This interesting "bundle" landed in our hands. It includes everything you need to equip your computer and turn it into a decent multitrack system. Although it is a basic system, it is very complete and offers exceptional quality for the price. Many people have wondered what they need to buy to turn their computer into a serious, working tool for recording audio and MIDI in multitrack format. In short, to take the first steps toward setting up a home studio of somewhat higher quality than the shoddy, sorry first experiments almost all of us went through when starting out. At ISP we very often receive questions about why the machine bogs down, stops, has delays, why mixes don't sound the same at home as in the car (to give an example), etc. All these questions have the same general explanation. To record at home through your computer, you need a minimum of essential components. For example, studio monitors that give you a mix reference (even a basic one) instead of the crummy computer speakers or whatever others you have hooked up, which very likely are no good for mixing your songs.

It's daunting (especially financially) to think about how many things we have to buy and install. Spending money and on top of that getting everything to work. Well, this is where the RODE Recording System comes into play.

What is the RODE Recording System?
It is a compact package that includes everything you need to give your computer musical capabilities far superior to those of a standard computer. The components you'll find in the bundle are

- A RODE NT1-A condenser microphone.
- Two EVENT ALP 5 bi-amplified studio monitors.
- A PRESONUS FireWire AUDIO MIDI interface.
- A desktop mic stand.
- The cabling needed to connect everything.
- Basic software to get the most out of the gear: CUBASE LE, SONY ACID MIX, PRO PAK SOFTWARE SUITE.
- Manual.

Over the next few paragraphs we will analyze each part of the included gear.

What do you need to install the RODE Recording System?
To get the most out of this recording system, you need to already have the following at your home or rehearsal space:

1. A reasonably modern computer (preferably a latest-generation one, of course).
2. The computer must have a FireWire input.
3. RAM. Keep in mind that RAM is one of the most important elements, or the one that most affects your ability to keep your computer from getting overloaded as you record tracks and/or add effects. Make sure the computer has a minimum amount of RAM, at least 1 GB. It's not much, but it will do to get started (so will less).

Okay, now we have everything. Let's go through it step by step.

PRESONUS Inspire 1394 Audio MIDI Interface
Here we find the first substantial improvement over whatever audio devices your computer might have come with "originally." It is a small external box that communicates with the computer via the FireWire port. As you know, this connection is faster than USB and won't give you transmission problems. In fact, we ran some tests at ISP and the device installs the first time, easily, and works perfectly.

In addition to saving you latency and compatibility problems with ASIO, for example, which you'll need for the included CUBASE LE software, the interface has some attractive features.

Front panel
You have two instrument inputs in ¼" TRS jack format and in XLR format for mics.
Rear panel
Two FireWire ports
Mini-jack headphone output
Outputs 1 and 2 in RCA format
Inputs 3 and 4 in RCA
Power socket

Inspire 1394 Control Panel
It is a tool that works, works well and has options for solving any need that may come up. You control the hardware through the software, which is installed on your machine when you add the device. Thanks to the Inspire 1394 Control Panel, you can supply phantom power (48V) to your condenser mics, control input gain and output volumes, activate boost and limit on inputs 1 and 2, set headphone level, input panning, selectable sample rate, latency parameters, etc.

Perhaps the only thing missing is a couple more outputs, in case you want to send the signal to several monitors or various devices in the future. In any case, as I mentioned at the beginning, the tool is perfectly adequate and lets you use any kind of instrument or mic. An option that offers great possibilities despite its small size.

RODE NT1-A
Having reviewed the interface's capabilities, which include XLR inputs and 48V phantom power, we proceeded to plug in the RODE mic included in the bundle.

There's little left to say at this point about the RODE brand, as its prestige in studio microphones is and has been extraordinary. Until recently, I hadn't come across mics from this company at such moderate prices. Let's see what it can do together with the Event monitors and the PreSonus interface.

We find a sturdy, good-looking mic bearing the RODE logo, a guarantee in itself. It is a condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern that promises fairly crisp, transparent pickup despite its attractive price.

For this test we used an acoustic guitar as the source. We know this guitar's response well, both direct (through its onboard preamp) and acoustically, and when captured by other mics we are happy with for this kind of recording. So our goal was to record with the RODE and get the same satisfying, clear, real and transparent sounds. We connected the mic to the XLR input and set the gain using the control panel. Once the signal levels, the guitar-to-mic distance and the RODE's position relative to the instrument were dialed in, we began the recording tests.

The results were satisfying—so much so that we liked the naturalness and expression captured more than that of the instrument's own preamp (a good preamp). That said, recording is somewhat more cumbersome (if you want to do it right) than going direct. We had to move the mic a little farther from the body than usual and change the area we were miking, because the lows were more prominent than they should be compared with other mics at similar prices. Once we found the perfect mic position, we recorded. The tracks came out very natural, even without touching any EQ. We ran a multiband compressor on the two rhythm tracks, compressing the lowest frequencies a little. We left the mids and highs just as they came from the mic. A little reverb on the solo track and done. Considering what it costs, I think RODE has struck a very good balance between price and results. With care, finding the perfect positions and touching up the recorded results, we can get satisfying results. You can listen to the acoustic recordings made with the NT1-A at www.ispmusica.com

EVENT ALP 5E MONITORS
Here we have a pair of medium/small monitors built from laminated MDF, with a polypropylene woofer and 50 W of amplification for the lows and 30 W for the highs.

At first glance it seems like an ideal pair for small studios. The manufacturer talks about an excellent balance between woofer and tweeter, an attractive stereo image and particular distinction in reproducing the mids.

It stands apart from other options especially because of the position of the bass port: the cabinet has no rear port and instead features the opening on the front, in the lower corner.

We're talking about particularly low prices (although there are still cheaper ones), so on paper it seems like another interesting alternative for those getting started with monitoring.

As for connections, there are XLR and TRS connections, plus an RCA input. On the back there is a knob for adjusting the input sensitivity from -20 dB, -5 dB to max. The power switch is also on the rear panel. Personally, I prefer it on the front.

As in the other cases, we put the monitors' power, transparency, fidelity and quality to the test of our ears.

Tested
We had already put another pair of this same brand and model through an ISP test. Considering their low price, the result is very satisfying. It's curious that each monitor, which in theory should be flat or neutral, has its own personality. Along those lines, we think it's wise to look for the pair that sounds as natural as possible, fits our budget and has a sound (within that personality) that we like. Naturally, each person will prefer one or another according to their tastes.

In short, we think these are compact, small monitors for working at medium and moderate volumes. In any case, more than enough. We liked the character of these little guys, and we were surprised by their realism on acoustic guitar playback, for example. They offer good clarity and clear transparency, without neglecting the presence of the lows, which show quite a bit of body and average definition.

They are quite balanced and let you hear each track of the recording with a fair amount of clarity. They're surprising, considering the pair costs €269. In my view, they strike a very reasonable balance between highs and lows (the latter a bit thick), reproducing all frequencies without any of them being bothersome through excess or deficiency.

INCLUDED SOFTWARE
To round out the tools the RODE Recording System offers, the bundle includes various software tools. Among them are CUBASE LE, the Audio Damage, Plugo, Camel Crusher and Voxengo plug-ins, a collection of PreSonus loops and ACID XMC.

We will soon run a more extensive and detailed test of CUBASE LE and the rest of the software components. This time I've run out of space. However, I will note specifically that the LE version is fully usable. Together with the rest of the products in the bundle, you'll be able to make your multitrack recordings perfectly. In fact, if these are going to be your first experiences messing around with multitrack software and home recording tools, the Rode Recording System will keep you busy for a long time before you squeeze everything out of it.

The LE version of this Steinberg software has certain limitations compared with its big brothers CUBASE SX3, CUBASE 4, etc. Even so, it is not a toy, and it is a quite acceptable option for starting to get to grips with computer-based recording and mixing.