The Essentials for building a Home Recording Studio

Longing to enunciate your own beats or want to record vocals or aspiring to enhance your online presence with quality audio recordings – building your very own home recording studio is the perfect solution and a great place to start. Though it may appear to be a daunting task in the beginning as you’re not sure where to start. 

So here are some very basic tips to help you build the perfect home recording studio set up. Perfect here means “perfect” for you in every sense – your instruments, your needs, and your budget. With this hands-on guide, you can choose the appropriate home recording studio equipment that suits your needs. 

A Recording Computer – If you’re reading this article, there’s a strong possibility that you already own one. It doesn’t have to be the latest Mac Pro that would cost you a fortune but it should be strong enough to deal with a heavier CPU load of the DAW (short for Digital Audio Workstation). A midway solution would be a Mac Book Pro, iMac, or even Mac Mini or their PC equivalents. 

DAW or Digital Audio Workstation – With your computer all set, you must now pay attention to a DAW. A DAW is a program which you’ll be using to record and edit (and sometimes mix and master) your music. With a user-friendly interface, a Daw is just capable of literally creating anything in it. Most of the popular DAWs are great — so all you need is to choose one that’s compatible with your computer (and in your price range) and you’re good to go!

 

An Audio Interface – A solid audio interface is crucial as it helps to turn analog or acoustical sounds (vocals, guitars, etc.) into a digital signal. It enables you to connect instruments and mics to your computer and record various types of audio signals (mic, line, etc.) into your DAW. The SRI-2 interface from Fluid Audio is a fantastic product that can fit in your budget. The large volume knob provides accurate control of the output level, and direct monitoring provides zero-latency tracking.  The 2 XLR/TRS combo inputs are conveniently mounted on the front of the SRI-2, so you can easily plug in your instrument or mic.  The truly unique innovation of the SRI-2, however, is the speaker switching capability, which allows you to A-B your mix on two sets of speakers. 

Studio Microphone - You’ll surely need a microphone in order to record vocals or any other acoustic instrument. However, if you’re mostly working by yourself then it’s likely that you’ll just need just one or two microphones. A good mic ensures that your vocal tracks shine in a mix as it is the most vital part of your recording endeavor.  There are many quality mics on the market that are relatively cheap and help you record stellar vocals.

 

Studio Headphones or Monitors – If you’re recording in a room that isn’t treated for sound or you’ve noisy neighbors, good quality headphones are your safest bet. You’ve got to hear what you are recording and so this is one early investment that you must make to start recording and mixing. As you progress, you can opt for good quality studio monitors, such as the FPX7 from Fluid Audio as they have the advantage of being “flat” as opposed to commercial speakers. 

Building your dream home recording studio can sound intimidating but all you need is to carry out a little research and choose the perfect set up for your sound. Just remember to keep it simple, start small, don’t spend too much, get to work, and have fun!