When faced with the prospect of setting up a classroom recording facility, what are the equipment priorities? Stephanie Sobey-Jones puts together a basic studio which can grow with the needs of the pupil and the resources available.

In last month's issue of RM, I looked at some of the basic considerations which will inevitably arise when a teacher is faced with the exciting, and sometimes frustrating task of buying music technology equipment for use in school. This month, I am going to put together a classroom studio which will cater for the major technology activities now incorporated into National Curriculum music. So, what equipment do you need, what does it do, and how does it link up with existing resources?

Know What You Need

In any music technology system, whether in the classroom, home or commercial studio, there are several basic categories of equipment:

- Sound sources
- Recording equipment
- MIDI resources
- Sound processors
- Mastering equipment
- Amplification
- Monitoring

It is often unnecessary to rush out and purchase everything at once (unless you suddenly inherit a fortune!). Most people build up their studios gradually, starting with two or three main pieces of equipment which are sufficient to do the basics, but which contain sockets, ports and features to allow expansion or link-up with other equipment at a later date. Any music department will probably have a variety of acoustic and electronic sound sources at its disposal and there are basically two areas of technology work which can be developed from these resources — recording, and MIDI work (most commonly sequencing, but also involving use of other music software). The two paths can eventually meet in the form of synchronisation between tape and MIDI, giving a fairly sophisticated facility, but either side can be separately developed through the gradual addition of resources, depending on the ages and requirements of the pupils.

Recording

Stephanie Sobey-Jones is Education Specialist at Systems Workshop, and a part-time Lecturer in Music Technology. She is currently running a series of courses for Primary and Secondary teachers, covering different aspects of technology in the Music curriculum.

Most schools will possess a stereo cassette recorder/hi-fi system which allows recording of pupils' compositions or performances via a separate or built-in microphone. The next step from here is the purchase of a multitrack recorder, which will allow recording of material onto individual tracks on separate occasions. (See RM September '92 for a full article on the multitrack recorder). Multitrackers exist either as open reel machines (used in conjunction with a separate mixer), or as cassette-based machines which generally include some kind of integral mixing facilities. Most school budgets favour the latter type which, in effect, will provide the 'central nervous system' of the classroom studio, where sound sources can be plugged in, combined and tonally adjusted either before or after recording to tape. The mixer section will contain a number of input channels, allowing you to plug in keyboards, drum machines and other electronic instruments which generate a line-level signal.

Alternatively, you can plug in microphones to record acoustic instruments and voices. In general, electronic instruments which contain an output socket, and any microphone whose lead has a jack plug can be plugged into the input channels of the mixer section, which are usually marked mic/line, or line only. (Electric guitars can also be plugged directly into these inputs, but do not be tempted to connect a lead from the speaker output of a guitar amplifier into one of these inputs, as this may well cost you a new multitracker!) Most cassette-based multitrackers basically permit four separate tracks to be recorded. Some machines allow simultaneous recording of the tracks, but some of the budget models force you to record two tracks, followed by the other two. More expensive models exist, which record eight tracks and have more sophisticated mixer facilities, but even with a fairly basic 4-track model it is possible to increase your total number of recorded tracks to as many as ten, by 'bouncing' material (see the review of the Vestax MR44 4-track elsewhere in this issue for a full explanation of this trick), but remember that every 'bounce' gives a slight reduction in quality, and that once tracks are combined, the relative balance between groups of instruments is more difficult to control. Nevertheless, it is a realistic alternative if your budget does not extend to an 8-track machine. Choosing a multitracker will depend on particular features (an extensive review of different machines appeared in RM July '92). See the box on cassette multitrackers for some guidelines.

Since material recorded on four tracks of a multitracker cannot be instantly replayed on a stereo cassette recorder (you will only hear two of the tracks!), you need an additional machine connected to your multitrack in order to 'mix down' or 'master' the material. This is where your existing hi-fi system can be very useful, since it provides the cassette recorder, amplifier and speakers required to monitor any recorded material. Multitrackers are equipped with line out sockets, and a pair of leads connected between these and the auxiliary or line in sockets of your hi-fi or 'ghetto blaster' will provide a simple way for the pupils to transfer their material from the multitracker to stereo cassette. Naturally, a standard hi-fi will rarely compete with a studio quality amplifier and monitors, but this is a good example of being able to use an existing resource quite practically until budget allows for a replacement.

There are one or two useful peripherals which you might consider next in order to make better use of your multitracker. If your recording is so far confined to electronic instruments, then consider investing in one or two microphones. For use with many budget cassette-based multitrackers, these should be high impedance mics with a jack plug connector. This is not always true of more sophisticated models, which may work with low impedance mics. Check your manual for details. If you are intending to record sung vocals or speech, a useful device to have is a pop shield, which helps to eliminate explosive consonants from your recording. By school budget standards, commercial shields are still a bit pricey, but you can make one easily enough with a piece of wire looped at one end and covered with stocking material. Most multitrackers contain a punch-in/out socket which is designed for a foot pedal. This will allow you to re-record part of a track without having to completely redo it — a very useful facility for classroom recording! Finally, if you have several different activities going on at once in the classroom, which is invariably the case, consider investing in headphones for use with the multitracker as an alternative to the amplifier and speakers!

"It is often unnecessary to rush out and purchase everything at once. Most people build up their studios gradually, starting with two or three main pieces of equipment which are sufficient to do the basics, but which allow expansion at a later date."

Expanding: Effects

Having set up a facility for recording, mixing and mastering material, the next significant step is to provide the opportunity to add new dimensions to your recorded sound. In the professional studio, this is done using a variety of sound processing equipment which will alter sound in different ways. The most useful piece of equipment to add to your classroom studio is an effects unit. These exist as units which will add reverberation (an effect which can give the feeling of the music being played in a huge concert hall, or cathedral) to a recording, or there are multi-effects units capable of generating several different effects — reverb, delay (echo), pitch changes and EQ. Depending on the model, some units will generate up to four different effects simultaneously, some come with a number of preprogrammed combinations, whilst others allow you to edit the factory programs and even program your own combinations (not really a job for the fainthearted!). This is where you will utilise the Effect Send/Return sockets on your multitrack. Connect a lead from the Send socket to the Input of the effects unit, and connect another lead from the Output of the unit to the multitracker's Return socket. You can now use the Effect or Auxiliary knob on each channel to control the amount of reverb or delay which you hear, and it will make a stunning difference to your pupil's compositions and performances.

MIDI Work And Computers

Any keyboard with MIDI sockets can be connected to a suitable computer to form the basis of your classroom MIDI setup, and the most common application is likely to be for sequencing activities (see the MIDI Basics article on MIDI sequencing elsewhere in this issue). Depending on the school computer preference, you may be landed with a particular machine, or you may be able to choose your own and house it permanently in the music room. Remember that unless you have an Atari ST, you will need a MIDI interface to link up your keyboard and computer. Sequencing software packages exist for most computers; some makes afford more choice of software, but most offer the basic facilities necessary for recording and editing MIDI information to some degree (again, see the above article). One of your most important considerations is likely to be how your recorded material is displayed on the screen — does the package offer conventional music notation, or is your work displayed in other formats? You may also want to have a facility for printing out musical scores of pupils' compositions. There are two ways of going about this. Either choose an integrated sequencing/scorewriting package, or, if you already have a sequencer, consider investing in a separate scoring package which allows you to input MIDI information (notes) in real or step time, or which will allow you to load in existing MIDI files from your sequencer which you can then edit and print out. Either way, you will need a printer which your particular software package is able to support, so it is probably a good thing to mention your existing resources to your local dealer before actually buying the package. A sequencer is probably the most universally useful piece of music software to start with, but in time, you may want to extend the use of your computer to include other types of software. Consider an ear-training package which can be used with groups of pupils either in a formal situation, or which allows individual work. Some of them can be fairly addictive and, particularly where A-Level aurals are concerned, I find them invaluable. There are currently some very interesting packages involving studies of musical works and aspects of music history. Again, some of these are designed for independent study by pupils, which makes them a useful resource, particularly for GCSE and A-Level.

Extending The MIDI Setup

Depending on your MIDI keyboard, which will be a vital resource for use with a variety of software packages, you may only have the ability to generate one particular voice at a time, which will somewhat limit the potential of your sequencing. Buying a multitimbral keyboard which will play several different voices at once, when driven by a sequencer, is an ideal but costly development. A less expensive alternative is to invest in a multitimbral sound module which can link up to your existing keyboard via MIDI (see RM September '92). As with the multitrack recorder, it is necessary to have some means of transferring MIDI information (ie. the pupil's composition) to cassette tape, so again the hi-fi system or tape recorder can be linked to your keyboard's output socket(s) and the 'mix' you have set up on the screen will be mastered onto tape. If, on the other hand, you have used several sound sources in a 'chain' with the computer — for example, a keyboard, drum machine and sound module — you will need a way of combining all those resources in order to send them to stereo cassette tape at the same time. This is when the mixer part of your multitracker is invaluable, as it allows you to plug a different source into each channel, balance them and add additional equalisation (plus effects, if you have a unit connected to the multitracker), before mastering to tape via the line out sockets as before.

Making The Link

Before long, some pupils will inevitably start producing compositions which involve a combination of sequenced backing tracks plus one or two taped tracks — electric guitar, voice or acoustic instruments — both of which will require simultaneous mastering to stereo cassette. There are two ways around this; the simplest is to transfer all your sequenced tracks onto one or two tracks of the multitracker, then record the acoustic instruments/vocal parts on the remaining tracks. This is, however, something of a compromise. Firstly, by transferring your sequenced tracks to tape, you will suffer a slight loss in quality. Secondly, once these sequenced tracks have been committed to tape, the relative balance between the instruments cannot be altered, so that when acoustic tracks are added to the mix, individual sequenced parts which are now too loud or too quiet cannot be adjusted.

The best solution is to eventually consider adding a synchroniser to your resources. Synchronisers exist either as free-standing units, or computer attachments. Basically, the synchroniser generates a signal which you record onto one track of tape. It then reads this signal during playback and generates information which allows the sequencer to keep in step with the multitracker. You will, of course, lose the use of one tape track, but it does mean that you have control over every single sequenced and taped track until you are quite happy with the final mix. Make sure that your multitracker will be compatible with the type of synchroniser you are intending to use. Some multitrackers have special sync connections/facilities for this purpose.

Long-Term Development

The resources covered in this article will form the core of what can be quite a sophisticated classroom studio, catering for a wide age range of pupils. One of the more frustrating aspects of buying music technology equipment is inevitably the fact that new products appear almost every week, with more facilities, different sounds and so on. However, this can frequently work to your advantage, as last week's model can often be obtained at bargain prices! A studio setup such as this can be gradually expanded in a number of ways over a considerable period of time. Additional sound sources can be added in the form of sound modules and drum machines to complement your existing range of MIDI keyboards, and which can have uses in both sequencing and tape recording. Consider exploring some of the MIDI controllers which provide a useful alternative to inputting material from the keyboard (again, see the MIDI sequencing article in this issue). Adding to your stock of microphones might be another long-term consideration, as might developing your software resources. Installation of your equipment is another point worth considering. You might enlist the services of the CDT department to provide furniture for your computers and keyboards, with holes cut out so that MIDI leads travel from one piece of equipment to another underneath rather than on top of surfaces. Similarly, mains leads can be kept off the floor and away from easy access — always a classroom nightmare! Some pieces of equipment actually benefit from being more mobile, and small trolleys provide an excellent base for multitrackers and sound modules which may be required to 'hook up' to pieces of equipment in different parts of the room, or even in different rooms! The possibilities are endless, but it is always worth working with new equipment for some time before actually committing it to a permanent siting. This way the classroom studio will develop into a facility which suits everyone.