Computer Music Setups
Robin Vincent takes a look at some basic setups for your digital studio
Here's a number of examples of how you could set up your home or project studio with a computer, a soundcard, keyboard and guitar.
This is probably what everyone really wants to see - how to set it all up. The problem from my point of view is that it really does depend on what you've got and what you are trying to do. I get many emails from people saying they have this that and three of these and how on earth do they plug it all together? My reply to which is often "I dunno, how do you want to plug it together?".
For instance, you have a hardware mixer and hardware effects which you plug together in such a fashion as to make it do what you want it to do. It's the same with computer music gear. That said, there are some basic rules you can follow and what you need to do is try to apply what I'm showing you to your own gear.
Most importantly, if you don't know why you need something then you don't need it. Mixers are a classic example. The number of people I've heard from who bought mixers because someone said they needed one but have no idea what it is or how to use it. You only need a mixer if you know need a mixer. If you're not sure, then the likelihood is that you do not need one.
Another good tip with mixers is to count up how many boxes you have that make a noise. If it's just your PC then you don't need a mixer. If you've got racks of hardware synths and a Trinity keyboard, then you are going to want to "mix" all those sounds together so that they come out of the same pair of speakers - then you need a mixer.
So, mixers, if you have one knocking about, can be useful, but if you don't then you probably don't need one. Cool?
Example 1 - Basic Setup
To make music on your computer you need a soundcard. Most computers come with a rubbish one built in that gives you a mic input, a line input and line or speaker outputs. Now don't go thinking just because you've got built in 7.1 surround with some kind of high definition SoundBlaster chipset that it's going to be any good for making music. It'll do for starters but you may discover that it has many frustrating limitations and if you make the jump to a soundcard that's designed for music production your computer music making experience will vastly improve. Anyway, check out the hardware section for more on that, let's get on with dealing with what we find.
One PC, built in soundcard, one MIDI keyboard (optional), a guitar (optional) and a pair of speakers (these could potentially be headphones) - groovy.
Click to enlarge
Rule 1: If you don't need a mixer, don't use a mixer. Shown above, a solid, basic setup to get started recording music on your computer.
Now don't go thinking just because you've got built-in, 7.1 surround sound with some kind of high definition SoundBlaster chipset that it's going to be any good for making music.
Okay, let's have a go at explaining what's going on by numbers.
- Plug a guitar cable into your guitar. The guitar is being used here as an example of an instrument. It could be any other instrument or just a microphone.
- The standard soundcard has mini-jack inputs so you need to use an adapter to take your guitar cable jack (1/4 inch) down to a mini-jack (3.5mm).
- Plug the adapted cable into the microphone socket on the soundcard.
- MIDI Keyboards often now come with a USB socket, if yours does go to number 6. If not then take a MIDI cable and plug it into the MIDI OUT on the keyboard.
- Using a MIDI/Joystick adapter plug the other end of the MIDI cable into the joystick port. Remember that you only need this if your MIDI keyboard does not have a USB port.
- A MIDI keyboard with a USB socket is providing it's own MIDI interface to the computer. Just plug the USB cable from the keyboard into the USB port on the computer, install the driver, and the keyboard's connected to the computer.
- Line Output on the soundcard is also a mini-jack, so you'll need a cable with stereo mini-jack on one end and whatever your speakers need on the other.
- The Line Output goes to your powered speakers, one left, one right. If you have passive speakers then plug the Line Output into the amp that's powering the speakers.
Your recording software will be able to record the guitar, and the keyboard will be able to play software synths. All the sound, from the guitar and the soft synths will come out of the Line Output into your speakers.
See, that was easy! Audio cabling is very very simple and you can adapt any analog audio connector to any other - small jack to big jack, phono to XLR, bare speaker wire into jacks - whatever you like. All decent electrical or hi-fi stores should have a range.
Example 2 - Using that old mixer
As I've already said you don't need a mixer unless you know you need one, however, it's one of the most common questions I get asked so here's an example of how to use a small mixer, this could even be an old 4-track recorder, with your computer. What the mixer does supply is a decent input stage for mics and instruments rather than using the little mic input on an inbuilt soundcard.
Pages 1 | 2
Author
Robin Vincent runs Rain Recording (UK) out of London and is the CTO of Rain world-wide. In his tenure in the business of PC based audio production he as authored numerous articles, reviews and books on the subject.