Real World Digital Audio

I

NPUTS AND

O

UTPUTS

A studio setup won’t get far without the ability to get sound in and out of

the electronic and digital domains and connected to the computer. Addi-

tional hardware gives physical control for the virtual parameters of software.

We’ll start building our studio by assembling the gear we need for inputs

and outputs. The ultimate goal is a complete creative workspace, as shown

in Figure 2.1.

 Transducers (microphones, monitors, headphones) are essential for getting sound

in and out of the electronic domain.

 A separate control room isolates the recording area from the sound of the computers.

 Keyboards shown here include keyboards with sound production abilities and

instruments designed for controlling soft synths, such as this USB-powered M-Audio

Radium.

 Control surfaces with banks of knobs and sliders, like the Evolution US-33e shown

here, provide remote access to software parameters (see p. 55).

 An audio interface, like the M-Audio FireWire models shown here, gets audio in and

out of the computer (see p. 50).

 External hardware like these vinyl turntables and cross-fader are great for those

times when software just doesn’t feel and sound the same as analog equipment.

 Make sure you have a computer capable of running audio software (see p. 60), and

an application for recording and hosting software instruments and effects (see p. 71).

Shown here are Apple PowerBooks running Ableton Live.

Figure 2.1 A fully equipped,

computer-based studio in

action. M-Audio (www.m-

audio.com) set up this studio,

so it features its products.

Notice that even this digital

audio manufacturer still uses

some vintage keyboards.

(Photo courtesy M-Audio)

48

C

HAPTER

2: C

HOOSING

Y

OUR

T

OOLS