by Bryan Bergeron, Editor
DE VELOPING
PERSPECTIVES
Building a Home Recording Studio
Want to test the extent of your knowledge of applied
electronics? Then try designing a home recording
studio. Thanks to the affordable music recording and
playback devices you can have fun creating your own
music. Moreover — from an electronics enthusiast’s
perspective — a home recording studio is a place where
you can apply your creativity. However, designing and
then getting the most out of a home recording studio
requires a considerable understanding of electronics, from
power supplies and digital signal processing to acoustics.
Options
Various options available for creating a home
recording studio range from a pocket digital recorder
and built-in microphone in your bedroom to a dedicated,
acoustically treated room with the latest computer
hardware and software tools, professional microphones,
mixers, and signal processors. Budget is obviously a
consideration, as is available space.
A popular, low-cost option ($350 and up) is a studio
in a box. This is an all-in-one, stand-alone recording
appliance, such as the 64-track Boss BR-600 Digital
Recorder, with built-in microphone, drum machine, and
signal processing effects. A laptop or desktop computer
with an analog-to-digital interface for capturing sound and
associated software, as well as microphones and preamps,
is a modest cost solution. A computer offers more
flexibility and room for growth than a studio in a box.
Power
I’ve learned — the hard way — that the first thing to
be aware of is the seemingly odd standards of the music
industry. For example, the power supply polarity used by
effects pedals and other audio peripherals is often
‘reversed.’ That is, it’s common practice with audio gear
outfitted with coaxial power connectors to have the
outside of the jacket positive and the inside negative —
exactly the opposite of most consumer electronics. I’ve
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8
January 2009