Great Recording Rigs For Under $5K!!

by Chris Florio


While the cost of living continues to climb, quality recording tools seem to be getting more and more affordable. Recording technology continues to develop. Computers are able to handle rich audio processing without lots of additional expensive hardware. The entry-level price point for much of this pro-quality audio gear means that upgrading your personal recording set-up just got easier.

This month, Performer is taking a look at four different personal recording rigs that are priced under $5,000. We’ve also added two new categories to our Annual Under 5K Personal Recording Guide: a completely mobile, battery-powered system, and an ultra-low budget studio (under $1,000!). When you’re done reading the summaries for each of these systems and you’ve decided which one suits your needs best, feel free to use our Pro Audio Directory to locate the best place to pick up the gear that you’re looking for.

SYSTEM ONE: The Basic ProTools Set-Up:

SHOPPING LIST...

• Macintosh G5 Dual 2.7 Ghz (or equivalent Windows machine) $ 2,999
www.apple.com

• M-Audio FireWire 410 bundled with Ableton Live Lite $299
www.m-audio.com

• 2 Shure SM57 Microphones $89/ea.
www.shure.com

• Rode NTK large diaphragm vacuum tube condenser mic $499
www.rode.com.au

• Alesis ProLinear 820DSP powered $499 >>>
www.alesis.com

• M-Audio Radium49 MIDI keyboard controller $149
www.m-audio.com

• Pro Tools 7 M-Powered Software $299
www.m-audio.com

TOTAL = $4,922

Pro Tools has offered an affordable price point on their entry-level products for a long time with their Pro Tools LE software. In the past year, with the addition of M-Audio to the corporate family, the number and quality of recording-related product choices for a budget Pro Tools set-up have become even greater. The new M-Powered version of Pro Tools 7 works with a wide range of M-audio interfaces. We chose the FireWire 410 because of its eight analog outputs, which allow for easy surround sound mixing. The 410 also has one MIDI I/O and two channels of pre-amped mic line inputs with phantom power. If more simultaneous inputs are important, M-Audio’s FireWire 1814 is another option that works well with Pro Tools.

The new Alesis 820DSPs are excellent sounding bi-amped monitors with built-in parametric EQ that emulate a variety of monitor sounds. They can be adjusted widely to suit the space they are in.

A good deal of the cost of this system and system three is the computer, which is a top-of-the-line Mac (as of November 2005). Everything in system one is compatible with both Mac and Windows, and this is the only system listed here in which the computer could be swapped for a Windows PC. If you already have a fast, up-to-date computer, then you have that much more to spend on additional software, like Propellerhead’s Reason, any number of great plug-ins, and/or additional microphones.

SYSTEM TWO: One For the Road:

SHOPPING LIST…

• Apple 17” 1.6 Ghz G4 Powerbook $2,699
www.apple.com

• MOTU Traveler portable FireWire recording system $849
www.motu.com

• MOTU Digital Performer 4.6 $499
www.motu.com

• Audio-Technica AT822 Stereo Microphone $299
www.audio-technica.com

• 4 Shure SM57s $89 each
www.shure.com

• Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs studio headphones $79
www.audio-technica.com

TOTAL = $4,781

This entire system can not only be carried in a small bag, but could be taken to the middle of the Mojave desert to record a live performance with absolutely no problems. MOTU’s Traveler interface can be powered from the FireWire cable of the laptop, so the entire system can travel anywhere and record and play back many tracks of very high-quality audio. Digital Performer is a great recording environment, and the most recent edition has added a number of new plug-ins as well as features like beat detection and pitch correction.

SYSTEM THREE: The Versatile Music Lab:

SHOPPING LIST…

• Macintosh G5 Dual 2.7 Ghz $ 2,999
www.apple.com

• Apple Logic $999
www.apple.com

• Tascam FW-1082 $799
www.tascam.com

• Shure KSM27 condenser mic $299
www.shure.com

• 2 Shure SM57 dynamic mics $89/ea.
www.shure.com

• Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs studio headphones $79 >>>
www.audio-technica.com

• M-Audio Radium49 MIDI keyboard controller $149
www.m-audio.com

– $500 Apple rebate

– $100 Tascam rebate

TOTAL = $4,902

This system takes advantage of a couple of rebates that are currently being offered on the web in order to squeak under the $5,000 mark. It also sacrifices studio monitors for a great set of headphones (at least until a little more cash is available), but what a system this is for $5,000!

Like Pro Tools, Logic Pro is great for recording, mixing, and editing your productions. But, unlike Pro Tools, it also ships with a magnificent collection of instruments, including a dozen great synths, samplers, and drum machines. Logic also comes with loads of excellent plug-in effects and a huge sample library. The G5 is a fast enough machine to natively handle many tracks of live audio and virtual instruments, and the Tascam interface is a great automated board with plenty of high-quality analog and digital I/Os. The three Shure mics are a small but versatile starter set for any studio.

SYSTEM FOUR: Ultra Low Budget System

SHOPPING LIST…

• Mac Mini 1.2 GHz (includes GarageBand $499 >>>
www.apple.com

• M-Audio Fast Track USB $99
www.m-audio.com

• M-Audio iControl USB MIDI controller for GarageBand $149
www.m-audio.com

• LCD Monitor, keyboard, and mouse $75

• 1 Shure SM57 $89

• Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs studio headphones $79
www.audio-technica.com

TOTAL = $990

A complete Mac-based recording system for under $1,000 — including

the computer — would not have seemed possible a few years ago. But with the introduction of the latest version of GarageBand, a few inexpensive GarageBand peripherals from M-Audio, and the Mac Mini, anyone can manage to save enough to record professional-sounding work and have a powerful and upgradeable system.

To meet our self-imposed $1,000 budget, we chose the Mac Mini 1.2 Ghz machine, but keep in mind that for a little more, there are models with faster processors, larger hard drives, and superdrives. We also based our monitor cost on bargain basement prices at the discount computer store. If you can afford to get a larger, more high-quality monitor, go for it.

GarageBand, which comes free on all new Macs, is marketed as a consumer audio product, but is actually a pretty decent recording environment with multi-track capabilities, MIDI sequencing, great looping tools, limited editing, and terrific effects. It also comes with a large collection of samples, instruments, and loops (that adjust to tempo and key), and can output CD-quality audio files. Not as versatile as Pro Tools, Performer, or Logic, but a heck of a lot for the price.

GarageBand’s usefulness is greatly enhanced by the iControl — an affordable hardware controller that M-Audio built specifically for GarageBand.

The Fast Track interface has XLR and 1/4” inputs that can be switched between “instrument” and “line.” It has stereo RCA and headphone outputs and ships with the GT Player guitar effects system. This may be a budget system, but there is plenty of great stuff to work with here.

Another possible route for those on a budget is to go for a non-computer based all-in-one digital recording system. There are a number of good systems on the market for under $1,000 that include everything to record, edit, process, mix, and output your audio right to CD. A good example of this type of system is the Boss BR-900 ($695), an 8-track system that is also very portable. You could also add a number of quality mics and still own a system like this for under $1,000, although, unlike the computer-based recording systems we discussed above, you will NOT be able to edit your band’s video, build your web site, and design your CD graphics with this one.