So last week we discussed some of the basics of what you need just to get started setting up your home studio this week we’re going to get into some more specifics below
So we're going to look at the equipment a little bit more in detail this week as we try to figure out what your price point is so you can create a home studio within your budget. Now the sky is the limit when it comes to buying a home studio, so I'm going to distill things down to just three categories: budget, Mid-range, and High.
(Just as a side note and to make you aware these are all Amazon affiliate so I will make money if you click below and purchase from Amazon but believe me that doesn't determine my choices)
So the first thing as I noted in the last blog you're going to need a laptop or a computer of some kind, whether it be a Mac or a PC with a DAW installed. Ideally, you would have your own already. Let us start with one of the essential items, and that will be an Audio interface to see the three choices below in order of price.
Now here's where it gets tricky because if you want to get something reasonably priced that will get you started, then something like the Presonus or the Focusrite Scarlett2i2 would be more than adequate. I use the Focusrite for all of our recordings here in my studio, and I highly recommend it at its price point it is unbeatable. The quality of the sound is excellent, and it a solidly built device.
Another option is Universal Audios Apollo; it uses Thunderbolt 3, which is known to prevent latency issues. It can also daisy change with other Apollo through the Thunderbolt, giving you access to more tracks. The Apollos sound quality is a noticeable improvement but not by much, however, its software sound processing suite is exceptional allowing a lot less interference as it has its onboard sound processing which means it is bypassing the computer to some extent
The next thing we're going to need is a microphone to attach to the Audio interface as I'd mentioned in the last blog what you primarily want to do is use a condenser microphone. These vary with all different shapes and sizes, but basically, what we are going to look at is the quality of sound Check out the list below of some of the choices. I use the RODE NT1.
So you are also going to need a keyboard controller. In the last blog, this will be your primary interface for adding notes to your tracks, and keyboard controllers are not sound generators. They are what the name implies in that they control the sound coming out of your computer.
The price of keyboard controllers can vary widely from about $50 to $2000; things to consider are the keyboard size and added features like display, drum pads, and intuitive interfaces and, of course, build quality.
Closed-back headphones are what you want to go with when you're doing a vocal track to prevent any sound bleed ending up in your track. The key to good studio headphones is that they have a flat, accurate response to your recoding.
Finally, you are going to need a Studio monitor to monitor your recordings. A flat response is a key here also—the more flat or accurate your music playback, the better.
You're going to need an XLR cable that will connect from your microphone to either a mixer or your audio interface. I would start with the audio interface since they can typically take about two inputs, i.e., vocal mic and electric guitar. Hence, you want to have that be what you connect to and subsequently to your interface, connected directly via USB to the laptop.
So let's talk cabling and how to get things connected. Below I have added some diagrams of what a basic setup will typically look like and the type of cables you're going to need.
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