In this post we are going to look at the Home Recording Studio Essentials.
Here are the 4 essential components to any home recording studio:-
- A computer with DAW Software
- An audio interface
- A microphone
- Monitoring (headphones or speakers)
With these 4 things you can record sound, edit and mix sounds, and play back sound.
Computer – Mac or PC?
Personally, I would go for an Apple Mac. I have a Mac mini which is the entry level Mac computer.
In my experience Macs are more reliable. They just work (most of the time)!
However, not everyone with a home studio has the choice of what computer they use. It may be a shared device or issued by work.
Windows PC’s are perfectly useable for home recording but you may well find yourself spending more time troubleshooting than you would with a Mac.
The type of computer may also influence the software you use as some applications are Mac only.
Software
Another important element is the audio application or DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). We need software on the computer to record, edit and mix audio.
The best free application I can recommend is called ‘Audacity’. With this basic audio editing software, you can record, edit, add effects, process and playback audio.
If you have an Apple Mac computer you probably have Garage Band. This user-friendly application is good for recording and mixing multitrack projects.
Audacity or Garage Band can be a great starting point for some people.
What is the best DAW?
This is a big question and beyond the scope of this blog post. There are lots of choices out there and everybody seems to find the one that suits them best. Personally, I use Pro Tools, although, I also use Logic Pro X and Adobe Audition.
A lot of Mac users prefer Logic Pro X as it provides the next step up from Garage Band. It is reasonably priced and comes with a great selection of instruments, sounds and plugins.
Fruity Loops or Ableton Live have also become a popular choices for people making electronic music.
Whatever you decide to use as your DAW there are usually free trials available so download a few and give them a try.
What Audio Interface should I buy?
Again, you have a huge range of choice which will be based on budget and needs.
You need to ask yourself these questions:-
- How many inputs will I need?
- How many outputs will I need?
- How will it connect to my computer? (USB, Thunderbolt, etc?)
- What will I be recording?
For most people 2 inputs and 2 outputs will suffice. Many home studio owners record one instrument at a time.
You can make mono recordings with a single microphone or stereo recordings if you have 2 microphones. This is usually enough to cover most bases when starting out.
Currently, one of the most popular audio interfaces seems to be the Focusrite Scarlett.
There are different versions all with different specs and price points. You can do a little research on them here: Focusrite Scarlett
What if I don’t have a computer?
If you don’t have a computer but you do have a smart phone or tablet then there are still ways of recording and making music.
Lot’s of DAW’s are available as Android or IOS Apps. But what about connecting microphones to these mobile devices?
IK Multimedia have a range of devices that are perfect for getting sound in to and out of your mobile devices. The IRig range of interfaces are aimed largely at guitarists who wish to record or play through a mobile device. However, there is something for everyone, including the excellent IRig Pre 2 which is an XLR microphone interface for iPhone, iPad, Android and DSLR camera.
If you wish to learn more about IK Multimedia products please check out my affiliate link here:-
IK Web Shop
Final thoughts
Hopefully you have found this post on Home Recording Studio Essentials useful.
I could give you a long list of everything you could ever need to start recording at home. I could go into great detail about all the different options and approaches based on what you want from your home studio. However, this is meant to be a basic guide and I don’t want to give you information overload!
We all need to start somewhere and for most people there is usually a budget.
Most people are going to start small and then as they outgrow their starter gear they will replace and improve their home setups. This is a great way to build up slowly and get a feel for what works for you. We learn from mistakes and although nobody likes to waste money, discovering a weakness in your gear or set up is a great way of learning.
So, don’t spend too much time comparing A versus B versus C – make a choice and get started. Then you can get down to the fun part and start recording!
Want to get a bit more advanced? Read my post about the 5 things that have helped me step up my game.