Build a Personal Studio on Any Budget

Sep 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By the EM Staff

Five personal studio designs from budget to high-end.

The Postproduction and Sound-Design Studio

By Geary Yelton

The Budget Postproduction and Sound-Design Studio

Even without a barrel of money, designing a respectable studio for sound design and postproduction is not impossible if you pinpoint the essentials. With a computer and a budget of $5,000, I can assemble all the software and gear I'm likely to need for composing soundtracks, syncing audio to picture, producing voice-overs and dialog, and recording and editing Foley and other sound effects. Although I'm primarily a Mac user, I'll select cross-platform products whenever possible and offer Windows-based alternatives when a product is specific to the Macintosh.

After considering numerous alternatives, I decided to build my budget studio around Digidesign's Mbox 2 Pro Factory ($899). Practically every post house works with Pro Tools, and many video, film, and radio professionals are comfortable in a Pro Tools-oriented world. My other reason is pure economics; it's almost ironic that Digidesign now offers some of the most cost-effective multitrack recording systems around, considering that not many years ago, Pro Tools was practically beyond the reach of budget studios.

For under a grand, Mbox 2 Pro Factory features Pro Tools LE 7.3 and a FireWire audio interface with 4 analog inputs, 6 analog outputs, stereo S/PDIF I/O, and 16 channels of MIDI I/O — all available simultaneously. To accommodate microphones, two inputs have mic preamps and 48V phantom power. The interface has two additional inputs for guitar or bass and a phono input if I ever need to connect a turntable.

Along with Pro Tools LE, a bundle of nearly 50 DigiRack and Bomb Factory plug-ins covers most essential dynamics, effects, and utility functions. The Mbox 2 Pro Factory bundle also includes plugs-ins such as Joemeek EQ and compression and Moogerfooger analog-style delay. Along with Digidesign's soft synth Xpand and a soundware library, the included Pro Tools Ignition Pack 2 contains very useful software from Ableton, Celemony, IK Multimedia, Propellerhead, and others.

Pro Tools LE gives me plenty of sequencing and mixing capabilities and quite a bit of editing power, but I want more-detailed audio editing and the ability to edit video as well. Apple's Final Cut Express HD ($299), which includes Soundtrack 1.5 and a sizable library of music loops and sound effects, fits the bill perfectly without breaking the bank. If I were using Windows, I could get similar functionality for the same price using Sony's Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 ($59.95) and Vegas Movie Studio Platinum Edition 8 ($129.95).

To play software instruments, I'll need a USB/MIDI keyboard controller. The least expensive I've found offering all the features I want is E-mu's Xboard 61 ($249). In addition to full-size keys, 16 assignable knobs, and its own editing software, it has a very good synth action with Aftertouch and an input for either a footswitch or a pedal. The Xboard 61 is bundled with Proteus X LE software, giving me access to a nice collection of bread-and-butter timbres.

To access a larger selection of soundware and to create my own, I'll need a sampler. Because I have sound design in mind and therefore can't afford to cut corners, I'm going to spring for my favorite top-shelf sampler, Native Instruments Kontakt 2 ($449). Probably more sound libraries are available for Kontakt than any other software format, and its onboard effects processing and sample-mapping facilities are hard to beat. Its audio-editing talents run deep, and 64 multitimbral parts should be enough for most any arranging job. It's bundled with a well-rounded 15 GB of superb content, half of which comes from Vienna Symphonic Library, and it also includes two very good pianos.

Because I want a soft synth that offers as much versatility as possible, I've chosen Native Instruments Reaktor 5 ($449). In addition to supplying an extensive collection of ready-made synths, drum machines, and effects, Reaktor serves as a software construction kit that lets me create original instruments and download dozens of new ones from the Web (see Fig. 5).

I've also chosen a Kontakt Player 2-based synth that gives me 21 GB of high-quality content and lots of bang for the buck. With more than 2,000 instruments, Vir2 VI.One ($399) is a solid choice that furnishes synths, acoustic instruments, and loops in just about any style I might need.

After looking at several close-field monitors, I've settled on two Event Electronics ALP 5s ($429 a pair) for their high-quality sound at a low price. The active ALP 5 is biamplified, with more than enough power to adequately fill a small studio, and its 5.25-inch low-frequency driver offers plenty of bass response for my needs. I also want a pair of headphones for certain mixing applications and for voice-over talent. As in years past, I'll choose the Fostex T20-RP ($119) for its accuracy, durability, and comfort.

Although I'll be doing much of my sound-design and postproduction work inside the box, I still need microphones, primarily for recording voice and sampling ambient sounds. I want a versatile mic that won't strain my budget, and M-Audio's Solaris ($349) suits my needs very well. The Solaris is a large-diaphragm condenser mic that can switch between cardioid, figure-8, and omni patterns to suit almost any situation. And for occasions that demand stereo recording, I've selected the Røde NT4 stereo condenser mic ($899). It has two capsules in a fixed XY configuration and runs off either phantom power or a 9V battery, perfect for studio or remote recording.

That leaves me with just enough money for what I consider another essential item for sound design: a field recorder. The Edirol R-09 ($450) is compact and affordable, and it records in stereo to inexpensive Secure Digital cards. It has two built-in omnidirectional mics and acceptably quiet mic preamps.

The Killer Postproduction and Sound-Design Studio

Obviously, with $20,000 in my pocket I can assemble a studio that goes far beyond what I could with one-quarter that much. To maximize compatibility with others working in postproduction, I'll stick with Pro Tools, but now I can upgrade to Digidesign's 003 Factory ($2,495). Like the Digidesign bundle in my budget studio, the 003 Factory is built around Pro Tools LE and comes with all the same software and soundware but even more plug-ins. The system gives me more I/O than Mbox 2 Pro's interface, as well as a hands-on control surface. (A full review of the unit and a list of features are available at www.emusician.com.)

To extend Pro Tools LE considerably, I'm springing for two expansion bundles from Digidesign: Music Production Toolkit ($495) and DV Toolkit 2 ($1,295). Even though both include the TL Space Native Edition convolution reverb, DINR noise-reduction plug-in, and Pro Tools MP3 Option, the additional features of either make it well worth having both packages. And with the addition, Pro Tools LE supports 48 stereo audio tracks at 96 kHz. Music Production Toolkit includes the excellent Hybrid soft synth, indispensable SoundReplacer, Smack LE compressor and limiter, and more. DV Toolkit 2 supplies the VocAlign Project track-alignment tool, DigiTranslator 2.0 file converter, and DigiBase Pro file manager, and it gives Pro Tools numerous other features very useful for postproduction.

Because I want much more audio- and video-editing power than my budget system allows, Apple Final Cut Studio 2 ($1,299) is a must. Besides supporting AU and furnishing many terrific plug-ins I wouldn't have otherwise, the suite lets me edit and mix video in almost any format, as well as author and master standard and high-definition DVDs. Soundtrack Pro 2, one of the suite's six programs, lets me precisely align sound with picture and, if desired, automatically updates my audio projects when anyone makes changes to the video. Final Cut Studio 2 also supplies a sizable collection of sound effects and music tracks. For a few hundred less, Windows users could perform many (but not all) of the same tasks using Sony's Sound Forge 9 ($299.96) and Vegas+DVD Production Suite ($524.96) (both are priced as downloadable versions).

More of Everything

Such a generous budget means that I can afford more virtual instruments and effects. I'd still want Kontakt 2 as my go-to sampler, and I'd still want Reaktor for its tremendous versatility, but I'd add two additional products from Native Instruments. When it comes to FM synthesis, FM8 ($339) is state-of-the-art; its unique character and enormous collection of patches explore timbral territory that few DX7 owners ever imagined. Native Instruments Massive ($339) takes the concept of a virtual analog modular synthesizer quite a bit further than software that emulates classic instruments, and it can deliver very modern sounds. I can choose to rely on its extensive patch collection or use it as a springboard for experimenting with new timbres.

I looked around at various sound libraries available for Kontakt 2 and discovered no sample collections as stylistically versatile and far-reaching as the one that comes with SoniVox Muse ($595). Muse is based on Tascam's GVI and offers everything from fine pianos and organs to excellent strings and woodwinds. Its more than 37 GB of content covers all the bases and delivers consistently high quality.

Because postproduction may demand scoring for orchestral instruments, a larger budget means I can afford a music-notation program for printing scores and handing them out to players a producer might hire to record tracks. My choice for music transcription is MakeMusic Finale 2008 ($600), which can handle any scoring job I throw at it; the latest version even supports onscreen video. Finale also comes with a custom version of Garritan Personal Orchestra. Between the sampled content in Finale, Muse, and Kontakt 2, I'm set for arranging orchestrations.

Two more categories in which a bigger budget buys more muscle are dynamics and effects processing. I'm really impressed with SoundToys Native Effects ($495) and feel that it's an amazing bargain. For less than half a grand, its six effects processors run the gamut from realistic tape-delay simulation and pitch-shifting reverse echo to just about any filter effect you've ever heard.

Universal Audio is one of the big names in dynamics and effects processing, and for good reason. The UAD-1e Expert Pak ($1,299) features a DSP card that takes some of the load off my computer's CPU and, just as important, comes with a nice assortment of invaluable plug-ins that emulate classic compressors, limiters, EQs, reverbs, and more. It also includes a $750 voucher so I can select additional plug-ins from UA's sizable stable.

A killer studio needs at least one killer piece of processing gear, and I'd love to own a Universal Audio LA-3A ($1,749). It's an electro-optical compressor (aka leveling amplifier) that captures the vintage sound of the UREI LA-3A. Although the UA LA-3A has solid-state circuitry, it would give my studio a rich, natural sound that's difficult to achieve with plug-ins.

A postproduction studio doesn't need a huge selection of microphones, but versatility and quality certainly count. My first choice is the Røde NT2000 ($899). Rather than switching between polar patterns, it is continuously variable between cardioid, figure-8, and omnidirectional patterns. The NT2000 should suit just about any application that calls for a large-diaphragm condenser mic (see Fig. 6).

Two additional Røde mics will be useful for audio post and sound design. For remote recording and for sampling in the studio, the NT4 ($899) is once again my favored stereo mic. And for occasions when I want to record sources at a distance, I'm going to need a shotgun mic. The Røde NTG-2 ($369) should suit my needs quite well. It's a lightweight supercardioid mic powered by either a AA battery or phantom power.

If I'm going to get serious about sound design, there's one more mic I'd love to own. With its extremely wide frequency response, the Earthworks P30/HC Periscope ($995) comes closer to fitting the description of a high-definition microphone than any I've seen. It has a flexible 4-inch neck and a tiny, supersensitive capsule you can position in places other mics can't reach. And its hypercardioid pattern lets me pinpoint microscopic sounds I want to record.

While I'm on the subject of high-definition recording, the remote stereo recorder I want is the Korg DR-1000 ($1,499). It is very portable, has balanced XLR and TRS inputs and an internal 40 GB hard drive, and records in an astonishing variety of audio formats. For 1-, 16-, and 24-bit recording, the DR-1000 is almost the only game in town.

My choice for monitors is a pair of biamplified JBL LSR4326Ps ($1,399), together with a room-calibration mic. How can you go wrong with accurate sound and a variety of analog and digital inputs? For headphones, I'd like to step up to the Grado SR125 ($150), an open-back design known for accuracy and comfort.

After looking at all kinds of USB/MIDI keyboards, I finally decided on the newest keyboard instrument from Kurzweil, the SP2 Stage Piano ($1,390). In addition to a superb 88-note weighted hammer action, it has Kurzweil's latest stereo grand piano samples and a variety of electric pianos, pads, mallets, and other sounds and onboard effects (see Fig. 7). What it lacks, however, is control surface functionality. No problem — the Novation Zero SL ($499), with its versatility and easy setup, is just what I need for controlling synths, samplers, and other software. Having the Zero SL lets me use the 003's control panel exclusively for mixing and navigating in Pro Tools.

Click here to see price tables for "budget" and "killer" studio set ups.