Archive for 'October, 2009'

In my last post I suggested you forget about the hype and gear lust out there, and just buy one $100 studio condenser microphone, learn it like crazy, and make great recordings. I firmly believe that musicians and bands would make better recordings if they spent less time worrying about expensive gear and more time using the gear they have. Yet this huge misconception remains, so I am here to put that to rest…and hopefully give you the encouragement and freedom to spend less money and be more productive with your music.

You Can’t Be Serious?!
Ask some recording engineers if they would use just one microphone to record everything in a song and they would probably say “no.” Even if they said yes they probably would scoff at using only a $100 mic for the job. But even if that’s the response they might give (remember they have access to tons of great gear and this is all they do) it should not dictate how you approach recording.

So to encourage you (and to make my point) I wanted to give you an example of a track I recorded last year using only one microphone. I used the Behringer B1 (pictured above) exclusively on this track. We recorded all the guitars with it, all the percussion and hand drums, and all of Aaron’s vocals. Take a listen and then we’ll sum this up with some final thoughts.

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You Can Do It
The point of me sharing this track with you is to encourage you. My goal is for you get better at recording your songs. I want you to learn the craft that is multi-track recording and produce killer tracks. But that won’t happen if I tell you to buy more gear (you do need some, and I’ve addressed that in earlier posts). Instead I want you to get the basics, learn them, use them, and hone your skills.

If you’ve written a great song then it deserves a great recording, which will come only with great attention to detail, not great gear. If you can get this in your head, then you will be better for it. Don’t listen to the hype. Prove the skeptics wrong. And most importantly, just make great music and don’t give up.

Today I want to get right to the point. So much of the information floating around on the internet relating to home recording is a waste of your time. I can say this confidently because a good chunk of the advice and articles written (and posts on forums) tell you to “buy this XYZ preamp, or XYZ converter and you’ll have better recordings…” Or they’ll tell you to spend a lot on nice monitors and room treatment, or top of the line cables, or a vintage microphones…and the list goes on and on. Now, of course there is some great gear out there, and if you have money to burn (and more importantly) know how to USE the dang stuff, then it can definitely be an added bonus to take the plunge on some of that equipment But I won’t tell you do any of that here. And this post will be a good example of why. Here’s a hint…it’s not what you use, as much as it is how well you use it!

Jumping Right In
When I started out home recording as a hobby years ago I learned one thing early on. To get a good recording, you need a good microphone. Not an expensive microphone, just a good one (and the right one for the job). Some good advice came my way encouraging me to purchase a large diaphragm condenser mic. So I took the plunge and coughed up $100 to purchase a Behringer B1 mic (complete with road case, shockmount, and windscreen).

Back then it was a lot of money, but it has paid dividends over the years. Now, the B1 is a simple studio microphone. Nothing fancy about it all. I recommend it to people all the time, along with a handful of other great mics just like it. Honestly it didn’t matter so much that it was the B1 that I got, just that I got it.

Microphones are how we capture physical sound waves and convert them into an electric signal for recording (either digital or analog). So we know we need microphones. But the problem comes when we hear that we need all sorts of different microphones to get the job done. Or even worse that some mics are “better” than others. All of this information is a distraction from actually making music. If you are expending energy “deciding” which mic to buy (or worse) which one of your mics to use in a given situation, then you are missing the point.

You see, the key to getting a good recording is just diving in. What you and I need to do is purchase one quality $100 large diaphragm condenser mic and start learning it. Learn what it sounds like in front of your acoustic guitar on the 12th fret versus the sound hole. Learn what it sounds like in front of the center of the speaker in your guitar amp versus off center. Learn what it sounds like on your vocals in your bedroom by the wall versus in your closet. Eliminate the variable of which mic, and focus on where to put the darn thing to get a good recording!

Still Going Strong
Almost a decade later (and much money spent) I still come back to my beloved B1. I’ve used it for vocals and acoustic guitars like crazy on the last 3 projects I produced. Is the B1 just that good? Well yes and no. It is a great microphone. It’s quiet, accurate, and simple. It does what a microphone should do…capture the source you put in front of it well. But the reason I love the tracks I’m recording with it is because I’ve learned how to best use the B1 in a given context. I’ve learned to make the mic “hear” what I want it to hear. And that my friends is the crux of this post. Microphones are just tools. The better you know how to use it, the better your recordings will be.

So don’t listen to the hype online (except for this blog of course). If you haven’t purchased a solid $100 mic already then today is the day. Get it, use it, learn it…but don’t blame it for bad recordings. Better recordings come with time, experience, and trial and error. In time I believe you will find that this microphone will serve you for years to come and could possibly be the best $100 you ever will spend! You can bet me on it!

If you’ve been around me or read this blog for any length of time you’ve probably heard that I think all you need to get your home studio going strong is about $500 worth of gear. I suggested going the Pro Tools route and specifically picking up Digidesign’s Mbox 2 Mini, which is a great little 2 in/2 out interface. But recently a good friend of mine (and phenomenal drummer to boot) asked me over on Facebook what I recommended for him as he wants to record his drum set in his home studio. The Mbox 2 Mini won’t cut it if he wants to record with more than 2 tracks at a time. Here are a couple of suggestions I made to him that I think would serve any home studio well and keep costs down…unfortunately if you are a drummer (or recording a band with drums) you will have to spend a bit more, but honestly it’s not much, and it is well worth the investment!

M-Audio Fast Track Ultra – 4 to 6 tracks at a time
If you want to use Pro Tools (and I highly suggest you do) then you have to use a qualified audio interface made by either Digidesign or M-Audio (both companies are owned by Avid really). If you want more tracks, then you’ll need an interface that allows recording more channels at once and comes with more microphone preamps (mic pres) built in. A super affordable option is the Fast Track Ultra from M-Audio…

M-Audio Profire 2626 – 8 to 26 tracks at a time
If you can spend a little more and want a box that gives you the ultimate in affordable flexibility than look no further than the Profire 2626. This is a beast of an audio interface to be quite frank. It is a firewire interface (the name gives it away) that can also act as a stand alone set of preamps. What you get out of the box is 8 amazing sounding mic pres, plenty of outputs, DSP for routing and submixing, as well as 16 channels of ADAT ins and outs and digital S/PDIF for adding more preamps later.

Drum Microphones
Of course with wanting an interface to record 4 to 8 tracks of drums, comes the need for 4 to 8 microphones. You could buy mics seperately, or you could you spring for a drum mic bundle. I’ll save you the trouble and recommend one for you right now…

Samson 8Kit ($349) – This is such a great deal. For the price of 3 quality microphones you get 8 mics, each appropriately suited for your drums. You get one kick drum mic, one snare drum mic, 3 tom mics, a matched pair of large diaphragm condenser mics for overheads, and a small pencil condenser mic for hi hats. Talk about a steal! These mics are quiet, accurate, responsive, and full sounding.

But the best part is this: if you read my post about the $500 studio, I encouraged you to purchase one good studio condenser mic for about $100. You use this for vocals, acoustic guitars, amps, etc. Well one of the mics I recommend (the Samson C01) is included in this bundle. Actually you get two of them! That’s it, you don’t need any more mics for your studio!

Recording Drums – Total Cost
So let’s add it all up and get you the final figures so you can go out there and start recording killer drum tracks. Keeping in mind you will need a few more mic stands and cables for the additional tracks you are recording, here is my total break down for a drum capable home studio…

Option 1: Fast Track Ultra (4 channels) – $1200
Option 2: Fast Track Ultra (6 channels) – $1500
Option 3: M-Audio Profire 2626 (8 channels) – $1650

There you have it. For between $1200 and $1700 you can have a rocking home studio capable of recording drums, complete with plenty of preamps, drum mics, vocal mics, cables, stands, Pro Tools software, headphones, pop filter, etc. So pick an option and start making music!

As you might have noticed, I’m a big fan of home recording. I believe there is something to be said about having the freedom to create without the added pressure of the clock beating down on you every hour. Home recording gives you that freedom, and for a truly modest price tag (as little as $500). So as you might have guessed, major label talent have caught on to this trend and many of today’s top bands have opted to forgo the studio and record their latest masterpiece at home, with fantastic results I might add! I just wanted to point out a few of my favorite home-recorded albums and share them with you for inspiration…

Foo Fighters “There Is Nothing Left To Lose”
One of rock’s biggest bands in the last 14 years has been without a doubt the Foo Fighters. With 6 studio albums under their belts, Grammy awards, hilarious music videos, and countless sold out venues, these guys are at the top of their game.

But what many people don’t know is that Dave Grohl is a home recording guy himself and has opted a few times to do albums the “at home way”.  After completing two hit albums already, the rock foursome (then trio) headed back to Alexandria, VA (Dave’s hometown) to set up shop in his basement. What resulted was 1999’s “There Is Nothing Left To Lose” and what Dave himself says “might be my favorite album we’ve ever done.” Take a listen for yourself!

“Generator”

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Red Hot Chili Peppers “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
Going back even a bit farther in time we have the Chili Peppers. These guys have made so many great albums it’s not even funny. But one of their biggest albums to date was 1991’s “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”. This album totally put these guys on the map.

Having started work on the album already and not getting anywhere with it, producer Rick Rubin, suggested the band set up shop in a house, away from the studio. They found an old (and supposedly haunted) mansion in LA, where the band hunkered down (and actually never left) for a month. The result was unique, challenging, and ground breaking…oh, and Grammy Award winning! Gotta love it.

“Give It Away”

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Thrice “The Alchemy Index”
One of the more creative bands to emerge over the last decade has been California natives, Thrice. Blending aggressive guitars and vocals, with melody, solid arranging, and deep lyrics, Thrice has captured the attention of a lot of music lovers. In an interesting move from Island Records to the more “Indy” Vagrant Records the band decided to also move “out of the studio” and do an album at home, literally.

Talk about home recording, this album was recorded, produced, and mixed all at home by Thrice. Not only that, because of doing the album at home, their creativity hit new heights as they turned their “home sessions” into a 24 song set of 4 EPs. Major productivity and creativity born out of a home based studio. It doesn’t get much better than this!

“Burn The Fleet”

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Will You Be Next?
There you have it. Proof that you can make a Grammy award winning and ground breaking album at home. And if you think that the reason these albums sound good is because they had “nice gear” you’d be wrong. It’s not about the gear. It’s never about the gear. You need a few quality pieces, yes. But the reason these albums sound good, are good, and have been critically acclaimed is because of only 3 things: good songs, played by talented musicians, with creative energy. That’s it. If you have a good song, talent, and a desire to create something amazing…you are well on your way to making great recordings. Gear is truly a non-issue in my humble opinion.

Now go make some music!

Earlier this week I made the case that the ultimate songwriting tool is your home studio. I tried to give a few brief illustrations as to how your home studio can help you fill out an arrangement, collaborate worldwide, and save you time with templates. Today, I’d like to give you an example – using one of my own songs – of how much can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time. I hope this helps…let’s dive in!

The Demo
Take a listen to the MP3 below so we can talk about the example. This is a simple song I wrote on acoustic guitar. Once you’ve listened, we’ll break down what I did for the demo and how much time it took:

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First Things First
As I mentioned before, this song was originally just an acoustic guitar part – a verse and chorus. I had played around with it enough to know I wanted to “write” the rest of the song in Pro Tools. I fired up my songwriting template, set the tempo for my click track, grabbed my favorite mic and threw it up in front of my acoustic guitar. After a few takes to get the right levels and tone (mic placement) I laid down the guitar all the way through the second chorus.

One thing I like to do with guitar parts is to double them, or to record another take alongside the original one, to make it sound bigger and fatter. I did exactly that, and then I was pretty much stuck. I had no bridge, no lyrics, and no other instrumentation. But what I did have was a set riff, tempo, feel, and basic song structure captured in Pro Tools. Total time to do this: 15 minutes.

Drums and Bass
Now if you already know what kind of beat you want for your song then I would suggest you start off with drums in your session, but in my case I only had the guitar and, no real definitive drum ideas. So I fired up one of my virtual drum plugins, found a drum kit that worked, and looped a few of the preprogrammed patterns. If you notice the drums aren’t varied much and there are basically no fills. You can spend as much or as little time as you want here of course, but for just writing and demoing, I was fine with spending a total of 5 minutes on drums.

I didn’t happen to have my bass guitar that day so I decided to lay down a sampled bass guitar part. I opened up one of the free sampler plugins that comes with Pro Tools, picked an electric bass sample, turned on my keyboard controller (a simple $99 one) and plunked out a few basic notes, quantized them to fit the grid nicely, and then I was done! Total time for drums and bass: 15 minutes.

Filling Out The Arrangement
Once the drums, bass, and basic acoustic guitar were done I was able to play around with electric guitar and keys. For this demo I just plugged my telecaster directly into my audio interface and used a basic amp modeling plugin. I toyed around with clean sounds and distorted sounds for a few minutes and eventually laid down the parts you hear in the demo: clean electric intro (which replaced my acoustic intro), overdriven chords and octaves in the 2nd chorus and beyond, and finally heavy crunch in the bridge. It was actually playing around with the amp simulations that led me to write the bridge as you hear it.

I tried messing with some key parts very briefly, but in the end felt that it wasn’t worth my time on this particular demo. So all in all the only other instrumentation on this one was drums, bass, and electric. Total time for electric guitar: 20 minutes.

Laying Down The Vocals
Through the process of writing in Pro Tools, I typically start out with a basic melody and set of lyrics, but I tend to get more concrete ideas as I dive deeper into it. That was definitely the case with this particular song. After only 50 minutes of writing/recording in Pro Tools I was ready to lay down some basic vocals. I grabbed the same mic I used for my acoustic guitar, through a pop filter in front of it, and then tracked some vocals. I didn’t do any doubling or harmonies for this demo, so the process only took me about 15 minutes total. Not bad considering I was finalizing lyrics as I went.

Wrapping Things Up
Since this was a demo/songwriting session I didn’t take the time to do a real mix, but there were a couple of basic things I had to do to level the tracks out enough to discern what is going on in the song. Between that, bouncing it down to an MP3, and posting it online I would say I spent a grand total of 15 minutes!

So from opening the blank template to posting a final MP3, this demo took me less than an hour and a half! Not bad for a free afternoon or evening. Granted it’s a demo, and granted I have changed some things since, but the beauty is that by sitting down and writing in Pro Tools, I actually sparked more creativity and productivity in less time AND came out with a “finished product” that I used to teach the song to my band. Talk about time well spent!

The Challenge
So my challenge to you is this: take one free evening (or Saturday afternoon), block off 2 hours max, open up your songwriting template (you do have one right?) and go crazy. See what you come up with and cap it off after the 2 hour mark. Mix it down as you have it. You might be pleasantly surprised to see what you get out of it! And if you like, send me a copy. I’d love to hear your latest work!

So if you’re a musician and you’ve come to the smart conclusion that you need a home studio (you only need $500), you may already be using it to record your finished song ideas. After all, that’s what the recording studio was born out of…a need to capture songs that people already had written and could play live. If you have a great song, a great group of musicians, a great studio, then you’ll get a great recording. However, the home studio today can be used not only for recording finished material, but as the ultimate songwriting tool. Read on to find out how…

The Band In a Box
One of the greatest things about using your home studio for songwriting is that you can arrange the whole song, not just the primary instrumentation. With the use of virtual instruments, amp modeling, drum loops, and multi-channel vocal recording you can capture the ideas for the whole band, even as you fly solo in your spare bedroom. This can be helpful when teaching song ideas to your band, or just remembering the arrangement you “heard” in your mind.

Sometimes I’ve even been looking for a cool keyboard sound for my guitar based song when I’m inspired to write a completely different song because of the tone I got out of my virtual instrument. I came in to the songwriting session going in one direction, but having the “band in a box” allowed me to take a creative detour which ended up with a new and better song entirely!

Collaboration Made Simple
We live in an age of affordable technology and unparalleled ease of file sharing. This combination opens up a huge door to us songwriters who like to collaborate with others. Again, when you fire up your recording system you are working digitally, so when you finish laying down your ideas (be it one guitar lick, or a full out arrangement) you can save the session out as an MP3 file, ready for sharing.

Why is this cool? Because what you can do is shoot that MP3 over to your friend, who in turn can import said file into his or her recording software. Now he or she can write and record new parts to the song and even “fill it out” with other instrumentation. Once this has been done, your partner simply saves the session out as a new MP3 and sends it on back to you. This is the power of digital recording as you can write and produce music with people all over the world with ease…all because you got smart and purchased a basic home studio.

Save Time With a Template
One of the best things you can do to simplify your songwriting life and save you precious time (and ultimately that’s what matters…simplifying and saving time in the studio) is to create a songwriting template in your recording software so you don’t have to spend time setting up tracks for all your instruments, labeling inputs or outputs, or any other monotonous thing each time you want to write music. You just want jump right into writing before your idea is gone.

Here’s what I do in Pro Tools to set up a songwriting template, but it will apply to your DAW of choice if you use something else…

1. Create a new session, name it something like “Songwriting Template”, and save it to your audio drive or wherever you save your Pro Tools sessions.
2. Once inside your session, create tracks for everything you can think of needing. Here’s what I include: 3 vocal tracks, 3 electric guitar tracks, 2 acoustic guitar tracks, a bass track, 1 stereo track for drum loops, 1 stereo keyboard track, 1 click track (metronome), 1 reverb return, and 1 delay return. Make sure to label the tracks accordingly.
3. Route all of your tracks to the correct audio interface’s input. For most of you this will be either input 1 or 2.
4. Insert any effect or instrument plugins you will want to use. These could be virtual guitar amps, synth effects, drum machines, etc.
5. Arrange your windows and display settings so you can see what you want to see when writing and recording.
6. Save the session.

When you’re ready to do some songwriting, fire up Pro Tools, open your template, then choose “Save As” and name it something different, like the name of the song you’re working on. Now you’ll have the session already setup and waiting for get your creativity flowing!

Taking things one step further…
Songwriting in your home studio is great for many reasons as we saw: you can fill out the arrangement even as a solo artist, you can collaborate instantly with people all around the world, and you can be up and running with a time saving template. But let’s take things just one step further…

The true beauty of writing in Pro Tools (or any recording software) is that when it comes time to record the “real” tracks, you already have scratch tracks in your session, at the correct tempo, all ready for you to go. You’ve just eliminated one step in between writing and recording…seamlessly! That’s the power of digital recording, and that’s the power of having a studio in your home, where you are more likely to write music. All of this saves you time and saves you from losing creativity. Both of which are precious!

Note: The below Pro Tools rig no longer exists. For two different options of studios for only $300, check this out.

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Earlier this week in Part 1 of this post, I encouraged musicians looking for the best deal in home recording to pick up an Mbox 2 Mini from Avid. For a mere $295, the Mbox 2 Mini can be the hub of your personal studio allowing you to get high quality audio in and out of your computer. And the best part is, it comes with Pro Tools recording software for FREE, giving you everything you need to write, record, edit, mix, and master your songs right out of the box. Seriously folks this is a great deal.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that when you purchase a Pro Tools LE system (like the Mbox) you get a whole slew of useful software that will help you make great songs in no time. Here is a short list of the most powerful ones you get and how they can help you make great music, now!

Your Virtual Drummer
When you fire up a new Pro Tools session, one of the best things you can do is start off your song with some pro sounding drum tracks. Not a drummer? No problem. Pro Tools ships with a free copy of FXpansion BFD virtual drum program. You get to pick what type of kit you like, what style you need, and then you can trigger pre recorded patterns by real drummers in a real room, with a ton of expensive mics tracking every hit! How sweet is that?

What if you aren’t actually going for that natural acoustic drum sound? What if you need more of a hip hop beat or dance groove? Simply open up Avid’s very own vintage drum machine plugin, Boom! Use one of the thousands of pre programmed patterns, or make your own! Honestly getting drums into your song has never been faster or better sounding.

Vintage Amps Galore
So you’ve laid down some great drum tracks in minutes. And perhaps you’d like to get a great guitar part down to sculpt the song. You could take your mic and throw it on the grill of your guitar amp (you do have one don’t you?), but what if you want to pick form multiple different amp tones? And what if it’s 2:00 in the morning and the people living below you might not like you cranking it up while they’re sleeping? Why not use a virtual amp!

Pro Tools ships with a free version of Eleven, which is a totally realistic (the best I’ve found) amp modeling plugin. Plug in your guitar directly to the Mbox, fire up Eleven, pick an amp, tweak the knobs and press record! If you nail the perfect take but actually needed a different guitar tone, just change the setting on the plugin and keep the recorded track! Simple as that!

Your Singing Just Got Better
When it comes time to lay down your vocals for a song, sometimes you just don’t nail it in one take…or 2 or 3. And even after using Pro Tools’ comping feature to piece together the best out of all your takes, you may need a little help to tighten up a few notes (or all of them). This is where a pitch correction plugin comes into play. The one that started it all, Auto Tune, is probably the most famous (and most abused…think Cher or T-Pain). But the most subtle and helpful program out there in my opinion is Melodyne from Celemony…and you get a free version with your Pro Tools system!

The simple visual display of your recording makes it super easy to grab an off note and drag it to where it “needs” to be. This can be as subtle or as drastic as you want, but either way it is fast, easy, and sounds really good. Trust me when I say that this is a life saver, even on the best of singers!

A World of Possibilities
These are just a few of the most helpful programs that come free with your Pro Tools system. They are powerful, sound great, and are easy to use. But one of the even cooler things that you can do in Pro Tools (or any DAW really) is play their virtual instruments to add more amazing sounds to your sessions.

With the addition of a simple USB powered keyboard controller you can “play” pretty much any instrument imaginable! For example, ever want to lay down a smooth cello line to your ballad, or a fat synth to fuzz up your bass tone, or even add some classic piano parts to your pop rock masterpiece? In just minutes you can add these sounds to your session and begin filling out the tracks so they sound like a more professional arrangement.

Get To It…
So there you have it. A great little studio for $500. Honestly, you don’t need anything else to make great recordings in your home. There is no excuse…save up some dollars, grab the basic gear I’ve suggested, and get to making music!

Note: The below Pro Tools rig no longer exists. For two different options of studios for only $300, check this out.

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The number one question I get as a music producer from bands, songwriters, and worship leaders is this: “How much do I really need to spend on home studio equipment to get a professional sounding recording?” In this simple 2 part post, I am going to cut through the hype and tell you exactly what you need (and don’t need) to not only get started with home recording, but to excel at it and create quality recordings. (I’ll give you a hint…it ain’t much).

Computer – $0
I’m going to be honest with you. I am assuming you already have a computer (mac or PC, laptop or desktop) that is relatively new (within 2 years or so). If you don’t have a computer already then I don’t know how you’re reading this blog to begin with, and I don’t know how you’ll get much more out of this post. So make sure you have a decent computer to start with (not the cheapest processor, 1 to 2 gigs of RAM, a hard drive with plenty of space on it to record to). Each type of recording software will have certain requirements but that should get you started no problem.

Recording Software – $0
Since computers have become so powerful, they have replaced the mixing console, recording tape (DAT, 2 inch, etc), as well as all the outboard gear (compressors, EQs, reverbs, etc). What you need is recording software, specifically known to recording geeks as a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). There are many to choose from these days, and I have used a whole slew of them. But at the end of the day, the program I keep coming back to is Digidesign’s (Avid’s) Pro Tools…and here’s why:

• It’s both mac and PC compatible. This means you don’t HAVE to get a different kind of computer to use it. Run it on your PC or mac, or both!
• It’s easy to learn and use. Of all the DAWs I’ve used, Pro Tools is by far the easiest to get up and running in, while at the same time offering so much depth. Plus, since it’s so widely used and loved, there is an abundance of free resources online to help get you started!
• It’s a complete package. You don’t need any other plugins, virtual instruments, or software to make amazing recordings. It’s ready to go out of the box!
• It’s the ‘Industry Standard’. Despite the controversy surrounding this, Pro Tools is far and away the most used recording software in the industry. You’ll find it in practically all major studios for music, film, and TV. The great thing about making your studio a Pro Tools studio is that you can take your sessions with you to almost any other studio in the world and your files will open up flawlessly on their system, ready for you to keep working!

Now, that sounds great and all Graham, but how is this wonderful Pro Tools software FREE? Simple, just purchase on of their audio interfaces (see below) and it comes free! You can’t get a better deal than that.

Audio Interface – $295
Since you don’t have a $500,000 mixing console in your bedroom you’ll need some way to get your sounds (guitars, vocals, keyboards, etc) into your computer and into the recording software. This is where an audio interface comes in. They come in many shapes and forms (and brands of course), but I’ll give you my simple recommendation… Get the Mbox 2 Mini from Avid.

It is a simple device that plugs into your computer via USB. It doesn’t even need a separate power cable. It is a 2 channel interface which means you can record up to 2 channels at a time (guitar and vocals let’s say). It comes with a great microphone preamp, guitar and bass input, and stereo keyboards inputs. You can plug in speakers and studio headphones to it to listen to your tracks. It of course comes with a free copy of the latest version of Pro Tools LE (version 8 as of this writing), which as I mentioned contains everything you need to make top notch recordings.

I don’t think people realize just how good of a deal this is and just how powerful Pro Tools 8 with an Mbox 2 Mini can be. With the exception of being able to multi track drums with more than 2 mics (more on this later) you can do EVERYTHING with this box!

Studio Microphone – $99
With the exception of recording virtual instruments or guitars/bass/keyboards direct, you will need at least one quality microphone to handle all “acoustic” recording. And by that I mean your vocals, acoustic guitars, guitar amps, drums, percussion, salt shakers, or anything else you can find in the physical world that makes a cool sound! Again, you could spend thousands of dollars on one mic alone, but why…when you can get a top notch studio mic for less than $100. Here are my recommendations in no particular order. Pick one and be done.

Audio-Technica AT2020

Studio Projects B1

Samson C01

M-Audio Nova

Behringer B1

These are all studio condenser microphones which means they are sensitive enough to capture the crisp air on your vocals and acoustic guitar as well as the fat tones from your rocking tube amp and your kick drum. If you grab one of those five mics above you will have a swiss army knife type mic that will get the job done for you every time!

Basic Accessories – $99
The remaining items you’ll need (and you do need these) can be had for under $100 easy. These aren’t very exciting accessories, but believe me you will use them every time you make music and will come to depend on them. Not much detail here so just trust me on these. Here we go…

Mic stand ($29) – It holds your microphone in any position you need. Grab this one from Samson and be glad you didn’t get a cheaper one that will break on you in a month.

Mic cable ($25) – You obviously need a quality mic cable to hook your microphone up to your Mbox’s preamp. Nothing fancy here.

Pop filter ($20) – This keeps your vocals sounding nice by blocking the loud plosives (“P” and “B” sounds). Again, not interesting at all, but trust me you will need this.

Studio headphones ($17) – You will need these while you are recording. It allows you to listen to previously recorded tracks so you can sing or play along without the sound “bleeding” into your microphone. Plus these are great for editing and even mixing your songs in Pro Tools. Can’t beat the price on these puppies.

Summing It Up
Whew! If you’ve made it this far in the post than you truly must care about getting a home studio up and running. Good for you. Too many people think it’s either too expensive to do it right OR it’s not worth their time or money to make a small investment in their music. Both ideas would be dead wrong. There has never been a better time in the short history of recorded music to get your hands on some basic gear that will allow you to create pro sounding recordings for this cheap!

So summing it up. If you follow my advice you will have a simple, portable, powerful, and professional Pro Tools studio with a versatile microphone and accessories to help you capture your ideas as demos and as studio quality recordings. And you will have done it all for exactly $485 before tax! If you don’t have an extra $500 or so laying around then sell some junk, work some overtime, or eat nothing but ramen noodles for a month so you can get the cash you need to make a sound investment (no pun intended) in your music career.

Still To Come…
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post where I’ll talk about how to get the most out of your $500 home studio setup!