Our favorite starter investment is the Zoom R16 Multi-Track SD Recorder Interface and Controller. It can record all by itself and also upgrades nicely to work with a computer-based recording package such as our recommended Cakewalk Sonar & Ableton Live. A key part of achieving a world class sound is learning to use a condenser mic. Our recommended line of MXL mics, start at just $59.

Best all-round keyboard for performing and production: M-Audio Prokeyes Sono 88.

Best starting recording solution for guitarists. Line 6 POD Studio UX2.  Package includes a free copy of Ableton Lite to get you started recording on your computer.

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What is the difference between an audio interface that cost less than $1000 and the ones that are used in million dollar pro studios?

Well: for years – pretty much the top of the food chain has been Protools HD:  Today with a price starting at $10,000 for the basic hardware & software.   It has a powerful clean sound that stands out even on the consumer gear we use for playback.   And bear in mind that nearly any piece of equipment will sound nice when amped  up on your studio monitors.

What about the MOTU interface line or interfaces like Presonus & M-audio which typically sell in the neighborhood of $1000 or less?   What sets these units apart from more expensive brands?  It's something called "Jitter".  

Basically the incoming sounds must be converted into numbers.   They are measured ("sampled") at a regular rate ("frequency") according to a clock which operates in billionths of a second ("nanoseconds").   If the clock is not accurate: then the sampled measurements do not match up with the actual real-world sound-wave.  This is ok for more general aspects of the music but causes issues that CAN be detected by the human ear.   The lower the clock resolution: the less "pleasant" the music sounds to the human ear.

Most of these manufacturers claim to make units that sample at at full 192khz frequency – leading to superb sound (or so they claim).   However the inexpensive clocking chips used in these mass-market devices are unable to render an accurate sonic picture.

The majority of the affordable solutions license out a third party Jitter control system called "Jet PLL". 

An excellent value: based on the commodity "Jet PLL" clocking is the .  This device combines modern digital plugin technology with vintage modeling based on the work of Rupert Neve and others.  Neve is the father of the recording console.  

Premium brands such as the  or the   typically sell at considerably higher price per channel while offering their own proprietary advanced clocking solutions.   Anyone can easily hear the improvements of sound quality over the bargain solutions and serious studios are willing to pay the extra cost.

Premium Protools HD applications often allow the primary unit to be controlled by (slaved to) a separate atomic clock or mini-oven-stabilized master clock which itself can run up to $6000.

What is a Small Project Studio's Best Bet?

Getting that sound into the computer in its most natural and beautiful form is the key to making world class recordings.  What's the point of having a fine microphone and preamp if the sound gets robbed of its natural beauty & character by a bargain analog-to-digital converter?

It so happens that the latest devices offered by EMU: feature the exact same digital converters that come with the $10,000 Protools HD system.   ; is $169.   

In the US you must use it with a desk-top PC or Mac with an open PCI express slot.   (Will not work with Imac.)  The nice thing is that by using the PCI bus you can make up for having an otherwise slow computer with an audio-incompatible Firewire chipset.   You can bypass the latency issues which occur in these situations and with most USB based recording-interfaces.
 

What is latency?  Once a signal has been processed by your computer it might come back to your ear a fraction of a second later: so you are unable to monitor your performance using your reverb plugin for example.  Either you have to go through an outboard reverb or hear an uninspiring headphone mix.

Although certain USB-based products such as our recommended Line 6 interfaces for guitarists have superb latency management features: the ideal situation for long-term growth is to be able to purchase a dedicated recording computer which supports high-quality Firewire-enabled recording interfaces or simply sticking with a PCI-based solution. 

See our write up in: "Mac or PC for Recording".

Another highly acclaimed option is called the AudioFire12 by Echo Audio.   Although you haven't heard much about this brand from your favorite audio magazine: this company has long been known to high-end studios.  Now they offering their technology in an affordable Firewire package.  (Street Price: $599).   Again you are getting something that way outclasses the normal bargain-priced interfaces.  According to expert ears: this unit sounds even better than the converters used in the EMU & Protools HD systems.  

Before you purchase this unit; however be sure you have a computer that features the Texas Instruments Firewire chipset.  Most PCs designed for audio recording will include this type of Firewire controller.  However in the Macintosh line you have to purchase the top-of-the-line Mac Pro.  Check out our write-up called "Mac or PC for Recording?"

Once you have figured out how to get the audio digitized in the purest manner, you can easily add on channel strips and Tube preamp options to optimize & shape your sound before taking it into the digital domain.

Excellent entry-level choices are available from ART.   Products such as the   & the  are proven bets as well as being affordable compared to many other exotic brands.  

If you want serious world class sound and have the money to spend: stick with the  & the .  These are the ears that invented the original recording console.  He is responsible for the "Beetles Sound" and practically anyone else who really mattered ever since that time.   Other fancy brands on the market today what will take (a lot more of) your money.   Rupert is still pushing the envelope today: and is light-years ahead of the pack.  

Avalon Signal Processors are also relied on daily by top producers to achieve an unparalleled "silk" sound.

Making a Living with Audio & Video

If you want to run a studio that gets its bread and butter from both Pro Audio & Video post-production work: it might make the MOST sense to go with MOTU products all the way.   They offer powerful & affordable ways to get both the audio & hi-def video into your computer for editing.   They also offer a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that is renowned for its ease of use in both Audio Production & Sound for Film & Video.  However if you plan to go this route: you will need to invest in a top-of-the-line Apple Macintosh – such as the

 typically starting at around $2500.

For Motu Audio See:

For Motu Video See:

 offers world class (also straight-forward) audio recording & midi sequencing tools while being especially adapted to creating sound for film & video.   This is the number one industry choice for Film/TV scoring and sound.

Windows PC Advantages

• You could get a fully-loaded recording PC for the comparable cost of an entry-level Mac.
• Specialty PC's makers can use the proper chipsets which support the best audio recording interfaces.
• Having a PC that is designed for recording can get you a pristine sound without pops, clicks and other interference.

See our Recommended Rain Desktop Pro Audio PC & Laptop Recording Computers from $1199.

A Quad Core PC based Recording Computer runs about $1499

(The Quad Core Mac Pro starts at $2499) See:

Which Recording Programs are Supported by your Computer?

The Apple Logic PRO program for Macintosh starts at close to $500.   Although loaded with serious value and professional features: It has been said to be very intimidating for a beginner.  

Mac's come with an excellent free recording application called "Garage Band".   It's possible to get started with almost no learning curve: however it does have limits and can become very expensive with all of the upgrades many users will want to add.

If you decide to go the Macintosh route check out the  to get world class sound right away with the minimum fuss!

An affordable way to go Mac is to start with a  for $599.  You won't be able to add any PCI cards to it and some Firewire interfaces may not work correctly with it.   However you WILL get a straight-forward route to recording world-class music if you combine it with the .   Other than getting a quality condenser microphone such as the & headphones or monitors: there is nothing more to purchase!

(You may want to invest in a quality keyboard controller to play the virtual instruments that come with the recording program. A good choice is the .  You will also need to purchase a separate computer screen to go with the Mac Mini.)

Our Recommended Cakewalk Sonar works on the PC.  

You can get started in Cakewalk Sonar for about $100.   This gets you a robust recording platform suitable for most recording projects: and also perfect for learning on.   As you get hungry for more features: you can upgrade to more deluxe versions.   It was developed in cooperation with Microsoft & Intel to work perfectly on the PC platform.   Even some veteran users of top-dog Protools HD have said they prefer Cakewalk Sonar. 

Built-in features make it very friendly for loop style music composition.   Build your own loops using rhythm step editing and playing each part with one finger if you like!   A refreshing advantage for those who love programs like Fruity Loops or have had to buy extra loops for Sony Acid.   Cut a simple guitar or bass riff and build a loop out of it.  Add a lush keyboard fill or a hot little vocal loop that YOU record on your own.
 

Another Great Option which works on both Mac and PC is called Ableton Live: a unique recording platform that allows you to get creative on the fly.  It also has an affordable, high-quality entry-level option for beginners.

System Issues to Consider

Watch out for Incompatible Audio Chip-sets

Many manufacturers (including Apple) have switched to cheaper Firewire controller chips, rather than the original ones developed by Texas Instruments.   As a result: many important audio interfaces quit working properly with these computers.  It can be very discouraging to get an expensive computer or audio interface: only to discover that they don't work together.

The Rain recording computers we recommend come with the right kind of Firewire connectors built in to the desk top models.  However with Laptops you must add an optional PCI express card with an integrated Texas Instruments Firewire Chipset.

Latency

Why should you care about Firewire?  Due to a problem called "latency".   Once a signal has been processed by your computer it might come back to your ear a fraction of a second later: so you are unable to monitor your performance using your reverb plugin for example.   Either you have to go through an outboard reverb or hear an uninspiring headphone mix. 

All though certain USB-based products such as our recommended Line 6 interfaces for guitarists have superb latency management features: the ideal situation for long-term growth is to be able to purchase the better quality Firewire-enabled recording interfaces.  

To understand which Firewire interfaces offer the most professional results at the lowest cost: check out our article called "Making Sense of Digital Technology".

Bad System Updates

Macs & Vista PCs have been plagued with issues where system performance becomes very slow after downloading official updates.   The only way to get the speed back to normal is to pull out the factory restore disks and set the system back to new.   You can always consider turning off the official updates in order to avoid performance degradation.

Contrary to popular notion: Mac's do get viruses and suffer from update issues just like Windows computers. 

Viruses  

Any device with a web browser (including your smart phone) uses something called Microsoft Active X – which basically sets you up to get Trojan viruses.   These nasty little vermin are designed to spy on whatever you type: in order to get personal data such as credit card info or social security numbers. 

This process is called key-stroke logging.

How do they get Away with this???

Illegal operations tap into system features designed to support legitimate advertisers.  

Most websites install cookies on your computer to track what you type and click on.   This helps marketers determine what you are into so they can place targeted ads on the pages you visit.   

The controls are usually loaded into your computer via the banner ads that come up on the page.   Since they come from a third party: the website has no way of knowing whether the banners on their site are legitimate or not!

Prevention Options

Nothing is 100% fool-proof.  However one excellent program that protects PCs, Macs, and even smart phones is called Avast.  

Avast typically warns you when you enter an infected website and scans everything as it happens.   With most security programs you only get scanned occasionally.

For recording purposes you want a fast computer.  Other programs typically slow you way down.   Avast is transparent: meaning that it never interferes with what you want to do.

HINTS:

TO IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE NOW SIMPLY CLEAR YOUR BROWSING HISTORY & COOKIES! – They slow down your computer and allow advertisers to spy on you! 

HERE'S HOW:  – Just click the "tools" menu and select "internet options" or "clear private data". -