How to Build a Home Recording Studio

Home recording is not only more convenient, but can be cheaper than renting studio time. Though the cost of setting up a home recording studio can be high, it can also be rewarding and you can rent out studio time to help cover the costs.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide on the components you want included in your home recording studio. This will include the space you are going to use, the equipment and how everything will be arranged. The equipment should include the microphones, computer and software you plan to use.

2. Choose good quality microphones. The microphones are the most important part of the set-up. Without quality sound in the first place, it will be harder to edit and sync your recording for optimal quality. You need to have a variety of microphones, including dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones.

3. Find a computer fast enough and with enough memory to support the software you plan to use. Recording software has many components to it and requires a large amount of space on the hard drive. It's a good idea to just have a separate computer for this, rather than trying to use your personal computer to do multiple jobs. Also, invest in some quality computer speakers. If you can't hear where the problems are in the recording, you'll have difficulty fixing them.

4. Invest in quality and well-known home recording software. Pro Tools software is one of the most well-known and widely-used software for home recording studios. It has all the applications of a professional recording studio and with a little reading and practice can be easy to use.

5. Purchase a MIDI board. This is the switchboard-like device that allows you to play with the sounds, add depth, add instruments and many other aspects of recording music. It will have its own software to load as well, so take this into consideration when choosing a computer.