Recording Studio Equipment

Deciding on the best home recording studio equipment will take some thought. Before you're actually at the check out line in your favorite music store, it's important that you do your homework. Take into consideration what you can afford and what kind of equipment you are looking for. Check out the web, trade magazines, or your local audio store to find the different pieces. If the equipment is on display, it would be wise to play with it and see if the feel suits you. Also, it is a good idea to talk to other people who already have the equipment and see what they think.

Here's what we recommend to all beginners looking to get started:

The software, which is the foundation of your studio, is very important. Get the wrong one, and you will be either stuck not being able to do much with it (the free stuff), or not being able to understand it and use it easily (the expensive stuff). Check them and choose one that fits your needs and budget.

The microphone is the next most important factor. Most of them require extra equipment just to be able to use it with your computer. There are many very high quality microphones with affordable price tag.

Finally, the MIDI device. This is not required if you just want to play guitar and sing, like unplugged recordings or something. But if you want to add virtual instruments to your mix, and control all the parts easily via a keyboard, then you need one of these. And we will personally confess that this is the coolest piece of equipment you can get for your studio. Highly addictive and fun to play with. If you don't think you need it now, you will wonder what you ever did without it after you've used it for a couple of weeks!

OSC - Open Sound Control Protocol

Even if you only own one piece of music hardware, there's a very good chance it's equipped with MIDI. The connection protocol has become so ubiquitous that it's almost impossible to find new synths, controllers or even software that don't support it. However, the skeptics would have us believe that Its days are numbered thanks to new protocols arriving on the market.

While such alarmist attitudes are probably unfounded, it seems that there's an increasing demand of something slightly more advanced the long-established industry standard. In this article we are looking at Open Sound Control (OSC), one of the protocols vying to steal MIDI's crown. We'll see what it's all about and why you might expect to hear a lot more over the next few years.

The History of Sequencers

These days, the sequencer is almost synonymous with the digital audio workstation (DAW), but its history goes back way beyond the computer era. From modular synths to '70s drum machines and '80s home computers, sequencers have been used to make life easier for musicians for nearly half a decade.

Essentially, a sequencer is a device that triggers notes to be played back by other equipment, but we'll see that there are a variety of different ways this can be achieved. Whether it's step sequencing, a simple loop-based sequencer or full-blown MIDI DAWs, sequencers are a crucial part of every studio.

Apple iPad

Unless you’ve been deliberately avoiding it you can’t have missed the hype surrounding the launch of Apple’s iPad. We've got hold a 16 GB WiFi model to put through its paces. We know its media and gaming skills but what does it offer us musicians and producers?

Sights and Sounds

The first thing you notice about the iPad is its outstanding build quality. The case feels tough while remaining light and easily portable. I wouldn’t want to throw it straight into a bag without a case to protect the glass screen, but it certainly feels very solid.

I found the LED-backlit screen exceptionally clear and the multi-touch easily tracks ten separate finger gestures at once (in fact, the iPad actually responds to eleven simultaneous gestures). The accelerometer ensures that the screen remains upright, but the orientation can also be locked using a sliding switch.

Steinberg CI1 and CI2+

5teinberg introduced the CI2 USB audio interface last year - clearly aimed at those new to music production, as well as potential users looking for something better than the internal soundcard of their chosen computer, be it a PC or a Mac. The fact that it was bundled with Cubase AI5 (a reduced feature-set version of Cubase 5) clearly indicated that Steinberg saw the need for a complete good-value studio-in-a-box solution. In fact, the hardware side of things is handled by Steinberg's parent company, Yamaha, who clearly have a pretty good track record when it comes to all things audio.

So, less than a year later, we have the CI2+ and the CI1 interfaces. Though broadly similar in pure audio interface terms, these sit on either side of the original CI2 when it comes to their overall feature-set and software offerings. Let 's start with a recap of what's on offer, starting with the CI1 and the features common to both. The interface box is about the size of a decent hardback novel and, while housed in plastic, feels substantial when placed on your desktop.

M-Audio FireWire 410

M-Audio FireWire 410’s 4-in/10-out audio configuration is perfect for personal recording situations where users build up tracks one at a time, yet need multiple outputs. The unit supports 96kHz recording and playback on all ins and outs, additionally offering high-resolution 192kHz stereo outputs.

The product’s ten outputs allow computer-based recording systems to behave more like traditional analog recorders or samplers, where signals are bussed to and from multiple channels of an analog mixer or to multi-channel monitoring systems. Software-controlled DSP handles all internal routing and mixing. The software drivers also deliver extremely low-latency monitoring, and the unit also offers zero-latency direct hardware monitoring. 1x1 MIDI I/O rounds out FireWire 410’s functionality as a one-stop solution for personal composition and recording.

Yamaha CP1 Stage Piano

Yamaha have, it's fair to say, always been at the forefront of stage piano technology. The first pianos to wear the CP badge were the now-classic CP70/80 electric grands, adopted by many big-name artists over the years.

As with the recently-launched Roland V Piano, the Yamaha CP1 uses modelling technology (combined with sampling) to capture the nuances of a real piano. However, while VA synths get close to the magic of real analogue, modelling technology is still in its infancy compared to purely sample-based pianos.

MIDI Instruments and MIDI Software

Almost every recording studio has some instruments. And almost every modern electronic instrument has MIDI interface. This is the interface you will use to connect your instruments with computer. You will also need some MIDI software to record, edit and play back your music. Most people recognize the MIDI interface by the three 5-pin ports labeled IN, OUT, and THRU, found on the back of every MIDI device. But what exactly is MIDI? What can MIDI software do?