For the longest time as in the guitar
world, there were the digital guys and
the analog guys. The digital guys boasted
purity, cleanliness, and accuracy, with
no noise or “artifacts” whatsoever. The
analog guys boasted mojo, warmth, color,
and character, over the “cold and lifeless”
digital. However, the line nowadays
between analog and digital is becoming
increasingly blurred, as digital technology
is becoming almost indistinguishable from
the analog technology of yore. A lot of
digital technology boasts tubes and FETs,
and analog modeling to add “warmth and
character.” Today, many studios utilize the
best of both worlds. For example, a studio
may record ProTools with outboard gear
and analog consoles, and then master to
tape, or they may be fully digital and use
analog modeled plugins almost identical
to their “meatspace” counterparts, to
get that “vintage sound”. Either way,
recording technology today is cheaper
and more available than ever, or there is
no excuse not to begin utilizing it to its
fullest potential.
Before we dive into the technicals,
you have to ask yourself, what is your
goal? What do you want to come out of
your studio? Do you want to record covers
for YouTube, or write and distribute demos over the Internet? Or do you want to
write, record, and produce an entire record
in your underwear? Whatever your leaning
or goal, clothing or not, you have to tailor
your gear for your needs. Just like in guitar land, a lowly blues musician isn’t going
to buy a Triple Rectifier and a Boss Metal
44
TONE TALK //
Zone, he or she going to buy something
that fits their needs, their style, and most
importantly, their budget.
PREAMP INTERFACE THE
HEART OF THE SOUND
This is where it ends and begins—where
the sound you hear in your room and
from your amp is ushered into the land
of ones and zeroes. An audio interface is
what translates the analog signal into a
digital format, and prints it to your DAW
(Digital Audio Workstation), through USB
or Thunderbolt. It usually includes at least
one or two preamps for mic and line level
inputs, and some even include a DI (direct
in) input for recording guitars, synths,
or any other instrument with a quarterinch input. Getting a preamp with good
analog-to-digital (or vice versa) converters
are essential, as you want to preserve the
signal coming into your DAW as best as you
possibly can. There is a lot of science and
numbers related to A/D conversion, but I
will only tell you what you need to know:
When looking for an interface, a higher
sample rate and bit rate means higher
fidelity. That said, a 44.1 kHz sample rate
and a 16 bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)
rate, will not be as high fidelity as a 96 kHz
sample rate with a 24 bit PCM rate. Just
as a point of reference, the standard for
uncompressed CD quality audio is 44.1
kHz and 16-bit sample rate. Below are
details on some high quality interfaces
under $500, with their specs and a little
description, so you can decide what works
best for your needs.
Start a Home Studio Today Part I: The Basics