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Tuesday 30 April 2013

HOME STUDIO MADE EASY

Here I am writing my first post. Let me start off with something that bothers many people.

HOME STUDIO
When you go to any music production shop online you find too many products to chose from, and hence get confused. Then you start researching and reading reviews at various places and still cant reach a conclusion easily owing to the fact that different people say different things about the same product.

 Well here I am to make it simple for you. I will write about the equipment of various prices and then tell you how to form some "Studio Builds" that may help you start off without wasting your precious time researching. And as you go along you will automatically know what your needs are.

If you are a music lover, wishing to create your own music and don't know how to start, then you are at the right place. 

Well what do you need to start off?
A large room with wonderful acoustic treatment, surround monitoring and the most powerful MacPro? Well, the answer is " No ". If you are even thinking of such a thing then STOP!

The things you would need are : 

1. A Computer
2. An Audio Interface
3. Microphones
4. Headphones
5. Studio Monitor
6. Recording and Composition software(Digital Audio Workstation)
7. Midi Keyboard Controller

  (I would not discuss about analogue systems as they are hardly used these days) 
COMPUTER:

 This is the most important part of your studio. Whatever you use (interfaces, software, etc.) goes through your computer. So you must make sure that your computer specifications are satisfactory. However, it completely depends on what software you use (I will come to DAW software later), what your budget is and how many tracks you wish to work with. If you are a small band, wishing to record and edit 10-15 tracks of audio with a small number of effects and other plugins, a core 2 duo with 4 GB ram will suffice. But if you wish to compose say film music with 50+ tracks, many effects and virtual instruments (VST), then you surely need a core i5 or may be a core i7 with at least 8 GB of ram.

Another question that arises is whether I chose a PC or a Mac. It is true that most professional musicians use Macs mainly because of the ease of use and plug-n-play facility, but it's not at all a necessity.
First of all chose the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) you wish to work with. Then find out the platform(windows/mac/both) which it is available for. Then considering your budget decide on what you would like to buy.

Laptops/desktops? Well if you donot need portability go for a desktop otherwise a laptop. Simple !!!

Recommended for music production:

Windows:
Mac: 

AUDIO INTERFACE

This is actually nothing but an external sound card. These converts digital signals to analogue ones and vice-versa.
Well these days almost all audio interfaces provide professional quality sound and as long as a home studio is concerned they would not sound that different. You can buy a mixer but note that most mixers allow only stereo recordings. Only a few digital mixers are capable of recording multiple tracks. But see to it that you don't buy a 20 in 20 out interface if you actually need only 4 tracks. You can always upgrade by purchasing a pre-amp (8 channels) later and connecting it via optical ins and outs which most interfaces have.

Some recommended interfaces :

Focusrite scarlet 2in/4out9(USB) - Amazon.com, Bajaao.com
Focusrite Saffire Pro 40(FireWire) - Amazon.com, Bajaao.com
Presonus Audiobox 44VSL(USB) - Amazon.com, Bajaao.com



MICROPHONES
These are mainly of two types, Condensers and Dynamic. There are other types as well like ribbons and tubes which are rather much more expensive and does not fit into the Home Studio scenario.

Condenser Microphones: These are highly sensitive diaphragm mics mainly used for vocals and acoustic instruments in the studio.

Dynamic Microphones: These are relatively cheaper microphones used both in the studio and on stage.

Well, there are both bad condensers and bad dynamic microphones, as there are good condensers and good dynamic mics. My suggestion would be that if you have the money buy a condenser for vocals and a versatile dynamic microphone for other purposes.
You can always buy more microphones when ever you need to record more people at a time.

Some recommended microphones :

Dynamic:
Condenser:
Learn more about microphones


HEADPHONES

 A musician during recording will always need a monitoring headphone. You may also need a headphone to mix your songs. At the beginning I don't recommend treating your room acoustically as proper treatment will cost a lot. But don't worry. If you chose a good studio headphone and get accustomed to how it sounds, you can come up with great mixes.

Recommended :


STUDIO MONITORS

Headphones are not always comfortable and so Monitor speakers become important. For a home studio you should always chose near-field monitors. These may be active or passive according as if they have built in amplifiers or not. I would recommend buying active ones as otherwise you would have to buy a separate yet matching amplifier to use your passive monitors.

Recommended :


DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION ( DAW )
DAW software helps you to compose, record, add effects, mix and master your music. All DAWs have the same basic functions. Each has its own positives and negatives. It is therefore highly recommended that you chose a DAW that you are accustomed to or find easy to use. Download a trial version and try it out. If you like it then don't even look at other software.

NOTE: If you chose Apple Logic Pro, keep in mind that you would have to buy a Mac, as Logic does not have a PC version.

I myself use logic pro as I think it is the most versatile software with the largest number of inbuilt plugins. But again your needs may be different. So don't go out and buy Logic Pro now simply because I use it !! 

List of top DAW software:
Learn more about Digital Audio Workstations
MIDI KEYBOARD CONTROLLERS

 If you want to compose music with virtual instruments then for you this is a must. If you already have a keyboard, find out if it has midi capabilities or not. Generally keyboards with USB support are midi capable. Avoid keyboards that use 5 pin midi cables as these days midi interfaces can run through USB or Fire-wire. There are many to chose from. I would list some that are really great keyboards at the price. Some keyboards have drum pads inbuilt which may or may not be important to you. However, there are separate midi drum pads, and other midi interaces available.

Recommended Keyboard Controllers:


Learn more about midi



HOME STUDIO BUILD

Chose a product from each of the above mentioned categories and you are ready with your own customized build. 
Chose at least one condenser and one dynamic microphone considering your needs.

Accessories : 
You would also need other accessories like Pop Filters, Microphone stands, Cables etc. 

Acoustic treatment :  
If you have a good budget you may treat your room using some acoustic foams, bass traps etc. But it is not a necessity at the beginning. If you want to know more about acoustic treatment and sound proofing click here.

If you want to buy acoustic foams, click here.

Well, these are the equipment necessary to start off.  There are other products and audio equipment which you may always upgrade to at any time later. But I won't go into all that as this is a post for beginners.  

I tried to make this post as simple as I could. Hope you enjoy learning and producing music. It's easy if you try. If you have any questions regarding this post or anything related to music production feel free to comment/contact me. I would try my best to help you out. 

All The Best Fellow Composers !! Cheers !! 


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