Studio From Scratch

FM131.t_scratch

6/12/02

8:50 pm

Page 116

STUDIO FROM SCRATCH

STUD O FROM SCRATCH

# 4: SETTING UP

> Confused by the seemingly endless array of cables, connectors, racks and keys in your studio? This month, we show you how to put it all together and hopefully find some order to the chaos… AFTER MUCH TIME spent with building extensions or room renovations, researching methods towards predictable and reliable acoustics, and arranging the necessary power requirements, the fruits of your labours can soon be realised. As you’ll no doubt be wishing to live out your musical aspirations night and day once your studio from scratch project is completed, the strategic arrangement of the individual components within a studio is especially important. The old saying, “a place for everything, and everything in its place” will ring true here in ensuring you a smooth running operation that’s unhampered by awkward ergonomics that could possibly restrict the creative process. All those seemingly obvious considerations, such as whether to place particular equipment to your right or left, should be made now, before they’re forgotten and it’s too late. A right-handed player, for example, who tends to only potter around with single-handed melodies at best, will soon feel cramped and twisted if their MIDI controller keyboard is placed on the left of their workstation, and vice versa for left-handed players. Better still, indulge in a centralised solution where your MIDI keyboard and sequencing workstation are immediately in front of you.

Feeling furnished Sadly, proper studio furniture can prove a costly prospect, and the price of custom-made furniture is perhaps prohibitive for all but the most professional installation. Until your numbers come up in the National Lottery, ageing study

116 FutureMusic

desks find a new lease of life, with the split-level computer workstation being the more practical alternative for managing dual computer screens, QWERTY and MIDI keyboards, desktop synth modules, and an anthology of sample CDs and FM cover CDs. IKEA’s Jerker workstation generated much commotion since I recommended it over a year ago in response to the first Changing studios feature. Soon after that issue had gone to press, production of this very affordable, dual-level desk, complete with unique swing-out shelves to accommodate mixers and speakers, ceased. It was later remodelled under the same name, but wasn’t quite as versatile. But now it seems the Jerker has returned in all its original glory, starting at just £139 for the basic unit (thanks to pressure from Future Music readers, we’d like to think). See www.ikea.co.uk for details. Omnirax (www.omnirax.com) offer a sophisticated array of classy furniture

words: Phil Booth

originally shipped to her in Australia by the now defunct US-based Mars Music, a search for ‘Saturn Centre’ at www.google.com reveals a number of alternative online retailers. On a more industrial front, with their sturdy steel framework and minimalist design are the Z-250 and ZM-WS34 workstations by QuikLok (www.quiklok.com). Both models cater for a large synth keyboard, computer screen and audio monitors, while a cheap two- or three-tier stand by QuikLok will place a couple of synths and a hardware sequencer within easy reach of the noncomputer centric composer. Although not always feasible with so much equipment demanding attention, neck and eyestrain can be minimised by maintaining an outstretched arm’s distance away from computer screens. Elevate the monitor so that the top of the screen is slightly below eyelevel, then angle it slightly upwards, as one would

“ALL THOSE OBVIOUS CONSIDERATIONS, SUCH AS WHETHER TO PLACE GEAR TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, SHOULD BE MADE NOW” systems, in particular, the remarkable Omnirax F2, while Australian manufacturer, M Rack (www.mrack.com.au) feature a variety of fixed and sliding shelf systems perfect for computer/MIDI set-ups. One member of our forum (http://forum.midiaddict.com) stumbled across a wonderful unit by Studio RTA that features three levels plus elevated speaker platforms, known as the Saturn Centre (www.studiorta.com). Although

naturally choose to read a book or magazine. And a quality chair, with plenty of padding, and proper lumbar support, is a good investment towards sustaining those lengthy studio sessions.

Back in the rack I quite often see rackmountable samplers sitting within immediate reach on an adjacent bench, but things soon become

>

6/12/02

8:50 pm

>

unsteady once additional pieces are stacked on top of each other, in particular the lighter single-spaced synth modules and effects units that require manual intervention frequently. Most music shops and studio suppliers, such as www.studiospares.com, will be able to supply equipment racks with enough space to meet your burgeoning needs, and to give you scope to expand your set-up in the future. More portable options for people who swap between the studio and the stage come in the form of rack cases, such as the sturdy SKB series (www.skbcases.com), complete with handles and removable front and rear covers. They stack neatly on top of each other, and once castors are attached, or if the stack of cases is placed on, say, a TV stand with wheels, they’re easily spun round to get to the rear. Position each unit in your rack with accessibility in mind. MIDI interfaces and other such gear that only require a casual glance to ensure everything’s in order should be slipped into the upper or lowermost slots. This leaves the prime spaces free for the gear that’s going to get the most hands-on action, such as samplers, compressors, rack synths and the like. Inside the back of the rack, group the power leads together and affix them with cable ties down one side of the rear of the rack, and devote the other side to your audio cables. This reduces the susceptibility of extraneous radiation from the power leads reaching your precious audio signal. Thankfully, many manufacturers have adopted the left-hand side of their rack equipment for their power requirements, making this practice of separation relatively easy to maintain.

Page 117

TECHNIQUE

>

FM131.t_scratch

It’s a tight fit over at Ian and Paul’s place

CASE STUDY #1 We met music partners Ian Smith and Paul Simmons a couple of months ago when they showed us round their newly converted loft. Now they tell us about how they squeezed all their gear in…

Baywatch Finding yourself faced with a plethora of microphones, synthesizers, DI boxes, effects and a severe limit of audio inputs isn’t unusual, particularly as the typical studio kit list soon outgrows even the most ambitious mixer or soundcard choice. Often not all items will be called upon for a single session, and so all you need is a convenient method of bringing gear into the audio path as required. The simple answer lies in the patchbay. This is a remote, rackmounted unit, fed by cables running back to all your equipment’s inputs and outputs. Depending on how the bay is set up, instruments and mixer/soundcards can be linked together in varying combinations using cables aptly referred to as patch leads. Otherwise, commonly used items can be linked automatically within the patchbay itself (known as normalised) until a plug from an alternative source is inserted. Anyone embarking on a fresh wiring installation should seriously consider installing a patchbay at the same time. Popular models include the Behringer Ultrapatch PX2000 (www.behringer.com) and Studiospares’ own brand unit (www.studiospares.com). Unbalanced units should be fine for most applications where MIDI-based instruments are concerned. Incidentally, remember that microphones are best plugged directly into their own preamp or dedicated channel on your mixing desk.

New connections Fitting out a new installation with its necessary network of audio

>

FM: You had the luxury of setting up your gear from scratch, so how did you decide where to put everything? I&P: We had an idea where we’d put the desk, the IKEA Jerker (much talked about in FM) and that was always going to be at the end wall so we wouldn’t get too many dodgy reflections from the sloping walls. Our plans were nearly scuppered when we assembled the desk in the loft and realised there was quite literally 3mm clearance above it on each side. Talk about a tight fit! Remember to always get those measurements sorted first! As far as the racks go, the eaves in the loft made it a bit difficult to fit our traditional zimmer 19-inch racks so we butchered one into two straight racks. As you can see, most the gear has gone into those. Because they lost their support after we sawed the racks in half, they are actually only held upright by the fact that there is gear in there! Probably not a great message to send out to your readers but never mind! FM: Have you moved anything round since your initial set-up? I&P: We did have racks on both sides but we’re in the process of getting rid of some hardware so it made sense to keep all the rack gear within reach on the right-hand side. That left a gap under the eaves on the lefthand side which we’ve filled with four shelving units, also from IKEA, which we carefully chose to match the Jerker desk. We should have shares in that place what with the amount of studio furniture, shelves and cheap hotdogs we’ve both bought there in the last year! FM: Have you got any new gear since, and how have you decided

where to put it? I&P: The monitors are new and they go on the Jerker quite nicely but only on their sides. I’m never sure whether the tweeters should be on the inside or outside. I remember there being some debate in your mag over Norman Cook’s speakers placed sideways and can’t remember the outcome. I think everyone had opinions on both! FM: How did you cable everything up together? I&P: We already had two patchbays… one for the synths and one for the outboard. The rest of the cables trail around the back of the Jerker, rather messily and give the place a bad look. We’ll see if we can do anything about it but to be honest it was so much effort to get it all working, we’re just pleased it does work rather than worrying how good it looks. The rest of the cables are hidden behind the racks as usual. FM: How did you decide where to put your monitors? I&P: As mentioned above, the limited space mean they have to be on their sides. We’re not entirely happy with them as they are at the moment, although they do allow us to have a small monitor set-up for our PC games which we’re mad on. To be honest most of our mixing is done through headphones anyway and it’s only the final master where we use the monitors anyway. FM: And how have you planned for extra space for your studio to expand in the future? I&P: If anything the studio will probably get smaller as we go further into software. We’re selling some of our hardware at the moment, so look out for our gear in the Reader ads! Also Ian really wants a trainset up in the loft (he’s a big kid at heart), and as it’s his house, he’ll have the final say on that, so who knows what’ll happen in the future! Music making will always come first to games for me though!

FutureMusic 117

FM131.t_scratch

6/12/02

8:50 pm

Page 118

STUDIO FROM SCRATCH

CASE STUDY #2 Marty Byrne appeared in our Changing studios makeover feature a year ago, and we thought we’d revisit him to find out more about how he set up his gear… FM: Your set-up is squeezed in a corner of the living room, so how have you decided where to put everything? MB: When I first moved into the flat deciding where to put it was easy enough… anywhere there was space! Also, the flat was furnished so there were a couple of tables that weren’t used for anything else although it wasn’t the most comfortable set-up. As for monitors, I do care about stereo separation and making sure to monitor from the right angle, but as I was using headphones mostly (and a cheap pair of PC speakers), that didn’t matter too much!

>

Marty’s studio before he moved house again

“FROM AN ACOUSTIC STANDPOINT, WHERE YOUR MONITORS ARE PLACED IN THE ROOM IS FAR MORE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR MUSIC THAN THE MOUNTING ORDER OF RACK GEAR

>

cabling and connectors can quickly add up on the budget. The cheapest and lightest of the pre-made cables offer poor rejection to interference, while their sealed, moulded-type connectors often fail in a relatively short time. The heavier duty varieties should last a lifetime, the only drawback being that they usually command premium prices. The more economic approach is to purchase a large roll of high quality, shielded audio cabling, and solder your separately purchased connectors on yourself. (For more information about this, see our guide to cutting and soldering your own cables in the walkthrough on p121.) Cables can be cut precisely to length, thus eliminating any unsightly spaghetti-like formations protruding

USEFUL WEBSITES Furniture www.ikea.co.uk www.studiorta.com www.omnirax.com www.mrack.com.au www.quiklok.com Patchbays www.behringer.com www.studiospares.com Racks www.skbcases.com www.studiospares.com Cables and connectors www.studiospares.com

118 FutureMusic

Future Music forum http://forum. midiaddict.com

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? www.google.com

from the rear of your racks. All stereo cabling (including passive and active speaker connections) should maintain the same lengths across left and right channels so preserving the signal evenly and retaining tight stereo imaging.

Monitors in position Much of the impact your chosen room layout will have, as discussed so far, is on comfort and convenience. From an acoustical standpoint, where your monitors are placed within the room will be far more detrimental to your music productions than say, the mounting order of rack gear. Studio acoustics, in particular the effect of the room’s dimensions, were discussed in great detail in the second part of our Studio from scratch series (FM128, see back issues on p34) where possible remedies where given. Now it’s the mid to high frequencies to consider. In a perfect world, the direct sound from your monitors should arrive at your ears without any interference. However, because your studio is of course enclosed by walls, floors, ceilings and windows that tend to reflect sound (albeit a fraction of a second later due to the increased distance the sound must travel), the direct and indirect sound waves interact to form a tonal signature that’s unique to your room. Any level setting and EQing you apply to your music will obviously be

>

FM: Have you moved anything round since your initial set-up? MB: The big change came after doing Changing studios. I went out and bought some cheap MDF and screws and made up a couple of units for my hardware. I moved the PC into a corner on a new desk and put my new Tannoy Reveals (recommended to me by you guys) on my home-made stands either side, so when I sit at the computer I get proper stereo separation. The unit I made up for my other gear sat to the right of the PC desk. I’ve also bought a Roland JV-1010 and some new software, most notably Orion Pro. FM: Have you had any cabling problems ? MB: It’s hard to avoid a cable spaghetti junction. The only way to get round it is either buying lots of those cable ties or use tape to bundle a few together and separate them from other cables. As for cables to connect up my gear, I had a strip of wood with hooks on nailed to the wall and I hung my leads on there. It was handy but looked pretty horrible. FM: You had your mixer on a stool and you were sitting on a wooden kitchen chair… has any of this changed? MB: Pure genius don’t you think? The main changes are a new desk for the PC (a fairly cheap model, but it will) and a swivel chair. I still have the wooden MDF monitor stands, but they’re the right height, sturdy and I think they look cool… sort. FM: And how have you planned for your studio to expand in the future? MB: I’m planning to invest a lot more money in my set-up soon, possibly around March (when I finish my Audio Engineering course), plus I’ve moved from the flat in Neasden and I’m living in Luton now. I have learnt a lot from college about setting up a studio and soundproofing. I’m thinking of maybe setting up a DAW around my PC, so I’ll need a new soundcard and I’ll probably get a control surface of some kind. It was recommended to me in Changing studios that I should consider trying to make some cash from my set-up, by recording bands or burning mix CDs for DJs, so I’m thinking of possibly taking the knowledge I’ve gained from college and that invaluable FM advice and setting up a cheap recording studio for bands in the garage here at my new house. This would obviously mean getting a more respectable looking set-up as well as buying more gear, so I think I’ll be needing to contact Studiospares or a similar company. I’m gonna get a few good mics (hopefully) and make sure my PC-based system is reliable and then I can put my production skills to the test as well as having a dedicated place for my own recordings! Fingers crossed!

FM131.t_scratch

6/12/02

8:50 pm

Page 120

STUDIO FROM SCRATCH

>

CASE STUDY #3 David Thompson is a Studio from scratch regular who’s built a shed in his back garden to house his studio, and this month we look at how he set up his gear from scratch in his empty new shed… FM: You had the luxury of setting up your gear in an empty room so how did you decide where to put it all? Did you sketch it out? DT: It was a bit of trial and error, it all depends on how you work. For instance, some people might like their master keyboard on the right and some might like it on the left. I personally built a rack right down the middle of the room and I had master keyboard and computer on the left and mixing desk on the right and then all my racked stuff went in the middle. That way everything was in easy reach, and yes, I did make about three plan sketches of it all and I just picked the one I thought would work best. I built all my racks and desks out of MDF. FM: Have you found you’ve had to move anything round since the initial set-up? DT: Yes, I had my master keyboard on the right at first but then realised that I need my right hand to fiddle about with my sampler so I swapped it round. FM: Have you got any new gear since you moved in the shed, and if so, how did you decide where to put it? DT: I recently bought a Focusrite Penta (as recommended by FM) and

a FAT Resonato. They went straight into my rack as I’d made sure I had enough room for future expansion. FM: How did you cable everything up together? DT: I think it’s fair to say most studios’ cabling is something of a mess and mine is no different. There are wires and cables everywhere and looking back I wish I’d taken a bit more time to keep it tidy. I have no patchbays at the moment and that’s something I keep meaning to do (I think FM can help me in that department by maybe doing a Plug In Your Cables Properly type feature). FM: How did you decide where to put your monitors? DT: The only place I could put my monitors really was either side of my rack up on the wall, but saying that they’re in about the perfect place. FM’s monitors feature helped me with that one. I might have a bit of trouble though if I wanted bigger ones but at the moment they’re fine.

Inside David’s shed > (inset) is a studio that has room to grow

FM: And how have you planned to have space for your studio to expand in the future? DT: I think I could do with a patchbay and I am planning to buy some new gear next year: firstly a new computer and the new KAOSS Pad 2, then maybe a new sound module. All this stuff will fit in my studio fine, there’s still plenty of room! ★ You can hear the kind of music David makes with his set-up at www.peoplesound.com/artist/ marksandmay

“IN SMALL ROOMS, EARLY REFLECTIONS BELOW 20MS CAN BE A REAL DISTRACTION AS THEY WILL BE CAUSING ANOMALIES IN THE MID- TO HIGH-FREQUENCY RESPONSE”

>

determined by what you hear, so you ideally don’t want your room’s influences steering your mixes off course. In particularly small rooms, early reflections, below 20ms, can be a real distraction as they will be causing major anomalies in the mid- to high-frequency response. To reduce susceptibility to this sort of smearing, you need to make sure your monitors are firing across the longest wall-to-wall dimension, and you’ll be less disturbed by the far rear wall reflections. Sound travels at around 34.4cm/ms (or about one foot per ms), so bearing in mind the return trip it takes, the rear wall should be at least 10 feet away to ensure early reflections are kept above 20ms. (C’mon, do the maths!) Apart from the obvious benefit of maintaining an on-axis alignment between you and the speaker drivers, turning the toes of your monitors inwards helps minimise reflections from the far closer side walls. Acoustic tiles can be

120 FutureMusic

placed in these areas, and on the ceiling immediately above you to further diminish the earliest of the mid- to upperfrequency reflections. Lastly, watch out for further reflections from hard surfaces in the work area itself, such as mixing desks, monitors and the like. Dedicated stands or shelves can assist here by raising your monitors to your ear level. One drawback with mounted shelves, however, is that they encourage the speaker to be pushed up hard against the wall. While it may seem to be a good way to boost the monitor’s natural bass output, the increased low frequency performance can prove unnatural and irregularly balanced. For this reason, placing your monitors on floor stands, or special shelves built into your studio furniture and shifted a couple of feet away from the wall behind, is a far better way to go towards a more reliable, nonhyped bass output.

In the spotlight With the inevitable endless hours to be spent working away in the studio, thought should be given to towards the room’s lighting. Quality studio lighting can be used to induce a creative vibe, but to do so, it must be non-intrusive and practical. During the day, windows tend to inflict glare upon computer screens, making them difficult to read without angling it in different directions. Even in instances where there is little or no direct sunlight, equipment and furniture finishes can fade, yellow or warp over time. Venetian blinds, with their adjustable horizontal slats, are a perfect solution for controlling the natural lighting environment. Otherwise, regular blinds or curtains do fine for keeping sunlight out as required. When it comes to artificial illumination, indirect lighting performs best. ‘Indirect’ meaning light that is directed primarily upwards where it is diffused and radiated back down from the ceiling. The result is an inviting, soft and glarefree light, highly suitable for working with computer monitors and tiny equipment LCDs. Your indirect lighting could consist of ceiling fixtures or portable floorstanding lamps, both of which benefit

FM131.t_scratch

6/12/02

8:50 pm

Page 121

TECHNIQUE

SOLDERING YOUR OWN CABLES: A WALKTHROUGH GUIDE Being far removed from the near brain surgeon-like skill required for delicate integrated circuit and surface mount component work, soldering connectors to cable ends is a relatively simple process, requiring just a couple of inexpensive tools, a steady hand, and spare afternoon. You’ll need… Audio cable: single core with shield for unbalanced connections (shown in all steps below); two core with shield for balanced connections (shown in step 3) Audio connectors: quarterinch/6.5mm TS (Tip-Sleeve) for unbalanced mono; quarterinch/6.5mm TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) for balanced mono, or unbalanced

1

2

3

4

stereo and/or insert; XLR for balanced mono. Vice or tape or ‘helping hands’ (shown) to hold your connectors in place while you solder Wire stripper although sharp scissors would suffice Wire cutters although scalpel (shown) or knife would be OK too Solder sucker useful in the

1

removal of excess solder build-up) Solder the finer 1mm wire variety is generally easier to manage 6 Soldering iron designed for circuit board work, around 20W, with a small, flat-angled tip. Soldering iron stand (optional but highly recommended) Sponge (dampened with water)

5

5

2

6

3 4

Unscrew the rear of the connector to reveal the electrical contacts. Use the connector’s layout as a guide when stripping the insulation from the cables. Stripping can be made easier by running a blade around each cable’s circumference, taking care not to cut the delicate wires inside. Twist the exposed wire tips with your clean fingers.

Ensure you observe proper polarity at each connector or your audio signal will be thrown out of phase. With unbalanced connections, the shielding attaches to the sleeve, and core to the tip. With balanced connections, there’ll be two cores that must be identified (usually by colour or striping). One attaches to the tip of the plug, the other to the ring, leaving the shielding to attach to the sleeve. XLR style connectors are labelled: 1 Shield; 2 Hot; 3 Cold. Whichever core you decide to assign as the hot/tip or cold/ring must be repeated at the other end of the cable.

With the soldering iron heating the exposed wire cable, apply the solder to the wire itself. If the wire is hot enough, the solder should run freely and coat the surface. Remove the heat and allow the wire to cool before handling. Don’t overload the iron tip with solder or try to force the hot solder on to a cold surface or you risk making a mess. Practise your soldering technique by tinning scraps of cable until you’re confident with the process.

Slip the connector’s rear section over the cable end. If you forget now, you’ll have to undo all your solder work later! Use tape or a vice to hold the connector still. Place the tinned wire tip into the appropriate lug in the connector. Use the soldering iron tip to heat the wire and lug before applying the solder to encourage the solder to flow across the already hot components for a quality bond, and avoid a poor connection, known as a dry joint. Clean the tip regularly with the sponge before coating it with fresh solder. With some connections (like the shield of a 6.5mm plug) you may have to pass the bare wire end through an eyelet and twist it back on itself before soldering. In this case, make sure the component is hot enough for the solder to flow or the joint may be electrically poor.

3

Measure how long the cable needs to be and cut to length. Allow for enough cable to accommodate the installation/removal of equipment and any future movement of the rack (which may be on wheels to gain accessibility to the rear). Wash your hands to prevent any residue reducing the solder’s attraction to the metal surfaces.

1

2

6

Before joining your cables to your connectors, it pays to tin the cable ends first. The tinning process involves applying a thin coating of solder to the exposed wire. This ensures reliable electrical contact in the finished joint. Wipe the soldering iron tip clean on the damp sponge, and apply a small coating of solder to the iron tip. Apply the iron tip to the exposed wire, and heat it sufficiently so that the solder will flow to it once applied.

4

highly when used in conjunction with a dimmer circuit. Strategically aimed low-voltage halogen spotlights, either ceiling-mounted or lamp-style, are perfect for highlighting mixer controls and racked gear. Experiment with bulbs of various wattages or add a dimmer for the perfect balance of direct/indirect light. While working solely

5

from just the light of a computer monitor and blinking LEDs may be an exciting way to explore your musical ideas away from the mundane sight of the room itself, it can be fatiguing. Ensuring the wall directly behind your screen is partially illuminated, so as to reduce the contrast between light and dark, helps to alleviate this strain on your eyes. FM

NEXT MONTH All fired up and ready to go? Studio from scratch concludes next month when we’ll be looking into how you can make your studio work for you, and hopefully see some of your original investment pay for itself. We’ll also be pointing out some of the pros and cons of running your studio as a business.

FutureMusic 121