Things That I Know

Now that we’ve figured out what you need as your basic ingredients for a home studio, it’s time to put the recipe together and make a studio. For this we’ll start with the basics of a computer, a mixer and a microphone, then add as we go.

You’ll want a permanent home for your major equipment, like the mixer, so that should be placed in a comfortable work area on a good sized desk. How you arrange everything is up to you, so I’ll just assume that you have a happy home for your mixer and computer. This is where you need to know your signal flow.

Signal Flow

Everything comes down to signal flow. When dealing with audio, you are dealing with the flow of an audio signal. If it starts with your voice, then the signal flows into the microphone, down the mic cable, into the mixer, in and out of any outboard gear, out to your computer, out to the speakers (with some possible variations). Keep signal flow in mind when hooking your cables up. With each piece of equipment, you should have it’s signal flow mapped out before you hook it up.

Microphone to Mixer

Since we’re starting basic, all we need to do is get the microphone signal into the mixer. If you have a condensor mic, you probably need phantom power. Phantom power is the power that runs a microphone, supplied by the mixer or a preamp. The 48 volt signal travels up the microphone cable to power the mic. If your microphone needs phantom power, make sure you have a way to supply it. If your mixer provides phantom power, you simply plug the microphone cable into the mic and the mixer and it will work. If your mixer does not have phantom power, you’ll need either a power supply or a mic preamp. If this is the case, then you run your cable from the mic to the power supply or preamp, then from there into the mixer. If your microphone is a dynamic microphone, you can plug it right into the mixer.

Mixer to Computer

Once the signal is in the mixer, you need to get it to the computer if you want to record it. This move depends on what kind of input you have on your computer. You’ll need to identify your input and determine what kind of cables you’ll need to connect the mixer and the computer. Your mixer will likely have multiple outputs. You can either use the XLR, RCA, or 1/4 inch output, and connect it to the input on your computer’s sound card. You may need an adaptor to make all of the cables work together, but there is always a way. Choose an output on your mixer and run a cable (with the appropriate adaptor, if necessary) to the audio input on our computer or sound card.

Computer to Mixer

Not only do you need your mixer’s signal to go to your computer, you’ll want the computer’s signal to go back to the mixer. Creating this “loop” will allow you to record at any stage of the signal flow. This means you can capture sound from your computer without a separate sound card. This will come in handy if you do a lot of production work, particularly if you like to pull audio from sites like YouTube, that don’t offer downloads. Having your signal loop back to the mixer isn’t technically necessary for a lot of functions, but in my experience, it’s something you should do. To do this, simply take the audio output from your soundcard (or 1/8 inch output) and run a cable to an input on your mixer. Now anything that goes into the board goes into the mixer, and anything that plays on the computer goes into the board, thus back again into the computer.

Speakers & Headphones

If you’re going to edit sound, you need a reliable way to judge what you are editing. If you mix or edit on low quality speakers, don’t be surprised if your mix sounds bad on good speakers. Get yourself a decent set of speakers to listen to your work on, or at the very least, a good set of headphones. If you don’t have a great set of speakers or headphones, be sure to listen to your work on another source to judge it’s quality. Once you learn what things should sound like on your system, your fine.

Your speakers or headphones should be set up to come from the end of you signal flow. You want to hear what the final product is going to sound like, not what it sounds like going in.

Outboard Gear

For most studios, the basic setup won’t last forever. Software can do wonders, but it can’t always do everything. This is where you bring in your outboard gear. Outboard gear is equipment used for a specific function. This could be an effects processor or a compressor, or the like. I personally use a compressor and a gate, to make up for the less-than-perfect acoustics in my studio.

To set up outboard gear, you usually have to consult with that particular piece of equipment’s manual. Most pieces of gear can be hooked up via inserts, which require a special cable. If you are buying a piece of outboard gear, I recommend talking to the guy at the store about how you should hook it up to your studio. Usually, there will be instructions that come with it that are written with studio owners in mind. If you can’t figure it out from the instructions, do a simple Internet search and you’ll probably find a solution for that particular piece of gear.

Troubleshooting

After you’ve got all of your cables connected and equipment in place, odds are it won’t work. Nobody knows why, but it just always works out this way. Double check all of your connections and make sure everything is in the right place, then try again. If it still doesn’t work, then it’s time for some troubleshooting.

The beauty of signal flow is that a simple understanding of it can save you loads of time when it comes to troubleshooting. If you can test your signal at certain points in the chain, you can narrow down where the fault lies. If you plug some headphones into your mixer and can hear through the microphone, but the computer isn’t showing any levels, then you know the problem lies between the mixer and the computer. Use this method to pinpoint where the fault lies, then look for all of the things that could be wrong. In this instance, make sure you check your audio settings on your computer. You may have the “line-in” muted, thus preventing the computer from getting a signal.

As you hook things up, make a mental note of the signal flow. This way, when something isn’t working right, you’ll have an idea of where to look and what might be wrong. Another good idea is to label your cables as you hook them up. As you add more pieces of equipment, troubleshooting becomes more and more difficult. Being able to pull a cable from each end, and have the right one can save you loads of time.

Acoustics

Most situations where people build a studio at home, they are going to be dealing with inferior acoustics. From the sound of the air conditioner, to someone taking a shower, and the noise outside, you may not always have a great room to record or edit in. There are some simple steps to make this better.

If you need a great voice booth, you might consider spending to have a room or booth soundproofed. For most situations, you can build a pretty suitable acoustical setup pretty simply.

As far as sound goes, you may want to deaden the room a bit. This will keep the sound waves from reverberating off of all the walls. This can be something as simple as putting some texture on the wall. You can buy acoustic material at pretty reasonable prices, and that’s always a good solution. If you’re looking for a do-it-yourself project, you can use carpet on the walls, or I’ve found good success using the egg cartons that go on mattress.

If you need a voice-over booth, a closet is always a good option. The best part about it is you can use a fully-stocked, working closet. The clothes inside of it will dampen the sound to give you a good clean sound. If you have a walk-in closet near your studio, you can just install a mic stand and run one cable, and you have a V.O. booth.

Conclusion

Now that you know the basics of what you need to build your studio, and how to put it together, it’s time to build a studio. Everything I’ve mentioned here can be done at a quite reasonable price. You don’t need the world’s best mixer and microphone to do quality audio production. I’ve seen people with the best setup in the world that can’t edit a piece of sound, and I’ve seen people with nothing but freeware and a minidisc player produce gems. If you’re good at what you do, or have the patience to become so, build the appropriate studio and don’t spend a fortune to do so.

There are obviously many, many ways to expand upon this basic concept, or even do it differently. Like the whole foundation of this website, I’m only offering to you what I have learned over the years. This is the formula I used to create my own home studio that I’ve comfortably worked out of for quite some time. If you’re having any problems with your studio, or have any questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, good luck, and happy editing.

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