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How to Build a Personal Studio on Any Budget

Jul 1, 2002 12:00 PM, Steve O

The Mac Hybrid Studio - $15,000

By David Rubin

ITEMS PRICE
Apple Power Mac G4/dual 1 GHz CPU; 512 MB RAM; $3,249
80 GB ATA hard drives (2); SuperDrive; Nvidia GeForce4 MX
dual-display video card; Apple iMovie
BIAS Peak 3.0 audio-editing software $499
Canopus ADVC-100 video converter $299
Carillon UltraSampler 160; Pentium 4/1.7 GHz CPU; $5,140
512 MB RAM; 40 GB ATA hard drive;
80 GB ATA hard drive; CD-RW drive;
Windows XP. Bundled with Tascam GigaStudio
160 and Sonic Foundry Sound Forge XP; Frontier
Dakota audio card; Matrox G550 dual-output
video card; ViewSonic VE-170mb LCD monitors (2)
Chicken Systems Translator 2.5 sample-format $150
conversion software
Coda Finale 2002 music-notation software $600
Dr. Bott MoniSwitch USB $139
Gefen Systems ADC-to-VGA video adapter $49
Kurzweil SP88 MIDI keyboard $995
MOTU 828 FireWire audio interface $795
MOTU Digital Performer 3.1 digital audio sequencer $795
MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV-USB interface/patch bay/synchronizer $595
NHT Pro A-10 audio monitor system $800
Røde NT3 condenser microphones (2) $398
Sony MDR-7506 headphones $125
VCR and 13" television $450
TOTAL $15,078

My main goal in designing this high-end Mac-based studio is to create a music-production system that is versatile enough to tackle almost any assignment, expandable enough to adapt to new situations, and powerful enough to deliver professional-level results. I want to be able to record mono or stereo live tracks, edit and process audio for CDs and sound designing, and create multitrack audio and MIDI sequences. Film scoring is a major consideration for my studio, so the system must also be capable of synchronizing to picture.

As many musicians will attest, the Mac makes an excellent front end for a desktop music system, and the new Macs are impressively powerful. On the other hand, Tascam's GigaStudio 160 software sampler is available only for Windows, and its intuitive user interface, its ability to handle gargantuan loop-free samples, and the huge variety of high-end sample libraries available for it make it a must-have for me. I'm not going to give up my Mac, though. Instead, I'm going to create a hybrid studio in which a Mac serves as the primary computer, and a PC functions as a dedicated sampler running GigaStudio.

This setup offers the best of both worlds and provides unparalleled flexibility for future expansion. It also centers my studio on a sampler whose capabilities far exceed any hardware sampler on the market. Of course, including two complete computers within my budget means I'll have to sacrifice elsewhere, but I'm willing to make those sacrifices in exchange for a system that delivers top-notch audio quality while remaining fast and user-friendly.

Primary computer

In this studio, the Mac runs the show, so it must be as powerful as possible. The top-of-the-line Power Mac boasts a dual 1 GHz G4 processor with 512 MB of RAM and support for up to 1.5 GB. The standard configuration includes the new SuperDrive, which reads and writes to CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD-R - plenty of options for multimedia authoring, audio archiving, and CD mastering.

The Mac includes an 80 GB Ultra ATA hard drive, but I'm choosing the optional configuration with a second 80 GB drive. That lets me keep the system software and applications on one drive and reserves the other drive for recording. The Mac's four built-in USB and two FireWire ports are adequate for now, and adding more ports with a PCI card or a hub is a snap.

Secondary computer

The main purpose of the secondary computer is to serve as a super-duper sampler with multichannel digital outputs. This PC sampler provides me with most of my instrumental sounds. To deftly manage the significant processing load and avoid rapid obsolescence, I am selecting one of the high-end Pentium 4 CPUs.

Although there are plenty of fine PC manufacturers, such as Gateway and Dell, most general-purpose PCs come loaded with garbage I don't want and options I don't need. Carillon Audio Systems, on the other hand, offers several models of Windows-based computers that are specifically designed and configured for studio use. The Carillon computers are rackmountable and employ a special fan with a radial-fin heat sink, offering much quieter operation than the usual desktop PCs. That's an important consideration if you don't have a way to acoustically isolate the computer from the studio area. Moreover, the Carillon computers are streamlined and optimized for specific hardware and software combinations.

Carillon's UltraSampler 160 model (which includes Sonic Foundry Sound Forge XP as well as GigaStudio 160) is ideally suited to my studio. The standard system is based on a Pentium 4/1.7 GHz with 512 MB of 400 MHz of RDRAM. I'm upgrading the basic setup by choosing a 40 GB, 7,200 rpm ATA hard drive for the system software and applications and an 80 GB drive for storing my sample libraries. I'm using Windows XP for my operating system because, among other things, it allows me to address quite a bit more RAM for future expansion. (With the release of version 2.5, GigaStudio 160 supports Windows XP.)

The standard UltraSampler 160 includes an M-Audio Delta 1010 audio interface, which is a fine system with excellent specs and drivers. For this system, however, I'm substituting a Frontier Dakota card. It combines a 2-In/2-Out MIDI interface, stereo coaxial S/PDIF I/O, and dual ADAT Lightpipe I/O, which is especially important for this system. (I'll explain why shortly.)

Video monitors

As part of my upgrade of the Carillon UltraSampler 160 package, I'm replacing the single CRT display with a matched set of 17-inch ViewSonic VE-170mb LCD monitors, which I'm sharing with the Mac. Having a matched set of monitors is important so that your line of sight and the cursor path stay consistent as you move between displays. I'm also substituting the Matrox G550 dual-output video card for the standard ATI Rage card.

At this point in my setup, I have a Mac and a PC, both of which support dual-monitor displays. Most of the time, I'm viewing GigaStudio on the left and MOTU Digital Performer, my primary Mac application, on the right. With separate keyboards and mice, I can move quickly from one program to the other for maximum efficiency.

There will be times, however, when I won't need GigaStudio - for example, when recording live tracks or sequencing with MIDI sound modules. In those cases, it's great to be able to spread out across two monitors, especially because Digital Performer rapidly eats up onscreen real estate. I like to place the Mixer window, processing plug-ins, and smaller ancillary displays in the left monitor; that lets me open up the Track window, Sequence Editor, and Control Panel in the right monitor. So the right monitor remains dedicated to the Mac while the left monitor switches between the PC and Mac, depending on the task at hand. To switch the left monitor between the PC and Mac, I'm using a Dr. Bott MoniSwitch USB, a well-made switch box that includes high-quality cables.

The two video ports on the new Macs are not the same; one is a VGA (analog) port, and the other is Apple's proprietary ADC (digital) connection. The ViewSonic monitors have only VGA connections, so I need a Gefen Systems ADC-to-VGA adapter to convert the second Mac port to VGA. Some LCD monitors have DVI (digital) inputs that offer somewhat better image quality than VGA, and Apple's excellent Studio Display monitors can be made to work with PCs with the proper kind of converter, but those are typically more expensive solutions.

Why spend the extra money on LCD monitors? LCD flat-panel monitors offer several important advantages over CRT displays when used in a small studio. They weigh considerably less than CRT monitors, and because they have a much smaller footprint, they don't crowd the desktop. You can also put them right next to each other without causing image distortion, and they don't generate nearly as much heat as CRTs - their most important benefit, perhaps. Running two CRTs can quickly raise the temperature in a small room, especially during the summer.

Audio interface

The heart of my desktop music system is formed by the MIDI interface and the digital-audio interface. For hard-disk recording and playback, I'll be using MOTU's 828 digital-audio interface, which won a 2002 Editors' Choice award for being, among other things, the first multichannel FireWire audio interface. Like MIDI Timepiece AV (MTP AV), the easy-to-use 828 integrates especially well with Digital Performer, and it makes a fine partner for the Dakota card.

The 8-channel 828 offers several great features, such as CueMix Plus, which provides zero-latency monitoring. That comes in handy during multitrack recording sessions. It delivers 24-bit resolution and supports 44.1 and 48 kHz sampling rates, and it provides stereo S/PDIF I/O on RCA jacks. Its analog inputs and outputs employ balanced 1/4-inch jacks boasting a 105 dB dynamic range. Inputs 1 and 2 also accept XLR mic inputs, and the two high-quality mic inputs let me record audio tracks without having to invest in a mic preamp right away. The front panel provides a 48V phantom-power switch and input-gain controls.

The key to my hybrid Mac/PC system, however, lies in the 828's 8-channel ADAT Lightpipe I/O. Because the Frontier Dakota card supports ADAT Lightpipe (16 channels on two outputs), I can send as many as 8 channels of digital audio over a single optical cable to the 828. Not only is the optical cable immune to hum and RF interference, but I can separate the two audio devices by at least 16 feet if I have to. That's important because although the Carillon CPU can live peacefully in my rack, the Mac, with its noisy fan, has to stay isolated behind a closet door.

With this configuration, GigaStudio functions as a massive yet intuitive eight-output sampler with clean, high-quality audio. If eight audio channels prove too limiting, I can add a second 828 later, turning GigaStudio into a true 16-channel sampler.

MOTU offers several options for expanding your system. For example, if you need high-resolution audio and more mic inputs, you can add a MOTU 896 to your 828. That high-end FireWire system adds another eight channels of ADAT Optical I/O along with eight more mic inputs. You can also install one of MOTU's venerable 2408mkII systems, which supports 24 channels of ADAT optical in a single rackspace, although it doesn't provide mic inputs. I'm not going to do that for this system, though.

MIDI interface

For the MIDI interface, I'm choosing the USB version of MOTU's MTP AV. The MTP AV is one of the most versatile MIDI interfaces on the market, and it integrates extremely well with Digital Performer 3.1, the sequencer that I've chosen. The MTP AV provides eight pairs of MIDI Ins and Outs (128 channels), a front-panel LCD screen for standalone operation, and plenty of LED status indicators. It can even function as an 858 MIDI patch bay and merger. I'll connect MIDI Out 1 on the MTP AV to MIDI In 1 on the PC's Dakota card. Once I set up MOTU's FreeMIDI data-routing software, I can quickly select any of GigaStudio's MIDI channels from within Digital Performer.

The MTP AV's ability to handle a variety of hardware configurations is unsurpassed. It offers ADAT sync, video sync, word-clock output, Digidesign Pro Tools Superclock output, and support for MMC, and it can convert audio-click sources to MIDI. For film scoring, the MTP AV serves as a SMPTE time-code converter, generator, and reader with adjustable freewheeling. Because it's a USB device, it's easy to install or disconnect, and if your needs expand, you can add as many more MTP AVs as your system can handle.

Speakers

I need a good pair of magnetically shielded near-field audio monitors. If I had a bit more money in my budget, I would choose the award-winning NHT Pro A-20 powered monitors. They're amazingly clean and accurate with a frequency response that reaches down to around 48 Hz without a subwoofer. But at $1,800 a pair, the A-20s would put me over budget, so I'll compromise and choose the less expensive A-10s. Their specs aren't quite as good as those of the A-20, but they share many interesting features, including a two-way acoustic-suspension design with inward-angled front baffles for improved spatial imaging.

The A-10 powered monitors also employ a dedicated, rackmountable, dual-mono, 150W (RMS) amplifier that attaches to the speakers with a set of proprietary cables. That modular approach offers a centralized connection point for audio cables and removes the heat source from the speaker cabinets. It also provides several front-panel controls for optimizing the speaker output for different room configurations and input levels.

I also need headphones for overdubbing acoustic instruments and vocals. I'm opting for the clean-sounding and comfortable Sony MDR-7506.

Microphones

I need at least two mics so I can record tracks in mono or stereo. I'd like a pair of mics that are well suited to recording acoustic instruments, which are the sources I'll most likely encounter. Personal preferences have a lot to do with selecting mics, and several budget-level mics are worth considering. For this studio, I'm choosing the attractively priced Røde NT3. It's a medium-diaphragm hypercardioid condenser that is well suited to my needs, and its price tag is hard to beat. The NT3's older sibling, the Røde NTK, won an Editors' Choice award this year and would make an excellent upgrade to my studio when my budget expands in the future.

Digital audio sequencer

In the final analysis, any computer-based studio is only as good as the software that drives the heavy machinery. As I mentioned earlier, in my studio, the ringleader is MOTU's Digital Performer 3.1. This powerhouse audio sequencer has won multiple Editors' Choice awards and continues to impress me with its sophisticated interface design, intuitive architecture, and sheer depth of features.

Digital Performer is optimized for dual-processor Mac G4s; offers versatile 5.1-surround mixing; supports 24-bit, 96 kHz recording; imports and exports Pro Tools projects; and includes excellent tools for working with picture. What's more, Digital Performer comes packed with more than 40 audio plug-in effects, so you can get started processing your tracks right away. The combination of the 828, the MTP AV, and Digital Performer makes for a highly integrated and powerful workstation.

Audio editor

Digital Performer includes an audio-editing window, but a full-service desktop studio should also have a separate high-end audio-editing program. For the Mac, the choice is clear: BIAS Peak 3.0 is the best available stereo-editing, recording, and processing application. With Peak you can record and edit MP3 files, convert audio file formats, import and edit audio-CD tracks, prepare loops, create playlists, and sync to QuickTime movies. Moreover, Peak comes with dozens of plug-ins and digital signal processing effects, in addition to offering extensive recording and editing features. Furthermore, Peak comes bundled with Vbox SE, which lets you combine VST plug-ins in various configurations.

Notation software

Although I now do most of my composing with MIDI samplers and sound modules, I still occasionally work with live musicians. I therefore need to create professional-looking scores and parts for a variety of musical styles with specific requirements.

There are several excellent high-end notation programs, including the intuitive and innovative Sibelius 2.0. For this system, however, I'll use the ever-popular Coda Finale 2002. The award-winning Finale just keeps getting more and more amazing as Coda adds exotic features and refines its user interface. Finale 2002's layout capabilities and printed output are excellent, and the program includes the handwritten-style Jazz font in addition to the engraver-quality Maestro font.

Best of all, Finale 2002 comes with 12 algorithmic composition plug-in tools (developed at IRCAM) for generating rhythms, morphing chords and melodies, and performing additional musical tricks. A new Band-in-a-Box Auto Harmonizer from PG Music even generates multipart block harmonies in a variety of styles. With all its extra tools, Finale 2002 has become much more than a program for notating music; you can now use it as a primary tool for creating music, as well.

File translation.

For the PC, most of my basic software needs are covered: as I mentioned earlier, the UltraSampler 160 system comes with GigaStudio 160 2.5 and Sound Forge XP preinstalled. However, one other piece of software is a must: Chicken Systems' Translator 2.5. Translator lets you convert a wide assortment of hardware and software sampler formats into Giga format, which offers access to a potentially huge pool of instrument samples, loops, and sound effects.

VCR and TV monitor

One of the most important goals in setting up this studio is to create an effective environment for producing film and TV scores. That means I'll need a few extra pieces of video-related gear. For starters, I'll add a VHS recorder and a 13-inch television for video playback and monitoring.

Film composers used to work exclusively with 3/4-inch video work prints. However, in recent years, 1/2-inch stereo VHS work prints have become increasingly popular (particularly with low-budget productions). SMPTE time code is recorded on one track, and production sound, dialog, and other reference sounds are recorded on the other.

You could invest in an expensive commercial-grade video deck and a high-quality video monitor, but you can probably get through most projects just fine with a decent consumer-grade VCR and TV. Be sure to choose a hi-fi stereo VCR with RCA output jacks and select a TV with RCA inputs (mono audio is fine). Connect the audio cable carrying the time code to the audio input on the MTP AV; connect the cables carrying the reference audio and the video output to the TV. Digital Performer can then lock to the time code as a slave device and record or play in sync with the picture.

Working directly with a VCR is handy if you just want to slap in a tape and watch something, especially if you don't have to do much shuttling. But fiddling around with videotape is not the most elegant or efficient way to compose to picture. Now that FireWire and digital video are all the rage, why not take advantage of the latest technology? Digital Performer and Peak can import QuickTime movies and synchronize to them with subframe accuracy.

A/D video converter

In Digital Performer, you can record your multitrack score, scrub forward and backward, drag soundbites, and cut and paste audio, all while locked to video. For example, you can move the cursor to a cymbal crash and view the exact frame where it will occur. Alternatively, you can drag a harp-gliss soundbite to the first frame of a visual transition. First, however, you must convert your VHS work print into a QuickTime movie.

For that you need an analog-to-digital video converter, such as the Canopus ADVC-100. The ADVC-100 takes the output from the VCR, converts it into digital format, and sends it to the computer through a FireWire cable. The new Mac G4s come bundled with Apple's easy-to-use iMovie software, which records the video as a QuickTime movie on your hard drive. Several companies, including Formac, Sony, and Miglia, offer affordable converters, and like the Canopus box, the converters work in both directions (A/D or D/A). You can also use most digital video camcorders as a converter, but that's a much less convenient solution, and it may not offer the best results.

With my work print digitized as a QuickTime movie, I can view Digital Performer's Movie window on the left monitor, which leaves the right monitor available for the recording and editing displays. However, a new feature in version 3.1 of Digital Performer offers an even better plan. In the Movie window mini-menu, under Video Output, you can choose FireWire as an option. That streams the QuickTime movie back out to the Canopus box, which converts it to analog in real time and sends it to the TV. I can then use the TV to monitor the QuickTime movie while displaying GigaStudio on the left monitor and Digital Performer on the right. That really makes the most of my three-monitor setup and minimizes the competition for screen space.

Keep in mind that streaming video from the hard drive consumes a fair amount of processing power, so if you are piling up so many audio tracks and plug-ins that it affects the video playback, you may have to revert to using the VCR for playback. With careful planning, though, you should be able to avoid problems, especially with a high-end G4 Mac.

MIDI keyboard

At this point, my desktop system is nearly complete; I just have to fill in a few missing pieces. To begin with, I need a MIDI keyboard controller to enter music. Several manufacturers offer excellent keyboards, but for this system, I must have an 88-note keyboard with pitch and modulation controls, because GigaStudio often uses key switches and controller routings in its patches.

To keep costs down, I'm choosing Kurzweil's affordable SP88, with its semiweighted action. Although it's not without its shortcomings, the SP88 is lightweight (only 30 pounds) and compact, and its low profile helps it fit comfortably on the desktop in front of the monitors without covering their controls. The SP88 uses short ribbon controllers for pitch bend and modulation; they're a bit awkward to use, but they get the job done. As an added bonus, the SP88 provides 32 onboard patches (mostly pianos, strings, and organs).

Future Expansion

That completes my high-end Macintosh desktop studio, and amazingly, I managed to stay reasonably close to my budget limit. If I had a bit more cash to work with, I'd certainly consider adding more goodies to boost productivity. Home studios are universal in their insatiable need to grow, and this setup is no exception.

A good place to start expanding my studio might be the addition of a MIDI control surface to provide a hardware interface for mixing. The Radikal Technologies SAC-2K would make an excellent choice; it integrates especially well with Digital Performer, providing transport controls, knobs, and motorized faders. If my sound sources start to proliferate, I might also consider adding a small digital or analog mixer to serve as a submixer.

Speaking of sound sources, among my first additions would be one or two MIDI sound modules to expand my palette of sounds. Although it has been around for a while, E-mu's Proteus 2000 is still a great choice, delivering 128-note polyphony and more than 1,500 patches.

With the Translator software, I can convert many of my old sample libraries into Giga format, but as soon as possible, I'll want to build my library of sampled instruments. At the top of my wish list is the Garritan Orchestral Strings collection, with its lush string sections and extensive assortment of performance techniques. For wind instruments, I'll turn to the Dan Dean Solo Woodwinds and Dan Dean Solo Brass libraries. However, those are only a few of several excellent choices. The Giga format is acquiring new libraries at a surprising rate, and of course, the samples that interest you will depend on the styles of music that you compose.

You can also expand your musical palette by adding software synths and samplers such as Unity DS-1 and Retro AS-1 from BitHeadz and Reason from Propellerhead Software. Adding a sequencer (such as Steinberg Cubase VST) to the PC can also open new possibilities for sequencing and audio production, and as a supplement to GigaStudio 160, Steinberg's Halion software sampler can greatly expand your options. Because the Carillon PC has a dual-monitor video card, you could even work with the PC alone and spread out across both monitors. You could then create complete sequences on the PC and record them on the Mac or vice versa.

Finally, all desktop studios should have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), such as the APC Back-UPS Pro 650. A UPS provides several minutes of emergency power so that you can save your work and shut down your system in the event of a power failure. It can save you much grief, and you're tempting fate if you don't have one.