[help a noob] how do I set up a basic home studio?

D

daysgo_by

Member
Hi guys
when it comes to Audio.. I am so lost I could really use some help here

I'm trying to set up a basic home studio
I have a desktop PC
and would like to connect audio interface for some recording works
(this part seems simple enough.. buy either USB or firewire interface and hook it up)

but I might be getting some stereo book shelf speakers
(Cerwin-vega V5M) and would like to connect these speakers to
my computer so I can get rid of my logitech computer speakers

so these Cerwin-Vega comes with black and red wire connection at the back
and from what i've been told, I need an amplifier..
so my question is, what type of amp are you guys using? and which ones
should I be looking for.
I'm not planning on doing any 5.1 channel set up.. just 2 channel plus
a sub later on.

also my sound card is on-board (motherboard) and comes with multichannel
output at the back (red, green, yellow,, etc etc)
how would I connect this to an amp...
(unfortunately my s/pdif port doesn't seem to work.. looks like it's clashing
with my video card but that's whole another matter all together..)

any kind of help would be much appreciated!! and it be great
if you guys can share some of your set-ups

thank you in advance
 
Well, I'll run you through a couple of basics...

First, for monitoring you generally don't want home theater speakers (which is what the Cerwin-Vega speakers are). For starters they need an amp as you've discovered, but good monitors are also designed for accuracy over a wide range of SPL, where speakers like the Cerwin-Vega are many times designed more to sound good rather than accurate (mixing on accurate speakers ensures that it'll translate between playback systems). Plus having an external amp lowers the damping ability of the drivers, also making it less accurate. On a final note with active monitors, for professional results, you generally want to start looking at around $500/each for monitors. Numerous reasons for this as cheaper speakers...
1. Alter their frequency response at lower and louder levels.
2. Do not have the frequency accuracy of better monitors even in an anechoic chamber.
3. Begin to compress sound peaks at higher SPL, so you can't hear how truly loud your mix is getting.
4. Their dispersion isn't even across the frequency band (basically the sound that comes out from the speaker at an angle has peaks and nulls in the frequency response that'll color the reflections you hear)
5. They can't hit the max SPL required for mixing at proper theatrical film levels (peaks @ 105 dBC)
(Which brings up another point, setting up your monitors for mixing should be done with a -20dBfs rms test tone, and use an SPL meter [$30 @ Radioshack] to measure 85 dB. In small room mixing though you tend to be better off calibrating down towards 79-82 though. Test tones can be found here... http://www.abluesky.com/asp/catalogue/catalogue.asp?linkid=143)

Now, if you can't afford that, some will say save your money (and they're right) but just as another road to consider... Just get a regular home theater receiver and run your interface to that. It's better than your Logitechs, but won't truly be very accurate monitoring. For brands they're all about the same actually at different price points. Sony, Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha, ect... all make good stuff. Just be sure there's no signal processing turned on when you mix. Like I said though, active monitors are definitely the better way to go for mixing.

For a sub down the line, know one thing: You don't have to match it to your main speakers. Many times you'll get better deals getting home theater subs that are flatter and louder than what Genelec, JBL, ect... made at the same price point. SVS (what I own), HSU, AV123 are a few brands and they all make suggestions based on your room size and what your SPL requirements are.

You shouldn't use your built in sound card for just about anything in mixing. Interfaces serve 2 functions.
1. They let you record into your computer.
2. They let your output a balanced signal to send to your monitors that'll be cleaner than what your sound card outputs.

As for what interface, that depends what program you're using. Pro Tools requires an Mbox 2 interface to work, or Pro Tools M-Powered needs an M-Audio interface. Other than that most programs work with most interfaces. Just depends on how many ins/outs/midi/headphone/usb or firewire/ect... you need.

As a final note, don't neglect your room in mixing. I've seen guys that drop $4k on a set of Adam Audio monitors, there room was setup terribly with no acoustic treatment and bad speaker placement, and then they couldn't understand why their mixes didn't translate to other systems. Look into companies like Auralex, GIK, RealTraps, and RPG and they'll be happy to give you advice about how to best treat your room for mixing based around your budget before you even commit to but anything.

Hope that helps,
Alex
 
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As a former audio engineer, who shut his recording studio down, I concur with Gohanto. But I would add a couple more things. Protools is a great DAW, but don't be sold on the name. There are other alternatives out there. Digital Performer is a great platform, as well.

Monitors, you really are going to want 2 pair. One as reference monitors, and another as a crappy set like the MixCubes, or Auratones, or ......... I know you are going to ask why, so let me explain. The reference pair is for obvious reasons. Clarity and precision. The lower end pair, you want to mix for the lowest common demoninator. Not everyone is going to be listening to your project on high end equipment. Some are going to be listening on some rather low end speakers. If you mix your project with that in mind, these speakers are invaluable. Make your mix sound good on the crappy speakers, you know you have a good mix.

As to room treatment, there are many schools of thought on that, and a lot of people spend more money than needed on room treatment. The goal in room treatment is not to deaden the room, but to absorb unwanted primary, secondary, and sometimes tertiary reflections, as well as cancel out nodes and antinodes in the room. Once you are set up in your room and have placed everything in the room where it will go, especially your monitors and critical listening position. I will give you a neat trick on how to treat your room. And it will keep you from spending more than you need to. There is more to be done once that is done, such as a frequency analysis of the room, and final "tuning" of the room. But to get started, my trick will help get you going well on your way.

What are the dimensions of the room you are going to be using? What is in that room, by way of contents? What are the walls made of? Acoustics is a very precise science, and there are many things to consider.

Microphones and your signal chain is a whole other conversation.

PS: I run an Alesis RA-100 amplifier for my passive MixCube speakers.
 
My advice would be similar, but all the very sensible advice on acoustic treatment and proper monitors is lost if the room is noisy. In my sound studio, I spent plenty on a silent PC. All the internal drives in insulated housings, and the big noise source, the fan - is a special version designed to shift air, in almost silence. It's in a 19" housing, in the rack with the audio kit. The room is quiet and nice to work in, audio wise. The edit suite is rubbish - my fault, but the firm that made the audio computer had gone bust (Carillon) and I bought a similar one. Yuk! fan noise is much worse, and the room is also not as nice to work in, the noise floor being higher.

So before spending money - check how quiet the equipment is, and tailor your acoustic treatment to this. If the computer is loud, consider either moving it and extending cables, or maybe putting it inside a box, and arrange some venting to keep it cool. Once the room is quiet, you will start to hear things you don't like - and this is where the above advice really makes sense.
 
wow thank you guys so much for such detailed information!
I really really appreciate it. As for the room, as of now
I'm set up in the living room, right next to balcony door
not good for colour correction either because I get alot of light in (when blind is up)
also I live right next to a bus station so I won't be able to do any
sound proofing until I move... which I'm planning to do next year,
then I will have dedicated work room. (I will start working on sound proofing then)

So I guess it be much better to just save up money and go with
good interface and a pair of good monitors (plus cheap one)
If I get active monitors would that be okay? they also have passive ones
but from what I gathered, active ones are just as good now days

it be great if you guys can recommend some good brands

thank you again!
 
When working with sound professionally, you'll want to use pro-audio speakers. I'm a musician, but I use the KRK VXT6's, and I love them!

Working with anything less than pro-audio speakers will yield an inferior mix. You need to hear exactly what is there and what you're doing to the sound.

Motherboards do often have what is called "on board sound," especially newer ones, but the sound quality and latency is usually seriously lacking.

To work with sound, you'll need a pro-audio sound card, whether internal or external. An internal card can be through a PCI, PCI-E, etc. interface. The back portion, which you have access to via the back of your computer, will have various cable connections. Some internal cards have what is called a "breakout box," which is an actual, external MIDI/audio interface connected to the card. And lastly, there are external audio interfaces that actually connect via USB, FireWire, or even ethernet.

If you don't have a pro-audio interface, some reputable beginning ones are the E-MU 0404 USB and the M-Audio FireWire series. A nicer, more advanced, and of course more expensive one is the MOTU 2408 mk3.

You might also want a mixer, headphones, etc.

And, like you mentioned, you should work on getting your work room as quiet as possible to avoid any confusion between the mix and any outside noise.
 
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