How to Build a Personal Studio on Any Budget

Jul 1, 2002 12:00 PM, Steve O

The Mac Studio - $5000

By Geary Yelton

ITEMS PRICE
Apple iMac G4/700 MHz $1,599
with CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
Audix OM-2 microphones (2) $298
Event Electronics PS5 active monitors (2) $599
Fostex T20 headphones $119
IK Multimedia SampleTank FREE free
Kingston RAM (256 MB) $122
Mda JX10, DX10, and ePiano plug-ins free
MOTU 828 audio interface $795
MOTU FastLane-USB MIDI interface $79
Rumpelrausch Täips ZR-1 and ZR-3 virtual drawbar free
organs and Crazy Diamonds virtual string ensemble
Stefan Jeworowski's Vivaldi and Ganymed FM synths free
Steinberg Cubase VST 5.1 digital audio sequencer $450
Waves Renaissance Collection Native plug-ins $300
Yamaha SO3 synthesizer module $630
TOTAL $4,991

A $5,000 budget is big enough to let me build a versatile Mac-based studio. Whether it's for synth-based work, recording vocals and acoustic instruments, designing sounds, or mixing down live recordings, the basic requirements are the same: a computer with lots of RAM, recording software, an audio interface, a mixer, effects and dynamics processors, microphones, headphones, and a pair of monitor speakers.

Of course, different goals might mean different purchasing priorities: more or better mics, additional software, and so on. I'm primarily a synthesist, so you're sure to find a synth in my studio, and I also want a MIDI interface for the computer. In addition, I don't want to play and sing all of the parts myself, so I need a system that lets me record other musicians.

Computer.

The computer is the most crucial component in my studio, and selecting one is easy. I want a Mac with a fast processor, a fast data bus, a fast hard disk, and preferably some degree of portability. The PowerBook G4 is too expensive, and the Power Mac G4 is too bulky, but the new G4-based iMac is just right. It's much more powerful than the G3-based iBook, and at just over 21 pounds (including the display), the iMac is portable enough for location recording should the need arise.

Considering my budget, I chose the G4/700 MHz model with a combination CD-RW and DVD-ROM drive. (For $300 more, the 800 MHz model with a CD-RW/DVD-R SuperDrive would be better, but I'm making music, not movies.) With a round footprint that's less than 11 inches across, this year's iMac features a built-in 15-inch display that's brighter and sharper than most other LCDs, even when viewed at an angle. Two FireWire ports, three USB ports (and two more on the keyboard), an internal modem, Apple Pro speakers, a keyboard, and a mouse are standard equipment. The iMac ships with 256 MB of RAM, a 100 MHz system bus, and a 256 MB L2 cache running at the processor's speed.

In case I ever need a second display, the iMac's video card supports video mirroring. There's no room for hard-drive expansion bays, but by the time I outgrow the 40 GB Ultra ATA internal drive, I'll have saved enough to buy an external FireWire drive. In the meantime, I can record to the main drive and then burn my recordings to CD-R.

For the memory demands of music software and the Mac OS, the stock 256 MB of RAM just doesn't cut it. I need room to stretch out. At the moment, another 256 MB of Kingston RAM retails for $122, but generic RAM might do just as well. Because it's hard to quote a retail price for generic RAM, I'll allot enough for the Kingston RAM.

Audio interface.

Selecting an audio interface and mixer took the most research. For a long time, I thought I would go with a combination USB audio interface and control surface, but USB's limited bandwidth and unpredictable polling interruptions led me to choose the FireWire-based Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) 828. Featuring a pair of built-in mic preamps, eight balanced analog inputs, 8-channel Lightpipe, and stereo S/PDIF, the 828 has enough I/O to let me save money by getting by without a hardware mixer. I'll mix with the sequencer's virtual console.

MIDI interface.

As noted, I'm going to buy a synth, and I also need to be prepared for anyone who brings a MIDI instrument into the studio, so I must have a MIDI interface. Money's tight, so I need the least expensive interface I can find - the MOTU FastLane-USB. Although it's the economy model, the FastLane still provides two MIDI Ins and two MIDI Outs for 32-channel operation.

Speakers.

Because I've already spent over a third of my budget on a computer and RAM, I have to economize. Accurate sound reproduction is critical to any recording studio, however, so I had to choose carefully. I settled on Event Electronics PS5s. The PS5 has a 5.25-inch polypropylene woofer driven by a 70W power amp and a 25 mm silk-dome tweeter driven by a 30W amp. Although the PS5 is the smallest biamplified monitor that Event makes, its stereo imaging is impressive, and its transparency and response are quite acceptable for use in a personal studio.

To overdub vocals and live instruments, I'm going to need headphones. For years I've loved and trusted Fostex T20s, so they're my first choice. They're not the most accurate headphones, but I like the way they sound, and they're lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for extended periods.

Microphones.

Given my budget, two microphones immediately come to mind: the Audix OM-2 and the Shure SM57. Both are good, dependable dynamic mics for recording vocals, yet they're flexible enough for recording electric or acoustic guitars, drums, and most anything else that's likely to come around. At the very least, I want to be able to record in stereo. Call it a matter of personal taste, but I chose a pair of OM-2s.

Digital audio sequencer.

For recording software, I cannot afford to go with the top of the line, but I want to ensure expandability. For anyone with any intention of working with synthesizers or samplers at some point, the best bet for recording software is to use a sequencer that records audio. I considered several digital audio sequencers in the $300 range, but their feature sets were a bit too stripped-down for serious recording.

Stepping up to the $500 range, my choices are Steinberg Cubase VST and Emagic Logic Gold. It was a tough decision, but I picked Cubase VST 5.1. It supports both 16- and 24-bit audio and provides as many as 72 audio channels, which should be enough for almost any recording project. One of the main reasons I chose Cubase is that VST has the largest library of third-party plug-ins, and Cubase VST has the most complete VST plug-in support. Because third-party VST plug-ins are designed with Cubase in mind, you can usually count on automation and other features to work correctly. Even the basic version of Cubase VST includes plenty of effects and virtual-instrument plug-ins to get you started.

Plug-ins.

Top-shelf reverb, compression, and equalization are essential. Even with my budget, I can afford the three good-quality Waves plug-ins bundled in Renaissance Collection Native 3.2. Like any good reverb plug-in, Renaissance Reverberator is certain to guzzle CPU cycles, but my 700 MHz iMac should easily handle several instances.

Freeware.

Just because I'm on a budget doesn't mean I can't afford a virtual stockpile of MIDI instruments and effects. Two good Web sites for freeware and shareware are http://www.krv-vst.com and http://www.sharewaremusicmachine.com. Both sites offer up-to-date descriptions of what's available as well as links for downloading.

I'm taking advantage of that to load up on free VST instruments, starting with IK Multimedia SampleTank FREE (http://www.sampletank.com), which is a fully functional version of SampleTank without the sound library; new content is available for free download every month. Three more free instrument plug-ins - JX10, DX10, and ePiano - are available from JX16-developer mda (http://www.mda-vst.com). I'm also downloading two free FM synths, Vivaldi and Ganymed, from German developer Stefan Jeworowski (http://mitglied.lycos.de/blueflameman). Yet another source is Rumpelrausch Täips (available at http://rumpelrausch.de.vu), which offers ZR-1 and ZR-3 virtual drawbar organs as well as Crazy Diamonds, a virtual string ensemble. I'll use them all.

Synthesizer.

The Yamaha S03 really caught my ear at the 2000 Winter NAMM show. I was amazed by its excellent sound and versatility in combination with its bargain-basement price. The S03 is 64-note polyphonic and 16-part multitimbral, and its 61-note keyboard is Velocity- and Pressure-sensitive. It contains plenty of sampled waveform memory and more than 700 Voices, including the same fine piano (and many other sounds) as the upscale S30 and S80. Other features are GM and XG compatibility, 32 user-programmable Multis, 3 effects processors, and a CD-ROM that contains a computer program for graphically editing Voices, Multis, and drum kits.

Future Expansion.

Now that I have all the basics, what would I add when I have more money? That depends on what I plan to record. First of all, I'd probably buy Metric Halo ChannelStrip VST when it's available. More microphones would be another important addition, and if I want to record more than two tracks at a time, I'd need additional mic preamps. A few more software-based instruments, such as Native Instruments FM7 and Waldorf Attack, would be handy. Beyond those, I'd like a control surface such as the Steinberg Houston or the Midiman Surface One. Even without the additional gear, I have a recording system that will handle all of the jobs I want to do.