The great rebuild
It’s time for a new series of articles. I’ll make up a name for them at a later point. As for now, we’ll just call it the great rebuild. We’re talking about my home spot.
I’ve never called my recording and mixing home environment a studio, not even a home studio, I’m too aware of what a real studio is. However, it’s time to rebuild my recording and mixing home environment. I just moved to a new place and I figured that since I’m about to rebuild and redecorate my entire work position I can design it however I want.
The freedom! You see, dear reader, I figured since I’m moving to a new place I figure I can make it anyway I want. Thus I give you a completely new series of articles. I’ll try to let you in on most of my decisions regarding the purchases and the construction of my home spot. For this post we’ll discuss the premisses. You see, this time I really wanted to create a plan and create my working environment based on my actual needs.
Here’s a list I wrote that I fell expresses some important needs my new spot should fill. As you might notice, it’s not so much about gear, for good reasons.
Noise free – or as much as possible. I’m sick of noise. I can’t stand to hear it when I make music.
Good acoustics – this is essential.
Organic – this is vague, but I need to feel I’m not sitting in a 21st century apartment.
An extraordinary control surface – mixer or controller. What I’ve noticed is that the general tasks are the problems, such as EQ and compression. I need great controls for this, whether it is 24 actual EQ’s or an excellent control surface controlling my plug-ins.
Good cabling – this ranges from keeping cables invisible (I hate seeing them!) to not having to switch cables.
Good place to sit – a good chair is essential! Don’t laugh – it is! If I’m gonna work there I’m not interested in sitting in a poor position for an entire day.
Good monitoring – sorry gearslutz, I’m not talking sound, I’m talking about the ability to switch between at least four different monitors with the touch of a button.
An excellent FX unit – I’m thinking a modular system here, or at least the capabilities of one. I don’t care if the processing happens in the digital realm as long as I have analog controls (i.e. a good control surface).
Real reverb possibilities – I’m still dissatisfied with the software reverbs, I need to bring my tracks and reverb them old school – with a speaker, mic and a recorder.
Different power-on stations – one of the things you rarely think about. Separate power on buttons for different parts of the place.
A remote for recording – it’s easier this way if you don’t have an assistant.
The possibility to stream music to the entire house – useful for checking mixes and for pleasure.
More light – light is life, and power.
Possibility to mic the entire room – I might ditch this idea, I guess it depends on the room.
This is what I came up with off the top of my head, maybe a couple of new things will pop up while I’m planning. Anyway, this is just part one, I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on. In the meantime, feel free to give me suggestions!
Well this sound like a studio to me.
So if you going that big, you might consider good seperated elektrical power means for the audio gear and
e.g. the lights or the refrigerator.
Since transformator based appliances can induce funny noises into audio gear.
I guess this falls under Noise Free.
best
By dyscode ~ November 7, 2009 kl 10:52 pm
Apples airport express stuff works great. You can use them, wireless, without using iTunes as well (using some shareware)
By Ericdano ~ November 8, 2009 kl 2:16 am
Dyscode, maybe i should! Hadn’t thought about that at all.
Eric, yep. That will probably be my solution.
By stiff ~ November 8, 2009 kl 8:13 am
+1 on dyscodes suggestion. Also, in holland at least, a good coffeemachine makes for better recordings
Some small stuff that really works for silencing :
Using 19″ racks? Use humfrees, it works!
Split the cabling into powercables, video and audio. Again : this works.
And last but not least : try a silencing rack for your mac/pc (something like http://www.silencecases.com)
I’ll folllow your quest!
By J~P ~ November 8, 2009 kl 9:00 am
I hope things gonna be alright!
I think rebuilding is somtimes more exciting than making music.
And suggesting be care moisture, the temperature, and air-conditioning.
By Dj LKJ ~ November 8, 2009 kl 12:27 pm
[...] The great rebuild 5 Dj LKJ, J~P, stiff [...] [...]
By ProToolerBlog → Post » SSL X-Patch, turns hardware to plug-ins ~ November 8, 2009 kl 2:44 pm
J~P,
Cheers for your suggestions! I was thinking about building sort of a silence case myself. I think it wouldn’t be too hard to remove a lot of the noise with a fairly simple construction. Humfrees looks great!
Could you explain what you mean about this?
>> “Split the cabling into powercables, video and audio.”
Also, I’m not so sure about the coffeemachine. I know what coffee shops is in Holland!
By stiff ~ November 8, 2009 kl 3:02 pm
Dj LKJ,
Good point! And indeed, rebuilding can be fun! The planning too. I usually get more creative when I have a new spot to work in as well.
By stiff ~ November 8, 2009 kl 3:04 pm
LOL… No really: I am talking about a nice espresso machine. About cabling: I mean to make sure that there’s enough separation beteren them. I’ve heard great systems buzzing like **** because of a power cable wrapped around a line signal cable…
By J~P ~ November 8, 2009 kl 4:03 pm
I’ve seen ichat’s screen charing used as a remote in the studio. Requires you own 2 macs though.
By Sydney Galbraith ~ November 9, 2009 kl 1:37 pm
Correction, network screen sharing is what I’ve seen actually used.
By Sydney Galbraith ~ November 9, 2009 kl 1:47 pm
Interesting. For the time being I’m trying to find a good app for the iPhone for remote. I think I’ll give ProRemote a chance.
By stiff ~ November 9, 2009 kl 1:53 pm
I’ve seen simple remote setups using nothing more than long cabling – a couple HDMI cables (for dual screen users, Kind of a must with PT in my opinion) and a USB extension – with the computer in a room adjacent to your “working wall”. USB can handle 16 feet or so (I’ve gone 32 feet with no trouble), and HDMI can go (I believe) 20+ feet without a repeater (someone chime in on that?) Screen sharing still means you have a computer in-room, and it used to have some real lag issues. Problem with a quiet case is you need to keep it cool somehow… more fans, etc.
By mc ~ November 9, 2009 kl 10:00 pm
Good point. My experience in using screen sharing has always been for tracking small, extra bits, rather than leads or anything, so fan noise simply wasn’t all that big of an issue (laptop was used over wireless studio network). Didn’t have many lag issues in my experience, so I’ll count myself lucky on that one. I think the laptop solution is only practical for here and there kind of stuff, whereas you’re implying a little more of an installation.
By Sydney Galbraith ~ November 10, 2009 kl 2:27 am
Yep Sydney – actually my two sort of must-have protools things are two decent sized screens (to keep mix & edit windows up & big) and a big Kensington trackball. Once you get used to just flicking your fingers vs. moving your whole wrist/forearm – you will never go back. (I spend most of my day in flash/photoshop/final cut, so the screen real estate and the trackball are priceless anyway). And using your fingertips makes everything way more precise – you can do moves of a half-millimeter without thinking (yet one flick can send the cursor flying across both screens in a flash). I’ve tried other trackballs but they’re all crap – the “Expert Mouse” takes a couple days to adjust to, but man, it is the SH*T. And your desk can be messy as hell if you’re into that…
By mc ~ November 10, 2009 kl 2:56 pm
Is it really that big of a difference between trackballs? Maybe I should try the Kensington (I use something else and still get RSI – it’s the gods evil plan for me).
I’ve been adding MIDI notes by hand the last few days. Man I wish I just had a touch screen and a bloody pen! The mouse is a really poor solution.
By stiff ~ November 11, 2009 kl 3:30 am
I lost about 1/2 of my right ring finger in a bizarre bondage accident (really it was a flatbed planer, but bondage just sounds cooler) a few years ago, and only had two fingers sticking out of a cast, so the trackball was all I could use. Tried the little kensington, tried others, but the big-ball “expert mouse” is just heaven when you adjust to it. It’s the weight of the ball, gives you a flywheel effect for long moves, but it’s really stable for tiny increments When I healed I never looked back. I have crazy wrist problems (played piano since I was six, I think my hands are just tuned for fine movements – even the quarter car wash gives me cramps). I zone out for hours a day in photoshop, and after 10 hours of work, no pain. I’m gobsmacked to this day that people still use mice – they suck butt!!!! And of course if you do any photoshop/illustrator, a wacom pad is priceless – but I never use the pen for just mousing. But a touch screen for midi – that would be the shizzle, wouldn’t it?? But try a big kensingtom – the tiny precise selections AND the big moves – it just rocks.
By mc ~ November 11, 2009 kl 10:29 pm
Bondage is indeed dangerous, I should get out while I can
OK, Kensington, Wacom and touchscreen+pen is on the list!
Anyone know of a good touch screen that might work?
By stiff ~ November 12, 2009 kl 3:53 am
[...] while back I told you about my intention to completely rebuild my entire working/music area. Since I’ve just started making the first couple of purchases I thought I’d fill you in [...]
By ProToolerBlog → Post » The rebuild so far ~ November 29, 2009 kl 2:52 pm
One of your “at least four different monitors” must be a pair of Klein & Hummel O300 !
fb
By frabo ~ February 17, 2010 kl 6:49 pm
[...] been a while since I posted anything about the rebuild I’m doing. If you thought I was done, you’re wrong. Actually, it’s been on hold, [...]
By ProToolerBlog → Post » The rebuild: Software ~ February 23, 2010 kl 3:52 pm
“What I’ve noticed is that the general tasks are the problems, such as EQ and compression”
A very astute observation, IMHO. Plugins were a compromise made when computers couldn’t handle an EQ and comp on every channel. They parted it out so the user could instantiate them as-needed. But now all the DAWs and controllers are built on this architecture, as if it was a “design goal” worth copying. Actually, it sucks! Give me a great EQ and compressor on every channel, and the few remaining plugs I need can be buried 3 layers deep in menus, who cares!
By Ben ~ February 24, 2010 kl 1:24 pm