Whether your space for a budget recording studio is basically in your home or in your garage or in a little commercial space, this article is primarily for fashioning a music studio that uses athe least equipment.
The most budget-friendly way to record has become the use of a P. C. and software applications. I recommend Apple’s Logic 9 which comes together with a program devoted to the creation of music. ( The program only runs on an Apple platform. ) Not only can it record live performances but it incorporates one or two software instruments : piano, organ and one or two great sounding synths. Logic nine also has 2 other rather unique items – a fully functioning sampler which easily can turn recorded sounds into a playable instrument of your own making. Logic 9 also comes loaded with loops ; everything from drum beats in each style imaginable to musical fragments to sound fx and masses more. These loops will automatically adjust to your selected tempo as well . For more info – go to the Apple link and check out all the features. The truth is you do not want an array of synthesizers and samplers rigged with midi wires which is generally a headache in the end.
The second thing to consider is the digital to analog converter that transfers the analog sound waves in to a digital format that your personal computer can understand – and back out of the computer so you can hear what you’ve recorded. Most PCs have a converter but they actually are not so good as several “outboard” and affordable converters on the market. The best ones in my opinion are made by Apogee. They’re also fully integrated with the Logic program. If you plan on doing just overdubs one track at a time then the “Duet” is the best bang for the buck. The subsequent which is also manufactured by Apogee is the “Ensemble” that has 8 channels versus only two on the “Duet”. If you plan on recording a band you would clearly need more than two channels for individual micing of instruments.
Of course you’ll need microphones and stands.(Check out great deals on microphones!) The best ones for vocals in the recording studio are the cardioid condenser mics. You should purchase fairly good ones for under $200, although the range goes up to $8000. ( For condenser mics you’ll need phantom power which is actually included with most converters with input boxes. ) For instrument micing you can use dynamic mics which aren’t as delicate as the condenser mics. The rule for mic placement and as well as all things audio is – experiment till you like the way it sounds.
You’ll also need studio monitors that hook up to your converters and at least 2 pairs of headphones for doing any overdubs. I advise powered monitors as they are quiet and you don’t need the trouble of having another power amplifier. The Yamaha powered NS10s are good – but let your ears be the judge. Essentially you need a flat response to get an unhyped image of the music when mixing and forceful enough to not deform when played back at high volumes.
lastly it’ll be necessary mostly to treat the walls of the recording and mixing space to minimise the room tone ( i.e, any live echos or reverberation, no matter how short the reverb time appears to be ). This important detail will affect the picture of your recording. The surfaces of your walls will often need something to dampen those artifacts. Froth panels are one solution, covering approximately thirty percent of the surfaces. Another very cost effective solution is the utilization of egg cartons to make the surfaces irregular and also absorbent of the sound waves.
I would like to conclude with a word about computers. The stronger the processor the better. You’ll need the most RAM that you can afford. This will insure that you may have enough power to run the various synthesizers and effects without frustrating. It’ll also permit more tracks to be recorded simultaneously.
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