What You Need For A Home Recording Studio
Setting up a recording studio in your home is fun and exciting. But it''s also a serious project that takes careful planning. The planning process is the same whether you''re going to convert your garage into a studio or just record a guitar/vocal in your bedroom.
The first thing you should do when planning a home recording studio is figure out what space you have to work with. Do you live alone and have no problem leaving a band set up in your living room for weeks at a time? Or maybe you live with your parents and only have your bedroom to work with. Knowing the space you have available is the first step in planning your studio.
The second thing to consider is what you''ll be recording. Do you want to just record your own vocal demos? Do you have a band and want to record an entire album? Possibly you want to set up to do a podcast. Think of the greatest number of instruments or sound sources you''ll be recording and plan for that. It''s always easier to have too much than not enough. That rule goes for space and equipment.
Now once you know what space you have to work in and what exactly you want to record, you can start a shopping list of equipment you''ll need to record in your home studio.
Unless you''re only going to be using electronic instruments, you''ll probably need one or more microphones. Some high-end studio mics can run several thousands of dollars, but you can get professional quality results from quite a few microphones in the $100 - $300 range. If you''re not familiar with common makes and models of recording mics, ask a fellow musician or someone whose opinion you trust to recommend a microphone. Once you have several choices, try to find a retailer where you can go to listen to a few of them and then make your decision. When comparing microphones, you want to try and find the most natural sounding microphone possible. You want to capture the performance in you recording and you want the recording to be as accurate as possible.
Next you''ll need a mixer. The mixer will not only allow you to mix multiple sound sources, but will give you control over each source. The mixer will allow you to adjust the level coming from the microphone or instrument so it is an optimum level for the recorder.
After the mixer, you will need something to record on. Recording format options are virtually endless. You can record directly to your computer, you can record on a flash drive, you can even record to an old analog multitrack recorder. The format you choose is really up to you. Many people love the warm sound of analog recorders while others just like the convenience of recording to a hard disc.
These days it''s common to use workstations where you can both mix and record. With the right interfaces, you can even mix and record directly to a computer without using any external devices. Again, the equipment you use is determined mostly by personal preference. Try to read reviews and get recommendations from people you trust. Most musicians and engineers are glad to talk about good equipment they like to use.
So you have your microphones and/or instruments, your mixer, and your recorder. Those are the major pieces you need to record at home. But there are quite a few other things you will need if you want a well-functioning home studio.
You will need cables. Cables will be used to connect the mic to the mixer, or the mixer to the recorder, or the amplifier to the loudspeakers.
Direct Boxes are used to convert the signal from a keyboard or other electronic instrument into a mic level signal that can be connected to a mixer or a recorder. If you''re going to be recording keyboards or other instruments, check the inputs on the mixer or recorder you are going to use and see if it will accept a line level. If not, you will need to use a direct box.
You will need some way to hear what you''re recording. Many people use only headphones in their home studios. Others have high quality monitors so they can hear the subtle details in the recordings. Still others just use their computer speakers to listen through. What you use will depend on what you prefer and on your budget.
Other hardware like mic stands, wind screens, adapters, these are things that you will find necessary once you start recording in your home studio. Plan to spend some money on these types of things.
Don''t be afraid to use used recording equipment in your home studio. Some of the best sounding equipment is older analog stuff that can be found at great prices. Even deals on newer digital equipment are not hard to find. Once you have your equipment shopping list and your budget set, do a little shopping and find the best deals whether new or used.
And one last issue to address is acoustics. Whatever space you are using for a home studio, you will probably find it will need some sort of acoustical treatment either to keep sound in or keep noise out. Many times it can be as simple as a rug or curtains to control some reflections. Other times it may require more elaborate solutions to create a quiet recording environment. There are many sources of information on studio acoustics. Do some research once you have your space picked out and see how it may need to be treated.