Registering at home or traveling has become
quite simple. Technology reduces equipment to a minimum, however some elements
are key to a smooth recording practice, so be careful where you choose to save.
Here I will make a description of the essential elements separately. Some
machines combine several functions and save space. However it is important to
know the key functions that make up a recording studio (build a budget music studio). In reality the method is the same for
mobile studios or large infrastructures, what makes the difference, it is the
complexity of the available functions and the quality of the components. The Essentials to build a budget music studio.
The computer:
Of course, the more powerful it is, the
more you can manage simultaneous tracks, virtual instruments and effects.
Beyond the RAM and processor speed, it's important to pay attention to some
details in the choice of the machine, including the chipset number, motherboard
brand and the response speed of the hard drive. Unlike most computer-based
software, music requires "real-time" processing, which requires
special configuration to ensure a stable and reliable machine. Unless you have
a soundproof enclosure, it is better to have a computer as quiet as possible.
The sound card:
The sound card integrated into the computer
is absolutely insufficient to work with music. The best way to work is to use a
dedicated music card for recording and to reserve the internal sound card for
listening to mp3, video etc. For example in mixing, this can become
particularly practical: the ideal is to use a listening switch to listen
alternately the mix of the project and a piece of reference in mp3. In
composition phase too, it is interesting to listen to references without
leaving his project. Technically, the best is to buy a sound card in a
specialized music store. Avoid cards below 75 €. The best is to have 2 separate
stereo outputs with switchable headphones on one or the other output. I will
talk more about the interest of this function in another article. This is a
very interesting feature to use live, for example.
The microphone:
We will talk in detail about the pickups.
In summary, two categories are needed: dynamic microphones and static pickups.
The dynamic pickups are great on stage for taking bass drum, snare etc. By
cons, for singing in the studio, they lack definition especially in the treble.
The large diaphragmatic condenser microphones have an excellent definition and
will restore the subtleties of the voice (and its defects) to perfection. On
the other hand their sensitivity will catch very well also any parasitic noise
of the room: car in the street, conversations in the next room and even the
purring of the computer. It is therefore essential to record on the headphones
and to be silent in the room.
The preamp:
The preamp goes with the microphone and
often its price is the same as that of the microphone. The preamp will help to
homogenize the sound of the microphone by reducing the differences in dynamics
(compressor), bring out the finesse of the voice (equalizer), "warm
up" the sound (quality of components, lamp etc) and restore a clean signal
and "boosted" at the "line" level. I made all my first
models without preamp, so this is something we can do without. Then as my
quality requirement changed, I bought a digital prampli and then a tube preamp.
I particularly like the couple Neuman TLM127 + Avalon VT737 SP that can do
everything: voice, folk guitars, strings and the same percussion etc.
The mixer:
Unlike its name, I do not use the mixer to
mix but only to record. Unless you invest in a high-end digital table, it is
more interesting to mix everything inside the computer. The mixer is mainly
used for listening: adjust the volume of the microphone compared to that of the
sound card. This is where the beginner often does not know how to go about it.
In reality, the signal arriving from the microphone input slice must go from
one side to the listening (headphone) and the other side in recording. In
general we use a bus "pre-fader" to direct the raw signal to the card
in sound for recording (buss out). I will do a dedicated article on this
subject. It is important to be able to adjust the playback slider without
affecting the recording level that goes to the sound card.
The reverb:
In certain musical styles, the reverb is
not used or used very little. Thus in urban music (rap, hip hop), the singer
prefers to hear their voice "dry". For other styles of music, the
reverb is often essential for the singer to feel wings! Sometimes this function
is included in the effects of the mixer but it is rare that the quality is at
the rendezvous. If you've spoiled yourself by giving your vocal cords a
large-diaphragm condenser microphone, you'll be frustrated if the reverb makes
you feel like you are singing in the bathroom. To feel like in Bercy, the ideal
is to have a dedicated effect rack. The Alesis Nanoverb and other cases are
very good entry-level. We use a aux or buss "post-fader" to feed the
reverb, then the sound of the effect returns either in a stereo slice, or in an
"aux-return". We will see all this in a future article.
Listening switch:
In the mixing phase, a listening switch is
an essential tool. Indeed, mixing is doing comparative listening. When you
listen to 10, 20, 50 times the same title, the ear gets used and we quickly
made an unbalanced mix. In addition each listening system has a different
color. It is therefore essential to constantly compare your mix to a safe
source (commercial mix) and to test it on different listenings (big speakers,
small speakers, headphones, radios, etc.). You will see that your mix will
sound differently on each system and the art of the mix is to find a
satisfactory compromise.
Sky Tronic stereo audio source selector.
The listening switch is therefore a key element of the affordable music studio and allows you to switch alternately from
an A (mix) input to a B (mp3) input and switch alternately from A (large
speakers) output to a B output. (small speakers). Before investing in an
expensive machine, you can experiment with Sky Tronic "stereo audio source
selector" boxes.
The listening system:
as it has just been said, it is essential
to listen to your mix in a comparative way on different speakers. At a minimum,
it is a pair of monitors, a stereo or a radio, and a headset. I listen to all
my mixes on a pair of computer speakers at 15 € to be sure that Internet users,
if not enjoying the sub-bass, will recognize the instruments of the song. It is
always striking to hear a medium guitar that suddenly comes out very loud on
this kind of listening, so a little equalizer can solve the problem.
That's it, you now know the essential
elements that make up a affordable music
studio. In an upcoming video, I will show how to connect them concretely.
Comments
Post a Comment