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Audio Recording Equipment

Audio Recording Equipment

Below are some guidelines to help you draw up a buying list and budget for a modern project studio.

Computer System

Due to recent advances made in both computer hardware and software, it’s now possible to base a recording studio almost entirely on a computer. Most modern computers are fast enough now to cope with 24 audio tracks in addition to running additional plug-ins for effects (eg reverb, EQ) and dynamics (eg compression). If your computer is more than two or three years old, you may wish to consider purchasing a new one on the basis that prices for new computers, particularly PC’s, are lower than ever before and that this item will form the heart of your studio. It’s also a good idea to have a computer solely dedicated to music and/or audio production. Some software applications, especially games, can lead to  conflicts which can cause problems such as glitching and latency, i.e. an audible delay between tracks being recorded and tracks being played back.

Here are some key points to consider when purchasing a computer for music.

Hard Disk Size and RAM

Audio data takes up a lot of hard drive space so get the biggest hard drive you can afford. A 300GB disk is common now, but 500GB is available for little more. The crucial point here is if your mainboard can handle the proposed size - so you must check this first. You can also connect 2 hard disks easily, within the PC.

Similarly, music software applications can be very memory-hungry, particularly when you are using certain types of effects plug-ins such as reverb, so again get as much RAM as you can. The benchmark amount now is 2GB of RAM, and you should aim for this. There may be issues with going too far though, since to utilise 4GB of RAM efficiently you ideally need a 64-bit system.

If you expand your PC in this way then an important factor to look at is the PSU or power supply. If the PC was built to a price, as many are, then you may find that the original PSU struggles to cope with the additional power requirements that you have introduced - and this can result in strange and hard-to-isolate faults. It is a good policy to buy the largest and highest-quality PSU that you can, as this is not wasted money. Cheap PSUs may cause problems such as brownouts, earth leaks and ripple that will ruin your efforts. In PSUs you simply get what you pay for, and the price of these units tends to represent their quality very well. You most likely won't need a very large unit - with 2 disks and 2GB of RAM you should get a high-quality 550 to 650W unit. A larger unit, eg 750 watt, is perfectly acceptable but no advantage as the PC can only use however much power it needs - which is around 500W or so for the specification quoted. A PSU advertised as a 'quiet' unit may be best for our purposes.
 

Back Up Facilities

It’s a good idea to include a sizeable external hard drive, ideally 300GB or more and preferably firewire connected, to back up your recording projects. It will also allow you to free up valuable space on your computer’s hard drive.

Noise

You want the quietest computer possible on the basis that the less background noise you experience, the more clearly you’ll be able to hear what’s going on when listening to your music or audio production. Also, limitations imposed by the space available to you may mean that live instruments and/or vocals may have to be recorded in the same room as your computer, so the less hum and fan noise your computer makes, the better the quality of your recordings, especially when recording music which features very quiet passages such as classical or jazz, or solo vocals with acoustic guitar.

Audio Interface

To get audio in and out of your computer, you’ll need an audio interface, essentially a box with audio inputs and outputs, connected to your computer via firewire or USB.

Bear in mind that the sound you record will only be as good as the quality of the input signal in the first place, so you need to buy the best quality interface your budget will allow.

However, you should look realistically at how many sound sources you think you’ll be recording at any one time. If, for example, you are only going to be recording vocals with the rest of your music being computer generated, you will only need one input. (Although most audio interfaces come with a minimum of 2). You can then go for a 2 input high quality audio interface without spending any more money than you would have done on an 8 input interface of lower quality. The same applies to the number of outputs - you will normally only need 2 plus a headphone output, unless you are sending to a multichannel mixer to mix your track or project externally.
 

Computer Software

You will need also a software application to enable your PC to record, edit and manage audio data. You should check if the particular application you are planning to purchase is compatible with the audio interface being used. Most audio applications on PC support a software driver protocol called ASIO* which is used by the majority of good quality audio interfaces. You should also check if your hardware meets or preferably exceeds the application’s minimum system requirements.

 If you are using an Apple Mac OSX platform you will need to ensure that your application supports Apple’s Core Audio protocol for managing audio data.

* (a computer soundcard driver protocol for digital audio specified by Steinberg, providing a low-latency and high fidelity interface between a software application and a computer's sound card or audio interface.)
 

Microphone Preamplifier (Mic Preamp)

Essential if you are recording microphones. Most microphones have a very low output level which needs to be boosted to a normal ‘line’ level for good quality recording. Some audio interfaces have a built-in mic preamp or you can purchase one separately. Alternatively, most mixers have built-in mic preamps on their mic channels.

Compressor

A mic compressor is very useful when recording using microphones. Although compressors are often used as a deliberate ‘effect’, they also allow you to hugely improve the quality of audio signal when recording into a computer. They do this by ‘flattening’ the waveform of the audio signal which allows for a higher input level into your audio interface which in turn enables a better quality of sound. It also makes it easier to avoid overloading the audio inputs and causing digital distortion which can render a vocal recording unusable.

Speakers

Often referred to as monitors or studio monitors, your speakers are a vital component of your recording equipment, as they are your ‘ears’ to the music or audio you are recording and editing. As everyone’s hearing is slightly different, you should audition speakers with a recording you know well to see how they suit you. The most important aspects to consider are the detail audible in the mid range frequencies and the quality of the stereo imaging - professional monitors are very good at this. Both of these are crucial to allowing you to hear the most accurate rendition of your work. Avoid buying speakers which sound impressive or attractive. They may make for pleasant listening, but what you need is accuracy. This is the essential difference between consumer (or hi-fi) speakers and professional studio monitors.


These guidelines are intended to assist you in purchasing the essential components of a good quality recording studio, but they are by no means comprehensive and you should research the whole subject of audio recording equipment as much as possible. There are some good audio equipment magazines with websites such as Sound on Sound: www.soundonsound.com
...which are an excellent source of information and offer an on-line subscription or ‘e-sub’.