Lesson 1 Introduction
Without a doubt, the world of audio recording has changed over the years. When I took an audio production course back in 1985, one of the recording consoles I learned on was a Sony JH636 series console. That console, by itself, cost about 60,000 dollars; and that was in the 1980s. The point to this statement is, while recording consoles, costing tens of thousands of dollars, still exist, you don’t have to have one to make great audio recordings. In fact, you don’t really need a hardware console at all.
In this introductory lesson, we will take a quick look at what a small recording setup might look like. I have placed a block diagram showing some of the different components of my own set up as it currently is laid out. Don’t worry if it seems confusing, it is not actually. However, it can appear that way but as we progress through further lessons, you will begin to see how simple it all actually is. It does take some planning but with some thought and practice you will have it down in very little time.
The first section is the block diagram while the second section contains a YouTube video from Graham Cochrane who hosts the website, The Recording Revolution. In this video, Graham discusses the five key components of a home recording studio. After viewing the video, there is a short 10 question quiz.
A Brief Description of the Connections and Components of an Audio Recording Setup
Below, is a diagram of my basic audio recording setup (Click the image to enlarge). It might look somewhat confusing to you but don’t worry, it’s not that complicated. In fact, it isn’t really that much different than hooking up a home theater or other home entertainment system. So, let’s look at some of the connections and components.
There are four types of connections used in this setup. They are: XLR, 1/4 inch Phone Plug (balanced), MIDI, and USB or Thunderbolt. It should be noted that there are systems and interfaces that use Firewire in lieu of Thunderbolt connections. For more information about connections and connector types, please see Lesson 2 – Wires, Cables, and Patch bays.
Block Diagram of a Basici Recording Component Setup
Graham Cochrane's 5 Key Home Studio Components - YouTube Video
In the YouTube video to the left, Graham Cochrane talks about the five basic components of a home recording studio. I like this video because it is straight to the point and is spot-on. Of course, as Graham points out, there are variations of the theme. Indeed, think back or look again at the block diagram of my setup and you will see the five components Graham talks about (well four, actually, because I didn’t list the software inside my computer). Graham’s video is about 15 minutes in length and should be enjoyable; at least I enjoyed it.
Wait Dennis, why are you advertising this Graham dude’s videos and website?
Well, audio production is a craft and as such, you will find that there is a lot of excellent advice and a lot of great sites too. I don’t mind sharing information about knowledgeable sites because they have good, solid information and advice. Perhaps, others will do that for one of my sites one day. In any event, I don’t know Graham, and have never met him, although I would like to sometime. So there you have it.
Quiz 1 - The 5 Key Home Studio Components
To begin Quiz 1 click here.
Lesson 1 Summary
So, as we have seen, a basic recording setup need only consist of five components to be considered a working studio setup and this can be done fairly inexpensively. The most expensive component outside of the computer, will most likely be the Audio Interface. Then again, that might not be the case and shopping around is an excellent idea, In addition, as Graham suggested, reading some reviews can also give you a good idea of what to look and and how much to expect to pay. In my case, my Audio Interface was approximately 800.00 dollars but it is a larger one with 8 lines in and 8 lines out, along with various other inputs and output. There is still a lot to show you, as you progress in Lesson 2.