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Xwell Studio
The challenges and victories of setting up a home recording studio on a budget.
The purpose of this website is to chronicle the process of my hardware / software choices with their corresponding setups, and the methods I used to work out the bugs and kinks.
First a little bit about myself and my qualifications.
I have been a professional musician for over 27 years with plenty of formal schooling, touring, and studio experience to back up all of my crazy claims. I have also been very fortunate to have had the privilege of working with many of the big national acts that I grew up admiring along the way. I am also a certified IT consultant and consult for several corporations in the Greater Philadelphia Area dealing with the daily challenges of setting up and maintaining networks, hardware and software repairs, data recovery, data forensics, e-commerce, database design as well as security and remote access responsibilities.
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Music & Computers
Music and computers compliment each other in every way and this is the basis of what this website is about. Music and Technology. I hope that you my visitor, will have the patience to read through my ramblings, have some fun, learn something you didn’t know before you came here and/or contribute something I didnt know or write about yet.
Please feel free to leave comments and share your experience and expertise.
My Outboard Hardware
Computer: Rackmount Core 2 Duo, 4 Gigs RAM, 1Tbyte SATA Hard Drive 7200RPM running Win XP and Pro Tools 8.3.
Laptop: MacBook Pro 4GB Memory, 500 GB Hard Drive 7200 RPM. 500 GB External Firewire Archive HD
Mixer / Interface: M-Audio NRV10 Firewire mixer 10 discrete channel recording interface. M-Audio Delta 10-10 internal audio interface. M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB audio interface.
Monitors: M-Audio BX-8 studio reference monitors with sub on floor for extra punch when needed.
Power Conditioning: ART PB 4X4.
Amp Modeling: Line 6 POD Pro rack mount with foot controller. Line 6 Spider practice amp.
MIDI Controllers: M-Audio I-control, M-Audio Oxygen 61, M-Audio Keystation 61, M-Audio O2, Behringer Fader Controller.
Mics: Groove Tubes GT66 valve mic with its PSM1 power supply. Rode NT1-A, Sure SM57′s, Sure SM58′s
Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary American Stratocaster, Washburn Tour 54, Manual Rodriguez Classical, Yamaha Classical, Taylor Acoustic Electric, Regal Resonator, Schecter Bass, Lap Slide.
Over the years I have learned and used just about every piece of music production software out there. I have become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the best and the worst of them and have boiled them down to my select handful of favorites. At the top of my list is Digidesign (Avid) Pro Tools. Pro Tools is the industry standard used in most large production recording studios but comes with a bit of a learning curve. The more you learn the more you realize the power under the hood of this amazing piece of software.
My core DAW’s
Digidesign Pro Tools 8. The engineers best friend.
Logic Pro 9 for getting ideas down quickly
Reason adds more instruments via ReWire
My Favorite PlugIns:
I found myself using outboard gear less and less until one day I worked up the courage to sell it all on E-bay. I used the money from the proceeds to purchase a host of plugins that have proudly replaced all my clunky, noisy outboard gear. It was one of the smartest things I ever did. I prefer the performance of the software over hardware and I also enjoy the extra space in my music room. So, here is a rundown of all my favorite and most used plugins.
Glossary Of Recording Terms
ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL (A/D) CONVERTER: A circuit that converts an analog audio signal into a stream of digital data (bit stream)
CHORUS: The main portion of a song that is repeated several times throughout the song with the same lyrics
COMPRESSION: The reduction in dynamic range or gain
COMPRESSION RATIO (SLOPE): In a compressor, the ratio of the change in input level (in dB) to the change in output level (in dB). For example, a 2:1 ratio means that for every 2 dB change ininput level, the output level changes 1 dB
COMPRESSOR: A signal processor that reduces dynamic range or gainby means of automatic volume control. An amplifier whose gain decreases as the input signal level increases above a preset point
DE-ESSER: A signal processor that removes excessive sibilance (“s” and “sh” sounds) by compressing high frequencies around 5 to 10 kHz
DI: Short for direct injection, recording with a direct box
DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW): A computer, sound card, and editing software that allows you to record, edit and mix audio programs entirely in digital form. Stand-alone DAWs include real mixer controls; computer DAWS have virtual controls on-screen
DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER: A circuit that converts a digitalaudio signal into an analog audio signal
DIRECT BOX: A device used for connecting an amplified instrument directly to a mixer mic input. The direct box converts a high-impedance unbalanced audio signal into a low-impedance balanced audio signal
DIRECT INJECTION (DI): Recording with a direct box
DISTORTION: An unwanted change in the audio waveform, causing a raspy or gritty sound quality. The appearance of frequencies in a device’s output signal that were not in the input signal. Distortion is caused by recording at too high a level, improper mixer settings, components failing, or vacuum tubes distorting. (Distortion can be desirable–for an electric guitar, for example.)
EQUALIZATION (EQ): The adjustment of frequency response to alter the tonal balance or to attenuate unwanted frequencies
EQUALIZER: A circuit that alters the frequency spectrum of a signal passed through it
EXPANDER: 1. A signal processor that increases the dynamic range of a signal passed through it. 2.An amplifer whose gain decreases as its input level decreases. When used as a noise gate, an expander reduces the gain of low-level signals to reduce noise between notes
FILTER: A circuit that sharply attenuates frequencies above or below a certain frequency. Used to reduce noise and leakage above or below the frequency range of an instrument or voice
FREQUENCY: The number of cycles per second of a sound wave or an audio signal, measured in hertz (Hz). A low frequency (for example, 100 Hz) has a low pitch; a high frequency (for example, 10,000 Hz) has a high pitch
HIGH PASS FILTER: A filter that passes frequencies above a certain frequency and attenuates frequencies below that same frequency. A low-cut filter
LOW PASS FILTER: A filter that passes frequencies below a certain frequency and attenuates frequencies above that same frequency. A high-cut filter
LIMITER: A signal processor whose output is constant above a preset input level. A compressor with a compression ratio of 10:1or greater, with the threshold set just below the point of distortion of the following device. Used to prevent distortion of attack transients or peaks
MONITOR: A loudspeaker in a control room
MONO-COMPATIBLE: A characteristic of a stereo program, in which the program channels can be combined to a mono program without altering the frequency response or balance. A mono-compatible stereo program has the same frequency response in stereo or mono because there is no delay or phase shift between channels to cause phase interference
NOISE GATE: A gate used to reduce or eliminate noise between notes
NON-DESTRUCTIVE EDITING: In a digital audio workstation, editing done by changing pointers (location markers) to information on the hard disk. A non-destructive edit can be undone
PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER: An equalizer with continuously variable parameters, such as frequency, bandwidth, and amount of boost or cut
PLUG-IN: Software effects that you install in your computer. The plug-in software becomes part of another program you are using, such as a digital editing program
POP FILTER: A screen placed on a microphone grille that attenuates or filters out pop disturbances before they strike the microphone diaphragm. Usually made of open-cell plastic foam or silk, a pop filter reduces pop and wind noise
PREAMPLIFIER (PREAMP): In an audio system, the first stage of amplification that boosts a mic-level signal to line level. A preamp is a stand-alone device or a circuit in a mixer
PREPRODUCTION: Planning in advance what you’re going to do at a recording session, in terms of track assignments, overdubbing, studio layout, and microphone selection
PRODUCTION: The supervision of a recording session to create a satisfactory recording. This involves getting musicians together for the session, making musical suggestions to the musicians to enhance their performance, making suggestions to the engineer for sound balance and effects, and assisting with filling out any necessary paperwork (union, PRO, talent releases, assignments, copyright forms, etc.)
RELEASE TIME: In a compressor, the time it takes for the gain to return to normal after the end of a loud passage
SCRATCH VOCAL: A vocal performance that is done simultaneously with the rhythm instruments so that the musicians can keep their place in the song and get a feel for the song. Because it contains leakage, the scratch-vocal recording is usually erased. Then the singer overdubs the vocal part that is to be used in the final recording
SHELVING EQUALIZER: An equalizer that applies a constant boost or cut above or below a certain frequency, so that the shape of the frequency response resembles a shelf
SIBILANCE: In speech recording, excessive frequency components in the 5 to 10 kHz range, which are heard as an overemphasis of “s” and “sh” sounds
SOUND CARD: A circuit card that plugs into a computer, and converts an audio signal into computer data for storage in memory or on hard disk. The sound card also converts computer data into an audio signal
SOUND MODULE (SOUND GENERATOR): A synthesizer without a keyboard, containing several different timbres or voices. These sounds are triggered or played by MIDI signals from a sequencer program, or by a MIDI controller
TAKE: A recorded performance of a song. Usually, several takes are done of the same song, and the best one–or the best parts of several–become the final product
THRESHOLD: In a compressor or limiter, the input level above which compression or limiting takes place. In an expander, the input level below which expansion takes place
M-Audio NRV10
A complete audio routing and processing solution for the home studio.
The M-Audio NRV10 combines an 8 x 2 analog mixer, 10 x 10 24-bit/96kHz digital audio interface and a VST-compatible live mixing application in one convenient FireWire package for computer-based recording and performance. Route mixer channels discretely to and from tracks in Ableton Live, Pro Tools M-Powered, and other software.
Now you can route and record mixer channels directly to individual tracks in most popular software studios—including Pro Tools M-Powered. You can also return multiple discrete audio channels from your computer to the NRV10 for CPU-free mixing and monitoring complete with on-board digital effects—great for doing live performances without changing settings like EQ and reverb in your files when you play live. The included NRV10 interFX application even allows you turn your NRV10 and host computer into a powerful live mixer with access to all of your VST effects. The NRV10 seamlessly integrates your computer with your studio and bridges the gap between studio and stage as well.
Your Studio’s Nerve Center
Using computer-based tracks on live gigs used to require making and saving software adjustments for parameters like levels, EQ and effects just so everything sounded right. Now that’s history. The NRV10 gives you easy analog mixer control over direct feeds from multiple computer-based tracks. Perfect your studio tracks, then just make temporary tweaks on the NRV10 for live performances. As a bonus, you can run live vocals and more through the same processing you used on those studio tracks. You can even add the NRV10′s built-in digital effects to tracks without modifying your files. The NRV10 puts you back in control of the mix that you and your audience hear live.
More Live Uses
The NRV10′s live applications are endless. Its flexible monitor source assignment can send the drummer a headphone click track—and even lets your DAW’s automation change effects and other parameters on the fly for different song sections. Or if you’re creating live dance music, the monitoring section lets you audition material in your headphones DJ-style before routing it to the main mix. Have some soft synths? A laptop, the NRV10 and an M-Audio MIDI controller are a great way to perform them on stage. And if you’re recording a band live, the NRV10 lets you easily record different players to separate tracks using an application like Pro Tools M-Powered.
Professional Mixer
Featuring a durable metal chassis with optional rack-mount bracket, the NRV10 can be used either with a computer or as an excellent standalone mixer. M-Audio’s award-winning Octane preamp technology assures best-of-class performance. The unit features four stereo and four mono channels—and the first five inputs have phantom-powered XLR mic inputs as well. its design features everything you’d expect in a professional mixer including balanced inputs, channel inserts for inline processing, two aux buses, 3-band EQ on each channel and a flexible monitor section. There’s also a built-in effects section with 16 effects so you don’t even need to burden the computer for basic effects—especially handy live or when practicing.
The Missing Link for Live Computer Tracks
Using computer-based tracks on live gigs used to require making and saving software adjustments for parameters like levels, EQ and effects just so everything sounded right. Now that’s history. The NRV10 gives you easy analog mixer control over direct feeds from multiple computer-based tracks. Perfect your studio tracks, then just make temporary tweaks on the NRV10 for live performances. As a bonus, you can run live vocals and more through the same processing you used on those studio tracks. You can even add the NRV10′s built-in digital effects to tracks without modifying your files. The NRV10 puts you back in control of the mix that you and your audience hear live.
Analog Heart, Digital Mind
A FireWire digital interface is not a pricey extra option on the NRV10. It’s built right in, giving you the best of analog mixing and digital recording in a single, cost-effective package. The ability to route analog inputs and outputs in conjunction with digital tracks and buses provides for seamless creative flow without multiple devices or constantly plugging and unplugging cables. The FireWire interface and software drivers build on M-Audio’s years of experience perfecting digital audio interfaces to critical acclaim. You get unbeatable specs like pristine digital audio quality all the way up to 24-bit/96kHz. And unlike other FireWire mixers, the NRV10′s ability to return multiple channels from your computer gives you much more flexibility compared to simple stereo returns.
NRV10 interFX Turns Your Computer into a Multi-Effects Processor
The included NRV10 interFX software for Windows and Mac turns the NRV10 and your host computer into an even more powerful mixing console complete with multi-effects processing. The application adds a compressor, expander/gate and two VST effect slots to each mixer channel—letting you process your live instruments and mics with your favorite computer-based effects. Of course, you can also save and recall settings for later use. Now, with the NRV10 and NRV10 interFX, you can bring the VST plug-in effects you use in the studio to the stage.
Noise from monitors while using external display with MacBook Pro.
I found that when plugging in an external display to the video port on my Macbook pro produced a high pitched noise from my BX8 ref monitors. This noise was present regardless of master volume or fader volumes on my NRV10 mixer/interface. The noise would not show up in recordings but was constantly present in the mixing / monitoring / recording environments. Searching around the net on various blogs resulted with nothing but dead ends. I find that searching most blogs for various pieces of information produces nothing more than “speculation” and very little tried, field tested, and true answers for anything. Anyhow, Unplugging the external monitor from the video port was the only thing that would make this annoying ground lift noise go away….. AHA!!!!! Ground Lift……. A little scouting around the spaghetti nightmare of cables in the back of my rack I found the power cord for my display and behold… It was plugged in to a power strip that was plugged directly to the wall socket. I moved this power cord from the power strip and plugged it into the power conditioner mounted in my rack (along with all the other audio related devices using the power conditioner ) and BINGO. Ground lift noise gone. I could not believe I allowed such a simple mistake to escape my “expertise”. Its the little things that always sneak up and bite ya on the ass huh? Now I can finally use my oversized LCD display with Pro Tools in peaceful, noise free bliss.
TommyCTech
http://www.tommyctech.com
Frequency Ranges
Here is a chart of frequency ranges for various instruments that I downloaded from the internet. I keep a printed hardcopy of a chart like this in my studio for a quick reference during mixing. My rule of thumb is that a chart serves as a quick cheat sheet but the true point of reference will always be my ears.
What is Audio Mastering?
Mastering is the process of taking a finished recording and adding the final sonic garnish to it. Mastering is not a way to compensate for a bad mix – if your mix isn’t right, then you shouldn’t be thinking about mastering yet. Actually, you shouldbe thinking about it – you just shouldn’t be doing it. The art of creating a balanced musical recording involves placing each sound in its own place in the mix, so that everything sits together nicely and nothing is fighting for air. Each instrument will have a particular frequency range where it is dominant, and if two sounds share the same frequency range then they will interfere with each other, creating a muddy mess.
To fix this, you can use equalisation to change the frequency balance of one or both of these instruments, and/or you could pan them left or right – creating more space for them to co-exist. The act of increasing a particular frequency is known as boosting, and reducing it is called cutting. As a general rule, it is better to achieve your goal using cutting rather than boosting, if possible. This will give your overall recording more headroom.
Mastering From The Start
Songwriting, recording, mixing, mastering and EQ should ideally all be performed with the end result in mind. If a song is composed entirely of instruments operating between 30 and 300Hz, then it may be very difficult to make it sound balanced. However, if you have a recording which almost sounds great, an experienced sound engineer may be able to immediately identify that the rhythm guitar needs a cut at 612Hz to clean it up – and suddenly the whole track takes off.
Compressors and limiters are two devices that you will hear a lot about in the world of sound manipulation. A compressor basically takes an audio signal and squashes it so that the loudest and quietest parts of the signal are closer together in apparent loudness. How it does this can be controlled by the compression ratio, attack time and decay/release time. A limiter prevents the signal from going over 0dB, or clipping. Some limiters have a feature which introduces a mild, pleasant distortion to clipping signals – this is known as ’soft clipping’. A ‘brickwall’ limiter stops anything from going over 0dB.
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How-To: Rewire Reason in ProTools
1) Open ProTools and start a new session. Make sure Reason is not running when you launch ProTools.
2) Create a new stereo auxilliary track.
3) Switch to the Mix window.
4) At the top of the channel strip you will see a light grey area with room for 5 inserts. Hit the little arrow button on the top insert there. (Make sure you’re looking at the inserts at the very top, not the sends that are under it with a darker shade of grey.)
5) Browse the fly-out menu and select Reason. Reason will launch.
6) In the plug-in box that opens in ProTools, make sure the output is set to “Mix L-R”
7) Now you’re routed correctly and you can work in Reason while it outputs audio through the ProTools track you created.
To use ProTools’ MIDI sequencing instead of Reason’s sequencer:
1) Follow all the steps listed above
2) Create an instrument in Reason and name it
3) In ProTools, create a MIDI track and name it to match the instrument track in Reason
4) In ProTools, route the output of your new MIDI track to the instrument track in Reason. To do this make sure you are able to see the in/out section of the MIDI track in Protools (in the mix window the i/o always shows, in the edit window you may need to click on View > Edit Window > Show i/o). Click on the Output (input is on top, output just under it) and you will see a list of all the tracks available in your open Reason file. Select the instrument you just created in #1 above.
5) In Reason, there is a led at the bottom marked as “play.” Turn it off. Now Reason will not play, only ProTools will. Reason will only be used as if it were a hardware rack instrument.
6) You can plot your MIDI sequencing/melodies/automation parameters onto the MIDI track in ProTools and it will send the info to the instrument rack in Reason… Reason will then send the actual audio out to the stereo audio track that you created in step #2 on the first section of this blog.
7) You can create many MIDI tracks in ProTools, one for each instrument rack you load into Reason. You do not, however, need to create additional audio tracks in ProTools for each instrument, they will all output audio from the original stereo audio track with Reason plugged-in as an insert.