SoundTempest

Are you interested in creating music and distributing it to the general public? If so, it is easier than you think to put together a high-quality album ready for sale on the market, regardless of your musical training or access to a professional recording studio. This guide will take you through the process of creating a setup in your own home capable of producing a great musical product.

I. Home vs. Pro Recording

The first decision you must make when creating an album is whether you actually want to record and produce it out of your home, or whether you would prefer to use an established recording studio. Below you will find a list of some of the appeals for each option, and from there you can determine which is right for you.

Home Studio
+ Easily accessible
+ Relatively cheap to set up
+ Can be tailored to your needs and musical style
+ Purchased gear can be resold later

Pro Studio
+ More gear options to choose from
+ Easier to obtain a high-quality sound
+ Engineer(s) to help you
+ May have additional services of interest

If you elect to record at a pro studio, you should do some research on facilities in your area. Google, your phone book, and local paper/classifieds may all be helpful. While doing internet research, keep in mind that some facilities may have a weak web presence (or none at all.) However, this does not mean they are not worth your attention; even in this day and age, many establishments simply have not spent the resources on a flash website because it is not necessary for their business. Recording studios are no exception.

Of course, you should always seek out people who have done business with the studio you’re interested in. Testimonials provided by the company are nice, but they may have been taken out of context. Or perhaps the happy clientèle of the studio are all heavy metal bands, whereas you are a folk singer/songwriter. You won’t regret doing your homework before picking a facility to record at.

If a pro studio is the route you’ve chosen, then this guide will not contain much relevant information for you :) Otherwise…

II. Home Studio Overview

What constitutes a “home studio”, anyway? There is a simple set of crucial components:

* Instruments that produce sound, whether it’s your own voice, a guitar, a keyboard workstation, or a virtual synth.
* If you’re using any physical instruments, a method of capturing the sound they produce (most likely, a microphone or several microphones.)
* A device to store, arrange, and edit audio. If you have a computer, you’re all set with this!
* Software to actually facilitate recording, arranging, and editing of audio & MIDI.
* A way of accurately listening to audio, such as headphones or speakers.

Let’s look at these basic elements in depth.

III. Instruments

You’ve probably heard the expression “garbage in, garbage out” at some point or another, and it’s certainly true with creating music as well. If your instruments are damaged, out of tune, or simply have a poor tone, you must repair or replace them (unless the resultant sounds are what you’re going for!) Local music shops are great for maintenance of instruments, but if you’re looking for new ones, I highly recommend online retailers like zZounsd, Sweetwater, AudioMIDI, Novamusik, and Scitscat. They usually have a far superior selection to physical retailers, better prices, and regular clearances where you can score discounts of up to 90%.

You’re not limited to hardware instruments either; you have the additional option of getting high-powered virtual instruments in plugin format, such as VST or AU (Mac.) Plugins tend to be far cheaper than hardware synthesizers or keyboards, and there are a wide variety of free tools as well. The best plugin database out there is KVRAudio, which lets you search for specific kinds of synths and even look only for free ones. Virtual instruments are commonly used by musicians writing and performing electronic music, as so many of them are synthesizers, but they can be heard all over the radio every day.

Also of interest to any musician is the concept of “sample libraries”. Sample libraries are simply collections of recordings of various instruments; acoustic and electric guitars, grand pianos, electric pianos, ethnic instruments, orchestras, synthesizers, and everything in between. If you’re looking to add a drum part but don’t know any drummers, for example, using high-quality samples will sound great and are highly flexible, to boot. Some excellent sites to find good samples (albeit, for a price) include: SoundsOnline, Spectrasonics, eSoundz, and Ilio. All of the music gear retailers mentioned earlier carry samples as well.

IV. Capturing Sound

One could easily write a book on the art of selecting and using microphones properly, and indeed there are a number of volumes on the topic. Since experts have repeatedly covered this topic in depth, and the fundamentals of recording technique have not really changed over the years, I’ve written a list of some helpful resources. Many of these also delve into other relevant topics for home studio musicians.

* Modern Recording Techniques, by David Miles Huber
* Guerilla Home Recording, by Karl Coryat
* Recording, Electronic Musician, and Mix magazines
* Shure’s collection of educational articles on recording (free PDFs)
* Sweetwater’s free microphone buying guide

Here are some of my own recommendations for recording gear:

* Shure SM57 and SM58 - two of the most durable, versatile, and widely-used mics in the world, with the latter being more oriented towards vocals
* Samson CO1U Condenser Mic w/ shockmount - A USB mic that requires no other gear but your computer to record, and sounds great to boot (especially for vocals)
* Presonus Firebox - Excellent external audio interface that connects to your computer via Firewire; high-quality drivers, lots of features, great sound
* E-mu 0404 audio interface - An internal, PCI sound card with ‘breakout’ cables enabling you to hook up instruments; very affordable with great onboard software
* ART Tube MP Mic Preamp - cheap, but smooth-sounding mic preamp, necessary if you don’t have an interface with preamps on it and you want to use a non-USB mic

V. The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

For the purposes of this guide, I am going to recommend that you use some form of computer, be it PC or Mac, as the centerpiece of your recording setup. While it’s possible to use a product like a Korg D3200 or an Open Labs MiKo, these solutions are often costly and not as intuitive or flexible. A computer will allow you a great deal of customization and power. You are only limited by its speed, memory, and storage; even an old computer can easily handle most recording and editing tasks.

In the market for a new machine? You can put together a great rig for less than $500. Here are some recommended minimum specs:

* Windows XP Pro, Mac OSX or Leopard - Vista may be the latest Microsoft operating system, but all the kinks aren’t quite worked out yet.
* 500 gigabytes of storage - A single hard drive of this size costs only about $100!
* A dual core processor - Intel’s latest Core 2 Duos are a great value.
* 2 gigabytes of RAM - This is especially important if you plan on using a lot of samples.
* Any simple video card - You don’t need anything fancy here! A $80-100 “silent” (fanless) graphics card is all you need. Just make sure it has two monitors outputs, in case you decide to add an additional screen to your setup.
* A non-”consumer” sound card/audio interface - eg. The EMU 0404 or Presonus Firebox mentioned earlier. Not as crucial if you’re not recording live instruments, or you’re using USB equipment.

So where would you actually buy a computer like this? If you’re looking to get a Mac, your only solid options are www.apple.com or an authorized Apple dealer. If you’re a student you can get discounts in the hundreds of dollars, which is nice.

If you’re in the PC market, you have an overwhelming number of choices, but not all of them are a good idea. I strongly advise against purchasing a music-oriented computer from a general purpose manufacturer such as Dell, HP, or Gateway. Their prices may be good, but you will likely get a lot of software that you do not need, and they lack the customization that you do need. Gaming PC manufacturers, like Alienware, tend to be overpriced and will overload you with hardware that is not necessary for music.

Companies like ADK Pro Audio, RAIN Recording and VisionDAW all create music-specific computers and are a worthy option of consideration. My only complaint is that they tend to be very overpriced when compared to the price of parts. You can expect huge markups on virtually everything, but in return you get a computer that is fully tweaked and optimized for recording, built by a knowledgeable staff and usually backed by a great warranty and tech support plan. These companies usually offer the option of pre-installing your software of choice, another perk.

If you are skilled enough, you might consider building your computer from scratch. This is absolutely the cheapest option, and it offers the most flexibility, bar none. You know every component going into the machine, so you can ensure that every feature is just what you want. The downside to this is that you will not have any sort of unified warranty or tech support plan if something goes wrong; you’ll have to contact individual part manufacturers or figure it out yourself. Also, there are a ton of things that can go wrong when putting together a computer, so I don’t recommend this unless you really know what you’re doing.

One exception to the above paragraph would be if you know someone who has lots of experience building computers and is willing to do it for you (perhaps for a slight fee.) There are plenty of talented individuals who fall into this category, particularly people who are currently or have previously worked in computer science. This is definitely a good solution as you are assured virtually one-on-one service and a high level of attention to detail. One such individual I would recommend is Bradley Burr, a fellow musician and friend of mine who has assembled over 30 computers - if you’re interested, drop him a line.

There is one final option - smaller-scale, custom computer manufacturers. When buying my last DAW, I went with AVAdirect, which I wholeheartedly recommend and will use on future purchases. AVA has better prices than any DAW-specific manufacturer I’ve seen, while also offering excellent customer service, warranty, and tech support, and a high level of customization. Your system will be ready to go out of the box (unlike a home-built PC) with no need to install or update drivers. Plus, unlike Dell or HP, you won’t have any extraneous software; just what you asked for.

All this being said, even if you’re working with an old Gateway computer, you can still make great music - you just may be slightly more limited in your choices of software and how large your projects can get. If you’re happy with your choice of machine, let’s move on.

VI. Recording Software

Mac users, rejoice - chances are very good that you’re completely set here. For the last few years, all new Macs of any kind have come with the Garageband music software. Don’t let the fact that it’s free fool you. Plenty of commercial releases have been created using it! You can record and arrange audio, write MIDI, load plugins and external samples, use effects, and browse a massive library of built-in sounds.

If you find yourself somehow limited, you can always upgrade to Apple’s Logic Studio, which is basically the big brother of Garageband - at $500 (less if you’re a student) it’s not cheap, but it has such a vast wealth of built-in tools and sounds that you’ll most likely be set for a long time. Another competitive Mac program is MOTU Digital Performer, which is popular among composers who need a powerful manuscript-style notation editor or who are scoring music to picture.

PC users, on the other hand, have a great variety of options. Any of the programs below are quite capable of doing everything you need, and most come with cut-down versions that lack some of the highly advanced features, but can still do a whole lot (and cost a whole lot less.)

* Steinberg Cubase 4 ($800) or Cubase Studio 4 ($400)
* Cakewalk Sonar 7 Producer ($500), Sonar 7 Studio ($300) or Home Studio 6 XL ($140)
* M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered ($260 - requires an M-Audio interface or soundcard) or Digidesign Mbox 2 with Pro Tools LE ($450 - comes with audio interface)
* Image-Line FL Studio 7 ($165)
* Propellerhead Reason 4.0 ($400) NOTE: Reason is an enclosed environment for creating music and it cannot load external plugins or record audio. However, it is very CPU efficient and has a ton of awesome tools, especially if you are making primarily MIDI-based music.
* Cockos Reaper ($50 for non-commercial usage, $225 otherwise, free to try indefinitely)

To decide which “host” or “sequencer” is right for you, I suggest looking up each of the products mentioned above and downloading a demo if there is one available. If none exists, look for tutorial videos that show off the workflow of the software either on YouTube or the manufacturer’s site. Though I personally use FLStudio, what works for me might be unbearable for you, so it is worth spending the time trying out all your different options before plunking down the money for something.

As mentioned earlier, all of this software can be expanded via new plugins, samples, or both to expand your palette of sounds. Note that Reason does not support plugins, but instead uses “Refill” format sample CDs. Pro Tools does not use VST-format plugins, but plays nicely with RTAS or TDM formats. Apple software tends to use the AU format instead of VST as well. In other guides I’ll cover the topic of additional plugins/samples in greater depth.

VII. Monitors and Headphones

You might have a $10,000 guitar, all the latest sample libraries and plugins, an 8-core monster DAW, and the best performers in the world at your disposal, but without a decent way of listening to all of that from your computer, you won’t get very far. A good “monitoring solution” is vital to creating music that can be sold on the market. Even if you hire a producer and engineer to help you out, I can’t stress how important it is to accurately hear what you have created. There’s no worse feeling than unwrapping your brand new CD after printing 10,000 copies only to put it in your car and hear that the vocals are unintelligible and the bass overrides all the other instruments.

To clarify some terminology, “monitors” in this context are essentially high-end speakers. They are typically used in pairs, though some have a subwoofer as well. They are larger than most consumer speakers and designed to give you the best idea of what your music actually sounds like. This is important because it is very hard (basically impossible) to create a way to listen to music perfectly. In one way or another, your monitors will ‘color’ the sound - perhaps emphasizing the high end a bit, or dipping the bass. Cheap speakers color the sound considerably more. Your mix might sound perfect on a pair of $50 Altec Lansing speakers, but when you go to play it elsewhere, it will most likely sound unbalanced and amateur.

What makes a good set of monitors? It’s hard to say. There are lots of brands out there, such as Genelec, Tannoy, Event, KRK, and M-Audio. You can get some as cheap as $100 or $200, or you could pay $5000 for single monitor. Most do not have any particularly special features; you are simply paying for the quality of the components and the design of the physical unit. Like microphones, you can expect a strong correlation between price and quality. A $200 set of M-Audio monitors might get the job done, but they won’t compare to a $20,000 Genelec system. It’s also difficult to ‘test’ a pair of monitors in a store unless you’re in a controlled environment with few distractions and a reference CD where you are already familiar with the sound.

Simply put, there’s no one criteria for figuring out what monitors you should buy. Listening to them yourself is the best way, though as mentioned above this is difficult to do in a store, so you may be better off looking for friends with home (or pro) studios that have the same monitors you’re looking to buy. Reviews in pro audio magazines and on the net are also good resources. If you’re buying from a retailer that has a 30 day return policy or money back guarantee, you can actually use the monitors in your own environment, which is the best way of all to see if you like them.

There is another factor in monitoring equally important to the monitors themselves; the room they are placed in. Even with high-quality monitors, a poorly acoustic space can severely color the sound. An ideal room is somewhat small with minimal right angles and lots of sound-absorbing material such as carpeting. If your room is not like this, and chances are it isn’t, do your best to “treat” it. Purchasing acoustic foam to mount on the walls and in corners is a good start, though you can use cushions and any other sort of thick, cloth/foam material as well. Several of the books I recommended earlier go into much more depth on this topic, and you can also find various guides and tips on the subject online.

Regarding headphones, contrary to what many audio professionals say, I personally believe headphones are every bit as viable a method of accurately listening to music as monitors. They eliminate the room factor of listening; music will sound the same through the same pair of headphones whether you’re in a bathroom, bedroom, or concert hall. Additionally, a good pair of headphones costs far less than a good pair of monitors. A few things to keep in mind when buying and using headphones, however:

* Reverb (the sense of ’space’ when a sound plays, which can be added artificially or naturally) always seems de-emphasized on headphones, so make sure you don’t add too much to compensate.
* Any sort of effects or processing which deals with the stereo image of the sound (left vs. right side) will seem exaggerated on some headphones.
* Many headphones tend to over-emphasize bass, leading people to turn bass instruments down too much and end up with “thin” mixes.
* There is a tendency to turn up the volume too much while listening to anything on headphones, which can be dangerous for your hearing but also introduce inaccuracies into your mixing, as the human ear is more sensitive to low and high frequencies at louder volumes.
* When using headphones at all, spend a lot of time carefully listening to reference material you’re already familiar with - preferably professional, commercial releases that you know are engineered well. This is important in getting used to the particular “sound” and frequency balance of your personal set of headphones.
* Regularly listen to music you’ve made using headphones on different sound systems, from car stereos to computer speakers, iPod headphones, etc.

My personal recommendation for headphones would be the Beyerdynamic DT880s which I picked up last year and have served me very well. They’re semi-open, which means there is some sound leakage, but that is a good thing (provided you live alone) because you generally don’t want bass waves to be closed in and building up around your ear. However, they’re somewhat expensive, so other alternatives include the AKG K240 and Sennheiser HD-280.

VIII. Conclusion

Even though this is a fairly abridged guide to the topic of building a home studio, it should give you a good idea of the most important decisions that go into the process. If you’re interested in expanded explanations on the various topics I’ve covered, there is a great deal of additional literature on these topics available online, in magazines, and in reference books on music. If this is beginning to look more costly than you initially thought, consider that you don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest tools. Previous versions of software often work just fine. A refurbished MIDI keyboard will function just as well as a new one. Your five year old computer might not need to be replaced; just given a $50 RAM upgrade.

Finally, if you’re a student or educator, chances are good that you have access to some killer discounts on a lot of tools. Check out Academic Superstore for starters, and ask any other retailers or manufacturers if they offer an educational discount before buying anything.

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(Questions about anything I’ve written here? Suggestions? Corrections? Don’t hesitate to comment or email me!)