Page 40 - Zone Magazine Issue 013

STUDIO TIPS 003
Producing Music On A Budget >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Daniel Daly
Music Production can be a quite costly hobby when you consider the endless amount of equipment, sample packs and plugins available. Both time and money, are something which you have to invest heavily into your career if you want to progress further. But as many of you will undoubtedly know, time and money are two things that can be very hard to come by. Though I cannot offer a crazy futuristic machine to freeze time, I can however present you with some money saving tips that you might find useful. In this article, I will focus more on helping the up and coming bedroom producers, rather than the intermediate to professional artists.
Headphones:
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For the vast majority of producers, their first glimpse into the world of music production is during their teen years, when they are still living comfortably with their parents. I'm sure that a lot of readers can relate to experiencing constant banging on their bedroom door at 1am, ordering to turn the music down. To avoid this issue and to give your parents, significant other, dog and or cat a break, you will need to invest in some high-quality headphones. Out of all the gear I will be mentioning throughout this article, headphones are the one thing I would recommend saving a few extra pennies towards. There is no point trying to produce a high- quality track, if your monitoring system isn't giving you an accurate representation of what is being played back. It would be worthwhile spending somewhere between $150 - $200 because it will make all the difference.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X (€162)
These stylish beasts may look more like a fashion item rather than a pair of high quality
studio headphones. But these lightweight beauties can pack quite a punch, with the advantage of also being very reliable DJ headphones, for when you want to test your tracks in the club. Because of the extremely high quality and unmatched price of the ATH- M50X headphones, you can be sure to find them being used in both high-end studios and bedroom studios alike.
Beyer dynamic DT990 PRO (€166)
The talented engineers over at German powerhouse Beyer dynamic, have come up with headphones that bring both affordability and quality together, to create a great pair of open back headphones. The only downfall with this product, is that the high end can become quite piercing to the ear after extended periods of use. This can be seen as both a good and a bad thing, as it would be wise to regularly rest your ears during long sessions to prevent fatigue and hearing loss.
Shure SRH840 (€45)
Shure are known for making legendary microphones such as the SM58 and are a kind of hidden gem when it comes to high quality studio headphones. The clarity and crispness of the SRH840 headphones, make long sessions a breeze and does not allow any external sounds to leak in and break your concentration. However, the build quality is something that has come under a bit of scrutiny by a few customers, as the headphones are quite bulky in size.
Audio Interface: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Before investing in a decent audio interface, you first need to ask yourself a few questions. How many inputs/outputs do you require? Will you be making use of midi instruments? Are you using a microphone and need a pre-amp? Since this article is aimed at beginner level producers, I will focus mainly on more compact interfaces
rather than high end interfaces.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd Gen (€155)
The holy grail of home recording interfaces, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 comes in at a staggeringly reasonable price of $155 on the Focusrite webstore. With its sleek and compact design, tough aluminum casing and great sounding preamps, this interface is a must have for any bedroom producer. The front panel features 2 hybrid XLR/1/4” Focusrite preamp inputs. This makes recording extremely easy, without having to frantically search the back of the unit looking for the instrument inputs.
Behringer U-Phoria Um2 (€39)
Firstly, I know what you're thinking, that price must be a mistake but surprisingly it's not. For the price, the build quality can't be expected to be of the same standard as the previously mentioned Focusrite Scarlett. But the plastic exterior means it is extremely lightweight, making it the perfect interface for a producer on the go. If you do not plan on recording multiple instruments simultaneously, then this might be the one for you. The U-Phoria Um2 only features one input, meaning users can only record one mic-in at a time, making multi- tracking impossible. With that being said, this unit is a giant step up from using a standard built in sound card, all for an extremely affordable price.
Mackie Onyx Blackjack (€109)
The well-established American brand Mackie are known for building extremely reliable studio and live performance equipment and the Onyx Blackjack is no exception. The sturdy metal exterior and tough knobs, make it an almost indestructible piece of equipment. One of the main talking points of the unit, is the use of bus power rather than a direct power supply. This means one less power cord getting in the way in the studio and also means you do not have to wildly search for a power supply when on the go. For the quality and price, this unit is very
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