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DIY Recording Studio
By Fett
As a performing songwriter, you may have reached that point
where you’d like to start recording your music at home on more than just a
boom box. Or perhaps you already
have a home studio and are thinking about expanding it, maybe even to the point
of charging other people to use it. One
approach to starting or expanding a home studio is to walk through the audio
recording chain – from the microphone to the final mix – while considering
the various pieces of gear you might need at each step in the process.
Before we get started, here are a few things to keep in
mind. First, think long-term.
If you look at equipping your home studio as an ongoing growth process,
with the pieces of gear being the building blocks, you’ll make wiser choices
along the way. For one thing,
you’ll tend to acquire gear that you’ll keep and continue to use for years,
rather than swapping everything out every couple of years.
Second, avoid getting caught up in the technological hype.
Music technology is moving incredibly fast, and it’s easy to be wowed
by the latest specs or to want this month’s model of a particular piece of
gear. But remember: it’s
all about the music, not about the technology.
Therefore, the most important things to keep in mind when considering a
piece of gear are: how does it sound
and how does it help me produce my music?
Third, try to get into the habit of shopping around. The prices for the same piece of gear vary wildly from one retailer to the next. In addition to the local music retailers in your area, I highly recommend using the Internet and the many music catalog dealers around the country. And by all means, always consider buying used equipment; the long-term quality of most studio gear is very high and things just don’t tend to break down very often.
Fourth, while this article focuses on the most popular
products available, there are many, many more manufacturers and models on the
market. I encourage you to look
around on your own, and to ask for recommendations from other people you know
and trust. Fortunately, most of the
music technology available today provides excellent quality for the price.
So, let’s start our journey down the audio recording chain. The following diagram should help guide us in our travels. Note that this is a typical configuration; many other variations exist.
Inputs: Microphones and Lines
Let’s begin with capturing the music at its source.
There are two types of inputs to the recording chain: mic inputs (for
vocals and acoustic instruments) and line inputs (for instruments that plug in).
If you’re just starting out and have a limited budget, I highly
recommend starting with one good, solid general-purpose microphone.
It’s almost impossible to go wrong with the venerable Shure SM-58
dynamic cardioid mic. If you
perform live and own your own vocal mic, chances are you already have an SM-58.
The SM-58 is rugged, has a good frequency response pattern, and can be
used for both vocals and lots of instruments if you’re willing to experiment
with it a little bit. And best of
all, the SM-58 only costs about $100. I
have a collection of SM-58’s in my studio, and I use them on everything from
vocals to drums. A very close
cousin to the Shure SM-58 that I very highly recommend is the Audio-Technica
AT818. I bought my first AT818 in 1981 and I still use it today, for
all sorts of things from vocals to guitar amps.
If you already have a basic mic or two, or have a little
more in your budget, then I would recommend one of the numerous, under-$400,
large-diaphragm condensers for your general-purpose mic.
My personal favorite is the Audio-Technica AT4033/SM.
It’s a simple, single-pattern (cardioid) condenser with a 10-dB pad and
a bass rolloff switch and it’s incredibly versatile.
I’ve used it on everything from vocals to horns, strings and
percussion. At a price of only
$350, I’ve heard it go head-to-head with a priceless vintage Neumann U-67 on a
female lead vocal track and hold its own.
As your studio grows and your budget allows, you can add
more specialized mics one at a time. For
example, small-diaphragm condensers tend to sound good on acoustic instruments,
or as overhead drum mics. Specific
microphone models are known for their compatibility with particular instruments,
like kick drum, piano, or harmonica. The
price-performance ratio for microphones in recent years has been truly
phenomenal, with Audio-Technica, Shure, AKG, CAD, Rode, Neumann, and numerous
others leading the pack. Far more
than any other part of the recording chain, mic selection is an extremely
subjective process, so listen before you buy.
Even if your favorite engineer or producer swears by a particular
microphone, it still has to sound good to you in your situation. After all, it’s
all about the music.
For line inputs (e.g., guitar pickups, keyboards, drum
machines), you may need to use a converter to change the signal to “mic
level” if you want to use the same inputs for microphones and instruments.
The two types of converters you can use for this purpose are line
matching transformers and direct injection boxes (simply called “DI’s”).
Line matching transformers are available from many sources (e.g., Radio
Shack or any major microphone manufacturer) and are less expensive (between $14
and $35), but studios tend to favor DI’s because they use cleaner circuitry
and have additional features like ground lifts and polarity reversal switches
that come in very handy in the recording environment.
DI’s cost between $30 and $155 depending on features.
A good, basic, reliable DI is Whirlwind’s Director.
Preamps
An early decision in building your list of studio gear is
whether to use the input preamps that are built into your mixer, or external,
standalone preamps. Depending on
the quality of your mixer and of your microphones, you may opt to acquire at
least one outboard preamp. Outboard
preamps tend to be of better quality than built-in mixer preamps and have useful
features like phantom power, bass rolloff and polarity reversal.
Some of the more sophisticated (and higher cost) preamps also include
on-board, vocal-oriented processing such as compression, limiting, EQ and de-essing.
If you’re just getting going or have a limited budget, I recommend the
dual-channel Aphex 107 “Tubessence” preamp.
There are numerous other preamps in the under-$400 range from ART, dbx,
Joemeek and Bellari. For more
discerning tastes (and budgets), higher-end preamps are available for $2000 or
more.
Mixers
Now that you’ve gotten past getting the signal into the
mixer, what mixer should you use? This
is one area where the choices start to get tricky and really need to be
addressed at more than one level. First
and foremost is the decision to go with a mixer/multi-track recorder
combination, or a separate mixer and recorder.
Mixer/Recorder Combinations
Let’s cover the various mixer/recorder combinations
first. These combination units have
less mixer inputs and recorder tracks (typically four or eight, with a maximum
of sixteen), but also tend to cost less than their standalone counterparts.
They’re particularly well suited to the one-person studio operation
where you’re the writer, player, singer, engineer and producer and don’t
tend to have anyone else in your studio. Within
the combination mixer/recorder category, your next decision is which format to
use: cassette, minidisc, hard disk, or computer-based (also called “digital
audio workstations”).
Cassette
Of the combination formats, cassette multi-trackers have
been around the longest (since about 1980) and cost the least ($160 - $480 for
four tracks, about $800 for eight tracks).
Their sound quality is limited by the cassette format itself (analog and
very narrow tape width). If you
plan to use a cassette unit for anything more sophisticated than a multi-track
musical “scratch pad” or to have it at the heart of your studio for the long
term, then I would recommend the TASCAM 424 MkIII Portastudio. It’s the highest-priced of the four-track units, but is
also the most feature-rich. Other
popular models are available from TASCAM, Fostex, and Yamaha.
Minidisc
The first of the non-tape-based digital formats, minidisc
multi-trackers bring the benefits of random-access and CD-quality sound for
around $600 - $700 for four tracks and $1100 for eight tracks.
Although they sound great and have great features, there are some
drawbacks. First, the specially
formatted multi-track minidiscs (ordinary “stereo” consumer minidiscs cannot
be used for multi-track recording) can get expensive ($8 - $12 for 37 minutes of
four-track audio). The second
drawback is that the recorders are not cost-competitive with the more recent
hard disk-based units. Popular
units are offered by Yamaha, TASCAM, and Sony.
Hard Disk
These units appear to have surpassed minidiscs, although
their recording media are not generally as convenient (i.e., portable).
Some units are sold without actual hard drives, so be aware of this when
you’re comparing prices. Basic
units run $400 - $480 for four tracks, about $700 for eight tracks, and about
$2000 for 16 tracks. Over the past
couple of years, Roland has really taken the lead in this market with their VS
series. Although these units cost
more ($1000 - $2200), they are chock-full of features and have impressive
extensions and options (e.g., a companion CD burner).
Computer-based Digital Audio
Workstation (DAW)
This segment of the market seems to be changing nearly by
the hour. The past two years have
seen an explosion in computer-based recording systems for both Macintosh and
Windows, while the quality and feature richness improve with each new release.
If you’re starting from scratch, you have to consider the price of the
computer along with the rest of the hardware and software to get the system up
and going, and not just any computer will do.
Expect to spend at least $3000 - $4000 to get started with a basic
system. However, it’s obvious
that this is where the recording industry is heading, and you can expect the
constant stream of better quality and fancier features to continue.
One factor which distinguishes computer-based systems from
the others is that many of the components you would have to buy separately for
other systems are included on-board in the system’s hardware and software.
These components include effects and dynamics processors, microphone
simulators, mastering tools, CD burners and a vast array of other features.
If you have the budget and are comfortable working in a
keyboard/mouse/screen-oriented environment for recording music, then a
computer-based DAW may be the right answer for you.
Popular hardware and software systems are available from Mark of the
Unicorn (MOTU), Digidesign, Echo, Lexicon, Yamaha, Emu, Aardvark, Cakewalk,
Sonic Foundry, Digital Audio Labs, Steinberg, and countless others.
Standalone Mixers
If mixer/recorder combinations are not your cup of tea,
let’s consider separate mixers and recorders.
The first decision in buying a standalone mixer is whether to go with
analog or digital.
Analog Mixers
Analog mixers tend to cost less and have more direct
control of parameters from the surface of the mixer.
Costs vary widely, driven primarily by number of channels, number of aux
sends/returns and other routing options, and sophistication of EQ.
The Mackie VLZ Pro and 8-Bus series are by far the most prominent.
Other popular models come from Yamaha, Alesis, Behringer, and TASCAM.
Digital Mixers
Digital mixers generally cost more than analog mixers.
However, the price gap has been closing over the past couple of years, as
digital mixers have become more sophisticated and less expensive with each new
product release. Digital mixers lack some of the direct tactile control of
analog mixers, but have a lot of extra built-in features, such as on-board
effects and automation. Recently it seems that every manufacturer is coming out with
a digital mixer. Popular models
include the Yamaha 01V, TASCAM TMD1000, and Roland’s VM series. The Panasonic WR-DA7 and Fostex VM200 are also worthy
contenders. Note that these prices
do not include the I/O cards necessary for interfacing with standalone
recorders.
Standalone Recorders
There are two types of standalone multi-track recorders:
tape-based Modular Digital Multi-tracks (or MDM’s), and hard disk-based
systems.
Tape-based MDM’s
The first affordable digital multi-track recorders arrived
in the early 1990’s and are still in heavy use (numbering in the hundreds of
thousands) in personal and professional recording studios throughout the world.
The idea behind the “modular” part of MDM’s is that they are
designed to be connected together in units of eight tracks as the need for the
number of tracks increases. This
means that you can start out with an 8-track system and grow it to 16, 24, 32,
40 and so on, adding one machine at a time, as your needs and your budget
dictate. The two MDM models that have dominated the market since its inception
are the Alesis ADAT series and the TASCAM DA series. Since they’ve been around
for so long, most of today’s computer-based DAW’s and digital mixers have
interfaces to these two MDM’s. This
means that if you start with an MDM-based studio setup, you have a migration
path to the newer technologies when you’re ready.
Hard Disk Recorders
These standalone recorders have the same features as their
mixer/recorder combination counterparts, without the mixer.
Popular models are the Roland VSR 880 (the standalone version of the
8-track combination VS880EX), and several models from Fostex.
Two exciting recent additions are 24-track models from Mackie and TASCAM.
Outboard Dynamics Processors
Now that you’ve got the inputs, mixer, and recorder
straightened out (whew!), it’s time to move on to everything else that’s
connected to the mixer. The first
item the audio signal might encounter after leaving the preamp is dynamics
processing, which is sometimes applied before the signal hits the recorder, as
well as afterwards during the mix. The
term “dynamics processing” refers to the manipulation of the incoming signal
based on loudness. The most common
dynamics processors are compressors, limiters, and gates, which are typically
used to “smooth out” or “clean up” individual tracks or an entire mix,
though they can also be used as effects when carried to extremes.
Dynamics processors are optional; you may decide to keep things simple
and start your studio off without them, based on your budget and/or level of
recording experience. Don’t worry – you can always add them later.
For a very-first dynamics processor (which you’ll continue to find
useful for many years), I recommend the Aphex 106 4-channel compressor.
It’s amazingly easy to use and doesn’t “get in the way” like some
more complicated compression units can do.
Other popular models abound, including those from ART, Joemeek, Presonus,
Alesis, dbx, Behringer, and Bellari.
Outboard Effects Processors
Like dynamics processors, effects processors are not
absolutely required, but you’ll wonder how you ever lived without effects in
your studio once you start using them. Most
importantly, effects processors – which include things like reverb, delay,
chorus and flange – add “life” and “depth” to your mixes.
Also, many singers and players feel that they render a better performance
if they can hear effects processing applied to the signal as they record, even
if the effects themselves don’t end up on tape and are added back in later
during the mix. This is by far the
area with the most extensive selection for home recording enthusiasts.
There are literally hundreds of effects processing products on the
market, with new releases arriving every month.
Great units to start with (and keep indefinitely) are the MicroVerb 4 and
MidiVerb IV from Alesis, or the MPX100 from Lexicon.
Great-quality units at every level of sophistication are available from
DigiTech, Behringer, Sony, Yamaha, Fostex, Roland/Boss, Zoom, DOD, and more!
Monitoring Systems
Once you’ve gotten your signal into the mixer, it would
be great if you could actually hear it! Once
again, you’ve got a few choices as to how you’d like to equip your studio
for this purpose.
Headphones
The first thing you need for monitoring is a decent pair of
headphones. Not just any
headphones, but a closed-back model so that the sound doesn’t “bleed” into
the microphone while you’re recording, and a model with no smaller than a
40-mm driver so that you can accurately hear all frequencies.
For people who prefer a subjectively “brighter” sound (e.g.,
singers), I highly recommend the MDR 7506’s or MDR 7505’s from Sony.
If you prefer a subjectively “warmer” sound, I recommend the
ATH-M40’s from Audio-Technica. If
you do a lot of work with low-frequency instruments (e.g., bass guitar, kick
drum, or percussion), then you might prefer Audio-Technica’s ATH-D40 model
instead.
Power Amplifiers and Speakers
As with mixers and recorders, you’ve got a choice as to
whether you want to combine your power amp and monitor speakers together in
single units, or keep them separate. Regardless
of which option you choose, I highly recommend monitor speakers with no smaller
than 6.5” woofers, for the same reason that you need a decent-sized driver in
your headphones: so you can hear the entire frequency spectrum.
That constraint rules out the numerous “desktop” powered monitor
systems on the market. When it
comes to monitors, bigger is generally better, but only up to a point; unless
you’ve got a huge room in your home studio to do your monitoring, you want to
stick with “near-field” or at most “mid-field” monitors.
These monitors are specifically designed to be listened to in relatively
close proximity (6 to 12 feet) and at relatively moderate volumes, i.e., a
typical home studio environment.
Powered (“Active”) Monitors
Powered monitors come with the power amp built right into
the speaker enclosure. Powered
monitors are handy because they take up less room than separate monitors and a
power amp, and some recordists feel that they sound better because there’s no
long cable to degrade the signal between the amp and the speaker.
At first glance, powered monitors may appear to be more expensive, but
remember that there’s no separate power amp to purchase in addition to the
speakers. Prices vary widely, from
the Alesis M1’s to the Mackie HR824’s and up.
Other popular models include Tannoy’s Reveal Actives, Event’s
20/20p’s and 20/20bas’s, Roland’s digital DS90’s, as well as models from
Genelec, KRK, and Yamaha. Several
manufacturers also offer companion sub-woofers as part of their powered monitor
lines.
Standalone (“Passive”) Monitors
Since we’re on the subject of speakers, let’s cover
standalone monitors before we discuss standalone power amps.
By far, the most popular near-field passive studio monitors of all time,
in both home and professional studios, are the ubiquitous Yamaha NS-10M’s.
However, a lot of very competitive models have come out in recent years:
Alesis’ Monitor One’s and Monitor Two’s, Tannoy’s Reveal Passives and
Event’s 20/20 Passives are worth a good look – and a good listen!
And while we’re on the subject of listening… although I
strongly recommend this for any piece of equipment in the audio recording chain
(remember: it’s all about the music),
I can’t stress enough the need to listen critically before you buy monitors.
Just like microphones, every brand of monitor has its own character.
What works wonderfully for one person’s ears may sound horrible to
someone else’s. One proven
technique for checking out monitors is to bring a pre-recorded piece of music
with which you’re very familiar along with you to the store. Play that music through the monitors a number of times – at
varying volumes while listening from different points in the room – to get a
feel for how the monitors “color” the sound.
Ideally, the monitors’ character should be nearly invisible and not get
in the way of the music.
Standalone Power Amplifiers
Here’s a big warning if you decide on a separate
monitor/power amp setup: beware of fan noise!
I don’t mean the kind of fans who cheer enthusiastically for your
music; I mean the kind that whir incessantly inside of power amps to keep them
from overheating. I’m amazed at
the level of noise coming from some power amps that are advertised as
“studio” amps. If you can hear fan noise coming from a power amp, the
microphone will only magnify it. As
with monitors, listen for that fan noise before you buy!
A very popular power amp model is the Alesis RA-100.
Other models are offered by Mackie, Crown, Yamaha, and Hafler.
Stereo Mixdown Recorders
So, now you’ve got everything you need to capture,
record, manipulate and monitor your music.
What comes next? Well,
you’ve got to be able to mix your masterpiece down to some stereo medium so
that the rest of the world can hear it. For
that you need a mixdown deck, and – surprise!!! – you’ve got some choices
to make. Stereo mixdown recorders
fall into four main categories, which we’ll cover shortly, but before we do,
here’s a useful tip: if you’ve got two tracks to spare on your multi-track
recorder, consider mixing your song down to those two tracks.
At first this might seem strange, mixing a bunch of tracks on your
recorder back onto two other tracks on the same recorder.
However, this technique provides a number of benefits.
For one thing, as long as you have the tracks to spare, you don’t need
to buy another deck just for mixing. Second,
even if you already have a stereo deck, you don’t need to unnecessarily use
its precious recording media if you can put the mix on your multi-track instead.
And finally, mixes get complicated sometimes. If your setup doesn’t include automation, you may have to
step through a mix quite a few times until you finally get a complete pass that
works the way you want it to. By
using your multi-track for the mix, you can “punch in” at any point in the
mix, just as you would with any individual track while recording.
This means that if you mess up a tricky mix at any point, you can punch
in at that point and just keep going. It
also means that you can do a mix that involves a lot of changes to settings in
sections rather than in one pass. Give
this technique a try; it has saved me on numerous occasions in my studio.
DAT
The first type of stereo mixdown deck is the Digital Audio
Tape (DAT) recorder. DAT recorders
have been out for many years now, and have proven themselves
indispensable in the studio world. By
far, the two longest-running and most popular lines have been the Panasonic SV
series and the TASCAM DA series. Additional
models from Fostex and Sony are also popular.
You shouldn’t rule out portable DAT recorders, but you’ll pay extra
for their portability rather than for their features.
Popular portable models are available from Sony and TASCAM.
CD-R
Recently, DAT’s have slowly begun to be overshadowed by
recordable CD’s, or CD-R’s. CD
technology has existed in the consumer world for as long as DAT technology has
existed in the studio world, but the ability to record (and for some formats,
re-record) CD’s has only been possible in recent years.
One point of caution here: there are lots and lots of CD-R formats, and
they’re not the same. In particular, there are a number of CD-R recorders on the
market today which only work with “consumer” or “audio only” format
CD’s. These CD-R’s use a copy
protection scheme similar to SCMS (used for consumer DAT’s), and a royalty
payment is included in the price of each CD.
As a result, while their recorders tend to cost less (usually under
$600), these consumer-oriented discs are considerably more expensive than
ordinary CD-R’s (up to five times more!).
The bottom line: avoid this type of CD-R’s technology in your studio
unless you want to be eaten alive by the cost of the media.
When in doubt, always ask a salesperson exactly what kind of CD-R deck
you’re looking at (it isn’t obvious from the outside).
Popular (non-consumer!) models are the TASCAM CDR-W5000, the HHB CDR850,
and the Fostex CR300. Note that these last two models are exactly the same machine, with two different faces.
Alesis makes a very interesting combination CD-R recorder and mastering
deck called the Masterlink ML9600, for the more adventurous.
Minidisc
As mentioned earlier during our review of mixer/recorder
combinations, there are two types of minidisc media: multi-track and stereo.
Minidisc is a viable stereo mixdown medium; the stereo-formatted discs
are less expensive than their multi-track counterparts, and hold twice as much
music (74 minutes vs. 37). Popular
models include the MD301 MkII from TASCAM and the MDSE50 from Sony.
Cassette
So far, we’ve discussed three digital mixdown recorders.
The plain ol’ analog cassette is still the most common medium in the
world for listening to music in stereo. If
you don’t have a need for digital-quality mixes, or you have a need for
producing good-quality stereo cassettes in addition to digital mixes (e.g., to
produce your own cassettes for sale), a good stereo cassette mixdown deck is a
useful option. I learned this one
the hard way: you get what you pay for (or don’t pay for) when it comes to
cassette mixdown decks. I’ll
spare you the sad details here, but suffice it to say that you can’t go wrong
with any of these three models from TASCAM: the single-cassette 102 MkII, and
dual-cassette 202 MkII or 302.
Needless to say, there are even more varieties of recording gear than those discussed here. The options are constantly expanding while prices continue to fall. This brief review should at least get you started. Go for it, have fun, and most of all, remember: it’s all about the music!