How fun - I have a few thoughts for you to mull around....
Starting with your list...
- Apple MacBook Air 8GB 512GB - If buying this new (meaning the new M1 models) then I would seriously urge you to spend the extra $200 for 16GB of unified memory. There is no scenario where you will regret doing this - and plenty where you will regret it if you don't. Sample instruments still rely heavily on pre-loads into RAM - so you could easily bang your head on this while doing even basic projects (depending on how much you end up using sample based instruments - which for percussion I use a lot - before even counting other things). Small RAM allotments is the single biggest drawback for DAW usage of the 1st gen M1 models - going for 16GB will going a long way for eliminating that.
- Logic Pro for DAW - nothing but thumbs up here - I use Logic everyday - but even trying to be objective, it still comes up as the best bang for anyone's buck at $199 (considering all of the extras and features it comes with)
- PreSonus 1824c - 8 Channel pre-amp - I owned a Presonus Quantum 2626 for awhile last year, great piece of gear. The 1824c should be great - will work with Logic just fine - and can also function (in a basically one-man room) as your DtoA monitor controller as well.
- Mixture of SM57s, Beta 52A and Rode 5s for Overheads
- A couple of right sized active monitors
I'm going to insert that you should probably get a USB keyboard controller - Logic comes with tons of electronic drum, acoustic and electronic percussion virtual instruments - as well as scads of keyboards, guitars, basses, and orchestral instruments - along with gigabytes of loops - drum, perc and everything else. It is really difficult to make any use of this treasure trove of sounds without a USB keyboard controller.
- Solid rack for pre-amp and laptop to be next to my kit -
Regarding this last thing - though it is really tempting to set everything up right at the drums - I've found with recording, I spent far more time in front of the computer, facing my stereo monitors than I do sitting at the drums. And frankly I can't imagine sitting hours and hours - programing, editing and mixing from relative discomfort of my drum throne.
I would say just move the computer back and forth between the drums and a desk - but sadly, the laptop and the Presonus have to stay hooked together with a pretty short cord. All the mic cables being plugged into the Presonus will make moving back and forth less than convenient. And wherever you are going to sit and listen to your speakers from - the Presonus needs to be within easy reach as it will be your monitor volume control.
My solution - and I used to use a laptop in this same configuration - is to set up a desk in front of my monitor speakers, set the laptop with the midi controller and the Presonus nearby. Run mic cable from the drums to the Presonus. And if you want to control the computer from the drums (if the desk can't be within arms reach), then set up a spare USB keyboard and mouse on a stand or even TV tray within easy reach of the drums. This allows me to do anything I want on the computer - but mainly it ends up being starting and stopping and pressing "record"... everything else I just do for the desk. Anyway, just a thought.
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