How to Hook Up a Home Studio

Today's virtual studios offer recording engineers most of their capabilities through software and interfaces.

Hook up your home recording studio properly, in order to capture audio and arrange it into complex productions that sound professional in quality. Home recording studios usually consist of a computer, recording software, audio/MIDI interface, mic preamp, mixer and studio reference monitor speakers. Each component requires configuration to work with others in your setup, and improper connections may affect the way that your audio recordings sound overall. Set up your home recording studio in less than an hour.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Recording software
• Recording software installation disc
• Audio/MIDI interface
• USB cable
• Audio/MIDI interface driver disc
• (6) 1/4-inch instrument cables
• Mixer
• 2 reference monitors
• Mic preamp
• Microphone
• XLR cable

Instructions

1. Install recording software, such as Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, or SourceForge Audacity, on your computer. Insert the installation disc into your computer's CD-ROM drive, and then follow the set of prompts on your screen to complete the installation.

2. Connect the audio/MIDI interface to your computer with a USB cable. Plug one end of the USB cable into your interface's USB port, and the other end into your computer's USB port. Install the device's driver disc into your computer's CD-ROM drive, and then follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation.

3. Connect the mixer to your audio/MIDI interface with two instrument cables. Plug one end of a 1/4-inch instrument cable into the "Left Main Output" jack on the mixer, and the other end into your audio/MIDI interface's "Left Main Input" jack. Plug another 1/4-inch instrument cable into the mixer's "Right Main Output" jack, and then into the interface's "Right Main Input" jack.

4. Connect your studio reference monitor speakers to your audio/MIDI interface with 1/4-inch instrument cables. Plug one end of a 1/4-inch cable into the interface's "Left Main Output" jack, and then into the 1/4-inch "TRS" input jack on the back of the left reference monitor. Plug one end of another 1/4-inch instrument cable into the interface's "Right Main Output" jack, and then into the 1/4-inch "TRS" input jack on the back of the right reference monitor. TRS, which stands for Tip, Ring, Sleeve, refers to the design of a 1/4-inch instrument cable's plug.

5. Connect your mic preamp to your mixer with 1/4-inch instrument cables. Plug one end of a 1/4-inch instrument cable into the preamp's "Left Output" jack, and then into the left channel on the mixer's first stereo track. Plug another 1/4-inch instrument cable into the preamp's "Right Output" jack, and then into the right channel on the mixer's first stereo track as well.

6. Connect your microphone to your preamp with a XLR cable. Plug one end of the XLR cable into the bottom of the microphone, and the other end into the "XLR" input jack on the front of the preamp.

References

• Transom: Setting Up a Small Recording Studio

Resources

• Ableton: Try Ableton Live for Free
• Steinberg: Cubase 6
• SourceForge: Audacity Download