Build a Laptop Studio on Any Budget

May 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By the EM Staff

           
 

SIX SETUPS FOR MAKING MUSIC ON THE GO

For use at home, where you're not constrained by noise or weight, you have more speaker options. Nothing compares with being able to audition speakers unhurriedly in a good listening environment and, whenever possible, in your studio. Having said that, I recommend a pair of Genelec 8030As ($1,499 per pair). These biamped monitors give you a variety of mounting options to make them work in any space and orientation. For better low-end resolution, add the 7050B powered subwoofer ($1,229).

Your range of options for an audio interface depends on your laptop's I/O. For multitrack audio, FireWire is the preferred choice. However, USB 2.0 is a reasonable alternative, especially if you're not concerned with high track counts when multichannel recording. For compactness and quality in a USB interface, consider the new U42S in the Lexicon Ionix line ($399). It has 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution and puts the controls and metering for its stereo output and two headphone channels conveniently next to your laptop. It includes S/PDIF digital I/O as well as a single-port MIDI interface. In case you decide to venture outside the box and do some live recording, you get four mic/line inputs with mic preamps and 48V phantom power along with DI instrument inputs on the first two channels.

FIG. 2: The MOTU UltraLite mk3 doubles as a FireWire audio interface and a standalone 10-by-14 mixer.

If your laptop has FireWire, the MOTU UltraLite mk3 ($549) is a compact option that doubles as a standalone portable mixer (see Fig. 2). It features 24-bit, 192 kHz operation (96 kHz for S/PDIF) and has 10 inputs and 14 outputs, making it suitable for stereo, quad, and surround. Its onboard CueMix FX digital mixer and built-in DSP effects provide no-latency processing with no hit on your computer's CPU. All controls are accessible from the UltraLite mk3 front panel. You can use FireWire bus power if your laptop supports it, or use the included power supply. MacBook Pro users should also consider the 2-channel Apogee Duet ($495). It lacks the multichannel recording and mixing capabilities of the UltraLite mk3 but gives you 24-bit, 96 kHz processing and the renowned Apogee converters.

For road work, you might prefer one of the compact control-surface options mentioned earlier. For home-studio use, I've chosen the Studiologic VMK-161 Plus keyboard controller ($620). Its 5-octave keyboard features full-size, weighted piano-action keys; a combo Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel joystick; transport buttons; 25 programmable knobs, sliders, and buttons; and 3 pedal inputs. At 33 pounds, the VMK-161 Plus isn't something you'd jam into your backpack, but its Fatar Grand Touch action is the best I've played. For more DAW and plug-in management, you could add the Novation ReMote Zero SL ($275), which has the same features as the Novation ReMote SL Compact 25 but without the keys.

With a little restraint, you can put this studio together for around $2,700, or you can go full bore, including the Genelec subwoofer, for around $4,600. Either way, you'll have a pro-quality rig both at home and on the road.

The Songwriter's Studio
By Mike Levine

If you're a songwriter, you want a laptop studio that lets you record your creations as fully realized arrangements, including drum tracks and MIDI keyboard parts. At the same time, you want to retain as much portability as possible. Here are two options, the first weighted toward low price and a small footprint, and the second offering higher quality and more flexibility.

Budget Songwriter's Studio
($1,162 to $1,582)

This studio is designed to be both inexpensive and highly portable. Not including your mic stands, you should be able to fit it into a backpack. It will serve as a traveling rig — for writing and recording in hotel rooms and on tour buses, for example — and also work well for the stay-at-home songwriter who wants to keep costs down but still produce solid demos. This setup gives you the ability to record vocals, instruments, and MIDI tracks. It doesn't provide for recording live drums, so I'm assuming that any drum tracks you'll have will be loop or MIDI based (or both).

FIG. 3: The PreSonus FireBox audio interface combines portability with flexible I/O.

For those whose laptops have FireWire ports, I suggest the PreSonus FireBox ($299) as an audio interface (see Fig. 3). This half-rack unit offers two mic/instrument inputs, an additional pair of line inputs, a pair of S/PDIF inputs, MIDI In/Out, and six balanced outputs.

If you don't have a FireWire port, substitute an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra USB 2.0 interface ($349). Although a bit costlier, it has four mic preamps, two of which are mic/instrument combo jacks, and six balanced line inputs and outputs, as well as S/PDIF I/O (giving you up to eight channels of audio input at a time). It also includes dual headphone amps. Both the FireBox and the Fast Track Ultra offer low-latency monitoring.

If you plan to run Pro Tools, you can substitute a Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro ($699) on FireWire-equipped laptops. Or you can run Pro Tools M-Powered on the Fast Track Ultra.