This page is an overview of my studio components; as time passes, some will also have their own pages with hacks, resources, and commentary.  The intent here was to integrate a robust music environment into a tight rolling workstation with minimal "umbilici" to the outside world.  As such, it includes the synthesizer, Macintosh, mixer, studio monitors, microphone, MIDI tools, and power management.  The component choices are optimized for quality and flexibility... and are definitely overkill at my current level of keyboard and composition ability.  I've learned, however, that it's good to leave yourself plenty of headroom where learning curves and skill-development are involved. 

The clickable pictures in the left column will take you to corresponding product pages where you can do what I did and submit to the seductive allure of sexy music gear.  (It's a sickness, I tellya.)  The brief commentary on the right summarizes my reasons for choosing each item.

Click any photo to open a new window/tab with the corresponding product page.	This column carries my comments about the products, not marketing copy.
	Roland RD700SX 88-Key Digital Piano The star of the show. The feel and the sound are astounding, and this machine is way beyond my yet-primitive needs.  I chose it after exhaustive research, which included taking a Real Pianist to see one and help me compare it with others of the same class (such as the Yamaha S90ES which also has legions of adherents).  Another useful resource for voices of experience was the Piano World Forum.  The only accessory at the moment is the M-Audio SP2 Sustain Pedal (in addition to the one that comes with the board). It's a bit early for me to start lusting after add-ons to this immensely capable axe, though I do occasionally check eBay for good deals on the World Collection and Complete Orchestra SRX Wave Expansion Boards.
	Mackie 1402VLZ3 14-Channel Mixer Choosing a mixer was harder than choosing a synth, as there are so many ways to go with this.  Technically, I don't need one at all... the Roland can talk to the Mac via USB when I want to use Garage Band voices, and via the audio interface when I want to use its own voices and record/mix in software.  Even adding mics and line-level inputs is do-able without a mixer, as long as one doesn't mind cable-fiddling.  The problem is that there are really a lot of sources around here, some of which occur simultaneously.  The smaller Mackie 1202VLZ3 12-Channel Mixer is actually quite enough, but this one adds tactile sliders and a few other features.  The important thing is an additional bus beyond basic stereo, allowing signals to go both to and from the Mac without creating a feedback loop.  Oh, and why Mackie instead of a cheaper Behringer or Alesis with more features?  Quality.
	Echo AudioFire2 FireWire Interface Even with the sexy mixer above, I still need to connect to the Mac, and FireWire is the way to go (I already had an M-Audio MobilePre USB Interface that did the job, but decided to upgrade).  It is frustrating that the all-in-one mixer/firewire solutions are either cheap-but-flimsy or insanely expensive.  I came very close to the exotic Mackie Onyx Satellite FireWire Audio Interface - it is the same price as simple minimal interfaces and profoundly sexy and feature-rich, but the recent dramatic drop might suggest that it's inventory clearance time... and the forums are rife with harsh complaints about it.  I chose the AudioFire2 after lots of online research, but have not gotten to know it yet.
	M-Audio iControl for GarageBand This thing is great. I wasn't happy with a previous M-Audio product that I had for a while (the Axiom 61), but this gadget is perfect and a pleasure to use... it gives you a tactile control surface for Garage Band.  That is much less fiddly than having to stop and do precise mousy clicks on little groups of pixels in the middle of a jam.  The controls feel good to the touch, and it just works.
	Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone I've played the flute for about 30 years, and one of the things I'm most looking forward to is laying down some 12-bar blues backing tracks and then taking the stage to jam with a more intuitive instrument.  This classic Shure mic has a great reputation for vocals and other solos, and is mounted on an Ultra 6530BK microphone stand with a Shure A2WS Windscreen to keep breath pops at bay.  This is in addition to the desk-mounted condenser below, which I bought last year for podcasting purposes... but it doesn't allow enough freedom of movement for flute or a visiting singer and I need separate ones for keyboard and stand anyway (having two types adds another option when seeking the perfect sound).
	MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount I bought this on sale from Musician's Friend about a year before this latest GAS attack, and I love it.  It has a very sweet, full sound, and the included shock isolation mount works well.  I have added a Nady pop filter to keep vocal pops minimized (Condensers are very susceptible).  This mic seems to be recognized among the cognoscenti as an excellent value for the money, though it is not considered a high-end mic.  I have it mounted on the solid little Heil Sound SB-2 Small Microphone Boom, which clamps to the desktop and is just barely long enough to swing into position when I am seated at the keyboard.
	KRK RP5 Rokit Powered 2-Way Active Monitor These are sweet (though of course, now I want the RP6 which is the next size up... not that I actually need them, of course.  Oh, and I'll take the RP10S active subwoofer too, while we're at it).  Anyway, this series is bi-amped, very clean, and has all the connector flavors you'll ever need.  I've been using them for everything.
	AKG K271 Studio Closed Headphones This was another area where an inordinate amount of research was required... headphone choice is highly subjective (and not just the trade-offs between closed vs open back, or supra-aural vs circumaural).  These are famous for not leaking any sound into a nearby mic, and even shut themselves off when removed.  They also sound spectacular and are comfy on the noggin.  I almost went with Sennheiser, but a recording-literate friend nudged me toward these, sight-unseen.  After a month of use, I can report that I love the sound, but have had occasional intermittency in the switch that shuts off the audio when they are removed from the head.
	Hosa CSS400 Series Dual Heavy-Duty TRS Cable The rat's nest problem can be reduced considerably with dual cables... these are TRS for balanced lines, and handle the synth-to-mixer and mixer-to-interface connections.  I'd use them for the speakers too, but I don't want to put them that close together!  <grin>
	Hosa 1/8 in. Stereo to 1/4 in. Stereo Cable This is for the Mac internal audio.  Under some conditions, it's quieter than that through the USB interface... or at least different.  In any case, this is a useful tool for getting portable stereo signals into the mix.
	CBI LowZ Microphone Cable This is the connection between the mixer and the powered KRK monitors.  Using balanced line keeps the noise and hum down (so does careful power management, filtering, and keeping all audio cables from lying in parallel with 60 Hz power stuff).
	StudioRTA Creation Station Studio Desk Of course, I had to put all this somewhere, and a normal desk or table is the wrong height (the Roland keytops are 4" above the surface on which it rests).  This turned out to be perfect, with a couple of small rackspaces and very solid construction.  Surprisingly nice, actually.  I'm adding outboard monitor shelves for the KRK boxes, a pull-out computer keyboard drawer, a folding music stand (the Roland lacks this essential feature), and slanted stands for iControl and Mixer flanking the Mac on the top shelf.  I'll do an article about all this when it's done.
ArtistSong NameComposerCompositionInstrument	Sheet Music Plus This is my favorite place to buy sheet music... they seem to have everything, and I often find myself wandering the halls of their vast online store discovering lots of interesting stuff that is still beyond my skills <sigh>.  Good folks and quick service (and they have gift certificates to rescue you during those last-minute quests for something wonderful to give your piano teacher).

The next step is putting it all together:




There a few modifications to the "Creation Station" that integrates all the goodies into a single system, and I have a whole article about it over here.  The first is outboard winglets for the studio monitors... they open up the stereo imaging, clear space on the top shelf, and elevate the drivers to be in line with my ears. I used marine rail hardware (60 degree angles) along with a couple of left-over bits from a previous desk project.

Another solved the problem of fitting a computer keyboard somewhere... the desktop is only 26.5 inches off the floor (with the keytops 4 inches above that), so the normal pull-out drawer would not coexist with my legs. I replicated the 9 degree slope of the Roland upper deck, using a router to mill flats at that angle on the underside of a 53x7.5 inch board. The stands are a pair of pipe flanges and short threaded posts, the front edge is beveled and softened with adhesive-backed felt, and a little notch was milled in to clear the power switch. Once painted flat black, it fit right in... and made room for the iControl, Mac keyboard/mouse, and the Mackie mixer.

The latter was bit of a trick; I used a pair of offset hinges to induce it to play nice with the curved upper shelf. The bottom is resting on a neoprene strip. The mixer is proving to be the hub of the entire audio system... it has 2 mics (the condenser in the photo plus a Shure SM57 on a floor stand for flute jammin'), Mac audio via FireWire, laptop audio, my ham radio station, a turntable, some video tools, and the Roland.

OK, no more excuses. Now I better get back to my piano lessons so I can actually play this contraption!

-Steve