Compiling a “studio on the go” has never been so easy or affordable
Being able to easily and quickly record your material at a moment’s notice is one of the key advances technology has provided musicians today. But just how easy is it to take that recording capability with you when you travel? Following is an exploration into the basics of setting up a “studio to go,” centered around an affordable laptop computer. With the advice of recording engineer Bob Furlong, we’ll find out just what you need to record anywhere and anytime the spirit moves you.
Bob Furlong
How steep the learning curve is for a musician or songwriter new to recording?
I get that question, “How hard is it to learn?” pretty often. I have to say that from the time I got into analog recording, when you had to wade through hundreds of pages of operation manuals just to figure out how to record, that today it’s exponentially easier to jump right in and start making good recordings almost immediately.
For the studio-to-go concept, I’d suggest a package of gear that’s easy to transport centered around a newer laptop. It would have six main components: recording software, audio interface, a good all-purpose microphone, monitor speakers, an external hard drive, and some kind of gig bag to protect your gear when you’re on the road.
Starting with the software, which will really be the heart of your mobile studio, there are quite a few programs to choose from. But for someone new to recording, I’d suggest Ableton Live, a program I’ve gotten to be a big fan of. One of the advantages is that Ableton offers a wide range of tutorials and “how to” videos, both on their web site and actually included as part of the application, that take the new user step-by-step through set up and recording techniques in an easy-to-understand manner. I’ve used a number of other recording programs myself before I tried Ableton Live, and I found it to be very intuitive, yet powerful enough to do whatever I wanted to do.
Ableton Live comes in three versions: the Live LE version; the Live version, which covers everything I need at my studio; and Ableton Suite, which adds ten virtual instruments and a number of sample libraries to the Live version.” [Editor’s note: the street prices for the three versions are $149 for LE; $499 for Live; and $799 for the Suite.]
The next piece of the package is the audio interface, to get your audio signal into your laptop’s recording program and also playback your recordings over monitor speakers. What’s your advice for that?
The Edirol UA-25 EX is one of my top choices. It offers two mic pre-amps as well as a high impedance quarter-inch input for recording electric guitar, bass, or keyboard directly. I also like the sound of its onboard analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. It even features a built-in compressor which can come in handy when you’re recording vocals or other instruments, as well as MIDI capability and a digital I/O. It’s very ruggedly built with an aluminum chassis, so taking it on the road is not going to be a problem.
Next up is your microphone…
Yes, and though most recording studios invest in dozens of microphones of various types, for a general mic that will work well recording vocals, acoustic or electric instruments, I’d go with the Audio-Technica 2020. It delivers very good performance at a cost that won’t break the bank. Along with a boom stand and mic cable, I’d add a shock mount, so that when you’re recording, every little bump or vibration won’t be picked up. With the 2020, you can record an acoustic guitar and vocals simultaneously, or start with your guitar and/or click track, then overdub your vocals afterwards. Another mic that offers excellent quality and value is the RODE NT-1A, which also comes with a ten-year warranty.
For playback, do you recommend monitors, or will headphones work?
Hearing back what you are recording and mixing can be done on headphones, if space and budget are at an absolute premium, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider adding a small active monitoring speaker system to their studio-to-go. One of the best products to come out in the personal monitor class is the JBL LSR 2325P. They have a 5” woofer and 1” tweeter and put out a lot of sound for such a small package. A bonus is that they also come with high- and low-frequency adjustment controls, which help you optimize the speaker’s response curve to whatever room you happen to find yourself recording or mixing in.
Finally, there’s the laptop itself.
Any late model PC or Mac would be fine to base your studio-to-go around. The one thing I would suggest is upgrading your RAM to have at least 4 GB, even though that is a bit more than the 2 GB many recording programs recommend. Doing so will allow your computer to process the audio files much more quickly. I’d also advise investing in a separate external hard drive which will also simplify your life by allowing you to keep all your recordings and media files on a separate drive. Although your laptop can be used to store your recording files, doing so reduces the computer’s overall performance, since it’s also handling all your system files and processing. A high RPM, dedicated hard drive like the ones from Glyph Technologies, which have become a de facto standard for many recording studios, will help you get the best performance from your laptop and recording software.
And don’t forget, a good case with room to hold your laptop and all your cables and just about all your gear will save time as well as wear and tear on your portable studio. The Gator GK-LT-25W offers plenty of space for most of your kit, and fits comfortably in the overhead storage bins on airliners. There are a few more items needed to be ready to take your studio-to-go anywhere your music takes you.
Anything we’re forgetting?
Don’t forget to get some speaker cables, a sturdy collapsible boom stand for your mic, a shock mount, and good quality 25’ mic cable. I’d also spend a few extra dollars and buy a power strip that has surge suppression and some resistance to electromagnetic interference such as the Furman Sound SS-6B. That way if there’s a lightning strike or other electro-magnetic disturbance nearby, you’ll have a better chance of not losing any audio data or gear.
So what is this studio-to-go going to cost us? Not including the cost of your laptop computer, the total price for the system Bob has put together for us would run approximately $1,700 (before tax and shipping.) Being able to record your music whenever and wherever you go opens up a realm of creative possibilities and can help make life on the road much more productive, so take a look at how you might benefit from your own laptop studio and then decide what options make the most sense to you.
What about Pro Tools?
Digidesign’s ProTools recording software seems to be ubiquitous today in both the professional and home recording world. One has to ask the question as to whether that program’s dominance make it another choice for you studio-to-go?
“Absolutely,” states Bob Furlong from Sweetwater. “It would be my second choice, with Ableton Live edging it out due to Ableton’s very easy adaptation process. Pro Tools has a reputation as being what the top professionals use, but like Ableton Live, it’s also very easy to learn its basic operation. Unlike many of the other programs available, Pro Tools M Box series ships with an audio interface along with the recording software, so it’s a turnkey solution, not requiring a separate purchase of an audio interface.
“Depending on what you plan to record, you might want to consider the M Box 2, which includes two inputs, MIDI and digital I/O giving your plenty of flexibility. Doing so would reduce the studio-to-go’s cost by nearly $300. Sweetwater also offers online tutorials to help you master Pro Tools. And keep in mind that taking your home recordings to a professional studio for overdubbing or mixdown is possible with just about any recording application today, simply by saving your session in a file format that is compatible with the pro studio’s software, which can be done easily in all the programs we’ve covered.”
Story Links
For more on Ableton Live, go to www.ableton.com
Ableton tutorials and how to mini-movies can be found at www.ableton.com/movies
All of the equipment covered in this month’s column may be found online at www.sweetwater.com or by calling 1-800-222-4700
Home Studio Tips from a Big Studio Designer
In his thirty-plus years working in the music business, Keith Hatschek has been a musician, educator, recording engineer, producer and marketing exec. He currently teaches Music Management at the University of the Pacific, where he recently helped install a Pro Tools HD recording studio as part of Pacific’s Conservatory of Music. He’s the author of The Golden Moment: Recording Secrets of the Pros and How to Get a Job in the Music Industry.
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