CHAPTER 4Computers and Recording

The home-recording revolution of the past 10 years has been possible because of one key element: the personal computer. In the 1970s and ’80s home studios required a good-sized mixing console, a tape machine (reel or cassette), and a bunch of outboard processors (compressors, reverbs, and delays). In the 1990s the ADAT machine replaced the tape machine, making higher-quality recording available to the home studio user for a cheaper price tag. This was great, but the price tag was still around $5,000 to $10,000.

By the year 2000 computer processors were getting fast enough to handle basic recording and mixing tasks. In a couple of years the basic price of a powerful system was surprisingly affordable. Now for the ...

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