Every modern studio in the world uses the same common building blocks to capture and monitor audio.
From the large, multi-million dollar recording studios to the smallest bedroom and hobbiest setups, this signal flow is common in them all.
An understanding of the basic equipment needed to build your own studio is necessary to make informed decisions about where to invest in your money, and what will pay off in truly raising the sonic quality of your rig.
Think of this graphic as the bare minimum skeleton of the recording studio. In some large studios, other ancillary gear (consoles, patchbays, etc...) seem to make the system more complicated...but at the heart of any modern recording studio is this signal flow:
Microphone - Transduces acoustic waveforms into corresponding electrical (analog) signal.
Pre Amp - Boosts low level mic output to a usable line level signal.
Analog to Digital Converter - Samples the incoming analog signal into discrete points of information (between 44,100 and 192,000 times a second) and outputs those samples as strings of binary words, usually 16 or 24 bits in length.
Computer and Hard Drive - Communicates with the A/D converter (via DAW software) and stores those discrete samples on the hard drive, then sends the sampled information to the D/A converter.
Digital to Analog Converter - Receives discrete binary samples from Computer and DAW and converts to an analog signal.
Monitor Management - Allows for control of monitoring level and speaker selection.
Speakers - Transduces the analog signal into acoustic energy for monitoring purposes.
My advice is to focus on these basic building blocks. Make sure to invest in these 6-7 pieces first, because these will have a direct impact on your studio's sonic abilities (except for the computer...it's contributions aren't sonically based, but instead based on storage, speed, and workflow).
Some companies offer units that put a few of these building blocks in the same form factor (an A/D and D/A converter that also contains monitor management and a few channels of pre amp). When just starting out, these can be a great option.
Let's take a look at some of the options availble on the market for each of these individual building blocks. I'll give you some suggestions based on gear I've worked with and have liked, catagorized into different price levels.
Microphone
Most studios would benefit most from investing in a high quality, versatile large-diaphram condenser mic. A large diaphram condenser can be used on so many sources...from vocals and acoustic guitars, to percussion and guitar cabinets. Because of how important having a good mic is, I'd suggest spending at least $500. Here are a few options:
$500 - Avantone CV-12 - This tube mic has great tone and for the money it's hard to beat. It has multiple polar patterns, and comes with a nice carrying case and a shock mount. If looking for a low cost, versatile mic...start here.
$1,100 - Mojave MA-200 - I've owned this mic for years, and it has been a workhorse in my studio. It is a recreation of the Neumann U67, a famous vintage tube microphone. Many records I've produced have featured this mic on vocals and acoustic guitar.
$3,500 - Lawson Tube/FET Combo - Lawson is a mic company based in Nashville, and they have a combination package that comes with 2 mic bodies (one tube, one FET) and 2 interchangable capsules (U47 and ELAM 251). This gives you access to 4 different high quality clones of legendary mic tone: beefy and warm U47, clean, full, and strikingly clear FET47, airy and gorgeous 251, and unique FET body/251 capsule arrangement. I've made heavy use of the first 3 arrangements mentioned, and they are top notch.
$7,600 - Bock 507 - This is Bock's (very expensive) take on the Neumann U47, with some Bock designed improvements to the capsule. If you're looking to spend a ton of money...this microphone will not dissapoint. Amazing tone.
Pre Amp
While the difference in sound between pre amps is not near as drastic as the difference from one mic to another, it is still an important link in the sonic chain. Each mic pre will add its own personality to the tone of the microphone. If investing in a pre amp, I've always liked the idea of getting a 4 channel unit. This usually allows you to get multiple channels of high quality pre amp for a lower price per channel. If budget is tight, you can get 1 high quality pre amp channel, and expand later.
$1,800 - Daking Mic Pre IV (4 channel) - Fairly clean, with just a bit of weighty personality, thanks to Jensen transformers on the output. This is a great 4 channel class A pre amp to start with.
$2,715 - API 3124+ (4 channel) - Punchy and aggressive, this 4 channel pre amp will pump up the attitude on any mic you feed it. Industry standard for drums, bass, and guitars that you want to have an in your face quality.
$5,035 - Shadow Hills Quad Gama + Power supply (4 channel) - This is my "desert island" pre amp. It is extremely versatile, with a switchable output transformer matrix that switches from STEEL (huge bottom end, open top, great color and grit...my alltime favorite electric guitar, bass, and acoustic guitar pre amp tone), IRON (Neve-esque, with great thickness and presence in the mids and low mids), and NICKLE (airy, beautiful high end. Very clean, but not boring...top of the heap for me when tracking vocals). I invested in this pre amp for my studio early on, and have loved it ever since.
$600 - Daking Mic Pre One (1 channel) - A single channel version of the Daking Mic Pre IV.
$1000 - UA Solo/610 (1 channel) - A single channel version of the UA 610, a tube mic pre with a warm, full bodied tone.
A/D + D/A Converter
While pre amp selection makes less difference to sonic character than microphone selection, converter selection makes even less difference. Each of these options I've listed is "professional" studio quality. Each of them will sound subtly different, but only experienced engineers and audiophiles will be able to determine a difference. Even still, make sure to invest in a high quality "professional" converter...even if you can't tell the difference right away, hopefully your ears will develop to the point of being able to hear the difference. At this point in 2017, I would pay a little extra to invest in a Thunderbolt capable model. USB and Firewire are on their way out.
$900 - UA Apollo Twin MKII Duo Thunderbolt - 2 channel AD/DA converter with built in monitor management, 2 channels of ok/decent pre amp, and processing for UA plugins (which are considered the best in the industry). Great unit to start with in a small, budget conscious studio.
$2,000 - UA Apollo 8 Duo Thunderbolt - 8 channel version of the above unit.
$3,000 - Antelope Orion 32+ Thunderbolt - Best bang for the buck, by far - but may be way more channels than needed. Great converters, with 32 channels of mastering grade AD and DA in a 1U rack. I've used this converter to interface with the SSL 4000 I mix on from time to time, and it has been a great investment.
$4,300 - Apogee Symphony I/O MKII Thunderbolt - I own the 16x16 version of this converter, and it is my main AD/DA for my home studio. Great, high quality converters with seamless integration with mac OS.
$7,500 - Avid HD Native IO 16x16 + Thunderbolt Native - Avid's (makers of Pro Tools) newest converter system. With this HD IO release, they really stepped up their converter quality. But there are much less costly options for a studio looking to invest in high quality conversion.
Monitor Management
Monitor management is often an overlooked and under-funded element in building a studio. It's not the most exciting purchase, but it is extremely important. Every bit of audio in your studio will pass through this device. Its ability to stay out of the way, and give you a clean, clear picture of the audio you are capturing and manipulating, is of utmost importance. It may be tempting to cut back on cost here, but I would advise against it (I'm looking at you Mackie Big Knob and PreSonus Monitor Station). Unless your budget is extremely tight, I wouldn't look for anything much less than the options I've listed. Side note: many of the AD/DA Converters listed earlier have high quality monitor management capabilities. If budget is tight, consider those options.
$900 - Dangerous Music Source - Great quality and bang for your buck. This unit has dual speaker selection, input of both analog and digital audio sources, and 2 headphone outs.
$2000 - Dangerous Music Monitor ST - This unit has served my studio well. All analog, and super clean, this unit boasts 4 input selections, 3 speaker select with sub on off, selectable LPF roll off for sub control, individual speaker select level control to balance speaker sets and sub, headphone out, talkback mic, and a very attractive remote control to put all features within easy reach.
$3000 - Cranesong Avocet - This is the "end all, be all" option. 3 stereo analog inputs, 3 digital inputs, 3 speaker select, sub on/off, talkback and level matching...with a great remote featuring built in metering. If you're looking to buy something you'll never want to upgrade, this is your choice.
Speakers
All of your creative and engineering decisions will be made based on what your speakers are capable of showing you. Not a place to cut corners! But there are some good starter options that won't totally break the bank. I'll divide them into active and passive (those with built in amplifiers to power the speakers, and those that will need a separate power amp). For smaller studios, I tend to lean towards active speakers...simply because it's less equipment to buy and maintain.
Active
$700 - Yamaha HS8 - I started my studio with these speakers. While they aren't as flat and revealing as the speakers I've since upgraded to, they were perfect speakers to learn and grow my abilities. If budget is tight, these speakers will get the job done.
Side note: I wish I could tell you differently, but there's just not a lot of great options in the $1,000-$3,000 range. My advice is to start with <$1,000 speakers, and wait to upgrade when you're ready to jump to the >$3,000 level.
$3,700 - Focal Twin6 Be - About 4 years ago, I upgraded my speaker set to these Focals. They are extremely clear and focused. Because of the super low distortion levels, they are great to work on all day without fatiguing my ears. I've loved owning them, and they have served me well. They aren't speakers that will give you loud SPL levels, but I mix at a fairly quiet to moderate volume, so they work great.
$10,500 - Barefoot Sound MicroMain 27 - If you want nearfield active monitors that you can crank up to impress the clients and shake the room, these will get you there. Many top producers and engineers have adopted these into their studios. If you're looking to spend an arm and a leg, these pack a sonic wallup.
Passive
$800 approx - Yamaha NS-10 (without power amp) - Some people love em. Some people hate em. I tend to find myself closer to the "love em" camp these days. These speakers reveal something to me that is lacking from most other sets. Power amps run from $200 to $4000, with varying levels of quality. Also, Yamaha no longer makes the NS-10, so you'll have to scour eBay or Reverb.com to pick up a "pre-loved" pair.
$2,600 - Pro Ac SM100 (without power amp) - Great nearfield monitors at a reasonable price. Many top mix engineers use these as their main reference monitors.
$18,300 - PMC IB2S (without power amp) - These speakers are hyper revealing. I've used them for years when mastering and mixing at Wire Road Studios. Because of their hefty price tag, I would recommend buying a few scratch offs or contemplating how much you need both kidneys before falling in love. Joking aside, investing that kind of money in speakers means they will only be appropiately useful in a ground up, no expense spared, professionally designed studio space.
That's it...the basic building blocks of the modern studio, where to invest your $, and some personally time tested suggestions.
Most of the options I've listed would be at home in the highest quality studios. For some engineers just starting out, practical budget considerations make those options impossible.
For my next post, I'll outline some great budget/starter options to get your feet wet. You may outgrow budget options within a few years, but it's well worth getting some engineering experience while you wait to upgrade your studio's quality. Stay tuned.
Ty