Build a Home Recording Studio: Gear and Setup Guide for Beginners

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In today’s fast-paced digital world, a DIY home recording studio setup has never been easier or cheaper.

Whether you’re a musician, podcaster or aspiring music producer, it is important to know that having your own home recording space can boost your creativity. 

The best part?

You don’t need a huge budget home recording studio to run effectively.

With proper planning, strategic investment and a little ingenuity, you can provide professional sound quality even while operating with minimal investment. 

From choosing the right equipment to sounding your space ideally, this article will show you how to build a recording studio from the ground up.

Whether you’re recording music, voice acting or podcasts, this home music studio guide will help you create the content with your working condition.

Get ready to learn how to build a home recording studio.

 

seo for beats

 

Choosing the Right Space for Your Home Studio

Finding the Best Room for Recording

The first and most important step in creating your home studio is choosing the right room.

The goal is to have a quiet space with no outside noise.

Noise from busy streets, neighbors, air conditioners, and even home appliances can interfere with your recording.

Choosing a quiet part of the house, such as a room away from windows or a wall facing the street will make a big difference.

In addition to noise, room size and shape play an important role in overall acoustic performance.

A rectangular room produces unwanted sound which can clutter your recording.

A rectangular building, on the other hand, generally allows sound waves to travel over longer periods of time, creating better natural acoustics.

Soundproofing and Acoustic Treatment

 

home recording studio

 

A common misconception when setting up a home studio is that soundproofing is the same as acoustic treatment.

However, they serve two different purposes.

Soundproofing is all about isolating your room and not letting outside noises in.

This is especially important if you are making beats in a noisy environment.

Acoustic treatment focuses on improving sound quality in a room by reducing unwanted sounds.

If you want to create high quality sounds, start with simple solutions such as adding thick curtains to the windows.

Putting down curtains or carpets can absorb sound and fix gaps around doors and windows.

Putting bass nets in the corners of the room, and DIY solutions like foam panels, diffusers, or curtains or bookshelves are very beneficial.

Gathering Essential Home Studio Equipment

Computer

Your computer will be the raw power behind your recording software, so a good and fast computer is highly desirable.

Regardless of whether you opt for a laptop or a desktop computer, you should go for at least 8GB of RAM and an Intel i5 processor or better.

Memory is also necessary and if possible, there should be an SSD (Solid State Drive) in case of data speed and performance.

Although the Mac is preferred by profiteers in music production, Macs and PCs are both appropriate for this kind of work.

Features of Mac also help it to be well integrated with most used software such as Logic Pro. 

Check out our recommended Mac here

home recording studio

Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

DAW or Digital Audio Workstation refers to software that is used in creating and recording your own music. 

  • Ableton Live
  • FL Studio
  • Logic Pro
  • Pro Tools

Whether you plan to go with one of the big-name DAWs listed above or another piece of software, there are virtually limitless online courses to explain every function of the program to you.

 

 

Audio Interface –

The Audio Interface on the other hand enables you to connect your devices, microphones and any other required equipment to your computer through the conversion of the Analog signal to digital signal.

The first-timers should not concern themselves with quality and price, and for this reason, products such as Focusrite Scarlett or PreSonus AudioBox can do.

Microphone

The microphone is probably the most important piece of home recording studio equipment. 

Dynamic Microphones: They are relatively less affected by the background noise and are suitable for voices or live instruments or noisy backgrounds.

For instance, the Shure SM57 is easy for a beginner and is a highly versatile microphone.

Condenser Microphones: More versatile for studio recording, condenser microphones deliver better sound outcomes particularly for vocals and acoustic instruments.

Starting with the entry-level microphones, popular microphone Audio-Technica AT2020 could not be missed on the list.

Some common accessories you may need are consequently pop filters  to minimize plosive sounds like ‘P’ and ‘B’ which could be unwanted  shock mounts to ensure that vibrations can’t affect your recordings in any way.

Headphones and Studio Monitors

  • Studio Headphones: The Audio Technica Ath M50X is highly recommended from me and my team. I have a pair of these in my home recording studio right at this moment.

The M50 ‘s never change they do get upgraded, but that sound quality is always top notch.

The M50x are very flexible and can take a beating without any damage.

This is what sets them apart from any headphones out on the market today.

In addition, the sound quality is tremendous and are very affordable at a price of $149.

 

 

For more information Click Here ==> Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Studio Monitors: In terms of mix and refinement studio monitors are more accurate as compared to conventional speakers.

They also consider cheaper speakers such as Krk Rokit or Yamaha HS5 best for the beginners.

MIDI Controller (Optional)

As a MIDI controller, it is not a requirement, but for anybody using virtual machines or desiring a smaller desk setup, a MIDI controller is practically an absolute must-have.

 

midi controlle

 

There are many controllers that may be used for moving sounds, some of them are the Akai MPK Mini or the Novation Launchkey.

Cables, Stands and Accessories

Lastly, do not dismiss the importance of little things as much or as equally important as big things. Microphone cables, instrument cables, and sturdy mic stands and cables of high quality XLR and TRS will be needed.

Setting Up Your Home Studio

Organizing Your Space

After having your equipment prepared it is now time to set up the environment for your composition and recording.

However, you should point your studio monitors forward at approximately the same height as your ears in an effort to achieve an equilateral triangle between your listening position and the monitors.

studio monitors

This will assist you to arrive at the right judgments with regard to your mixes.

Do not let your desk get cluttered by cable and do not leave barely enough space for your equipment.

Comfort is also an essential factor as the chair should provide comfort during long hours without putting pressure.

Software Installation and Configuration

Once you have your system up and running, you’ll need to install a Digi-012 Analog I/O software to run your audio interface.

It is advisable always to ensure that every driver and software of the computer is updated in a bid to avoid conflict.

Most audio interfaces include installation software or plugins that optimize the way it interacts with your Digital Audio Workstation.

Set up your current interface/case settings, so the sample rate and buffer size of the system are suitable just in case of latencies.

3.3 Acoustic Positioning

It is very important to correctly choose the position of your studio monitors and microphone to get the best outcomes.

Position your monitors where your ears are at and make sure the monitors are equally placed within the room.

Do not position them close to walls as there will be lots of reflections and the bass sounds will not hit you sweet.

Regarding the microphone positioning, try to use as minimal distance as possible between it and hard shiny surfaces and place as per your recording type, vocal or instrumentals.

When positioning your microphone, ensure it’s aimed correctly to capture the clearest sound and reduce unwanted noise

seo for beats

 

Tips for Optimizing Your Home Studio

DIY Acoustic Treatment

Basically, acoustic treatment does not need to be costly.

However, anyone on a localized budget will be able to find numerous ways to optimize one’s room acoustics without the addition of professional equipment.

It is also possible to create acoustic panels on your own using wooden frames such as rock wool or fiberglass.

 

 

Maintaining Your Gear

Maintaining equipment is very important to lengthen its life span.

Ensure that microphones are stored in dust covers where they are not in use and ensure you update software to the latest version as sometimes can cause bugs and compatibility problems.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building a Home Studio

Home studio recording is as fun as it is challenging and here are some mistakes music producers make as they set up shop for the first time.

Perhaps the most frequently made mistake is buying overly expensive equipment without realizing what is required.

That means do not over complicate it first, keep it simple and then go for the upgraded edition.

Another common mistake is exclusion of acoustical treatment.

A common mistake of many beginners is that they believe the best home studio gear is all that is needed, but bad acoustics in a room will destroy the best recordings.

Untreated rooms can give unwanted resonances, or alter tones, making bad mixes or sound recording and reproduction.

Adding simple sound-proofing panels or bass traps can make a large difference in the quality of the audio quality.

Last, bad sound capture may be caused by misplaced equipment.

For instance, when microphones are placed very close to the sound sources, or on the other hand when they are positioned quite away from these sound sources, it results in either distorted sound or very weak sound that cannot be effectively used.

Invest some time and notice what position gives the best sound as you try different positions in the studio space.

Budget Breakdown for a Home Studio Setup

Establishing a home studio is a greatly informative and very sensitive area especially on costs. 

Here’s a breakdown of costs:

Basic Setup

  • Computer (PC): $300-$1000 (Dell XPS 8940)
  • Audio Interface: $100 – $200 (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or similar)
  • Studio Monitors: $150 – $300 (JBL 305P MkII or similar)
  • Microphone: $100 – $150 (Audio-Technica AT2020 or similar)
  • Headphones: $50 – $100 (Audio-Technica ATH-M50X or similar)
  • DAW: $0 – $300 (FL Studio or free versions of software like GarageBand)
  • Miscellaneous: $50 – $150 (cables, mic stand, pop filter)

fruity loops

This configuration is perfect for starting and recording music, creating podcasts, or for recording voices. It offers a basic quality to the consumer.

Mid-Range Setup

  • Computer (MAC): $800 -$1500 (Apple imac)
  • Audio Interface: $200 – $400 (Universal Audio Volt or similar)
  • Studio Monitors: $300 – $600 (Yamaha HS8 or KRK Rokit 8)
  • Microphone: $150 – $400 (Rode NT1 or Shure SM7B)
  • Headphones: $100 – $200 (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro)
  • DAW: $100 – $300 (Ableton Live, Logic Pro X)
  • MIDI Controller: $100 – $200 (Akai MPK Mini or Novation Launchkey)
  • Miscellaneous: $150 – $400 (acoustic treatment, cables, stands)

 

The mid range setup provides more freedom on top of better audio quality and is recommended for serious users or people who need to take their music to another level.

Conclusion: Why Building a Home Studio is Worth It

Establishing home recording studio essentials has a lot of advantages.

It is liberating for you to get to work on whatever comes to your mind without limitations and it saves you money than hiring studio space.

Furthermore, owning a home studio enables an artist to work on a particular project depending on his/her timetable which option is out of the reach of many professional studios.

Amateurs shouldn’t worry too much about getting expensive gear as soon as possible.

Start with the fundamentals then as you get accustomed with the software, you can then consider upgrading the tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

how much does it cost to start a home recording studio?

Starting a home recording studio can cost in the range of $500 to $25,000 depending the type of studio you want. There’s several pieces of equipment that you will need to start out. First, you will need a computer which will be the head piece of your station. You will also need a digital audio workstation, headphones, microphones, audio interface and studio monitors.

 

What do you need for a recording studio at home?

We will need a good computer that can hold all those huge files that we need when recording. We also need a DAW, some good studio monitors, cables, headphones, acoustic treatment and also n audio card/ interface.

 

What is the average cost to record a song at a studio?

It all depends on that type of recording studio. Professional recording studios can charge anywhere from $50 to $100 for hourly sessions. In contrast, beginner style recording studio usually charge $30 to $40 per hour. Keep in mind that these are only estimates.

 

Does a recording studio own your music?

No. The recording studio does not own your music, but you have to make sure to understand the agreement you have with the recording studio. Before entering an agreement with the recording studio make sure you agree with the terms.

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