AFTER MUCH TIME spent with buildingextensions or room renovations,researching methods towards predictableand reliable acoustics, and arranging thenecessary power requirements, the fruitsof your labours can soon be realised.

As you’ll no doubt be wishing to liveout your musical aspirations night andday once your studio from scratch projectis completed, the strategic arrangementof the individual components within astudio is especially important. The oldsaying, “a place for everything, andeverything in its place” will ring true herein ensuring you a smooth running opera-tion that’s unhampered by awkwardergonomics that could possibly restrictthe creative process.

All those seemingly obvious consider-ations, such as whether to place particu-lar equipment to your right or left, shouldbe made now, before they’re forgottenand it’s too late. A right-handed player, forexample, who tends to only potteraround with single-handed melodies atbest, will soon feel cramped and twistedif their MIDI controller keyboard is placedon the left of their workstation, and viceversa for left-handed players.

Better still, indulge in a centralisedsolution where your MIDI keyboard andsequencing workstation are immediatelyin front of you.

Feeling furnished Sadly, proper studio furni-ture can prove a costlyprospect, and the price of

custom-made furniture is perhaps pro-hibitive for all but the most professionalinstallation. Until your numbers come upin the National Lottery, ageing study

desks find a new lease of life, with thesplit-level computer workstation beingthe more practical alternative for manag-ing dual computer screens, QWERTY andMIDI keyboards, desktop synth modules,and an anthology of sample CDs and FMcover CDs.

IKEA’s Jerker workstation generatedmuch commotion since I recommended itover a year ago in response to the firstChanging studios feature. Soon after thatissue had gone to press, production ofthis very affordable, dual-level desk,complete with unique swing-out shelvesto accommodate mixers and speakers,ceased. It was later remodelled under thesame name, but wasn’t quite as versatile.But now it seems the Jerker has returnedin all its original glory, starting at just£139 for the basic unit (thanks to pres-sure from Future Music readers, we’d liketo think). See www.ikea.co.uk for details.

Omnirax (www.omnirax.com) offer asophisticated array of classy furniture

systems, in particular, the remarkableOmnirax F2, while Australian manufac-turer, M Rack (www.mrack.com.au) featurea variety of fixed and sliding shelf sys-tems perfect for computer/MIDI set-ups.

One member of our forum(http://forum.midiaddict.com) stumbledacross a wonderful unit by Studio RTAthat features three levels plus elevatedspeaker platforms, known as the SaturnCentre (www.studiorta.com). Although

originally shipped to her in Australia bythe now defunct US-based Mars Music, asearch for ‘Saturn Centre’ atwww.google.com reveals a number ofalternative online retailers.

On a more industrial front, with theirsturdy steel framework and minimalistdesign are the Z-250 and ZM-WS34workstations by QuikLok(www.quiklok.com). Both models caterfor a large synth keyboard, computerscreen and audio monitors, while a cheaptwo- or three-tier stand by QuikLok willplace a couple of synths and a hardwaresequencer within easy reach of the non-computer centric composer.

Although not always feasible with somuch equipment demanding attention,neck and eyestrain can be minimised bymaintaining an outstretched arm’s dis-tance away from computer screens. Ele-vate the monitor so that the top of thescreen is slightly below eyelevel, thenangle it slightly upwards, as one would

naturally choose to read a book or maga-zine. And a quality chair, with plenty ofpadding, and proper lumbar support, is agood investment towards sustainingthose lengthy studio sessions.

Back in the rack I quite often see rackmount-able samplers sitting withinimmediate reach on an adja-

cent bench, but things soon become

116 FutureMusic

STUDIO FROM SCRATCH

> Confused by the seemingly endless array of cables, connectors, racks and keys in your studio?This month, we show you how to put it all together and hopefully find some order to the chaos… words: Phil Booth

STUD OFROM SCRATCH # 4: SETTING UP >

“ALL THOSE OBVIOUS CONSIDERATIONS,

SUCH AS WHETHER TO PLACE GEAR TO THE

RIGHT OR LEFT, SHOULD BE MADE NOW”

FM131.t_scratch 6/12/02 8:50 pm Page 116

unsteady once additional pieces arestacked on top of each other, in particularthe lighter single-spaced synth modulesand effects units that require manualintervention frequently.

Most music shops and studio suppli-ers, such as www.studiospares.com, willbe able to supply equipment racks withenough space to meet your burgeoningneeds, and to give you scope to expandyour set-up in the future. More portableoptions for people who swap betweenthe studio and the stage come in theform of rack cases, such as the sturdySKB series (www.skbcases.com), com-plete with handles and removable frontand rear covers. They stack neatly on topof each other, and once castors areattached, or if the stack of cases is placedon, say, a TV stand with wheels, they’reeasily spun round to get to the rear.

Position each unit in your rack withaccessibility in mind. MIDI interfaces andother such gear that only require a casualglance to ensure everything’s in ordershould be slipped into the upper or lower-most slots. This leaves the prime spacesfree for the gear that’s going to get themost hands-on action, such as samplers,compressors, rack synths and the like.

Inside the back of the rack, group thepower leads together and affix them withcable ties down one side of the rear ofthe rack, and devote the other side toyour audio cables. This reduces the sus-ceptibility of extraneous radiation fromthe power leads reaching your preciousaudio signal. Thankfully, many manufac-turers have adopted the left-hand side oftheir rack equipment for their powerrequirements, making this practice ofseparation relatively easy to maintain.

Baywatch Finding yourself faced with aplethora of microphones,synthesizers, DI boxes,

effects and a severe limit of audio inputsisn’t unusual, particularly as the typicalstudio kit list soon outgrows even themost ambitious mixer or soundcardchoice. Often not all items will be calledupon for a single session, and so all youneed is a convenient method of bringinggear into the audio path as required.

The simple answer lies in the patch-bay. This is a remote, rackmounted unit,fed by cables running back to all yourequipment’s inputs and outputs. Depend-ing on how the bay is set up, instrumentsand mixer/soundcards can be linkedtogether in varying combinations usingcables aptly referred to as patch leads.Otherwise, commonly used items can belinked automatically within the patchbayitself (known as normalised) until a plugfrom an alternative source is inserted.

Anyone embarking on a fresh wiringinstallation should seriously considerinstalling a patchbay at the same time.Popular models include the BehringerUltrapatch PX2000 (www.behringer.com)and Studiospares’ own brand unit(www.studiospares.com). Unbalancedunits should be fine for most applicationswhere MIDI-based instruments are con-cerned. Incidentally, remember thatmicrophones are best plugged directlyinto their own preamp or dedicated chan-nel on your mixing desk.

New connections Fitting out a new installa-tion with its necessarynetwork of audio

FutureMusic 117

TECHNIQUE

>

> We met music partners Ian Smithand Paul Simmons a couple ofmonths ago when they showed usround their newly converted loft.Now they tell us about how theysqueezed all their gear in…

FM: You had the luxury of settingup your gear from scratch, sohow did you decide where to puteverything?I&P: We had an idea where we’d putthe desk, the IKEA Jerker (muchtalked about in FM) and that wasalways going to be at the end wall sowe wouldn’t get too many dodgyreflections from the sloping walls.Our plans were nearly scupperedwhen we assembled the desk in theloft and realised there was quite liter-ally 3mm clearance above it on eachside. Talk about a tight fit! Rememberto always get those measurementssorted first!

As far as the racks go, the eavesin the loft made it a bit difficult to fitour traditional zimmer 19-inch racksso we butchered one into twostraight racks. As you can see, mostthe gear has gone into those.Because they lost their support afterwe sawed the racks in half, they areactually only held upright by the factthat there is gear in there! Probablynot a great message to send out toyour readers but never mind!

FM: Have you moved anythinground since your initial set-up?I&P: We did have racks on bothsides but we’re in the process of get-ting rid of some hardware so it madesense to keep all the rack gear withinreach on the right-hand side. Thatleft a gap under the eaves on the left-hand side which we’ve filled with fourshelving units, also from IKEA, whichwe carefully chose to match theJerker desk. We should have sharesin that place what with the amountof studio furniture, shelves and cheaphotdogs we’ve both bought there inthe last year!

FM: Have you got any new gearsince, and how have you decided

where to put it?I&P: The monitors are new and theygo on the Jerker quite nicely but onlyon their sides. I’m never surewhether the tweeters should be onthe inside or outside. I rememberthere being some debate in yourmag over Norman Cook’s speakersplaced sideways and can’t rememberthe outcome. I think everyone hadopinions on both!

FM: How did you cable everythingup together?I&P: We already had two patch-bays… one for the synths and one forthe outboard. The rest of the cablestrail around the back of the Jerker,rather messily and give the place abad look. We’ll see if we can do any-thing about it but to be honest it wasso much effort to get it all working,we’re just pleased it does work ratherthan worrying how good it looks.The rest of the cables are hiddenbehind the racks as usual.

FM: How did you decide where toput your monitors?I&P: As mentioned above, the lim-ited space mean they have to be ontheir sides. We’re not entirely happywith them as they are at themoment, although they do allow usto have a small monitor set-up forour PC games which we’re mad on.To be honest most of our mixing isdone through headphones anywayand it’s only the final master wherewe use the monitors anyway.

FM: And how have you plannedfor extra space for your studio toexpand in the future?I&P: If anything the studio will prob-ably get smaller as we go further intosoftware. We’re selling some of ourhardware at the moment, so lookout for our gear in the Reader ads!Also Ian really wants a trainset up inthe loft (he’s a big kid at heart), andas it’s his house, he’ll have the finalsay on that, so who knows what’llhappen in the future! Music makingwill always come first to games forme though!

CASE STUDY #1

It’s a tight fit over atIan and Paul’s place

>

FM131.t_scratch 6/12/02 8:50 pm Page 117

cabling and connectors can quicklyadd up on the budget. The cheapest

and lightest of the pre-made cables offerpoor rejection to interference, while theirsealed, moulded-type connectors oftenfail in a relatively short time. The heavierduty varieties should last a lifetime, theonly drawback being that they usuallycommand premium prices.

The more economic approach is topurchase a large roll of high quality,shielded audio cabling, and solder yourseparately purchased connectors onyourself. (For more information aboutthis, see our guide to cutting and solder-ing your own cables in the walkthroughon p121.) Cables can be cut precisely tolength, thus eliminating any unsightlyspaghetti-like formations protruding

from the rear of your racks. All stereocabling (including passive and activespeaker connections) should maintainthe same lengths across left and rightchannels so preserving the signal evenlyand retaining tight stereo imaging.

Monitors in position Much of the impact yourchosen room layout will

have, as discussed so far, is on comfortand convenience. From an acousticalstandpoint, where your monitors areplaced within the room will be far moredetrimental to your music productionsthan say, the mounting order of rack gear.

Studio acoustics, in particular theeffect of the room’s dimensions, were dis-cussed in great detail in the second partof our Studio from scratch series (FM128,see back issues on p34) where possibleremedies where given. Now it’s the midto high frequencies to consider.

In a perfect world, the direct soundfrom your monitors should arrive at yourears without any interference. However,because your studio is of course enclosedby walls, floors, ceilings and windowsthat tend to reflect sound (albeit a frac-tion of a second later due to theincreased distance the sound musttravel), the direct and indirect soundwaves interact to form a tonal signaturethat’s unique to your room.

Any level setting and EQing youapply to your music will obviously be

118 FutureMusic

STUDIO FROM SCRATCH

Marty Byrne appeared in our Changing stu-dios makeover feature a year ago, and wethought we’d revisit him to find out moreabout how he set up his gear…

FM: Your set-up is squeezed in a corner ofthe living room, so how have you decidedwhere to put everything? MB: When I first moved into the flat decidingwhere to put it was easy enough… anywherethere was space! Also, the flat was furnishedso there were a couple of tables that weren’tused for anything else although it wasn’t themost comfortable set-up. As for monitors, I docare about stereo separation and making sureto monitor from the right angle, but as I wasusing headphones mostly (and a cheap pair ofPC speakers), that didn’t matter too much!

FM: Have you moved anything roundsince your initial set-up?MB: The big change came after doing Chang-ing studios. I went out and bought somecheap MDF and screws and made up a coupleof units for my hardware. I moved the PC intoa corner on a new desk and put my new Tan-noy Reveals (recommended to me by youguys) on my home-made stands either side,so when I sit at the computer I get properstereo separation. The unit I made up for myother gear sat to the right of the PC desk. I’vealso bought a Roland JV-1010 and some newsoftware, most notably Orion Pro.

FM: Have you had any cabling problems ?MB: It’s hard to avoid a cable spaghetti junc-tion. The only way to get round it is either buy-ing lots of those cable ties or use tape tobundle a few together and separate themfrom other cables. As for cables to connect upmy gear, I had a strip of wood with hooks onnailed to the wall and I hung my leads onthere. It was handy but looked pretty horrible.

FM: You had your mixer on a stool and youwere sitting on a wooden kitchen chair…has any of this changed?MB: Pure genius don’t you think? The mainchanges are a new desk for the PC (a fairlycheap model, but it will) and a swivel chair. Istill have the wooden MDF monitor stands,but they’re the right height, sturdy and I thinkthey look cool… sort.

FM: And how have you planned for yourstudio to expand in the future?MB: I’m planning to invest a lot more moneyin my set-up soon, possibly around March(when I finish my Audio Engineering course),plus I’ve moved from the flat in Neasden andI’m living in Luton now. I have learnt a lot fromcollege about setting up a studio and sound-proofing. I’m thinking of maybe setting up aDAW around my PC, so I’ll need a new sound-card and I’ll probably get a control surface ofsome kind.

It was recommended to me in Changingstudios that I should consider trying to makesome cash from my set-up, by recordingbands or burning mix CDs for DJs, so I’m think-ing of possibly taking the knowledge I’vegained from college and that invaluable FMadvice and setting up a cheap recording studiofor bands in the garage here at my new house.This would obviously mean getting a morerespectable looking set-up as well as buyingmore gear, so I think I’ll be needing to contactStudiospares or a similar company.

I’m gonna get a few good mics (hopefully)and make sure my PC-based system is reliableand then I can put my production skills to thetest as well as having a dedicated place for myown recordings! Fingers crossed!

>

>

Furniturewww.ikea.co.ukwww.studiorta.comwww.omnirax.comwww.mrack.com.auwww.quiklok.com

Patchbayswww.behringer.comwww.studiospares.com

Rackswww.skbcases.comwww.studiospares.com

Cables and connectorswww.studiospares.com

Future Music forumhttp://forum.midiaddict.com

Still can’t find whatyou’re looking for?www.google.com

CASE STUDY #2

“FROM AN ACOUSTIC STANDPOINT, WHERE YOUR MONITORS

ARE PLACED IN THE ROOM IS FAR MORE DETRIMENTAL TO

YOUR MUSIC THAN THE MOUNTING ORDER OF RACK GEAR

Marty’s studio before hemoved house again

>

USEFUL WEBSITES

FM131.t_scratch 6/12/02 8:50 pm Page 118

determined by what you hear, so youideally don’t want your room’s influ-

ences steering your mixes off course.In particularly small rooms, early

reflections, below 20ms, can be a realdistraction as they will be causing majoranomalies in the mid- to high-frequencyresponse. To reduce susceptibility to thissort of smearing, you need to make sureyour monitors are firing across thelongest wall-to-wall dimension, and you’llbe less disturbed by the far rear wallreflections. Sound travels at around34.4cm/ms (or about one foot per ms),so bearing in mind the return trip it takes,the rear wall should be at least 10 feetaway to ensure early reflections are keptabove 20ms. (C’mon, do the maths!)

Apart from the obvious benefit ofmaintaining an on-axis alignmentbetween you and the speaker drivers,turning the toes of your monitors inwardshelps minimise reflections from the farcloser side walls. Acoustic tiles can be

placed in these areas, and on the ceilingimmediately above you to further dimin-ish the earliest of the mid- to upper-frequency reflections.

Lastly, watch out for further reflec-tions from hard surfaces in the work areaitself, such as mixing desks, monitors andthe like. Dedicated stands or shelves canassist here by raising your monitors toyour ear level.

One drawback with mounted shelves,however, is that they encourage thespeaker to be pushed up hard against thewall. While it may seem to be a good wayto boost the monitor’s natural bass out-put, the increased low frequency perfor-mance can prove unnatural andirregularly balanced. For this reason, plac-ing your monitors on floor stands, or spe-cial shelves built into your studiofurniture and shifted a couple of feetaway from the wall behind, is a far betterway to go towards a more reliable, non-hyped bass output.

In the spotlight With the inevitable endlesshours to be spent workingaway in the studio, thought

should be given to towards the room’slighting. Quality studio lighting can beused to induce a creative vibe, but to doso, it must be non-intrusive and practical.

During the day, windows tend toinflict glare upon computer screens, mak-ing them difficult to read without anglingit in different directions. Even in instanceswhere there is little or no direct sunlight,equipment and furniture finishes canfade, yellow or warp over time. Venetianblinds, with their adjustable horizontalslats, are a perfect solution for controllingthe natural lighting environment. Other-wise, regular blinds or curtains do fine forkeeping sunlight out as required.

When it comes to artificial illumina-tion, indirect lighting performs best.‘Indirect’ meaning light that is directedprimarily upwards where it is diffusedand radiated back down from the ceiling.The result is an inviting, soft and glare-free light, highly suitable for working withcomputer monitors and tiny equipmentLCDs. Your indirect lighting could consistof ceiling fixtures or portable floor-standing lamps, both of which benefit

120 FutureMusic

STUDIO FROM SCRATCH

>

David Thompson is a Studio fromscratch regular who’s built a shed inhis back garden to house his studio,and this month we look at how heset up his gear from scratch in hisempty new shed…

FM: You had the luxury of settingup your gear in an empty room sohow did you decide where to putit all? Did you sketch it out?DT: It was a bit of trial and error, it alldepends on how you work. Forinstance, some people might liketheir master keyboard on the rightand some might like it on the left. Ipersonally built a rack right down themiddle of the room and I had masterkeyboard and computer on the leftand mixing desk on the right andthen all my racked stuff went in themiddle. That way everything was ineasy reach, and yes, I did makeabout three plan sketches of it all andI just picked the one I thought wouldwork best. I built all my racks anddesks out of MDF.

FM: Have you found you’ve had tomove anything round since theinitial set-up?DT: Yes, I had my master keyboardon the right at first but then realisedthat I need my right hand to fiddleabout with my sampler so I swappedit round.

FM: Have you got any new gearsince you moved in the shed, andif so, how did you decide whereto put it?DT: I recently bought a FocusritePenta (as recommended by FM) and

a FAT Resonato. They went straightinto my rack as I’d made sure I hadenough room for future expansion.

FM: How did you cable every-thing up together?DT: I think it’s fair to say most studios’cabling is something of a mess andmine is no different. There are wiresand cables everywhere and lookingback I wish I’d taken a bit more timeto keep it tidy. I have no patchbays atthe moment and that’s something Ikeep meaning to do (I think FM canhelp me in that department bymaybe doing a Plug In Your CablesProperly type feature).

FM: How did you decide where toput your monitors?DT: The only place I could put mymonitors really was either side of myrack up on the wall, but saying thatthey’re in about the perfect place.FM’s monitors feature helped mewith that one. I might have a bit oftrouble though if I wanted biggerones but at the moment they’re fine.

FM: And how have you planned tohave space for your studio toexpand in the future?DT: I think I could do with a patchbayand I am planning to buy some newgear next year: firstly a new com-puter and the new KAOSS Pad 2,then maybe a new sound module. Allthis stuff will fit in my studio fine,there’s still plenty of room!� You can hear the kind of musicDavid makes with his set-up atwww.peoplesound.com/artist/marksandmay

CASE STUDY #3

Inside David’s shed(inset) is a studio that

has room to grow

>

“IN SMALL ROOMS, EARLY REFLECTIONS BELOW 20MS

CAN BE A REAL DISTRACTION AS THEY WILL BE CAUSING

ANOMALIES IN THE MID- TO HIGH-FREQUENCY RESPONSE”

>

FM131.t_scratch 6/12/02 8:50 pm Page 120

highly when used in conjunction with adimmer circuit.

Strategically aimed low-voltage halo-gen spotlights, either ceiling-mounted orlamp-style, are perfect for highlightingmixer controls and racked gear. Experi-ment with bulbs of various wattages oradd a dimmer for the perfect balance ofdirect/indirect light. While working solely

from just the light of a computer monitorand blinking LEDs may be an excitingway to explore your musical ideas awayfrom the mundane sight of the roomitself, it can be fatiguing. Ensuring thewall directly behind your screen is par-tially illuminated, so as to reduce the con-trast between light and dark, helps toalleviate this strain on your eyes. FM

FutureMusic 121

TECHNIQUE

NEXT MONTH All fired up and ready to go? Studio fromscratch concludes next month when we’ll belooking into how you can make your studiowork for you, and hopefully see some of youroriginal investment pay for itself. We’ll also bepointing out some of the pros and cons of run-ning your studio as a business.

Being far removed from the near brain surgeon-like skill required for delicate integrated circuit and surface mount com-ponent work, soldering connectors to cable ends is a relatively simple process, requiring just a couple of inexpensivetools, a steady hand, and spare afternoon.

Before joining your cables to your connectors, itpays to tin the cable ends first. The tinning process

involves applying a thin coating of solder to the exposedwire. This ensures reliable electrical contact in the finishedjoint. Wipe the soldering iron tip clean on the dampsponge, and apply a small coating of solder to the iron tip.Apply the iron tip to the exposed wire, and heat it suffi-ciently so that the solder will flow to it once applied.

With the soldering iron heating the exposed wirecable, apply the solder to the wire itself. If the wire is

hot enough, the solder should run freely and coat the sur-face. Remove the heat and allow the wire to cool beforehandling. Don’t overload the iron tip with solder or try toforce the hot solder on to a cold surface or you risk makinga mess. Practise your soldering technique by tinning scrapsof cable until you’re confident with the process.

Slip the connector’s rear section over the cable end. Ifyou forget now, you’ll have to undo all your solder

work later! Use tape or a vice to hold the connector still.Place the tinned wire tip into the appropriate lug in the con-nector. Use the soldering iron tip to heat the wire and lugbefore applying the solder to encourage the solder to flowacross the already hot components for a quality bond, andavoid a poor connection, known as a dry joint. Clean the tipregularly with the sponge before coating it with fresh solder.With some connections (like the shield of a 6.5mm plug)you may have to pass the bare wire end through an eyeletand twist it back on itself before soldering. In this case,make sure the component is hot enough for the solder toflow or the joint may be electrically poor.

SOLDERING YOUR OWN CABLES: A WALKTHROUGH GUIDE

Measure how long the cable needs to be and cut tolength. Allow for enough cable to accommodate the

installation/removal of equipment and any future move-ment of the rack (which may be on wheels to gain accessi-bility to the rear). Wash your hands to prevent any residuereducing the solder’s attraction to the metal surfaces.

Unscrew the rear of the connector to reveal the elec-trical contacts. Use the connector’s layout as a guide

when stripping the insulation from the cables. Stripping canbe made easier by running a blade around each cable’s cir-cumference, taking care not to cut the delicate wires inside.Twist the exposed wire tips with your clean fingers.

Ensure you observe proper polarity at each connec-tor or your audio signal will be thrown out of phase.

With unbalanced connections, the shielding attaches to thesleeve, and core to the tip. With balanced connections,there’ll be two cores that must be identified (usually bycolour or striping). One attaches to the tip of the plug, theother to the ring, leaving the shielding to attach to thesleeve. XLR style connectors are labelled: 1 Shield; 2 Hot; 3Cold. Whichever core you decide to assign as the hot/tip orcold/ring must be repeated at the other end of the cable.

1

Audio cable: single core with shieldfor unbalanced connections(shown in all steps below); twocore with shield for balanced con-nections (shown in step 3)

Audio connectors: quarter-inch/6.5mm TS (Tip-Sleeve) forunbalanced mono; quarter-inch/6.5mm TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve)for balanced mono, or unbalanced

stereo and/or insert; XLR for bal-anced mono.Vice or tape or ‘helping hands’(shown) to hold your connectors inplace while you solderWire stripper although sharp scis-sors would sufficeWire cutters although scalpel(shown) or knife would be OK tooSolder sucker useful in the

removal of excess solder build-up)Solder the finer 1mm wire varietyis generally easier to manageSoldering iron designed for cir-cuit board work, around 20W, witha small, flat-angled tip.

Soldering iron stand (optional buthighly recommended)

Sponge (dampened with water)

You’ll need…

1

2

3

4

5

6

2

3

4 5

6

1

2 3

4

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