a SOUND investment - designing a home recording studio

Black Enterprise, Dec, 1999 by Dawn M. Norfleet, Monique R. Brown

Michael Borneo

Profile:

Full-time manager of communications at Royal Bank of Canada.

Specialization:

Gospel music and CD reproduction. Aims to have his studio fully functional by January 2000.

Studio space:

Basement in three-family home in Brooklyn.

Features:

Fully soundproofed separate control room, wood floors, ADAT, DAT and Cubase sequencer computer-based recording ability.

Investment:

$60,000

Kenny Seymour

Profile:

Professional musician, producer and songwriter. Keyboardist for various popular artists, including Jodeci and Chico DeBarge.

Specialization:

Rhythm & Hues, hip-hop and jazz

Studio space:

Walk-in closet in a New York City high-rise apartment building.

Features:

Because his space is not soundproofed, he uses headphones for late-night recording on his largely digital setup.

Investment:

$6,000

Patrice Rushen

Profile:

Musician, composer and arranger. Currently working on a new solo album and soundtracks for movies.

Specialization:

Jazz, rhythm & blues and movie soundtracks

Studio space:

Transformed a 3-car garage into a professionally designed studio.

Features:

ProTools computer-based recording program

Investment:

$80,00, including equipment, studio design and rewiring, computer, software packages and ProTools

GLOSSARY

ADAT An eight-track digital recorder developed and manufactured by the Alesis Corp. It uses standard VHS videocassettes for information storage.

ANALOG A close but imprecise method of copying sound. Analog recordings require complicated editing, which can be a drawback, and produce "tape hiss," but many professionals consider certain instruments or mixes recorded with analog technology to have a "warmer" sound than music projects recorded only digitally.

DIGITAL An electronic format that is designed to duplicate sound while affording extremely accurate control over any changes you might wish to make in the copy. Digital recordings do not have the tape hiss present in analog copies. Experts recommend the digital technology for pro-quality sound.

MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is digital communication that allows you to transmit sound information produced on one MIDI instrument to another unit, and to manipulate information digitally.

PROJECT STUDIO A relatively small-scale studio designed for an individual's work, from demo to commercial quality.

SEQUENCER A digital unit that allows you to program beats, lines of music or entire songs and record them in its memory. Although it may be a separate unit, many MIDI keyboards and drum machines come with a sequencer.

WORKSTATION Nearly self-contained digital recording units that allow you to record and mix. Later models include special effects.