Integration What’s the Next Step in my studio?

Are you looking to step up your game a little and don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re thinking about graduating from that little USB interface to a Top end converter and some Boutique mic preamps? Do you need a console? What do you know about clean power? This is an exciting stage in your studio’s life, and your life too, if you’re a gear lover us! It’s an awesome feeling when you are expanding and are able to take on bigger audio projects and create better recordings. Are you asking yourself where the heck do I start? How do I know that what I buy will be compatible and future proof? Stuff ain’t cheap!

These are great questions that many engineers and artists get stuck on. So let’s dive in!

We all know that good music is just an emotion captured. Don’t overthink it. The best thing you can do is get the source sounding good. This means a good performance, good microphones and mic preamps. Choice of converter is really just personal taste. Most major brand converters sound really great out of the box. There are subtle differences in them but that only makes up a really small piece of the pie. Most people recording couldn’t care less about the converter. They care about the overall sound and experience. Your mixes need to translate well to other systems/speakers other than your own. Which means your speaker system and acoustics need to be set up properly from the get go.

The Mic preamps make a huge difference. There I said it. A great preamp really brings out everything in a mic. You can sometimes use a lower quality microphone but use a great mic preamp and the end result can be magic. Listeners will feel it when you plug in that sweet mic preamp over those boring, sterile, low gain preamps in your Prosumer USB interface!

Let’s face it, cabling is not sexy, but important. People will never ask what cabling you purchased when they come into your studio. Always make sure you are using quality cabling suitable for your use. If you move it around a lot, then a cabling that can take some abuse is needed. If its just going to be installed and never touched again, the cable doesn’t need to be as rugged. If you are “in the box” only, then your cabling setup will be much less than someone in both worlds. Power too cannot be overlooked. If your power going into your gear is not clean or your grounding system is flawed then your frequency response and noise floor will be affected. Power is crucial to get right before you start recording.

Patchbays are your friend. A console requires a lot of cabling and audio conversion to get in and out of the DAW. When you add outboard gear to your set up, the cabling will start to grow exponentially. At this point, you need a Patchbay, they will make you a recording ninja! You will have so many routing options at your finger tips. Patchbays are also great when you have an artist or engineer in your studio with their own gear, all you have to do is patch it in. No more climbing behind your rack trying to figure out how the hell to make it work. 

Console or no console? Be honest, they look cool in any space! You just have to decide if your workflow requires one or not. Having a console with great mic preamps and EQs right in front of you will speed up workflow. They also handle your monitor management, talkback and auxiliary facilities to your musicians and of course audio mix down. You can just use a console as a front end, then mix in the box, this is actually more common than you would think. 

In the end, the best advice that I can give is to be yourself!  Find your sound and what feels good. Get the technical basics right and then you will have a strong foundation to build on. There are many ways to achieve great sound, find what works best for you, and have fun with it.