Tag Archives: 2018

Awesome Synthesizer Workstations For Under $500

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Workstation synthesizers have been around for many years. If you don’t know, a synthesizer workstation is a complete music production system built into a synth. You can arrange full songs, with drums, bass, synths, etc… Very popular workstations include the Yamaha Motif8, and the Korg Krome but these are quite pricey and not really the best choice for a lot of musicians on a budget.

Sure you could just use a computer, but some people don’t like working this way, plus if you are a solo musician who performs live, a workstation can be a better option since there’s no need to deal with laptops and audio interfaces. Also you don’t need to find VSTs, samples, and different plugins you need on a computer. Everything you need is already in the workstation. I thought I would put together a little list of some great workstations you can get for $500 or less!

1. The Yamaha MX49. Yamaha’s legendary Motif Series has been used by countless professionals, so it’s no surprise that Yamaha could make a compact, and inexpensive workstation that sounds absolutely phenomenal. Watch this demo below to hear some of the beautiful sounds the MX49 can produce. This video is in Japanese, but it really demonstrates the quality of this wonderful instrument. 

2. The Korg MicroARRANGER is another great full featured workstation that has more keys than the MX49, however they’re microkeys. This can be a deal breaker for some people, but if you have small hands like me, it’s not a bad thing. Korg has done quite well with their “Micro” series, hence the legendary MicroKORG. They thought they would try this idea in workstation package. This is cool for the travelling musician who needs powerful accompaniment with a small footprint.  

3. The Casio WK6600 is quite possibly the best deal and I honestly think it sounds better than the MicroARRANGER, but not quite as good as the Yamaha MX49. However it’s $200 cheaper than both of them! Casio’s name is legendary in the home keyboard market, and nearly everyone on the planet has owned one at one time or another. I still have a vintage CT370 that I use on nearly everything I record. Their build quality is just as legendary as their name, this is why you see so many Casios that have been abused for years by kids that still work great. In addition to being less expensive, you get 76 FULL SIZED KEYS on the WK6600.

So the bottom line, if you’re looking for the highest sound quality, go with the Yamaha MX49, if portability is your concern, than the MicorARRANGER might before you, and the most for your money goes to the WK6600.

Hopefully you found this article helpful and useful. If you did, feel free to leave a comment below.

5 Great Budget Computers for Linux Multimedia Setups

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Dell Optiplex 980

  1. If you’re looking for a desktop, the Dell Optiplex 980 can be bought referbished for very cheap on Amazon for only $173.99. It comes with a core i5 processor, 8gb RAM, and a 500gb HDD. Dell has a long history for being highly Linux compatible, and and are one of the few major manufacturers that sell new PCs with Ubuntu Pre-Installed.
  2. Another great refurbished deal on a desktop is the HP 8300 Elite. This one also has a core i5, 500gb HDD, and 8gb RAM. But is a bit more expensive at $188.88. Like Dell, HP has a pretty good reputation with Linux compatibility, though not quite as good as Dell. Luckily these days, most desktops with built-in graphics have little trouble with the Penguin.  
  3. If you’re looking for a laptop, business laptops are usually a good place to look for Penguin friendliness. The 15.6″ Dell Inspiron is an excellent deal at only $418.00. It comes with a 7th generation Core i3 processor, 8gb ram, and a 1tb HDD.

    Dell Inspiron 15.6

  4. Older model Macbooks are another great choice for Linux media production. You can pick them up for a fraction of their original cost. Macs have beautifully designed hardware and are durable for many years. The 2012 Macbook Pro can still be purchased on Amazon for $889. This model sports a Core i5, 4gb RAM, and a 500gb HDD. Though they are not quite as easy to setup using linux, and sometimes there can be challenges with wifi, boot sectors, or video drivers, but even with all of that, once setup you can have a very high quality Linux machine.

    2012 Macbook Pro

Choosing the right studio monitors for your small apartment home studio

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Choosing the right studio monitors can be a daunting task. With the popularity of home recording, there’s thousands of monitors out there to choose from. Also, some of us have home studios that are smaller than average and live in small apartments. How do you select the best ones for an environment like this? First I’m going to explain a couple of things you should consider before making your choice.

Q: Can’t I just mix with headphones? 

A: Generally you do not want to mix with headphones alone. Headphones are rarely neutral sounding and tend to color the sound greatly. This will end up causing your mixes to sound good in your headphones, but then weird everywhere else. It’s okay to use a pair of headphone as a second reference source, but you should definitely have a good set of ‘flat response’ monitors to make your primary reference.

Q: What does ‘flat response’ mean?

A: Flat response has to do with what I was talking about in the headphones answer. ‘Flat’ in this context means, neutral, uncolored, as in no extra bass frequencies, or any enhanced frequencies at all. Many headphones and commercial home stereo speakers have a TON of added bass frequencies these days. If you mix with something like this, your mix will end up sounding thin. This is because you were mixing to compensate for the extra bass in the speakers. 

Q: Are all studio monitors ‘flat’?

A: Not really. Some are quite colored as well. But this is usually the ones that are geared more towards the novice and doubling as gaming or computer speakers. You will want to make sure to get some that have a good reputation. 

Q: Why does it matter how big my apartment is? 

A: Room acoustics have a lot to do with how good your mixes end up sounding. If you have a very small apartment, you don’t want to buy something too big for the room. Not only because of acoustics, but also because of space and being considerate to your neighbors. You want to have the correct power and size for your room. For a small bedroom, I recommend woofer sizes from 5″ to 6.5″, if you have a slightly larger room, then 8″ may be appropriate. 

Another thing to know is that some studio monitors are not sold in pairs. They come separately, so this should be considered when pricing your monitors. Unless they actually say “pair” then you should assume the price is for a single monitor. In addition to that, you should also understand the difference between “passive” and “active” monitors. Passive means they’re not powered, and active means they are powered. The difference here is that with passive monitors you will need a poweramp to use them. I will only be recommending active monitors in this post.

So here’s the list:

Tascam 2 “Pack ” VL-S5 5″ 2-Way Professional Studio Monitor, 60Hz-22kHz Frequency Response, 1″ Tweeter, 20kOhm Balanced/10kOhm Unbalanced Input Impedance, Single

Best for a tight budget in a small room is the Tascam  VL-S5 5.25″ studio monitors. These come in a pair and are perfect for a very small apartment. They have balanced XLR inputs, silk tweeters, and 5.25″ Kevlar woofers. The frequency response goes from 60hz to 22khz. They are 40 watt woofers which is good power for a small room. Tascam has a long history in home recording and these high rated monitors are a great deal for the money. They’re only about $190 for the pair.

 

Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor Bundle with Two Monitors and Cables

Best quality for small apartment goes to the Yamaha HS5s Studio Monitors. Similar in size to the Tascams, but the HS5s have a much better frequency response at 54hz to 30khz. They are also powered and this bundle also comes in a pair. They have 5″ woofers that are 45 watts. They have balanced 1/4 inputs as well as XLR. Yamaha’s reputation for studio monitors is nothing short of excellent. They have a reputation for being one of the flattest response monitors on the market. These run for about $400 for the pair.

Rockville DPM6C 6.5″ 2-Way 210W Wood Active/Powered Studio Monitor Speaker

Best for budget in a medium sized bedroom studio goes to the Rockville DPM6. This monitor is sold individually, so you will need to purchase two. They’re about $95 each. They feature 70 watt woofers, come in black, white and wood colors (pictured above), frequency response is 50hz to 20khz. They have 6.5″ woofers but are still small enough for a bedroom/apartment studio. In addition to balanced XLR and 1/4″ inputs, they also have unbalanced RCA inputs, as well as adjustable high and low boost and cut knobs on the back for room compensation.

Yamaha HS8 Powered Studio Monitors Pair White w/ Strukture PRO20M7 XLR Cables 20 feet – Bundle

Best quality for medium sized room goes to the Yamaha HS8s. These are amazing monitors for a medium sized apartment/bedroom studio. Like the HS5 above, Yamaha quality is next to none. They have amazingly flat response, and look super stylish in the all white model. The frequency response is incredible at 38hz to 30khz! They have 75 Watt 8″ Woofers and 1″ tweeters. You can get the pair for $700.