Before you go any further, you should know that having expensive, high-quality gear and even a multimillion recording facility is great for creating professional recordings, but it pales in comparison to how critical skills are for making a great mix or recording. In short, when you know what you are doing, it trumps any piece of gear you can fit into your home recording studio.
Fortunately, modern technology gives you the advantage of creating incredibly professional recordings without spending a lot of money on gear – and does so from the comfort of your own home – and here’s how to do it on a budget.
Your Computer
Before you do anything else, make sure you have a computer. However, you don’t need a PC so strong that it can power a spaceship and costs you more than you can afford. At the same time, you cannot do any serious recording tasks with a hand-me-down running one of the operating systems from the 90s, like Windows 95.
The best thing you can do for yourself and the studio is get a mid-range, current iMac, Mac Book Pro, Mac Mini, or any other PC with similar specs. However, most creatives in the industry prefer using Mac machines. Your computer is set to become the brains of your operations and it’s a critical component of a home studio build.
Get a Digital Audio Workstation
A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is a computer application that enables you to record, incorporate virtual instruments (also known as Vis), and create your mix. Avid Pro Tools is an industry standard that allows for audio mixing, manipulating, and routing. An even pricier option is Apple’s Logic, which is a favorite for many producers, songwriters and musicians.
Another even pricier DAW is the Ableton Live, which is a favorite for many electronic, hip-hop, and EDM genres producers. Other DAWs include Fruity Loops, Reaper, Cubase, and many others. As you can see, the choices available for DAWs on the market are varied; just remember that you should choose a DAW that you’re most comfortable using for the best workflow.
Set Up Your Audio Interface
Unless you plan to use Virtual Instruments (Vis) as well as samples in your recordings, you will require installing an audio interface in your studio. The audio interface is a critical component for recording audio like voice, piano, synth, and others via your microphone or using an instrument cable. The interface will also provide you with a means of connecting to a set of quality monitors.
While you have the option of using your laptop’s headphone output, it’s still not as good an interface. Plus, you will require adapters that can be a nuisance considering the buzz produced by audio converters and your computer. For the home studio enthusiast, a good option is a cheap audio interface with few inputs – unless you will be recording a live band that requires a host of microphones or drums.
Apart from the differences in the number of input and output ports in an audio interface, there is a slight difference in quality between the more expensive and cheaper units, but the difference is almost negligible. If you will be running live instruments like vocals and guitars in combination with virtual instruments, the difference in sound quality is even more negligible. In fact, high-end audio interfaces are designed for engineers working with audio mostly, instead of electronic sound producers.
Your Speakers and Headphones
One of the most important requirements of creating your home studio is being able to hear whatever you are mixing and recording in as great a detail as possible. Fortunately, with a great online resource to find a studio monitor, you don’t need to deplete your bank account for some quality options. Monitors are “flat” and do not have the hyped EQ curve of commercial speakers that can lead to some costly mix mistakes.
If you intend on recording vocals or another instrument using a microphone, get a pair of headphones to avoid feedback and other noises produced by monitors when recording in the same room. While you can get cheap headphones, consider investing in quality units if you need them for mixing and production.
Your Microphones
You need a microphone for vocals or another acoustic instrument; in some cases, you will need more than one. If you are working on popular music, you need to ensure that the vocal tracks are shining in the mix. Fortunately, you can get stellar quality vocals from a relatively cheap microphone.
However, what makes a huge difference in recorded vocal tracks quality is the quality and skill of singer, and quality of room you are recording in. If a not-so-good singer is recorded in a room full of noise and resonance, the result is unprofessional sound. On the other hand, when you record a great singer in a room without echo, resonance and other unwanted noise, you will attain quality tracks.
This doesn’t mean that you should splurge money on purchasing the most expensive acoustic treatments you can find on the market for your recording studio. Cheap and easily available stuff like pillows, mattresses, blankets, and many others will also help dampen your room. Consider also adding bookcases full of books to create a great acoustic room.
In fact, some people starting out have their vocalist record in a walk-in closet! This is a great place to start before you can move on to investing in a professional vocal booth. If you want to record a stereo source like drum overheads and a piano, invest in an extra microphone that matches with what you already have in your studio.
Once your recording studio is done, it’s only a matter of creating your own home recorded demo, turn it into a master track, and get ready to compete for airplay on your local major radio stations. If you don’t want to go through all the hassles of setting up your studio, you can always hire professionals.
