Home studios are essential tools for musicians. Over the years, SOS readers have used rooms of various shapes and sizes as project studios.
Smart acoustic choices and equipment selection can make an immense difference when renovating or redesigning an entire house, whether that means using an existing spare room, converting your garage or renovating a whole house.
Soundproofing
First step of building your home recording studio should be soundproofing the space. This step is essential in order to produce high-quality recordings. Furthermore, soundproofing helps prevent outside noise from entering the room as well as leakage of sound into other parts of your house.
Professional recording studios are built with soundproofing in mind, but you can create an effective home studio by taking a few simple steps to improve its acoustics. First and foremost, ensure your studio features a solid door – this will prevent outside sounds from entering and also minimize how much sound escapes the room.
Consider purchasing soundproofing material to cover your walls and ceiling in your studio, to reduce echo and reverberation while improving audio clarity when recording. Many kits of these products exist that cover multiple walls or rooms; for maximum effect use acoustic materials with noise reduction coefficient (NRC) ratings.
Installing carpet or rug on the floor is another excellent way to improve its acoustics and can make a significant difference in a room’s acoustics, helping absorb some of the sounds that would otherwise bounce off hard surfaces like hardwood flooring and impact its sound quality. When shopping for an acoustical carpet with an NRC rating over 100 it will only further benefit its acoustical qualities.
Acoustic foam or panels can also help control the reflection of low-frequency sounds. You’ll find them easily at most hardware stores and their prices may be very affordable; for a serious music or podcasting career, invest in one of the portable recording booths from sE Electronics or Sweetwater instead.
Use an acoustic sealant, like Auralex StopGap, to fill any air gaps around electrical outlets, windows and other openings in your studio and reduce outside noise as well as sound leakage from within it – this will enable you to focus on work without interruptions from outside noise sources.
Lighting
Lighting is of the utmost importance in a home studio, and key lighting should be placed 45 degrees to either side of your subject and approximately two feet above. You should also consider adding modifiers like soft boxes or beauty dishes which help shape or diffuse light for an aesthetically pleasing result.
Selecting the ideal camera and lens combination for your shooting style is equally essential. While there are numerous options out there, beginning a home studio doesn’t have to break the bank; working from home can actually save significant costs on overhead costs while providing flexible working environments even during pandemic outbreaks.
Storage can also be an issue – particularly if your closet space is limited. Redfin offers some great tips on creating a home photography studio without taking over your entire house! Adorama provides a selection of lights, stands, mounts and backdrops to help build one!
Electricity
With increasingly affordable home recording equipment, it has never been simpler to start creating music from your head and turning it into real songs. But before making any definitive plans for a studio setup, some key factors must be taken into consideration before committing yourself fully. You should first consider what use will be made of the space – for instance a simple bedroom setup may suffice; but if your goals include recording other people or charging money for services rendered then additional equipment and space may be necessary.
At home recording studios, powering equipment requires some thought. Consulting with an electrician to design an efficient yet safe power system will ensure that you and your equipment receive all of the power they require without endangering anyone or their property. In general, studio equipment should not run on the same circuit as anything else in your home as this can create unwanted hum, interference and ground loops; if necessary ask your electrician to place studio outlets on different “phases” (legs) of your service panel than offending lights to reduce any possible hum. This may not completely eradicate it but will certainly reduce it considerably
As part of your analysis for how much power is necessary, it is also beneficial to factor in how often and for how long you plan on being in your studio. A large professional recording studio that requires long periods of use will consume significantly more electricity than an everyday home recording studio which only needs electricity for limited amounts of time each week.
Making smart choices when building your home studio can help keep costs under control and ensure the necessary tools are in place at a lower cost. While having high-end studio chairs would be great, folding chairs will do just fine until adding soundproofing treatments in your room.
Furniture
No matter if you are an independent songwriter who needs a home studio to record music or a sound technician using one room of your house for audio mixing, digital age technology makes it possible to have an effective home recording setup even with limited funds – it all comes down to selecting appropriate gear and purchasing it wisely.
When furnishing a small space, furniture that can serve multiple functions will be key. Nesting tables (bonus points for those made of Lucite), drop-leaf desks and secretary desks can all make great additions; expanded for guests when you host guests in your studio and folded back up afterwards for a sleeker appearance.
Select furniture pieces with air underneath them, such as those on legs. This allows the space to feel more open and welcoming – perfect for smaller rooms! Plus, items on legs often include storage features too!
If you can’t afford new furniture for your home studio, thrift stores and online marketplaces provide great used options that may add one-of-a-kind pieces that complement any room perfectly. Another option would be visiting One Kings Lane: their website sells unique pieces while they maintain a small showroom in NYC offering even more unique finds!