Home studio setups can be ideal for any songwriter or musician looking to record their own music. In order to do so, several essential pieces of equipment, including computers, audio interfaces, microphones, monitors and production software will be needed.
Speakers are at the core of any home studio. A pair of reference monitor speakers combined with budget acoustic treatment will give your music its best sound possible.
Computer
At the core of any home studio lies the computer, where music is written, stored and often composed. Just a few years ago it would have been unthinkable to create an entire recording studio using only desktop PC or even an iMac, yet now the line between professional studios and home setups continues to blur.
Naturally, for music production to happen effectively and economically, you require a computer with enough processing power to run Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software. Luckily, PCs or Macs that meet these criteria are relatively affordable these days – ideal for home studio environments.
Modern “all-in-one” audio interfaces feature microphone preamps and headphone amps integrated into them, saving you the cost of purchasing these separately. Many also come equipped with multiple USB ports so you can plug in various devices easily; you may also require extra USB ports for keyboard, mouse, monitors and entering MIDI data if you play musical instruments such as piano.
Attentiveness to ergonomics of computer set-up will have a dramatic impact on productivity and health in the long run. For instance, it should be arranged so that monitor screens are below eye level while keyboard and mouse should be at or slightly below elbow height, to help avoid eyestrain and backache. Furthermore, spending hours at your desk requires comfortable chairs and spacious desk space with good acoustics so that when recording audio clips can hear exactly what they need to hear versus echoing sounds throughout the room echoing back at you when recording voiceover recordings instead of hearing other sounds echoing back around and back through room walls!
Audio Interface
An audio interface is at the core of every home studio and connects all of your gear with your computer. It serves many functions, but in essence converts an analogue signal into digital form so your computer can process it. Thus, this hub connects microphones, MIDI controllers, hardware synths, and headphones seamlessly with each other.
Modern “all-in-one” audio interfaces such as the Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre are equipped with built-in microphone preamps and headphone amps, eliminating the need for separate mixers while saving desk space. Furthermore, they may act as direct boxes to balance mic level signals; some also include monitor management systems which automatically adjust mix according to which source you’re using.
Beginner producers typically need only a basic USB or Firewire interface, with plenty of excellent low-end options on the market. Just ensure it offers enough transfer speed to support what audio you plan to record; for more complex recordings such as instruments and vocals it might be wiser to invest in an audio interface with multiple inputs so as to accommodate all hardware devices at once, or consider investing in an expansion board for greater versatility.
As part of your studio setup, you’ll also require quality mic stands and XLR cables from Sweetwater. A basic pair can be purchased for under $300 while decent mic stands can cost approximately $100 – investing a bit extra is often worthwhile since cheap microphone stands often break easily while inferior quality microphones can introduce unwanted noise into your signal.
Microphones
A high quality microphone can make all the difference for home studio recordings, whether vocals, guitar or drums. Your choice will depend on what you plan to record as well as the size and layout of your studio space; condenser and dynamic mics both offer advantages when recording instruments while dynamic mics tend to excel at recording lower frequency vocals.
Polar patterns of microphones play an integral part in how much noise they pick up from various directions. Cardioid polar patterns tend to pick up sound coming directly in front of them and will reject noise coming from any other sources, making this setup ideal for recording in noisy environments and isolating certain sources.
Some mics feature an omnidirectional polar pattern, meaning they respond equally to sounds coming from all directions. Although not commonplace, these mics can be useful when trying to record the sounds from an entire room or ensemble.
Home recording studios can benefit from using any one of a wide variety of microphones available today; however, budget models often provide sufficient results. A basic large diaphragm condenser mic like Shure SM58-LCs are typically purchased for under $100 and provide great recordings for vocals and acoustic guitar recordings.
If your budget allows, a Neumann U47-style mic would likely be an excellent investment in your studio, although this might be out of reach for most home studio owners.
Monitors
Studios monitors are unique because of their wider frequency response range than headphones or standard speakers, enabling you to hear all aspects of sound produced in your music and fine-tune it for different mediums. A home studio setup without quality monitors will not produce professional results; therefore there are various factors you must take into consideration when selecting suitable monitors for music production.
Closed studio monitors (commonly referred to as closed-back monitors) feature fully sealed casing, which helps reduce distortion and produce accurate sound. Meanwhile, ported monitors utilize ports or vents in their design in order to produce fuller bass tones but unfortunately may suffer from decreased accuracy at lower frequencies.
Wattage is another critical specification to consider, with higher numbers indicating higher performance. You can determine a monitor’s wattage by checking its specification sheet which should be available on its product page. Wattage plays an integral part in how loud its speaker can play as well as providing an indication of how much power its drivers are producing to drive it.
The ideal monitors have low THD (total harmonic distortion) readings, which indicate how accurately their audio reproduction is. A higher THD reading indicates that extra noise is being added into your tracks which could potentially distort and muddy up the sound quality.
Height is another key consideration when it comes to selecting monitors, and you should aim for them to be at ear-height when sitting in your listening position. This helps avoid reflections off nearby walls which could detract from sound quality and also ensures they do not face corners as this may create issues like muffling and bass loss in your room.
Software
As home studio technology has advanced, so has its tools for producing top-quality recordings. Artists such as Billie Eilish – who recorded her debut album at home – and rapper Kodie Shane (who recently recorded Quarantine from within her apartment home studio) have demonstrated that professional and home recording are increasingly blurred lines.
Starting off, music production requires a computer that meets the minimum processing requirements of Digital Audio Workstations, commonly referred to as DAWs. You’ll then require an audio interface in order to connect your microphone directly with the computer for recording and playback purposes. Finally, music production software like virtual instruments and effects plug-ins may help create your own signature sound.
Some producers opt to invest in professional equipment, like acoustic treatment and shielding to reduce external noise as well as sounds reflected off flat surfaces inside their studio, but many people find that an inexpensive home studio will suffice.
Home recording artists looking to cut down on those annoying “p” and “b” sounds produced when pronouncing “p” and “b” sounds should also consider investing in a pop filter such as Nady SPF-1 to reduce these sounds and make their voice appear clearer in final recordings.
For studio recording sessions that incorporate software instruments, such as synths and keyboards, it will be essential to use a MIDI controller in order to access them. These devices may take the form of traditional keyboards with traditional layouts or pads with samples you can hit to trigger samples sounds.