Thanks primarily to modern digital technology, music can now be composed, recorded and produced in a small home-based studio. The main components I have used are:

- Computer running a sequencer application, which can also record audio
- Hardware-based synthesizers for sound generation
- Virtual synthesizers which run as PC-based applications, also used for sound generation
- Mixing desk
- Amplifier and studio reference monitors for playback


Sequencer Application

The songs are first composed in MIDI format, which allows the musical notes to be recorded independently from the sounds. This provides great flexibility to develop the musical arrangement and also to easily tailor the sounds used to the final arrangement.

Once composed, each individual element of the music is then recorded as a separate audio track, these tracks can then be mixed and processed within the sequencer application to produce a balanced mix.

A final processing stage is then applied to produce the final track ready to burn to a CD master.

My sequencer of choice is Cubase, produced by Steinberg.


Hardware-Based Synthesizers

These are stand-alone devices which provide a wide range of sounds with which to play the music composed. Typically the sounds created could not be produced using acoustically-based instruments, though some sounds are derived from a sample recording of such instruments.


Virtual Synthesizers

These also provide a wide range of sounds, the difference being that they are software applications which run on the PC and interface with the sequencer. Broadly they tend to take one of two forms:
- Emulations of hard-based synthesizers
- Purpose-designed software synthsizers


Mixing Desk

Used primarily for mixing the hardware-based sunthesizers


Amplifier And Studio Reference Monitors

Important to use reference monitors rather than hi-fi speakers so sound is not "coloured" in any way

The following is a listing of equipment used in my recordings:

Computer & Software
Cubase SX2
Inta-Audio Pentium 2.8 GHz
Midi Quest

Hardware Synthesizers
 Roland JD-800
Roland JV-1080
Novation Supernova 2
Yamaha AN1X
Yamaha SY77
Korg Prophecy

Virtual Synthesizers
 Moog Modular
Minimoog
Steinberg X-Phraze
Spectrasonics Atmosphere

Outboard
 Behringer MX8000 Mixing Desk
Soundcraft Absolute 2 Monitors
Alesis Quadreverb 2
Yamaha RY20 Drum Machine
Korg Electribe R MkII
Steinberg Midex 8 Midi Patchbay
M-Audio KeyStation Pro88