Basics For Producing Music: Discover How To Set Up Your Recording Studio From Home
Anyone can throw together a home recording studio today. But how do you create one that will fit your needs and function well? That’s what I want to cover in this brief article. You will see that developing a better studio is all about planning. So get into “planning” mode right now, and start reading.
If you happen to be starting from scratch, that’s a very good thing. You have a clean slate. That means you can develop your studio from the bottom up, and everything will be as you planned it. But typically, you have some equipment lying around or pieced together. That equipment needs to be integrated into your studio somehow, correct? Not always. Beware that temptation – building your studio around gear you already have can be frustrating and pointless. Sometimes it’s best to just ditch the old stuff and start over. For instance, if you have a 4-track recorder… it’s probably time to move on. Sorry!
Today, there really is no excuse for not recording to a computer. Even the big time studios are doing it. So we can start there. Get a newer computer – brand new if possible. Try to make this a dedicated “studio computer.” You don’t want your friends surfing the web or checking their Facebook on this computer. And you shouldn’t be doing your homework on it either. Having a single purpose computer means it will last longer, get less viruses, and work better when you are recording.
In fact, just get a Mac. Apple makes the perfect computer for running a studio. But if you have to stick with Windows, that’s okay too. Plenty of studios utilize Windows for their software. One more tip – it really isn’t important how fast your computer is. If it was made in the last year, it’s fast enough.
Recording Studio Software isn’t keeping up with the computer manufacturers. You can use a $300 computer that will be plenty fast enough for your studio. But you should get a lot of hard drive space. Audio files can be huge, so make sure you have a large hard drive and a large backup hard drive.
Moving on, you need an interface of some sort. This puts the audio into the computer. Go for a USB 2.0 interface (most new interfaces will use USB 2.0 or Firewire – either is fine). You can purchase them inexpensively with minimal features, or you can buy the farm and get all the knobs and lights. Start with at least 2 channels, so you are able to record in stereo. But break the bank and get 8 channels if you are able to. You’ll thank me when you need to mic up the drums. An 8 channel interface can be bought for under $500 these days. Oh yeah, and your software will come with the interface.
For microphones, you need a condenser microphone and a dynamic microphone to begin with. That’s the bare minimum. Later, you need to have a variety of mics so you can experiment with different sounds and combinations. Spend your money wisely. Sometimes 2 cheap mics is better than 1 expensive microphone. Having backup equipment will save you a lot of headaches in the future. Trust me – I’ve seen it all!
What’s left? How about speakers or headphones? I suggest headphones in the beginning if you’re on a tight budget. Spend $50 and purchase something decent. Then later purchase a good pair of active monitors. These can be purchased for about $150 for an inexpensive pair. Add some cables to your setup, and you’re finished! Now you have a simple, easy recording studio that can be a lot of fun – or a lot of money, if you decide to charge bands for your services. Enjoy!
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