Sweetwater offers an extensive selection of recording equipment that you need for professional studio recording, such as rackmount audio interfaces with expandable simultaneous microphone inputs and outputs designed specifically to support high-impedance headphones.
Pro studios may require standalone digital converters as they require precise audio quality control and require conversion from analog to digital before their sound reaches their computer.
Microphones
Microphones are at the heart of any studio setup. As these instruments allow sound waves to pass through them, selecting and quality-checking your mic has an immediate influence on how your recording sounds.
There are two primary types of microphones: dynamic and condenser. Dynamic mics are known to withstand higher sound pressure levels, making them suitable for live recordings (provided you use an appropriate preamp). Condenser microphones offer smoother audio recordings that make them great for instrument and vocal recordings – however, their greater sensitivity means that if not carefully placed can easily overload. Most studio mics feature cardioid pickup patterns to help reject unwanted sounds and provide more isolation.
Professional studios frequently employ various condenser microphones, from large-diaphragm condensers with wide diaphragms for vocals or guitar to smaller diaphragm condensers for overhead drum micing. Other useful mics might include cardioid shotgun mics that are great for close miking guitar amps or drum kits and bi-directional mics that pick up equally from both sides while rejecting sound coming through from the front of their capsules.
Consider investing in a USB microphone, which offers all the elements of traditional mics but includes an onboard preamp and analog-to-digital converter to convert its audio output into data that your computer software can read. This makes setup and recording much simpler compared with separate mic preamps; however, these types of USB mics typically offer lower acoustic quality as well as require additional headroom when recording high output sources like vocals.
Preamps
The preamp is the initial part of your signal chain that affects the tonal quality of your recording. It takes low-level microphone or instrument signals and increases them into what’s known as a “line level” signal, so they can then be amplified by your power amplifier before playing back through speakers.
Preamps come in all kinds of styles, from the vintage warmth of tube preamps to solid-state designs with precision transparency. Your choice will depend on what kind of sound you want and which instruments or mics will be being used.
Home studios usually only need one high-quality preamp if recording vocals; if recording other instruments as well, consider investing in a multi-channel preamp that supports multiple inputs at the same time. Professional recording studios tend to use multiple preamps; even with only a single mic mic input at home setup, having access to high-quality preamps will improve the quality of recordings significantly.
Preamps that utilize valve technology add both richness and subtle distortion to audio signals, making these preamps particularly appealing to singers and other musicians who wish to give their recordings an old school or vintage vibe. A popular model among such preamps is the Neve 1073; similar clones can often fit within most budget constraints.
A great preamp will also offer various tone controls, such as gain controls to adjust signal levels passing through it and filters that shape sound – many featuring high-pass filters that cut out unwanted sounds while others allow users to dial in specific frequencies with equalization settings.
Monitors
To produce professional-sounding music, monitors are an essential tool. Studio monitors are specially designed speakers that let you hear how your music will sound when played back on other devices (such as headphones or CD players). While studio monitors may cost slightly more than their traditional hi-fi counterparts, their more accurate sound ensures more consistent mixes that play back well across systems.
Monitors can typically be divided into two groups: active or passive. Active monitors feature an onboard power amplifier and crossover network, while passive models require an external power amp to boost signal before sending to each speaker.
An essential feature of high-quality studio monitors is their flat frequency response. This means they accurately reproduce all frequencies within their range, and remain at this frequency level over the volume spectrum.
Studio monitors come in two primary varieties – closed and ported. Closed monitors resemble their name; they contain an enclosed casing, producing highly accurate sounds while lacking in bass tones. On the other hand, ported monitors feature ports or vents within their design to help produce fuller bass tones.
As mentioned previously, selecting a monitor with an off-axis response of at least 90 degrees is also crucial, since sound can alter drastically from different positions in a room depending on how speakers are placed and treated acoustically. If placed too closely to walls they can produce inaccurate images and overemphasise high frequencies.
Headphones
Studio headphones are essential components in any music production studio. Not only do they prevent interference from other instruments and instruments from bleeding into one another’s recordings, they also offer accurate sonic neutrality and allow audio engineers to detect any flaws so they can fix any recordings before the track goes public.
Good studio headphones are also designed to be as portable as possible for use when travelling between recording locations. This feature can be especially important when traveling across country borders to different studios, or just switching back and forth between professional setups at home and professional ones. They should be easy to fold up, with cable length ideally short enough that when coiling it won’t form into an intangible mess; also featuring thick, snug earpads with durable headbands that won’t break from extended wear time.
Closed-back studio headphones tend to provide greater isolation than open-back models, making them an excellent choice when recording electric guitars or other instruments that don’t require microphones. Furthermore, these models generally boast better sonic neutrality which is essential when working with high-quality monitor speakers.
Studio headphones used for mixing or mastering have higher impedance to ensure a more neutral sound, essential when creating an end mix that sounds great on all headphones and speakers. When creating final mixes for headphones or speakers with different impedance levels, bass boost can unintentionally obscure other frequencies and professional audio engineers seek to prevent that happening.
Power
An electricity source that delivers consistent and clean power is crucial for music production. Studio PSUs use premium components designed to deliver consistent voltage, reduce noise interference and extend longevity. They feature modular designs which make connecting output cables simple while keeping your setup organized while improving airflow which ultimately improves audio quality in your studio.
Your microphones, instruments and monitors require various cables in order to work effectively. A good starter set of cables will include one XLR cable to connect your mic directly to an audio interface and two more that connect from there to monitors; additionally RCA-to-XLR adaptor cables may come in handy for connecting synthesizers or drum machines directly with this audio interface.
Studio microphones and other devices rely on +48V phantom power to transmit sound signals, but this voltage source also creates noise that distorts or modifies them, leading to unwanted artifacts in audio signals. A power conditioner is an indispensable studio accessory which filters out this interference and protects their integrity.
Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) are essential accessories in any studio, providing crucial backup in case the power goes out midway through a session and leaves your work incomplete. A UPS will give you several minutes of breathing space while your work can be safely saved, computer shut down, and session resumed when power returns. While these devices can be expensive, they could save both time and money on lost recordings or sessions.