Studio Level: Beginner to Advanced

In today's fast moving world, especially if you have a paying hobby (a job), time is your worst enemy since it seems to be a world class sprinter.  If you are a recording engineer or just happened to be lucky enough to have your own private home recording studio or DAW, you don't have much time to waste, because there's so much music, so little time

Due to the fact that more of us musicians get involved in most phases of the recording process, the days of preparing Margaritas between recording sessions are over.  You need all the time you can get to finish tracking a song, editing, mixing, etc.  If your rig is a simple set up or you're an multi-instrumentalist, here are five pieces of gear that will save you a ton of time making you more efficient in your man-cave studio!

Device: Dual PC HD Monitors

Having multiple monitors is just such a powerful tool to have at any level of computing, even at the office. Nothing beats having two separate monitors to view your track and the DAW mixing console on another!    The possibilities are endless, it just really depends on what you can use it for in your style of studio time.  Remember that if you must view your porn on one monitor, you will get caught because you won't be able to switch off the correct monitor that fast when some one walks into to your studio... you may want to consider a "Recording is in Session" sign for your studio door so no one enters unannounced. (of course this is a joke... I try not to be boring, you know?)

Time saved: About 10 minutes per hour in alt-tab screen switching or 15 minutes per hour (MPH) in mouse clicking to other screens.  But... please don't ask about my formula here to calculate time saved.  There are mouse clickers that will make a morse code operator look like a wax museum statue so maybe the times vary, either way you save a WTF amount of time of unnecessary clicking or tabbing.

Device: MIDI DAW Controller

Obviously we've all tried working on editing or mixing songs using your DAW software's console with the mouse.  Behold that the power of music is such that not many engineers have blown their brains out due to this method of faders manipulation, which can get annoying and exhausting.  Your arm may stay in that same "I'm-palming-an-orange-around" mode for days after, and to add insult to injury your index finger will twitch in the same mouse clicking motion like a cyborg's machete-amputated arm.

Luckily, there are now tons of great controllers that are compatible with most popular recording software consoles and even for the plug ins.  I personally have had the BCF2000 for about 3 years now and believe me when I tell you, it's the best $140.00 I have ever spent!  There are of course all sort of price ranges with different and more specific to software capabilities.  But the idea is the same; save time and stress.

Time saved - can not be measured but is a whole #$&% of it!

Device: Microsoft's Notebook

Have you ever come up with an awesome song structure or list of synth sounds for a totally universe altering song? You possibly have written some notes but; on the day of production they are no where to be found, or worse, you spilled your coffee on them?!  Well just having NOTEBOOK on your DAW can save you the trouble of having to even write.  which is the reason why I need to buy a stamp for my signature, because I hardly write anymore and forgot how.  I know it's wrong or whatever because nothing replaces the personal touch of handwritten notes blah, blah, blah. But when the gods of creativity shine their spirit upon me, there's no time to even find a pen.  So I just bust out my Notebook and begin typing notes all over the place.

In Notebook you can create several "Notebooks" kind of like having those five subject notebooks from school, but digital.  All the notes can be separated per song title, etc. Plus, you can store your Notebook on Windows Live and have access to your notes from any internet connection device!  Besides, years after that song made you millions of dollars, you can post all those notes from the songs on your web page and squeeze out a few more sales due to the coolness of your notes regarding the song.  OK, that's just wishful thinking, but you get my point.

Time Saved: Depends how many notes you actually take now and/or number of coffee cups spilled on notes.

Device:  Dynamic Microphone Shure SM57

This microphone is so versatile that nine times out of ten, you try it on some instrument you have to record like last week, and ends up giving you the perfect sound every time no questions asked, hands down.  In fact, the more of these you have the more time you will save setting them up for other instruments, because believe me, you will want to use them for a lot!  In terms of saving time, consider the countless hours you've spent trying to achieve the perfect sound with other mics, only to bust out an SM57 and Voila!

Time Saved: The more Mics the more time saved.  Add bonus saved time by carrying one or two when you go record somewhere else, like your buddy's studio down the road.  Heck, it's too bad they don't make holsters for them otherwise I would carry seven around my belt or twenty four of them across my chest like Pancho Villa, everywhere I will encounter sound.

Device: Trackball Mouse

Let me start that this is one item that I don't have yet.  Why?  Because you actually need a very good one to be functional and yet it has not been on my priority list due to many budget deficits in my personal DAW spending account.  Those Belkin mice with the retarded red trackball are disposable and do not work very well.  Their price pretty much speak for them (like 2 for $1.00?).  What I have been eyeing for a while is any mouse from the Kensigton trackball line who are like the masters of the universe of trackball mice. All those can range from $40 to $250 with various and some cool functions that can be customized.  Choose your battles here but with limited recording desk space now a days and the amount of mouse use within your DAW software, it is worth the price, not to mention the subject at hand.

Time saved rolling your ball.  Endless amount in ball rolling time! (which leaves more time to roll your balls, it's a continuous loop!)

I could recommend stuff to you, but you will buy the one you think its cooler anyway or one that your wallet/wife agrees with.  Now that you know that these add-ons can save you time, the equations is always the same; More ball rolling+Time = $.

Good luck and you can ask me anything in my Facebook Wall or Inbox!  May not have all the answers but will guide you in the right path to finding the answer.

Ruben-