My New Studio Build (perhaps overly detailed)

[silky smoove]

Super minimal and clean work station is setup. The screen is JUST tall enough to clear the MIDI keyboard. I’ll build a small platform out of two pieces of plywood. It’ll be invisible behind everything and can be held in-place with a couple pieces of Velcro. I’ll be replacing that keyboard with a more fully featured one soon enough.

The screen is new. 32”, 1440p, non-glossy screen. Should work great and is sized to not require lots of rubber necking while working in a DAW.

 

[silky smoove]

Added a 12” long piece of 2x12 lumber under my screen velcroed to the desk. Worked perfectly. The midi keys are an easy reach, while the keyboard, mouse and interface controller are ergonomically just right. The base of the screen even provided the perfect place for the HRV controller until I can wall mount it in a box. I still need to tidy up the cables.

Speaking of cables; The switch to USB-C along with a couple missing USB3 cables just forced me to drop $200 on cables to get everything up and running.

1. USB3 - Apogee Element Remote Control
2. USB3 - MIDI keyboard (signal and power)
3. USBC - Apogee Elements 88 interface #1
   
4. USBC - Apogee Elements 88 interface #2
   
5. USBC - Time Machine external HDD
   
6. USBC - Archival HDD (local duplicate of iCloud Drive)

Lean, mean, bare bones, essentials... Just how I like it!

 

[silky smoove]

Let there be light(s)!

 

[Microbass]

Damn, I knew the Mini had been re-released, but I hadn't actually checked it out. It looks like a little badass! Loving the new black finish.

The Magic Mouse/Trackpad are great for logic, especially for using the gestures to navigate zoom and scrolling (all directions), I prefer having a mouse overall but the trackpad is more versatile for Logic.

 

[silky smoove]

Damn, I knew the Mini had been re-released, but I hadn't actually checked it out. It looks like a little badass! Loving the new black finish.

It’s really more of a dark gray than black. Sort of like the Space Gray available on current iPhones. It definitely looks better than the previous ones regardless. The fact that its Geekbench score is over double my previous build doesn’t hurt either

The Magic Mouse/Trackpad are great for logic, especially for using the gestures to navigate zoom and scrolling (all directions), I prefer having a mouse overall but the trackpad is more versatile for Logic.

I had a Magic Mouse for a while and HATED it. This was a few years ago and maybe they’ve improved since my older version, but I really hated that thing.

The Magic Trackpad is very cool, but I’d only use it in conjunction with a mouse (ie never by itself). There was a kit out a while ago that combined a Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad into one unit. I might do that at some point and keep my mouse as well. Best of both worlds kind of setup!

 

[Microbass]

It’s really more of a dark gray than black. Sort of like the Space Gray available on current iPhones. It definitely looks better than the previous ones regardless. The fact that its Geekbench score is over double my previous build doesn’t hurt either


I had a Magic Mouse for a while and HATED it. This was a few years ago and maybe they’ve improved since my older version, but I really hated that thing.

The Magic Trackpad is very cool, but I’d only use it in conjunction with a mouse (ie never by itself). There was a kit out a while ago that combined a Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad into one unit. I might do that at some point and keep my mouse as well. Best of both worlds kind of setup!

I have the first edition Magic Mouse, it definitely takes a while to get used to as the whole top feels loose. The separate track pad wasn't thing when I bought it, and I'm a MBP user so was never any need. My buddy swears by the separate track pad for everything, and he spends more time in DAWs than I do. I think the if you have a KB & pad that are of the most recent or previous generation they will sit together just fine without the kit.

 

[silky smoove]

I have the first edition Magic Mouse, it definitely takes a while to get used to as the whole top feels loose.

I'm not sure which version I had, but the top definitely felt loose and the battery compartment would not stay closed, which meant it wouldn't slide smoothly across the desk and the battery was constantly popping out. The gestures only worked about 3/4 of the time, which I suppose is better than half, but still not worth the price at the time. It would also frequently lose Bluetooth connectivity with the computer. I'm guessing they've improved things since then, but I'm still leery.

 

[silky smoove]

One of the rack drawers I purchased previously arrived with a bent front plate. My replacement arrived this morning. My cat Turtle approves of this latest acquisition as a place to stretch and ultimately nap.

 

[silky smoove]

My horde of USB cables is scheduled to arrive today. Being the genius that I am, I forgot to order a pair of ADAT/Toslink/Lightpipe cables to connect the two interfaces, so I had to place another order this morning. They’ll be here tomorrow. Lots o’ cables for these interfaces. Each one gets chained to the other via ADAT in/out (two cables, four connections), and then each interface is routed to the computer via TB2 cable. The remote control has its own USB3-A connection as well. Good thing I’ve got plenty of ports!

 

[silky smoove]

Rack is filled.

I gots a lots a cables. I got the wrong cable for the remote, so I’ve got a new one arriving tomorrow with that, the missing ADAT cables, and the XLRs for the monitors I haven’t hooked up yet it’ll all be wired. With that the rack will be free to move into place against the wall. Getting close!

 

[beans-on-toast]

 

[silky smoove]

My cats are inept at most things. I’m sure they’d screw it up

 

[beans-on-toast]

My cats are inept at most things. I’m sure they’d screw it up

Ah, more disposed to management. Don’t call the cables a rat’s nest, they might try to get in there.

 

[silky smoove]

ADAT cables, the correct connection cable for the Apogee remote, and a new Jazz body and stack of parts from Warmoth to boot... all on a truck en route to my house today. My studio currently looks like a shipping and receiving warehouse with all of the cardboard and styrofoam strewn about.

 

[TwinDad]

what's the white square thing next to the Mac Mini? Looks like an Apple device, but for some reason I don't recognize it?

 

[silky smoove]

what's the white square thing next to the Mac Mini? Looks like an Apple device, but for some reason I don't recognize it?

It's an Apple Airport Express. The distance from the wifi router (Apple Airport Extreme) in my house to my studio is pretty far and has to go through a few walls. This unit acts as an extension antenna and gets the wifi signal up to an acceptable level in the studio. Additionally, the late 2012 Mac Mini (the one I just replaced) had a problem where the Bluetooth antenna and the wifi antenna would sometimes interfere with each other. To remedy this I disabled wifi on that computer and plugged an ethernet cable from the Express to the Mini, effectively making the Express a corded wifi dongle. Worked perfectly. My new Mini doesn't seem to have that issue, but I have the ethernet cable attached just in case it becomes problematic.

 

[silky smoove]

Initial testing of the remote.


Initial testing of the software interface.


Figuring out how to integrate the tuner.

 

[Microbass]

Cool run down! The Apogee stuff looks amazing.
How does it integrate with Logic; do you have a Logic Project template made up with the channels linked to each track in the project? Or does that happen with each new project and then you control tracking from the apogee software? Or do you set up the gains etc in Apogee interface then pretty much ignore it?

 

[silky smoove]

Cool run down! The Apogee stuff looks amazing.
How does it integrate with Logic; do you have a Logic Project template made up with the channels linked to each track in the project? Or does that happen with each new project and then you control tracking from the apogee software? Or do you set up the gains etc in Apogee interface then pretty much ignore it?

The integration is incredible, or at least that's the promise of the manufacturer and most reviews I've read. The audio device section of the mixer view in Logic becomes a copy and direct connection to the software interface I posted above. Essentially you can control the interfaces directly from Logic if you're in that environment. I didn't have time to play with it last night, have a gig tonight, am packing for a trip tomorrow, will be travelling all weekend... so... Early next week I'll know more.

 

[Microbass]

The integration is incredible, or at least that's the promise of the manufacturer and most reviews I've read. The audio device section of the mixer view in Logic becomes a copy and direct connection to the software interface I posted above. Essentially you can control the interfaces directly from Logic if you're in that environment. I didn't have time to play with it last night, have a gig tonight, am packing for a trip tomorrow, will be travelling all weekend... so... Early next week I'll know more.

Just done a bit of you YouTube’ing... holy moly. It takes over like you. There’s a companion app for the iPad as well. You might need an an iPad Pro (for screen size) to add to your goodies. Definitely cheaper than the Raven!