How to Make a Home Studio

Home recording studios are on the rise. It’s possible for amateur and career musicians to outfit a home studio so it can compete with expensive pro studios. Musicians of all stripes want a place they can lay down tracks any day of the week, rather than having to reserve studio time. There’s a lot to choose: here’s a primer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Multitrack recorder
• Microphones
• Headphones
• Monitors
• Mic stands
• Cables

1. Set a budget. Some high-tech home studios may look no different than standard pro studio: with expensive wood paneling, separate rooms for recording drums or vocals, and more. Other people want to set up a rudimentary home studio in the corner of the living room. Both are possible.
2. Get a recording interface. Two choices: hardware or software. You can get a 16 track reel to reel, hard drive recorder, 24 track recorder, and others. For a software recorder, you’re going to need a separate interface.
3. Determine the number of inputs needed. Whether you’re recording on the computer or a hardware interface, make sure to have an interface with enough inputs. For instance, if you’re going to be recording live with a four piece band, you’re going to need separate inputs for each instrument and mics.
4. Get quality microphones. The best room and 24-track recorder won’t sound very good with terrible microphones. Mics might be the most important consideration. There are a lot of good condenser mics on the market that aren’t too expensive. If you’re recording drums, you’ll want a separate bass drum mic. Large diaphragm mics are recommended for recording vocals.
5. Get good headphones and monitors. This one’s sometimes overlooked—better-quality headphones will give you a more realistic representation of your recording sounds. A high-quality pair of monitor speakers will also play songs exactly as they were recorded, without any additional EQing.
6. The accessories: mic stands and durable, high-quality cables with no distortion, any additional guitar/drum/synthesizer effects you might require.

Tips & Warnings

• If you’re going with a hardware recorder, see if it’s compatible with popular recording software, such as Pro Tools, or vice versa. You might want to expand in the future.
• Don’t bug the neighbors. Soundproof your studio so you can record any hour of the day.