The 9 Home Recording.pdf

Building a home recording studio is a HUGE project…isn’t isn’t it? it

It takes months of planning, research, and preparation…doesn’t doesn’t it? it

Why Simple is Best The fact is, not only is it possible to start o with just a simple studio…it’s actually preferable. Because just like with any hobby, by attempting too much too soon: you get overwhelmed, you get discouraged, and… you eventually quit. And all the time and money you invest is wasted. So to avoid this fate, just keep it simple. simple  But you might be wondering…

How cheap is too cheap? Since home recording can be expensive…musicians often search for the cheapest possible solutions to recording their music. And that’s ne, except…there is such a thing as “too cheap“. While it is technically possible to build a working studio for as little as $400-$500… There are low limits to what can be accomplished in such a studio…and I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone truly serious about recording their music.

The Perfect First Studio for Newbies With the following 9 items: 1. A Computer 2. DAW/Audio Interface Combo 3. Studio Monitors 4. One or Two Microphones 5. Headphones 6. A Few Cables 7. One Mic Stand 8. A Pop Filter 9. Ear Training Software

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What you have is a simple working studio, perfect for anyone just starting out with home recording. And here’s why: 1. It allows you to start ASAP with a minimal investment in both time and money money.. 2. More importantly…it’s the perfect foundation to build upon later as your skills mature.

1. A Computer When starting a studio from scratch, the computer is the biggest expenditure by far. But these days, virtually everyone already has a computer of some sort.  And virtually all computers are fast enough to at least get you started. So in the beginning, regardless of your budget, I recommend using what you have for now.

2. A DAW/Audio Interface Combo The DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is the software used to record, edit, and mix music on your computer… And the Audio Interface is the hardware used to connect your computer with the rest of your gear. These two items can either be bought separately, OR as a combo.  But your rst studio…I highly recommend the combo. Here’s why: It’s one less item on your shopping list. It’s cheaper than buying them separately. It o ers guaranteed compatibility and tech support. Plus, the two companies that o er these combos are among the best in the business: Presonus Presonus and Avid Avid. Presonus o ers a free copy of their Studio Studio One Artist DAW Artist with the following popular interfaces:

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The 9 Home Recording Studio Essentials for Beginners

PreSonus AudioBox USB – USB (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) PreSonus AudioBox iOne (iOS compatible) (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) Presonus AudioBox iTwo (iOS compatible) – (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) Presonus Audiobox 44VSL – 44VSL (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/Thomann) Avid o ers a free copy of their Pro Tools 12 DAW Avid 12 with the following interfaces: Pro Tools DUET – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) DUET Pro Tools QUARTET – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) QUARTET Personally, I’d recommend the Pro Tools option to those willing to spend that much.  But for most people, the Presonus options are priced a bit more reasonably for rst-timers. Having said that, if you don’t mind purchasing your DAW and interface separately…

3. Microphones

As your studio matures over time… You will eventually amass a collection of dozens of di erent microphones, each for di erent purposes. For now though, all your really need is 1 or 2 to get started. And the ones you choose will depend on the instruments you plan to record. Since most people start out just recording vocals, the “classic” large diaphragm condenser vocal mic I recommend is the: Rode NT1A – (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) For any “high-frequency-rich” instruments such as acoustic guitar, piano, or cymbals…the small diaphragm condenser mic I recommend for starters is the: AKG P170 – (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) For drums, percussion, and electric guitar amps, the best mic to start with is undoubtedly the: Shure SM57 – SM57 (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann) For bass guitar, kick drums, and other low frequency instruments, a great mic to start with is the: AKG D112 – (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

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The 9 Home Recording Studio Essentials for Beginners

4. Headphones When you’re just starting out, most of your time is spent recording by by yourself. yourself Which is why in the beginning, all you really need is one pair of headphones. For studio purposes, there are 2 2 very speci c designs considered designs standard: 1. Closed back headphones for tracking – tracking  which o er optimal isolation at the expense of lesser sound quality. 2. Open back headphones for mixing – which o er optimal sound quality at the expense of lesser isolation. While open back headphones are considered more of a luxury…for your rst studio, closed back headphones are a necessity necessity.

As a supplement to your headphones, I also recommend an extension cable…since standard headphone cables are always too short. A word of caution though:  With THIS cable especially, I highly advise getting the best one you can a ord, as cheaper ones have horrible signal problems from the constant movement.

5. Studio Monitors

Despite the fact that many home studios now do the majority of their mixing on open back headphones… Traditionally, mixing mixing has always been done on speakers… Or as they are commonly known in pro audio: studio studio monitors, monitors or near near eld monitors monitors. Compared to consumer speakers, which are designed with various tonal “enhancements”… Studio monitors have a much atter frequency response, which provides a more neutral, uncolored sound to objectively judge your mix.

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The 9 Home Recording Studio Essentials for Beginners

6. XLR Cables One day, your studio will have a TONS of di erent cables… But for now, you only need 3: 1 long XLR cable for your mic, and… 2 short ones for your monitors For a standard project studio in a small 10×10 room, these are the EXACT ones I recommend: 1. Mogami Silver XLR 25ft (1x) ( (1x) for your mic) (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusiciansF) 2. Mogami Silver XLR 6ft (2x) ( (2x) for your monitors) (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF) But before you buy those monitor cables, double-check that the stereo output of your audio interface has XLR connectors. Sometimes they use TRS, in which case, you’ll need these instead: Mogami TRS/XLRM 6ft (2x) – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF) (2x)

7. A Mic Stand

While many beginners assume that all mic stands are the same… The truth is…a solid mic stand is one of the most worthwhile investments a new home studio can make. However, since mic stands can get pricey, and most beginners are on tight budgets… A cheap reliable stand is more than adequate when you’re rst starting out. Classic Example: DR Pro Boom – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF)

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The 9 Home Recording Studio Essentials for Beginners

8. Pop Filters And its purpose (besides looking cool) is to  lter-out an unpleasant vocal artifact known as “popping“… Which is a low frequency blast of air caused by the pronunciation of “P” and “B” sounds. Is it a “must-have“ item for your studio?  Absolutely Absolutely not. not But they’re pretty cheap, and they do help.  And for some strange reason, many beginners still feel they must have one, which is why I’ve included it on this list anyway.

9. Ear Training Software But here’s why I’ve included it on my list: More than any piece of gear you might buy for your studio…the ONE THING that will make the biggest di erence in the outcome of your recordings is your EARS. And while you might believe your ears are pretty good already… Having a good “musician’s ear” is not at all the same as having a good “sound engineer’s ear“. As musicians, we learn to recognize notes, intervals, and chords.  But as sound engineers, we learn to recognize bands of frequencies. And until your ears develop a basic grasp of this skill, you won’t really know if things are sounding good or not.

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