By Full Compass LiveRecording is great, but we can always make it better with some well-chosen accessories. Anything that helps with workflow, convenience, or sound quality is a beautiful thing—so let’s look at some affordable goodies and gadgets can make your studio life easier, better, or both.
Now You Really Can Mix with Headphones
Mixing on headphones is becoming more common for mobile applications (like podcasting), in smaller studios where noise is a consideration, or to mitigate problems with room acoustics. But there’s a problem: Headphone responses are rarely flatDefinition:
1. A frequency response curve that looks like a flat line because the response is even throughout the audio spectrum. 2. A scenic element like a wall or door. 3. A musical note that is lower in pitch than the note's standard frequency. See also: Sharp. (although the Sennheiser HD 650 comes close), so you don’t know if you can trust your mixes or not. However, there’s also a solution. Sonarworks has analyzed virtually all headphones currently in use for studio applications and created the Reference 4 Headphone Edition plug-inDefinition:
A software module, typically for signal processing or analysis, that inserts into the signal path of a DAW or video editor, or in some digital consoles. Also Plugin. for Mac and Windows. This inserts in your master busDefinition:
1. In audio, a common point that combines multiple signals, as in a "mix bus." 2. In computers, a path that interconnects various elements for transferring data among those elements. and provides a compensation response curve to flatten the response of your particular headphones. When it’s time to render your mix, you bypassDefinition:
A circuit that circumvents or defeats a process. The bypass can be electronic, or hard-wired with a mechanical switch. the plug-in. It’s genius, but most of all, it really works.
And Speaking of Headphones…
Engineers tend to prefer open-back headphones because they’re more comfortable, allow for longer exposure if you monitorDefinition:
1. (audio) A loudspeaker or headphone/earphone used for accurate reference monitoring for recording or broadcast. 2. (live performance) A device that reproduces sound, like an in-ear monitor or speaker wedge, so performers can hear themselves. See: IEM. 3. (computers) A device that provides a graphic representation of operations occurring inside the computer. 4. (video) A device that enables seeing what is occurring with a video shoot, or program material from a broadcast or other video media source. at high levels, avoid the possibility of internal resonances, and subjectively give a more “open” sound quality. But you also need a good set of closed-back headphonesDefinition:
Headphones with an outer shell that covers the ears to keep out ambient sounds, as well as keep all sound without the headphones. Often used in the studio by vocalists doing overdubs, who don't want any sound leaking out from the headphones into a mic. See also: Open-Back Headphones.. When “proofing” your mixes and masters to make sure there aren’t any little glitches, closed-back headphones cut out distracting noises from the outside world. Even more importantly, when trackingDefinition:
1. Recording or overdubbing audio tracks. 2. Sensing the position of a person, a person's head, or camera position for Augmented and Virtual Reality purposes as well as motion tracking. vocals and monitoring on headphones, sound can leak out of open-back headphones into the mic, and it’s virtually impossible to get that sound out of a track once it’s in there. Fortunately, Beyerdynamic’s DT240-Pro is a respected, closed-back reference headphone that’s designed specifically for professional recording situations—and luckily for us, just makes it under the $100 mark.
Rack ’Em Up!
If your first thought was “8-ball pool,” no, we’re not going there. Instead, let’s talk about a home for your rack-mount gearDefinition:
Musical or performance equipment., because recording isn’t only about software and plug-ins. The On-Stage RS7030 is a tabletop, 12-unit rackDefinition:
A frame for holding gear that meets an industry standard for enclosures. This specifies a 19 inch width, and a height that is some multiple of 1.75 inches. A rack frame can be open or enclosed, and has rails drilled with standardized screw holes for attaching rack equipment. stand with all-steel construction and a weight capacity of 75 pounds. It’s more compact, less expensive, and lighter (6.62 pounds) than the enclosed types of rack shells—and even though it’s perfectly at home on tabletops, it can also hang out on the floor for holding ACDefinition:
(Alternating Current): Current whose electrical flow alternates between positive and negative quadrants, and whose magnitude varies periodically. Alternating current is used in most commercial power transmission, and is also the basis of audio or video signals. power conditioners and other devices that don’t require much user adjustment. Even better, the price is right, and the gentle slant makes it easy to see and manipulate the rack gear’s controls.
Solve the “Not Enough Line Inputs” Problem
This standard includes devices from Google, Apple, Philips, Amazon, Samsung and many more.
Underlying technologies include Ethernet, WiFi and Thread. how hard you plan ahead, there always seems to be that day you run out of inputs. Maybe it’s because you’ve added a couple of keyboards, or a drum module with multiple outputs...or you want to sample several sounds, but your keyboard has only a single input for sampling. Behringer’s MX400 Micromix, with four monoDefinition:
Short for Monophonic. An audio program, recording, or hardware device/software routine that produces or processes a signal with only one channel. ins and one mono out, is designed for adding those extra inputs. It’s also great for guitar pedalboards when you want to provide a balanceDefinition:
The ratio of a stereo signal's left channel to its right channel, often controlled with a knob on a mixer. of clean and dirty sounds, or to accessorize a powered-monitor-based PADefinition:
(Public Address) A sound system intended to provide audio coverage to large groups of people. that needs more inputs. Although the MX400 comes with an AC adapterDefinition:
A power supply that allows using conventional alternating current as a power source instead of batteries., for zero noise you can even omit the adapter, and run the MX400 as a passiveDefinition:
An electrical device or circuit whose parts require no power (e.g., there are no transistors or tubes). summing ampDefinition:
Abbreviation for either Ampere or Amplifier.. The only tradeoff is you can’t adjust levels because there’s no activeDefinition:
See: Active Circuit. stage to provide gainDefinition:
The amount of amplification provided by an amplifier circuit, expressed in dB or numerically as in "3X" = "3 times"..
Be Upfront About Your Mic Inputs
A lot of interfaces and rack mixers mount their XLR mic inputs on the rear panel. That’s fine if you’re always going to leave your mics plugged in and never have to patch in different mics or switch them around, but it’s so much more convenient to have front-panel mic inputs. The bad news is that a lot of gear simply isn’t designed that way, which usually means grabbing a flashlight, and communing with the back of your rack whenever you want to switch around mics (or outputs from other XLR devices). The good news is that ART’s P16, a16-input XLR patch bayDefinition:
A panel of connectors for routing (patching) signals, by using plug-in patch cords to complete electrical connections., can connect the inputs directly through to your other gear, and passes phantom powerDefinition:
A source of power for a microphone (usually condenser) that travels to the microphone over the microphone's cable. There are different voltage standards and requirements for different microphones, but the most common standard is 48 Volts. It derives its name because there is no visible power cable. as well. It’s only one rack unit high, so when combined with a typical audio interfaceDefinition:
A device to convert audio signals into digital code suitable for use by a computer; typically communication occurs through a port such as USB, Thunderbolt, FireWire, etc. , you’re still not taking up a lot of rack space—and now you can switch mics around with total abandon, while also minimizing wear and tear on your expensive rack gear’s connectors.
