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

Your audio interface will be the biggest determining factor for how many channels you can record. The more inputs the interface has, the greater your flexibility in handling different scenarios. The trade-off is that once you go beyond eight channels, your system will be less compact. For most situations, your best choice will be an interface with balanced TRS inputs, which can handle unbalanced signals when the need arises.

To get signals from the FOH mixer to your interface will require either separate audio cables or a multichannel snake. For speed and ease of setup and teardown, I highly recommend the snake. Keep in mind that its length will determine how far from the FOH mixer you can set up for recording.

For monitoring live sound, nothing beats a good pair of headphones. They should be durable enough for frequent transport and comfortable to wear for long periods. It's also important that they provide a good seal around your ears to prevent leakage from the outside world.

Low-Budget Mobile Recording
($446 to $703)

Even if your budget is extremely limited, you might be surprised at what you could do with some carefully chosen purchases. Let's look at a minimal setup and work our way up from there. You can get by with as few as three essential items: an 8-channel audio interface, an 8-channel snake, and a pair of stereo headphones.

You'll find no shortage of interfaces that would suit your needs, but if your computer has FireWire, the least expensive one I've found that has at least eight balanced inputs is the Edirol FA-101 ($379). Two of its inputs are combo jacks, and it delivers 24-bit, 96 kHz audio to your computer.

If you can spare a few more bucks, the MOTU UltraLite mk3 ($549) is an excellent choice. It gives you eight TRS inputs that handle balanced or unbalanced signals, as well as two additional inputs for instruments or microphones. As your budget grows, you could buy a second UltraLite and link them via FireWire, doubling the number of simultaneous channels you could record.

If your computer has USB 2.0 instead of a FireWire connection, the Tascam US-1641 ($399) is the most cost-effective solution that would serve your needs (see Fig. 5). It gives you numerous additional inputs and, like the others, handles 24-bit, 96 kHz audio. Unlike the others, however, its balanced inputs use XLR jacks rather than TRS.

The least expensive 8-channel snake I've found is the Hosa CSS-803 ($47). It's almost 10 feet long and has molded TRS plugs on each end. If you need XLR plugs on one end, go for the almost-identical Hosa STX-803M ($51). If that's not long enough, the 23-foot Hosa CSS-807 ($65) has TRS plugs on each end, and the 23-foot Hosa STX-807M ($69) is terminated by TRS plugs on one end and XLRs on the other.

For headphones, the least expensive pair that will do the job is the no-nonsense Yamaha RH2C $20). They offer good isolation at a rock-bottom price. If you can afford more, step up to the Sony MDR-7505 headphones ($85), which offer superior sound and swiveling ear cups.

Bigger-Budget Mobile Recording
($1,912 to $4,025)

A more luxurious recording rig would record 16 channels simultaneously and include at least one pair of condenser microphones for capturing live room sound. Mics would also allow you to record performers in an environment without a house mix. With a bigger budget, you could also afford better headphones and a higher-quality snake.

When I started looking for a FireWire or USB interface with 16 TRS inputs, I was surprised to find none at all. The obvious solution, then, was to pick a matching pair of units with fewer inputs. Several models are designed to link together for expanded systems, and you could go beyond 16 channels if you needed more.

FireWire users have the greatest number of choices. Consider the new Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 ($499 each). A pair of them provides 16 balanced inputs on ¼-inch/XLR combo jacks, physical knobs for each input, and 4 separate headphone outputs.

Another very nice selection is a pair of MOTU Traveler mk3s ($849 each). The Traveler features 192 kHz A/D/A converters for optimum recording quality, and it can be battery powered for complete portability.

For USB 2.0 users, I recommend two MOTU 828mkII USB interfaces ($749 each). The interface handles 96 kHz sampling rates and has eight TRS inputs, as well as two combo inputs with mic preamps. Like other MOTU interfaces, it also includes the multitrack recording application AudioDesk (Mac).

You'll need either one 16-channel snake or two 8-channel snakes, but just so you'll have a backup, I recommend getting three 8-channel snakes. I like the ProCo MT8BQBQ-20 ($143), a 20-foot snake terminated by TRS plugs at each end. If you need more length, longer models are available.

For monitoring your recordings, I like the Ultrasone HFI-580 headphones ($199; see Fig. 6). They produce higher levels with less power than most headphones and block outside sounds quite effectively. They scored well in EM's headphone roundup “It's in the Can” in the July 2008 issue.

Last but not least expensive are microphones. Just about any mic you'd use in the studio is appropriate for live recording. You might want to steer away from ribbon or tube mics because they tend to be more susceptible to damage during transport, and you'll probably be moving them a lot. Small-diaphragm mics are a good choice for a compact, portable rig. If you're going to buy two to record in stereo, you should probably select a matched pair.

The Røde NT5 is an especially good deal when purchased as a pair ($429 total). They're versatile and excel at handling high sound-pressure levels. If you want to go all out, though, get a pair of Neumann KM 184s ($1,699 total). These cardioid condensers handle serious SPLs, and they're renowned for their sonic detail. With interfaces, snakes, headphones, and mics in hand, you'll be ready to record practically any club or concert performance.