Home studio budget
Before you begin, I introduce myself. I have been creating electronic music for over 10 years, 6 of which are professional. I want to share the experience with the readers of Habr and answer the questions that I so often ask. When writing the article it was meant that you are more or less familiar with the basic terms and concepts in this area (sequencer, VST plugin, etc.).
The article will be interesting to all musicians, but first of all to those who want to write electronic music. The uniqueness of the article is that it provides answers to questions that are often not disclosed in other Internet resources:
1) What is the budget required to write electronic music?
2) What equipment should be purchased first, and what later?
3) What software is needed, what are its pros and cons and is it really the rule: the more the better?
')
To begin with, what you need in the first place: studio monitors and sound card.
Studio monitors - professional acoustics for writing music. Many models are sold by the piece, so be careful when viewing the prices on monitors and buying. When choosing it is important to consider three main points:
1) Price. Buying expensive monitors does not make sense. Not only that, expensive acoustics do not always justify their money - it is intended for use in studios with excellent sound insulation and no less expensive equipment. In addition, there are different characteristics of professional equipment, because of which its value increases. In our case, this is not so important - we want to get high-quality sound at a relatively small price.
2) The size of the subwoofer. In most cases, it varies from 4 to 8 inches. The larger the size, the better you will hear the bottom and middle of the track, and this is the basis of any electronic composition. The ideal subwoofer size for a room is 5-6 inches, while for studio use larger subwoofers are preferable. Larger speakers add to the cost of about 10-20 tr.
3) Monitor compatibility with your hearing. Monitor necessarily need to listen before you buy it. This is done very simply - download a couple of favorite tracks on the player, go to the store selling studio equipment and listen to your chosen model. Do not forget that the sound quality also depends on the audio card, so it is better to listen to the whole kit at once.
The most expensive and high quality monitors are manufacturers of ADAM and KRK. If you really have big money, purchase monitors from these manufacturers, but with a small subwoofer size. The best option for budget use - M-Audio monitors, namely the model Studiophile SP-BX5a Deluxe. These monitors will cost you around 12 tr. They are sold by a pair.
For a more accurate reflection of the sound, the monitors should be positioned as follows (the tweeter should be located at the level of your ears, not lower):
The sound card must be external - this is a fact. Why?
1) Large selection. Now the release of internal sound cards is noticeably reduced. This is due to the age of mobility - stationary computers are becoming a thing of the past.
2) Mobility. With a high probability, you will come to the fact that you will start to make live-sets and perform in clubs. Think about it now. Then buy a special card for the performance will be a waste of money.
3) Audio card compatibility with your hearing. We act similarly to paragraph 3 when choosing a studio monitor.
Among the budget models most suitable, again, the card M-Audio or Native Instruments. Despite the fact that the NI audio cards are designed for Dj, they perfectly convey the entire range of frequencies and are suitable for home use no worse than M-Audio. If you get Native Instruments AUDIO 2 DJ, it will cost you 4.5 tr, M-Audio Audiophile FireWire will be more expensive - 7.5 tr, but you will get much more control over your sound. This audio card has more analog inputs and outputs, which allows you to connect additional elements during live performances or dj sets. The price of a card rarely depends on the quality of the sound delivered to it, more often on the number of inputs, outputs and additional volume controls. Therefore, acquiring a card is cheaper than its newer model, you can not worry about the quality of its sound.
Earlier, when laptops were something out of the ordinary, the question of choosing was not so acute - stationary computers were more suitable for writing music, because they had a more powerful processor and more RAM. Now the situation is completely opposite, and the load is partially transferred to audio cards. Now all audio cards support ASIO mode with minimal audio delay. Returning to the issue of mobility when choosing an audio card, I advise you to purchase a laptop with a dual-core or i3 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The size of the hard drive 250-300 GB is enough for comfortable work. Purchase amount: from 20-25 tr. It all depends on your personal needs and preferences brands. The simpler according to the characteristics of the laptop you purchased, the better. Why - explained in the next section.
Before starting the discussion of this section, it is necessary to note one very important point. The main problem for beginners is to get myself a new laptop, install many programs and VST plug-ins, and my sound will be the best and most recognizable. The consequence of this problem is the glut of the electronic music market with sample tracks and the inability to create your own original sound. The solution to the problem is to start writing music not from installing a large number of pirate sofa and VST plug-ins, but to choose one sequencer and VST plug-in, test all their functions in test mode, and then spend money, purchase them and use them without problems for several years. .
The set I would recommend to start with:
FL Studio Fruity Edition
Cakewalk z3ta +
As effects, it is supposed to use the native set FruityLoops. Package cost is $ 200, i.e. 6.5 tr.
The choice for FL Studio was not in vain. This sequencer is the easiest to understand and at the same time one of the highest quality products on the market. What is the difference FL Studio version? Clicking on the link to the official store of the manufacturer, we will see the difference between the different versions of the sequencer - $ 100. In fact, there are really significant differences only between FL Studio Express Edition and FL Studio Fruity Edition. The remaining versions of the product are distinguished by the presence of additional effects and VST plug-ins, which you are unlikely to ever need. Examine the various versions carefully, see if it really makes sense to overpay or download the full pirated package if you can pay only $ 200 for legal versions and achieve the desired effect?
So, the sum of our minimum set: 12 + 4.5 + 25 + 6.5 approx. 50 tr. This amount is enough to achieve high-quality studio sound at home. The next step will be the purchase of headphones, which are not such an important part of the set, as well as MIDI-keyboard, which creates convenience when working with solo-parts.
In the following articles I will go directly to the process of writing music. We will learn to create high-quality sound using FL Studio's minimal standard set.
1) http://proaudio.ru
2) http://flstudio.image-line.com
3) http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/Z3TA
4) http://m-audio.com/
The article will be interesting to all musicians, but first of all to those who want to write electronic music. The uniqueness of the article is that it provides answers to questions that are often not disclosed in other Internet resources:
1) What is the budget required to write electronic music?
2) What equipment should be purchased first, and what later?
3) What software is needed, what are its pros and cons and is it really the rule: the more the better?
')
To begin with, what you need in the first place: studio monitors and sound card.
The choice of studio monitors
Studio monitors - professional acoustics for writing music. Many models are sold by the piece, so be careful when viewing the prices on monitors and buying. When choosing it is important to consider three main points:
1) Price. Buying expensive monitors does not make sense. Not only that, expensive acoustics do not always justify their money - it is intended for use in studios with excellent sound insulation and no less expensive equipment. In addition, there are different characteristics of professional equipment, because of which its value increases. In our case, this is not so important - we want to get high-quality sound at a relatively small price.
2) The size of the subwoofer. In most cases, it varies from 4 to 8 inches. The larger the size, the better you will hear the bottom and middle of the track, and this is the basis of any electronic composition. The ideal subwoofer size for a room is 5-6 inches, while for studio use larger subwoofers are preferable. Larger speakers add to the cost of about 10-20 tr.
3) Monitor compatibility with your hearing. Monitor necessarily need to listen before you buy it. This is done very simply - download a couple of favorite tracks on the player, go to the store selling studio equipment and listen to your chosen model. Do not forget that the sound quality also depends on the audio card, so it is better to listen to the whole kit at once.
The most expensive and high quality monitors are manufacturers of ADAM and KRK. If you really have big money, purchase monitors from these manufacturers, but with a small subwoofer size. The best option for budget use - M-Audio monitors, namely the model Studiophile SP-BX5a Deluxe. These monitors will cost you around 12 tr. They are sold by a pair.
For a more accurate reflection of the sound, the monitors should be positioned as follows (the tweeter should be located at the level of your ears, not lower):
Choosing a sound card
The sound card must be external - this is a fact. Why?
1) Large selection. Now the release of internal sound cards is noticeably reduced. This is due to the age of mobility - stationary computers are becoming a thing of the past.
2) Mobility. With a high probability, you will come to the fact that you will start to make live-sets and perform in clubs. Think about it now. Then buy a special card for the performance will be a waste of money.
3) Audio card compatibility with your hearing. We act similarly to paragraph 3 when choosing a studio monitor.
Among the budget models most suitable, again, the card M-Audio or Native Instruments. Despite the fact that the NI audio cards are designed for Dj, they perfectly convey the entire range of frequencies and are suitable for home use no worse than M-Audio. If you get Native Instruments AUDIO 2 DJ, it will cost you 4.5 tr, M-Audio Audiophile FireWire will be more expensive - 7.5 tr, but you will get much more control over your sound. This audio card has more analog inputs and outputs, which allows you to connect additional elements during live performances or dj sets. The price of a card rarely depends on the quality of the sound delivered to it, more often on the number of inputs, outputs and additional volume controls. Therefore, acquiring a card is cheaper than its newer model, you can not worry about the quality of its sound.
Notebook vs. desktop computer
Earlier, when laptops were something out of the ordinary, the question of choosing was not so acute - stationary computers were more suitable for writing music, because they had a more powerful processor and more RAM. Now the situation is completely opposite, and the load is partially transferred to audio cards. Now all audio cards support ASIO mode with minimal audio delay. Returning to the issue of mobility when choosing an audio card, I advise you to purchase a laptop with a dual-core or i3 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The size of the hard drive 250-300 GB is enough for comfortable work. Purchase amount: from 20-25 tr. It all depends on your personal needs and preferences brands. The simpler according to the characteristics of the laptop you purchased, the better. Why - explained in the next section.
Choice of software: the smaller the better
Before starting the discussion of this section, it is necessary to note one very important point. The main problem for beginners is to get myself a new laptop, install many programs and VST plug-ins, and my sound will be the best and most recognizable. The consequence of this problem is the glut of the electronic music market with sample tracks and the inability to create your own original sound. The solution to the problem is to start writing music not from installing a large number of pirate sofa and VST plug-ins, but to choose one sequencer and VST plug-in, test all their functions in test mode, and then spend money, purchase them and use them without problems for several years. .
The set I would recommend to start with:
FL Studio Fruity Edition
Cakewalk z3ta +
As effects, it is supposed to use the native set FruityLoops. Package cost is $ 200, i.e. 6.5 tr.
The choice for FL Studio was not in vain. This sequencer is the easiest to understand and at the same time one of the highest quality products on the market. What is the difference FL Studio version? Clicking on the link to the official store of the manufacturer, we will see the difference between the different versions of the sequencer - $ 100. In fact, there are really significant differences only between FL Studio Express Edition and FL Studio Fruity Edition. The remaining versions of the product are distinguished by the presence of additional effects and VST plug-ins, which you are unlikely to ever need. Examine the various versions carefully, see if it really makes sense to overpay or download the full pirated package if you can pay only $ 200 for legal versions and achieve the desired effect?
So, the sum of our minimum set: 12 + 4.5 + 25 + 6.5 approx. 50 tr. This amount is enough to achieve high-quality studio sound at home. The next step will be the purchase of headphones, which are not such an important part of the set, as well as MIDI-keyboard, which creates convenience when working with solo-parts.
In the following articles I will go directly to the process of writing music. We will learn to create high-quality sound using FL Studio's minimal standard set.
Resources used in writing the article
1) http://proaudio.ru
2) http://flstudio.image-line.com
3) http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/Z3TA
4) http://m-audio.com/
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/110721/
All Articles