How much does it cost to set up a studio?

A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited
February 2007

Thanks to the technological revolution and the increase in computer processing power over the
last five years a high end recording setup is now within reach. What was once just a dream for the
average garage band, home recording hobbyist, church or high school music department is now
very much an affordable reality.

Before I outline some specific equipment according to three different budgets you need to ask
yourself one very important question: What kind of music will I mostly be recording?

If you answer hip hop, electronica, techno or demo's then you don't need a huge set up. Rather
than spending lots of money on microphones that you don't need you should invest in software
and maybe one really good microphone.

On the other hand, if you are going to record lots of bands, ensembles and the like you will want a
system with lots of microphones and lots of inputs (although if you want to record orchestras,
choirs and chamber groups probably a well placed stereo mike is suitable). As you will see from
the following three budgets to record groups with lots of microphones costs more.

Before we jump straight into outlining the equipment and costs I want to offer one really useful
piece of advice: SHOP AROUND! Just because a particular store may say they offer the cheapest
prices in New Zealand doesn't necessarily mean that they actually do. Before you buy any piece
of equipment get quotes from every music store in your town/city and make your decision based
on price and customer service. If maintenance of equipment is not such a worry then don't forget
to investigate stores on the internet like B & H Photo & Video, Sam Ash and Sweetwater. If you
can save thousands of dollars by buying through them then it may be worth the inconvenience of
not having local support for your purchases.

While this document lists some suggested packages there is nothing to stop you mixing and
matching products from the different packages to create a list of equipment that suits your unique
budget and needs (particularly if you already own some equipment such as a mixer or
microphones).

You will notice that every budget option is based around an Apple Mac computer. A studio can be
based around Mac or Windows systems, but the Mac is particularly easy to set up and comes
configured with excellent starter software for recording. Often a Windows system will require
careful configuration of the audio setup, and software to be loaded, which some musicians may
find daunting. What you choose will depend on what support you have at your school (e.g. are you
allowed to connect a Mac to the internet at your school?) and how much you can support the
system yourself. Either way, the prices indicated here for Macs will be indicative of what you need
to spend to get a comparably configured Windows system. Fortunately most of the external
hardware will connect to both Mac and Windows machines (you should avoid internal audio
cards), so it is not too hard to change later.

All the prices listed here are correct as of February 2007 and exclude GST. Many prices are
special educational prices available to schools only. Note that Learning Ideas does not sell any
equipment listed here. However, we are more than happy to refer you to reputable firms
that do sell this equipment.

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz

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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

Option One - The under $1500 option

Apple Mac Mini computer with 1 Gb RAM $1110
1.66 GHz Core Duo processor
Ability to dual boot Mac OS or Windows
Includes iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, iTunes & iPhoto

Apple Garageband recording software FREE with Mac

Record up to 8 tracks at once
Includes large set of free plugins
Edit & loop audio and MIDI
Includes comprehensive loop library
Ability to create movie soundtracks

Shure SM-58 microphone $168

Industry standard vocal and instrument mic
Excellent response, even at high sound levels
Rugged and versatile, hard to break (good for schools)!
Note that an XLR to mini jack cable is required to plug into the Mac Mini

M-Audio Keystation 49e $215

Compose using the the virtual instruments in Garageband

TOTAL $1493

Upgrade options
Rode NT2-A microphone $621
High quality condenser microphone

Audacity recording software FREE

Free recording software for use with Microsoft Windows or Mac

Pro Tools LE with Mbox mini interface $450

Good quality preamp and industry standard recording software

M-Audio Studiophile monitors $350

Sennheiser HD 280 PRO headphones $120

This is an excellent system for creating many modern styles of music. This would be great for the student
who creates music by manipulating loops and samples along with some basic keyboard parts. They are
then able to record vocals or live instruments using the microphone plugged into the audio input on the Mac
Mini (or via an A/D converter like the Presonus Firebox or Pro Tools Mbox mini).

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

Option Two - The under $5000 option

Apple iMac 17" computer $1800
Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz processor
1Gb RAM
160 Gb hard drive
Includes iLife suite & Garageband
Upgrade option to the 24" screen version with faster processor is $3060 in total

Apple Garageband recording software FREE with Mac

Rode NT-4 stereo condenser microphone $750

Stereo microphone that contains two capsules within the one unit.
Due to configuration of capsules it is very easy to get a good sound
for ensemble, choir and orchestra recordings.

M-Audio Mobile Pre USB audio interface $225

2-channel interface for connecting microphones and instruments
with your computer.

M-Audio Keystation 49e $215

Compose using the the virtual instruments in Garageband

M-Audio BX8a Active monitors $900 pair

AKG K141 Studio headphones $150

TOTAL $4040

Upgrade options
Extra 1 Gb of RAM for the iMac (recommended) $170

The feature of this system is the stereo microphone. In a school environment where you want to be able to
record compositions and performances with a minimum of fuss the perfectly in phase X-Y configuration of a
stereo microphone is the way to go.

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

Option Three - The under $10,000 option

Apple iMac 17" computer $1800
Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz processor
1Gb RAM
160 Gb hard drive
Includes iLife suite & Garageband
Upgrade option to the 24" screen version with faster processor is $3060 in total

Pro Tools LE with Digi 002 Rack interface $2265

Industry standard software with high quality hardware interface.
002 hardware can also be used with other software.

Rode NT2-A condenser microphone $800

High quality microphone for recording acoustic instruments & voice.

2x Shure SM-57 dynamic microphones $168 each

Great for recording drums, amplifiers and even vocals

2x Rode NT5 condenser microphones $585 for pair

Useful for drum overheads and acoustic instruments
Like a stereo mic these are great for recording choirs & orchestras

Tannoy Reveal 5a Active Monitors $1035

Hihgh quality reference monitors

M-Audio Axiom 49 Keyboard controller $479

Provides many MIDI controllers for controlling many parts of your sequencer

TOTAL $7132

Upgrade options
Factory version of Digi 002 Rack $2914
Includes an extra $3000 worth of plugins for an extra $649

Presonus Digimax $976

Provides an extra 8 channels of mic inputs for your Pro Tools system

Waves Native Power Pack $570

Bundle of high quality plugins

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

This third under $10,000 option package is great for recording full band situations. It has enough
microphones and inputs to cover most ensemble needs.

The software of choice here is Digidesign's Pro Tools. This is industry standard software and is relatively
easy to learn so it is a great choice for many environments. However, you can have many of the benefits of
this system if you decide to use the free Garageband software along with the Presonus Digimax instead of
Pro Tools and the Digi 002. You get 8 channels of inputs so if you are happy with using Garageband instead
of Pro Tools you can save yourself $2266 (this is often recommended for school situations as Garageband is
probably the easiest piece of recording software to learn). If you are also not too concerned with fidelity you
can also choose to stick with cheaper dynamic microphones (such as the SM58) rather than the condenser
microphones.

It is also worth mentioning that you could save a few hundred dollards by using other sequencing software
such as Logic or Cubase along with the Presonus Digimax or similar interface. However, (in my humble
opinion!) that software is much harder for students to get to grips with than Pro Tools.

Option Four - The under $20,000 option

While the full package listed here may be out of the reach of many schools, home recorders or churches
there is nothing to stop you from including one or two items from it with one of the cheaper packages.
However, to keep it still remotely affordable I've steered clear of considering Pro Tools HD packages as
these are well beyond the requirements of most schools, home recordists or churches.

Apple Mac Pro $3870

2x 2.66 GHz core duo processors (effectively four processors)
250 Gb hard drive
1Gb RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 256 Mb memory

Apple Logic Pro $853

Professional recording software that contains a large suite of plugins

Mackie ONYX 1200F Firewire Audio/MIDI interface $2280*

Premium quality A/D converter with 12 Mic inputs

JBL LSR4326P Reference monitors $2639 pair

Monitors that can adjust themselves for inadequately treated
acoustic environments

M-Audio Sputnik $854*

Condenser microphone winner of the Electronic Musician Mic of the year for 2006.
Reminiscent of the Neumann U 47 and the AKG C 12.

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

AKG D112 Kick drum mic $377

3x Sennheiser MD421 dynamic mics $697 each

Industry standard amplifier and tom microphones

Shure KSM 109 condenser mic $375

Condenser microphone superb for recording cymbals

2x AKG C451 condenser mics $1358 pair

A pair of these work very well as drum overheads
Great for recording orchestras and choirs

Waves Platinum Bundle $2380

32 essential plugins for a professional environment

Melodyne Studio $1000

The best in pitch correction software - edit audio as easily as MIDI

Novation ReMOTE SL 61 $1200

TOTAL $19,277

Some extra special items for a big budget

Focusrite Liquid Channel premium channel strip $4726

Precisely replicate any mic-pre/compressor using Dynamic Convolution

Neumann M 149 condenser microphone $6421

One of the best mics on the planet!

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

$19,277 may seem like a lot of money but with a year or two of fundraising and a friendly Board of Trustees
this amount of money could easily be found. Keep in mind that you will also need to buy some essentials
such as mic and instrument leads (allow probably $400-$500), mic stands (don't buy cheap ones, you'll
regret it after a year or so when they start to break!) a UPS for keeping all electrical equipment safe and
some studio foam for treating the walls and ceiling of your recording and control room.

A real key point that I think needs to be made for all the setups is that you don't have to buy everything in
one go. For example if you think that Pro Tools or Logic may be too complicated then don't buy them (or at
least defer buying them until you know you really need them). Garageband or Audacity can do most of what
any school or church requires and they can be learned in under half an hour. In school situations where
students are trying to record compositions it is better that they can sit down and start recording quickly rather
than spend a long time trying to figure out the software. You may also find that you do not require all of the
high end software such as the Waves plugins or Melodyne. If this is the case it may be be better for you to
spend the money you save on acoustic treatment for your recording room.

One last consideration is portability. These studio setups are really for a fixed room situation. Although they
are reasonably portable it could be inconvenient transferring them to a live venue. This is where a laptop
based setup or portable recorders such as the Zoom H4 or the Edirol R09 can come in handy as all audio
can easily be recorded to these and transferred to your studio computer via Firewire or USB for mixing.

Educational materials
There are lots of amazing books, CD and DVD resources available for teaching effective recording skills.
For a series of resources specifically related to gaining unit standard qualifications from NZQA the best (and
only!) option is the Music Technology range from Learning Ideas Limited.

For a detailed rundown of each unit standard, free samples and ordering information please go to
www.learningideas.co.nz

Thank you for taking the time to read through this ebook. Music technology is an exciting and rewarding
area of study. We are so privileged to live at a time that technology has made it so affordable to produce
such high quality musical recordings using great equipment.

If you have any questions or would like a referral as to where you can buy this and other equipment both in
New Zealand and overseas please don't hesitate to email me on the address below.

Duncan Ferguson
Learning Ideas Limited
February 2007

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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 How much does it cost to set up a studio?
A guide to the equipment used in setting up a recording studio from Learning Ideas Limited

Glossary of manufacturers cited

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
http://www.sweetwater.com/
http://www.samash.com/
http://www.apple.com/nz/
http://www.apple.com/nz/ilife/garageband/
http://www.m-audio.com/
http://www.rode.com.au/
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
http://www.digidesign.com/
http://www.shure.com/
http://www.tannoy.com/
http://www.presonus.com/
http://www.waves.com/
http://www.apple.com/nz/store/
http://www.apple.com/nz/logicpro/
http://www.jblpro.com/
http://www.mackie.com/
http://www.akg.com/
http://www.sennheiser.com
http://www.celemony.com
http://www.novationmusic.com/
http://www.focusrite.com/
http://www.neumannusa.com/
http://www.learningideas.co.nz (for New Zealand customers)
http://www.learningideas.org (for international customers)

A few 'must-see' websites related to this topic:

http://emusician.com/ Great reviews and tutorials
http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm 21 further studio setups
http://www.soundonsound.com/ Helpful reviews and tutorials
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/arts/facilities/ Advice for schools planning arts facilities

Learning Ideas Ltd., PO Box 21246, Christchurch 8143, New Zealand

*Prices correct as of February 2007

Web: www.learningideas.co.nz Email: sales@learningideas.co.nz
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