Getting Started - Part 4. Hardware Solutions (Part 2).
As promised, I post the second part of “Hardware Solutions”. Today we will talk about monitors, mixers and midi-controllers, and at the end will be presented a table of audio connectors.
PS Prices are taken again from MuzTorg.
This is taken from wikipedia .
When I first heard on one of the forums that I needed to buy “monitors”, I fell into a state of deep stupor. I never would have thought that there are so many kinds of monitors. Fortunately, a small Internet tour dotted the i's.
So, the monitors in fact have only one goal - to reproduce the sound, just as it was recorded and mixed. It is appropriate to recall that any audio equipment embellishes the sound. Good or bad, it's up to you, for example, I don’t like to listen to some music on monitors ( Dir En Gray for example). But we need them with you to create music, and here their “honesty” plays into our hands. Right in the process of creation, we can hear our “jambs” and immediately correct them.
And now a small example. As an example, we will have the Yamaha HS50M (6,250 rubles) and the Yamaha HS10W (subwoofer (16,000 rubles)). The main disadvantage of monitors is that most of them are sold separately and cost a lot of money. For example, the cost of my 2.1 system (two HS50M and HS10W) at the moment is 28,500 rubles.
Yamaha HS50M:
70-watt model HS50M (5-inch speaker and 3/4-inch twitter). There are balanced XLR inputs and a 1/4-inch jack. In addition to the overall volume control, the monitor has switches that regulate low mid and high frequencies.
Frequency range: 55 Hz - 20 kHz (-10 dB), dimensions: 165 x 222 x 268 mm, weight: 5.8 kg.
Yamaha HS10W:
The 120-watt active subwoofer HS10W is equipped with an 8-inch speaker with a large diffuser stroke. Inputs include dual XLR and 1/4-inch jacks. There are also three output balanced XLR connectors (Mix, L & R). Settings include total volume, phase, and low pass / high pass controls. The frequency range of 30 Hz - 180 kHz (-10 dB). Dimensions 300 x 386 x 350 mm. Weight 12.5 kg.
In general, I am more than satisfied with these monitors and work their money by 100%. I also advise you to look towards the following models:
This is taken from wikipedia .
Now we are interested in Firewire / USB mixers, let's talk about them.
Firstly, why do we need it? And we need it for at least two things - recording sound from more than one source and controlling the speaker system. Of course, with the mixer, you can come up with a lot of fun, but I use my own for these purposes, plus something else on the little things.
Secondly, what properties should a good mixer have? Some individuals still assure me that the more channels the mixer has the better. The question is controversial, for example, why do I need a 16-channel mixer even if I don't use more than 5 on my 8-channel? But for example, the presence of built-in effects, preamp controls, equalizer on each channel, the SOLO and MUTE buttons, monitor output — this is good.
Unfortunately I can’t recommend any other mixers except my Alesis MultiMix 8 , since did not really work with anything else. If in comments someone describes well and advises a favorite mixer, I will gladly include it in the article.
Yes, you were not mistaken, this time the quotes from Wikipedia will not be :) The fact is that the midi-controller is in fact ANY device that transforms the physical process into a midi-message. Under this process, you can understand anything - pressing the key or turning the knob. We are currently interested in those with regulators.
As an example, Novation Nocturn, dearly beloved by me, will perform. I will not describe it especially, because There is a great article on iXBT, and I don’t have a chance to tell it better than them. I'll tell you only about the intricacies of working with similar devices.
First, make sure that you need it. If you have just started to make music, it is likely that the midi-controller is not useful to you. Only if to control the sequencer, but it is not worth the money. If you use ready-made presets for instruments and effects, and only occasionally change their parameters, the midi-controller is also not worth taking.
Secondly, I want to immediately warn, before buying a midi-controller, make sure that it is fully supported by your sequencer, otherwise there is a risk that some controller functions will not work as it would like if they work at all. For reasons unknown to me, sequencers with the ability to auto-detect devices sometimes ignore some controller functions (especially if they are unique), although they deal with midi-keyboards with a bang.
Thirdly, most controllers (if not all) must turn on BEFORE a sequencer runs, the same story with midi-keyboards. For example, the situation with Novation Nocturn is even more cunning. It has no power button in principle, and it turns on automatically when you launch the Automap program (“Launch Server”).
And now a tiny list of controllers that you should pay attention to:
PS A small addition, I accidentally found the article “How a joystick became a MIDI controller,” about how to turn a joystick into a midi controller.
Unfortunately, this is a beta version of the table, but for beginners it will do. Someday there will definitely be a more detailed version.
Well that's all. Like all I wanted to say. Of course, this is far from everything, there are still many “pieces of iron” for musicians, but it is simply impossible to describe them in any article or in ten. I hope with your help we will be able to correct this omission;)
PS Prices are taken again from MuzTorg.
Monitors.
Monitor (studio) - a speaker of low power with the smoothest frequency response, used in professional sound processing (sound recording, broadcasting, concert) to control sound quality.
Studio monitors - special acoustic systems for recording and broadcasting studios, etc.
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Reproduce sound with exceptional quality, without distortion. They are divided into near, middle and far field systems.
This is taken from wikipedia .
When I first heard on one of the forums that I needed to buy “monitors”, I fell into a state of deep stupor. I never would have thought that there are so many kinds of monitors. Fortunately, a small Internet tour dotted the i's.
So, the monitors in fact have only one goal - to reproduce the sound, just as it was recorded and mixed. It is appropriate to recall that any audio equipment embellishes the sound. Good or bad, it's up to you, for example, I don’t like to listen to some music on monitors ( Dir En Gray for example). But we need them with you to create music, and here their “honesty” plays into our hands. Right in the process of creation, we can hear our “jambs” and immediately correct them.
And now a small example. As an example, we will have the Yamaha HS50M (6,250 rubles) and the Yamaha HS10W (subwoofer (16,000 rubles)). The main disadvantage of monitors is that most of them are sold separately and cost a lot of money. For example, the cost of my 2.1 system (two HS50M and HS10W) at the moment is 28,500 rubles.
Yamaha HS50M:
70-watt model HS50M (5-inch speaker and 3/4-inch twitter). There are balanced XLR inputs and a 1/4-inch jack. In addition to the overall volume control, the monitor has switches that regulate low mid and high frequencies.
Frequency range: 55 Hz - 20 kHz (-10 dB), dimensions: 165 x 222 x 268 mm, weight: 5.8 kg.
Yamaha HS10W:
The 120-watt active subwoofer HS10W is equipped with an 8-inch speaker with a large diffuser stroke. Inputs include dual XLR and 1/4-inch jacks. There are also three output balanced XLR connectors (Mix, L & R). Settings include total volume, phase, and low pass / high pass controls. The frequency range of 30 Hz - 180 kHz (-10 dB). Dimensions 300 x 386 x 350 mm. Weight 12.5 kg.
In general, I am more than satisfied with these monitors and work their money by 100%. I also advise you to look towards the following models:
- M-Audio Studiophile AV40 (5 274 rub.)
- M-AUDIO STUDIOPRO 4 (6 552 rub.)
- MACKIE MR5 (8 310 rub.)
- KRK RP10S (17,226 rubles)
- TAPCO SW10 (20 090 rub.)
Mixers
Mixing console - a device designed to sum the sound signals (ES) from several sources into one or several. Also, with the help of a mixing console, AP routing is performed. All incoming signals are processed by preliminary (matching) amplifiers and fed to equalizers and other processing, and sent to output channels. The mixing console is used for sound recording, reproduction of the signal of several sources. Mixing consoles are of two types: "split" and "in-line".
This is taken from wikipedia .
Now we are interested in Firewire / USB mixers, let's talk about them.
Firstly, why do we need it? And we need it for at least two things - recording sound from more than one source and controlling the speaker system. Of course, with the mixer, you can come up with a lot of fun, but I use my own for these purposes, plus something else on the little things.
Secondly, what properties should a good mixer have? Some individuals still assure me that the more channels the mixer has the better. The question is controversial, for example, why do I need a 16-channel mixer even if I don't use more than 5 on my 8-channel? But for example, the presence of built-in effects, preamp controls, equalizer on each channel, the SOLO and MUTE buttons, monitor output — this is good.
Unfortunately I can’t recommend any other mixers except my Alesis MultiMix 8 , since did not really work with anything else. If in comments someone describes well and advises a favorite mixer, I will gladly include it in the article.
MIDI Controllers.
Yes, you were not mistaken, this time the quotes from Wikipedia will not be :) The fact is that the midi-controller is in fact ANY device that transforms the physical process into a midi-message. Under this process, you can understand anything - pressing the key or turning the knob. We are currently interested in those with regulators.
As an example, Novation Nocturn, dearly beloved by me, will perform. I will not describe it especially, because There is a great article on iXBT, and I don’t have a chance to tell it better than them. I'll tell you only about the intricacies of working with similar devices.
First, make sure that you need it. If you have just started to make music, it is likely that the midi-controller is not useful to you. Only if to control the sequencer, but it is not worth the money. If you use ready-made presets for instruments and effects, and only occasionally change their parameters, the midi-controller is also not worth taking.
Secondly, I want to immediately warn, before buying a midi-controller, make sure that it is fully supported by your sequencer, otherwise there is a risk that some controller functions will not work as it would like if they work at all. For reasons unknown to me, sequencers with the ability to auto-detect devices sometimes ignore some controller functions (especially if they are unique), although they deal with midi-keyboards with a bang.
Thirdly, most controllers (if not all) must turn on BEFORE a sequencer runs, the same story with midi-keyboards. For example, the situation with Novation Nocturn is even more cunning. It has no power button in principle, and it turns on automatically when you launch the Automap program (“Launch Server”).
And now a tiny list of controllers that you should pay attention to:
- Novation Nocturn (3 949 rub.)
- Behringer BCR2000 ($ 219.99) (note on this site MuzTorg was not found, the price is taken from the offsite )
- M-Audio UC-33E USB Controller Surface (6,493 rubles)
PS A small addition, I accidentally found the article “How a joystick became a MIDI controller,” about how to turn a joystick into a midi controller.
Table of audio connectors.
| TRS 1/4 "(Jack) connector |  | |
| Connector 3.5 mm TRS (Mini-Jack) |  | |
| XLR (Cannon) |  | Three-pin XLR, left mom, right dad |
| TOSLINK |  | |
| FireWire (IEEE 1394) |  | This is for those who have never seen the FireWire connector. |
Unfortunately, this is a beta version of the table, but for beginners it will do. Someday there will definitely be a more detailed version.
Well that's all. Like all I wanted to say. Of course, this is far from everything, there are still many “pieces of iron” for musicians, but it is simply impossible to describe them in any article or in ten. I hope with your help we will be able to correct this omission;)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/52918/
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