took a course in college that surveyed types of music careers. You might be interested in the textbook we used https://www.amazon.com/Self-Promoting-Musician-Strategies-Independent-Success/dp/0876391390
If you're looking to start a career in music it's important to understand how to market your content to people and how to find your audience. A lot of musicians think the best thing to do is to just keep practicing and improving their musical knowledge. You obviously need to know how to use a DAW if you want to compete in the industry and learning theory would definitely help. But investing time in building your image on social media will help immensely. Also, if you're looking for a free DAW I know Pro Tools First is free. It allows you to create up to 16 tracks which should be enough for your early career. If you're looking for recording equipment here's a list of stuff I've been using:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5QDQOF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZCR6P4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CZ0R3S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WVFRW4H/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CLIPHO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you're looking for tutorials on Pro Tools and Sibelius my professor has some on his channel https://www.youtube.com/user/dtoddsorensen/videos
I hope this helps

Hey all,

I'm getting ready to go big on a microphone setup, but I want to get a few extra opinions on the hardware that I have selected to make sure it is both sufficient for each other as well as the best price to performance. I'm really looking for some GREAT quality but not needing something for full on production.

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Here is a list of the items and below is a screenshot of the cart if people don't want to click on the individual links.

Audient iD14

Shure SM7B

CL-1 Cloudlifter

RODE PSA1

LyxPro Balanced XLR Cable 6 ft

LyxPro Balanced XLR Cable 1.5 ft

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https://i.imgur.com/T08p76s.png

as for headphones I'm not really sure what to recommend, as there are so many options and I'm not sure what your preferences are, but maybe take a look at the Sony MDR7506 (these are ~$75 USD, but can be had for less in the used market as they have been in production for like 20 years) and the Phillips shp9500 ($70-80, open back, great all-arounder)

for the mic this is a very good and inexpensive setup, as long as your PC has decent built in sound card (I use this exact setup and often get compliments on my mic quality, you can't beat it for ~$40 total)

Mic: Behringer Ultravoice XM8500

Mic Stand: Innogear Mic Stand

Mic Cable: 3.5mm to XLR cable

sorry my prices are in USD, not sure about the price difference in CAN

Hey I heard someone say dynamic microphones are better for noisy enviroments because you have to have them closer to you, right? I have no experience with xlr, but would this setup work?

Mic: Shure SM 58
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AQRSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Mic Holder:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EEHM8U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A311BEHFUHRLQM

Mic Stand: Rode PSA1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D7UYBO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER (I think since the mic is dynamic, I don't need it right?)

Phantom Power ?:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XUUXB8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

XLR Cable ?:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RYE5Y6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AD6O342M484G6

XLR to USB cable ?:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6WZGHS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1155GBV4DPEXU (If I don't need phantom power, I just need this cable right?)

Generic wind screen:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002GXF8Q/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I know this isn't ideal because I need like a mixer or something, but would it work decently? I would prefer if the price stayed the same, this is pushing my budget a bit.

Oh, and do I need an adapter for my microphone to go into the stand, stuff like that.

Okay, so I've changed my mind a little bit. Try this Alto 15" powered speaker instead. Its cheap, and should be able to get low and loud enough. Do you usually get a monitor feed from the board? If not, you'll need to buy a little xlr splitter cable and split the signal from the kick mic to your speaker. Also, a polarity switcher will be handy. Depending on where you put the monitor, you may need to reverse the polarity of the kick mic since you are behind the kick drum and the mic is in front of it. Try it both with and without the polarity switch and see which one sounds beefier to you. This awesome Dave Rat video on the subject is helpful.

Hmm.

Does your monitors have an adjustable volume level in the back? I have a pair of monitors that have different dials in the back for EQ and volume levels. (HS80M)

If your levels are adjusted correctly check your connection to your audio interface. Make sure it's not a cable connection. What kind XLR cables do you have? Are they balanced, high quality?

It may be audio interface perhaps with an unbalanced XLR connection? From what your telling me, if you reverse it the opposite side of the monitors have an issue. It would make sense to me that the cables might be defective or the scarlett is defective.

I have a scarlett myself and I notice no problems at all. Make sure you update the driver on the scarlett. It was one of the first things that I did because I had problems with the driver originally that came from the package. I hope that helped a bit. Keep me updated I might be forgetting something.


Edit:
I have these cables btw, if you do find that it is a cable problem. They are awesome and extremely great quality cables. Play around with the cables and routing. It might help you narrow the causes of the issue.

http://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-12feet-Cable-Patch/dp/B000RYE5Y6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395031499&sr=8-4&keywords=xlr+cable

Thanks, I really appreciate that. The speakers should arrive tomorrow and the sub on Thursday. So far, I've got two sets of these Male XLR to Female XLR and one of these 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 1/4.

I use a standing desk thats about 5 ft wide, so I figured just put a speaker on each side of the desk and the sub on the floor. I'm sure this is a naive question, but what more is there to consider acoustically without going nuts and spending a bunch of money?

You might have issues if it's a headset with mic (with a 4-pole TRRS connector). I have some Turtle Beach XO One's and I noticed that while it seemed to work, the sound was a bit weird - the vocals sounded slightly weird (like they were under water!).

I think it was because of the 4-pole connector on the headset. When I plugged the headset into an adapter like this and then the green plug into the Nitro kit (nothing is plugged into the pink end), everything is perfect!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcingmap%C2%AE-Female-Splitter-Microphone-Speaker-Black/dp/B00LGKG97G/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_23_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QK1BK6J1M19GCNMG2TFX

Help me make a decision? Which XLR cable should I get? GLS or LyxPro? Any other you recommend? For my Audio Technica at2035 into a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. I heard good things about mogami but that's too expensive

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B077VQ28J2/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A 10ft CableCreations cable with a male 3.5mm jack and also a male xlr connection.

Will be plugging into a phone/computer to play music, then send back into the interface to record it.

Hoping it works

You need a female 3.5mm to Stereo Dual Male Y Splitter Microphone speaker cable. You can find them for $3 on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Female-Splitter-Microphone-Speaker/dp/B00LGKG97G

Hope this helps.

I don't know for sure that your original idea is a no-go, but I would be surprised if it works -- I've never heard of being able to just split a USB device onto two computers/hosts (the closest thing I can think of is to use a KVM switch to share a keyboard/mouse between two computers.)

For the XLR solution, you'd need:

• XLR mic (like a switched SM58 for example, but really there are tons of options)
  
• XLR splitter (you can just get a cable assembly splitter, but if you're willing to spend a bit more you can get an isolated splitter which has the advantage of reducing the chance of hum from a ground loop and also eliminates any problems that could be caused from phantom power which I'll mention below.
  
• XLR cables -- lengths as needed. You'd probably want three, one to go from the mic to the splitter, and then one from each output of the splitter to each USB interface.
  
• 2 x USB interface -- you don't need to be fancy. I see this one recommended, but there are probably cheaper options. The interface I linked comes with the necessary USB cable.
  
  Caveats:
  
  
• I don't know anything about the PS4, so I'm just assuming that this USB interface will work with it. (I see a few comments in the Q&A on Amazon that it does work.)
  
• Having two devices send phantom power down the same line can sometimes be problematic for those devices and/or for the microphones. I don't know enough to know exactly how those problems would manifest themselves, if at all, but if I were trying this setup for myself I'd use the isolated splitter to be on the safe side, because the splitter won't allow phantom power to pass out the isolated output.

So as an example, would this be an acceptable item to be used from speaker to phono pre amp?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B077L3PG45&pd_rd_wg=MW9i0&pd_rd_r=4TC159932F75PTN5ST2D&pd_rd_w=SywHN

You need something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/ammoon-6-35mm-Stereo-Audio-Amplifier/dp/B01DSVSC5M

or this:
https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Cable-Stereo-Connection-Microphone/dp/B077L3PG45

just get a 3.5mm stereo >> XLR splitter cable.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-HMX-010Y-XLR3M-Stereo-Breakout/dp/B00YSAVUZ2/

done with one cable. get an equalizer app for your phone.

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alternately, get a set of cables that are RCA >> XLR splitter

https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Cable-Stereo-Connection-Microphone/dp/B077L3PG45/

you'll take the RCA outs from whatever source you want such as

https://www.amazon.com/PROZOR-Digital-Converter-Bluetooth-Receiver/dp/B07L72S6PG/

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XLR is meant to be daisy chained from speaker to speaker. so you need to plug your L/R XLR cables into your sub first, then use jumper cables to feed your monitors.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Male-Female-Microphone-Cable/dp/B01JNLTTKS/

Thanks very much. So the cable I have at the moment is useless?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stagg-SMC6-metre-standard-microphone/dp/B002PZXVRM/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1481912501&sr=1-2&keywords=xlr+cable

Would that do the job?

Get a converter

https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Cable-Stereo-Connection-Microphone/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=rca+xlr+converter&qid=1550564973&s=gateway&sr=8-16

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RYE5Y6/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_1_w

Would this work? To connect a Scarllet Solo to a at2020 Mic

Just to confirm:

ps4 connected to Optical to RCA analog converter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDLCHY7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2Sx1DbEX2GJC1


Then: RCA to XLR cable run from converter to speakers

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IVx1DbM7QG40N

You just need these: TISINO Dual RCA to XLR Male Cable, 2 XLR to 2 RCA/Phono Plug HiFi Stereo Audio Connection Microphone Cable Wire Cord - 5 Feet / 1.5m https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_is48BbS7VPWKA

You will need this cable to connect whatever is your source (ipod, phone, chromecast) to the sub.

And a pair of this to connect the sub to the speakers.

Quality Test. Have to break a rule here, SORRY!!

Items, Old Setup:

Blue Snowball

Shockmount

ProLine Stand

Items, New Setup:

Audio Technica AT2035

Rode PSA1 Stand

Line 6 POD Studio UX2

Required XLR Cable

I also plan on picking up Noctua NH-D14 and an H440 soon to replace my 650D and H100i.