After much discussion and thought, here is the list of hardware we ended up with, and why. Keep in mind that our choices were made based on the idea of keeping it real. While it’s fun to play with all the top-of-the-line toys, we wanted to keep this studio set-up to a cost most shops could live with. The budget we picked was $3,000, not counting the computer itself since many folks will simply add this to an existing workstation.

MIDI INPUT DEVICES

We were fortunate enough to be working with Yamaha’s Pro Music division who offered us one of their new high-end “Motif” digital workstation keyboards. While tempting, the truth is we would not have had much use for its vast feature set. This is because we are using the tools that are part of Cubase, and the input devices are only being used for their “keying-in”. Its price-tag would also have blown our self-imposed budget.

We paid a visit to both Sam Ash and Manny’s Music in midtown Manhattan, and browsed their keyboard selections. Here is where having multiple experts comes into play. Michael Valenti, in addition to being a tremendously talented composer (many of his original hand-written scores are actually on display at Lincoln Center as I write this article), is also an equally talented pianist. Left to my own devices I would have walked away with the best $150 keyboard I could find and called it a day.

Michael explained the errors of my ways and what we really needed to be looking for. The first question is how many keys you really need. Every instrument has its own range that exists between its highest and lowest notes. Most instrument’s range are limited to 2 or 3 octaves, which is why smaller keyboards can be fine with 49 or even as few as 25 keys. These small boards are called MIDI controllers and have the added advantage of fitting into most computer workstations rather easily.

There is only one instrument that has a broader range and needs a larger keyboard to duplicate: a piano itself. Even then, it’s easy to get away with slightly abbreviated keysets of fewer than 88 keys.

The other issue I learned about was the feel of the keys themselves. As I played with different keys it was explained to me how many had poor “action” and did not respond very well. Those that did were, as expected, more expensive. Is this really an issue you need to be concerned about? It depends. If the musician is an in-house person and doesn’t care then you can save some money. If you may be bringing in the musical talent on a freelance basis then you will want a keyboard that can make musicians happy.

Our final pick was a “best of both worlds”, we got two units! Instead of dropping $1,500 of our budget on a high-end digital piano, we opted for going with a good used unit with high-end keys. We found a Roland XP-80 which was a top workstation in the mid ’90s. It cost thousands back then, but today can be found on Ebay for about $700. There are other very acceptable older units that can be had for much less, especially those in the “electronic piano” category that do not have the workstation features you won’t be needing.

Keep in mind that while new equipment is largely USB based today, and thus may save you from buying into special connectivity, older units will still need their MIDI connections. We also added a piano style foot-pedal from MGear for $19 to round out the package.

Our other keyboard choice was a MIDI controller from E-MU Corporation, a pro music division of Creative Labs. We went with their X-Board 25, a nice compact unit that fit comfortably next to my desktop scanner. At just $129 it doesn’t break the bank, and gives the producer or engineer the perfect input device for more limited needs.

Though small, the X-Board 25 offers a wide range of controls. Its keys may not quite be piano-like but they have a fine feel, are full size, and do include “aftertouch” features. A true USB device, it hooks up easily to your computer and can be fully powered from that native port (not from a hub!), in addition to its battery and AC adapter options.

MIDI/AUDIO IN & OUTS

The next step we must deal with is to find a way to bring all our data—be it MIDI or audio data—into and out of our various components. While this sounds complex and often can be, our needs here are simpler and mostly deal with the one way flow of “raw” data from our various units (MIDI inputs, microphones) going into the computer.

The most common options are via MIDI, USB and analog audio paths. If your MIDI controller is USB based, you may be set for MIDI connectivity. If it requires a MIDI port the simplest and least expensive solution is EM-MU’s Xmidi 1×1 cable at just $29. We worked with this simple cable adapter for a few months and it performed flawlessly (despite rumors we had heard to the contrary).

Now lets get a bit more complex. Most of use have at least a passing familiarity with the standard audio card that either came with our computers or that we bought as an add-on for a few dollars. While fine for non-demanding projects, as a general rule you will not want to be using these units for your audio capturing work as most are simply not that great and may even introduce additional noise and distortions to your work. In addition, they don’t have a MIDI connection, and they have latency issues.

What is “latency”? It’s simply how long it takes the component to process the data and pass it along. For normal playback high latency is not an issue. But when you are doing multi-track recording work and need to listen to the previous tracks while overdubbing another one, high latency will throw synchronization off. Components designed for use in recording work have very low latency and avoid these problems.

For serious analog audio capture you will want to go with a more professional quality PCI card like those made by M-Audio (the Audiophile and Revolution series range from about $100-200), or those from E-MU in the same price range. At this price point you get good quality products. The next step up the ladder are units that come with PCI card and outboard controller combos, and cost in the $200-700 range. All these products add something you didn’t have before: a MIDI port!

There is an alternative to the PCI card route that can be very helpful: USB breakout boxes that plug into your computer’s USB 2.0 port rather than requiring a dedicated PCI card. The advantages are many. First off this saves you a valuable PCI expansion port. If all your computer is doing is working as a DAW then you may be ok with using a slot. However if your computer is also a graphics workstation that is already full of video, Firewire, and extra USB cards, then this is a great option. You also get a range of extra in/out ports and real-world controls that can be nice to have in everyday use.

We went with the USB option with E-MU’s 0404 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface, that retails for just $199, competitive with PCI-only options. The 0404 offers many niceties like headphone jack with independent volume control, 2 MIDI ports, 2 mic/line inputs with input level controls and LED meters, 2 S/PDIF ports, multiple Line Outs for playback routed to your amplifier/speakers, and various Direct Monitor controls.

The 0404 is Mac and Windows compatible, and in a great move E-MU also supports its whole line with drivers for Windows x64 operation. Installation of all E-MU products we tested was quite frandkly some of the best we have ever seen. Most companies think of their supporting software in terms of an afterthought. E-MU has taken great pains to make the process clear and in our experience, flawless. Bravo!

It gets even better. We had not realized what the 0404 software bundle came with and were really shocked. It actually comes with a lesser version of Steinberg’s Cubase, called their LE version that is only available in bundles. We did not test this (just yet!), but we are sure it would be a great place to get your feet wet. E-MU also includes versions of Cakewalk’s Sonar, Ableton Live, Steinberg WaveLab, Proteus, and others. Quite a package!

AUDIO PLAYBACK

When producing audio of any sort you will need a decent or better playback system. Since our music is being produced on the computer, the speakers must interface with this system for real time monitoring during multi-track recording, mixing and playback. Everyone’s needs vary, but it’s generally safe to say that the “desktop computer speakers” you bought at Staples just won’t cut it for most serious work. Though audio intended for web cast could be the exception.

There are a number of solutions to consider. You can go the classic amplifier attached to passive speaker route. This connection generally uses simple phono or mini plugs to go from an audio out (PCI card or breakout box) to an AUX input on an amplifier. Connection to the speakers is then done normally. A variation of this is to go from the computer to a mixing board first, then to the amp. But mixing boards are optional as its work is now done in software.

In our rig’s first incarnation this was the option we went with simply because like many people, we had an extra amp and speakers available. These happen to be a nice compact Denon stereo with a broken CD player that had been collecting dust but would work fine here. And an old but very serviceable pair of Tannoy PBM 6.5’s gifted me when my brother trashed my B&W 802’s (now those were monitors, but I digress).

What speakers and what amplifier to choose is an article in itself, and open to personal taste. Some of the more popular speaker brands for the small studio market include KRK, Tannoy, Alesis, M-Audio, Yamaha, etc. Most offer very affordable options in the bookshelf/midsize category.

A playback system is an area that is both easy to save money on and at the same time very risky to compromise quality with. What we mean by this is that if you can save money, great, but not if it means losing audio quality. For example, you could probably pick up my amp and speakers used but in perfect working order for under $300.

An alternative solution is the new crop of pro speakers that come with build-in amplifiers and attach directly to a line-level source, like your computer’s audio out. The new M-Audio BX8a Deluxe pictured here is an example such “active” speaker design. The quality of this new breed of speakers can be every bit as good as traditional passive ones. In fact we are told that in one  technical point after another active speakers are better than passive ones.

Whatever your preference, active speakers will require you run two cables to each speaker, one that carries the pre-amplified signal and a power cord. My only complaint is that many of these units put the off switch in the back. But I guess they are best connected to a single switched outlet of some sort and turned off remotely anyway.

A final thought on playback: Make sure to include enough in your budget for a good set of headphones. While it is possible to spend many hundreds on a pair, it is also possible to find good ones without breaking the bank. Headphones are an affordable way to have a second listen to your productions. They also allow you to be more analytical than loudspeakers usually do, and are great to use for placing instruments in specific stereo locations.