| Acknowledgments | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. xiii |
| Building Your Recording Studio | |
| A Recording Studio in a Box | p. 3 |
| The Computer as Command Central | p. 4 |
| The Digital Audio Recording Process | p. 5 |
| Recording | p. 6 |
| Editing | p. 7 |
| Mixing | p. 8 |
| Mastering | p. 9 |
| Burning | p. 9 |
| Separating the Hard from the Soft | p. 10 |
| Hardware | p. 10 |
| Software | p. 12 |
| How the Different Hardware Components Contribute | p. 14 |
| Interfaces and Converters | p. 14 |
| Processors | p. 14 |
| RAM | p. 15 |
| Hard Drive | p. 15 |
| CD Drive | p. 15 |
| Operating Systems | p. 16 |
| Windows | p. 16 |
| Mac OS | p. 16 |
| Mac vs. PC | p. 17 |
| Minimum Requirements for a Recording PC | p. 18 |
| Processor | p. 18 |
| RAM | p. 19 |
| Hard Drive(s) | p. 19 |
| CD Burner | p. 19 |
| Ports | p. 20 |
| Computer Peripherals | p. 22 |
| External Disk Drives | p. 23 |
| Second Monitor and Video Monitor Cards | p. 23 |
| Configuring Your System a la Carte | p. 24 |
| Turnkey Solutions | p. 25 |
| Laptops | p. 25 |
| Moving On | p. 26 |
| Music and Audio Peripherals | p. 27 |
| Better Living Through Music and Audio Peripherals | p. 28 |
| Choose Your Weapon: Input Devices | p. 28 |
| Microphones | p. 28 |
| Keyboards | p. 30 |
| Drum Machines | p. 30 |
| Electric Guitars | p. 31 |
| MIDI Input | p. 33 |
| Keyboards for All | p. 34 |
| Interfaces | p. 35 |
| Interface Configurations | p. 35 |
| Soundcards | p. 35 |
| Soundcards with Breakout Boxes | p. 38 |
| USB and FireWire | p. 39 |
| Audio Interfaces | p. 40 |
| Analog Audio Interfaces | p. 40 |
| Digital Audio Interfaces | p. 41 |
| Analog/Digital/Clock | p. 42 |
| Audio + MIDI Interfaces | p. 43 |
| Multipurpose Interfaces | p. 43 |
| Control Surfaces | p. 44 |
| Outboard Mixers | p. 45 |
| Other Noncomputer but Essential Stuff | p. 46 |
| Budget Speakers | p. 47 |
| Headphones | p. 48 |
| Moving On | p. 49 |
| Building Your PC Audio System | p. 51 |
| System Component Considerations | p. 52 |
| Case Studies | p. 52 |
| The Minitower | p. 53 |
| Legions of Fans | p. 53 |
| Prepare the Case | p. 55 |
| Home Base: the Motherboard | p. 56 |
| Install the Motherboard | p. 57 |
| The Brains of the Operation: the Processor | p. 60 |
| Install the Processor | p. 61 |
| Install the Heat Sink | p. 62 |
| Memories Are Made of RAM Chips | p. 64 |
| Install the Memory | p. 65 |
| All About Disk Drives | p. 66 |
| Install the Hard Drive | p. 67 |
| Connecting the Hard Drive | p. 67 |
| Install the CD-RW and Floppy Drives | p. 69 |
| Connecting the CD-RW and Floppy Drives | p. 70 |
| Check Your Cable Connections | p. 72 |
| Format the Hard Drive and Install the OS | p. 73 |
| Moving On | p. 74 |
| Building a Musical Arrangement step by step | |
| Recording on a Computer | p. 77 |
| The Audio/MIDI Interface | p. 77 |
| Install the Interface | p. 79 |
| Testing the Interface | p. 80 |
| The Master MIDI Controller | p. 82 |
| The Project Keyboard | p. 82 |
| Hook Up the Keyboard Controller | p. 83 |
| Making Audio Connections | p. 83 |
| Selecting a Microphone | p. 84 |
| Hook Up the Mic | p. 85 |
| Hook Up the Monitor System | p. 86 |
| Install the Music Software | p. 86 |
| Reboot and Launch the Music Software | p. 87 |
| Configure the Audio Driver | p. 87 |
| Set Up the MIDI System | p. 90 |
| Start a New Project | p. 91 |
| Project Window Geography | p. 93 |
| Create a New Track | p. 93 |
| Record Your First Track | p. 97 |
| Your Second Take | p. 98 |
| Record Additional Tracks | p. 99 |
| Import Prerecorded Audio | p. 102 |
| Importing a Data File | p. 102 |
| Importing Audio from a CD | p. 103 |
| A Word about Tempo | p. 104 |
| Introducing MIDI Instruments | p. 104 |
| Launch a VSTi | p. 104 |
| Record a MIDI Track | p. 106 |
| Punch In a Segment | p. 107 |
| Record Multiple Tracks | p. 109 |
| Moving On | p. 110 |
| Editing, Mixing, and Processing Your Music | p. 111 |
| Mixing Your Tracks | p. 112 |
| Set Levels | p. 113 |
| A Detailed View | p. 114 |
| Add EQ | p. 116 |
| Effects and Processing | p. 116 |
| Add an Insert Effect | p. 117 |
| Add a Send Effect | p. 119 |
| Mix MIDI Tracks | p. 121 |
| Add Master Effects | p. 123 |
| Automate Your Mix | p. 124 |
| Editing Your Work | p. 128 |
| Arrange Parts | p. 128 |
| Smoothing Transitions | p. 132 |
| Composite Virtual Tracks | p. 134 |
| Listening to Individual Events | p. 136 |
| Add File-based Effects | p. 137 |
| Micro-edit Your Files | p. 140 |
| The Sample Editor | p. 140 |
| The MIDI Editors | p. 142 |
| Time-stretch an Imported File | p. 144 |
| Bounce Your Final Mix to Disk | p. 146 |
| Moving On | p. 147 |
| Mastering, Burning, and Packaging Your CD | p. 149 |
| Editing and Processing Your Files | p. 150 |
| Trim the File Length | p. 150 |
| EQ Your Song | p. 151 |
| Compress Your File | p. 152 |
| Level-match and Normalize Your Song | p. 155 |
| File Formats | p. 158 |
| WAV or AIF | p. 158 |
| Convert to MP3 | p. 158 |
| WMA | p. 160 |
| QuickTime | p. 161 |
| RealAudio | p. 161 |
| Tape | p. 161 |
| Burning a CD, Step by Step | p. 162 |
| Launch the Burning Software | p. 162 |
| Audio or Data? | p. 163 |
| Prepare Your Files | p. 163 |
| Sequence and Assemble a Playlist | p. 164 |
| Creating a Data CD | p. 167 |
| Packaging Your CD | p. 168 |
| Create Labels | p. 168 |
| Provide Printed Matter | p. 172 |
| Putting Your Music on the Web | p. 173 |
| Streaming vs. Downloading | p. 173 |
| Upload to a Web Site | p. 173 |
| Test the Download Process | p. 174 |
| Moving On | p. 175 |
| Healthy and Happy Recording | |
| Home Studio Considerations | p. 179 |
| A Sense of Space | p. 180 |
| Two Rooms vs. One Room | p. 180 |
| Placing Equipment | p. 182 |
| Monitor Placement | p. 183 |
| Sample Setups | p. 185 |
| The Tier | p. 185 |
| The L | p. 186 |
| The U | p. 187 |
| Ergonomics 101 | p. 188 |
| Give 'Em the Chair | p. 188 |
| Of Tabletops and Drawers | p. 189 |
| Let There Be Lighting | p. 189 |
| Practicing Sound Reasoning in Acoustics | p. 191 |
| Treat That Sound | p. 193 |
| Materialism | p. 193 |
| A Panel Discussion | p. 194 |
| Parts list for constructing four 2'x4' acoustic panels | p. 196 |
| Baffles | p. 197 |
| Cords, Cables, and Wires | p. 201 |
| Types of Cables | p. 202 |
| Audio | p. 202 |
| Data | p. 205 |
| Cable Quality | p. 208 |
| Cable Tips | p. 209 |
| Moving On | p. 209 |
| Maintaining and Caring for Your Recording System | p. 211 |
| Maintenance | p. 211 |
| Creating Partitions | p. 212 |
| Running Disk-Repair Utilities | p. 213 |
| Virus Software | p. 214 |
| Defragmenting Your Disk | p. 214 |
| Updating Software | p. 216 |
| Lean, Mean Data Machines | p. 217 |
| Keeping Components Clean and Happy | p. 218 |
| Dust in the Wind | p. 218 |
| It's the Heat and the Humidity | p. 219 |
| The Urge to Surge | p. 220 |
| Don't Interrupt when I'm Powering | p. 220 |
| Backing Up | p. 221 |
| Backup Basics: Diversifying Disks | p. 221 |
| Moving Forward with Backing Up | p. 222 |
| Media Types | p. 223 |
| Backup Software | p. 227 |
| Troubleshooting | p. 228 |
| Delving Deeper into the Root of Audio Problems | p. 229 |
| Moving On | p. 233 |
| Index | p. 235 |
| Table of Contents provided by Rittenhouse. All Rights Reserved. |
