Home Recording Studio Equipment: The Definitive Guide for 2020
Last updated on December 5, 2019
by Jay Von K
"Alright lads, welcome to Chapter 1 of the studio guide"
The main reason: you only need a few things to get you started (you don't need much.. Just a few essential things)
This page or better yet, this entire guide is dedicated to show you guys how to build your own home recording studio...
...step by step.
So without further a due.
Let’s begin folks!
Introducing: 11 Ultimate Essentials you need to Setup your Home Recording Studio
If this is your first attempt then I would say that you need to go for a basic setup. You will need solid building blocks for any future expansions…
...So keep it simple folks.
Why do I say keep it basic?
- Because you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with to much unless your ready and have enough knowledge to do so.
- You want to buy the right stuff so you don’t waist any money on junk you will end up selling.
By avoiding this and sticking to a basic setup, you are probably wondering what’s next right?
I know many producers and musicians who started buying inexpensive products,
Why...
...because they don’t want to spend too much money to record any music they produce.
That’s cool and all, but...
...you definitely need to know what equipment you can save on.
A great example is an article we wrote: Cheap Recording Studio
In that article, I show you how you can build a setup for about 600 dollars.
If you don’t have a lot of money and you're not planning on spending more in the future.
It’s actually not that bad.
But with cheap prices comes the same type of quality you would expect from it.
That’s not true for all products but it is definitely a guideline with the truth.
If you are really serious when it comes down to a quality audio recording solution...
...it's not recommended for you.
Next up: What I would get instead…
Here are 8 things you need to get you started:
If you can acquire these items on the list, you will have a decent setup which will last you your beginner days with recording your tracks at home.
The main reasons:
- You can immediately start recording without spending to much precious time and bags full of money on it.
- The most important part: these items will be the building blocks which you can expand in the future when you are ready and have more knowledge and skills.
Let’s take a look what these 8 items/products are for:
The computer can be considered the "brains".
This will be the most expensive part when you're just starting out.
Normally you would want the fastest computer out there…
...but in today's world, it’s common to already own a PC or Mac at home.
If your computer is not that old it should be enough to get you recording.
If you already own a computer listen up.
Use that one instead of buying a brand new one right now.
But if you want to know what I would recommend you can read the article by clicking on the image above.
You may already know about…
A Digital Audio Workstation...
It's an application that enables you to edit, record, and start mixing audio signals onto your PC or Mac-based Computer…
There is a huge list to choose from when it comes down to DAW’s, from free, Artist to Professional versions.
When you're just starting out on this journey, the best route to take would be to:
Buying an audio interface in combination with a DAW.
You can always buy these two separately from each other, but for now, you can go with the combo.
The main reasons:
- You don’t have to pay for both separately.
- The two items are well integrated with each other and compatible
Again there are a bunch of choices and I will name a few of them:
- Presonus Artist edition of Studio One Comes with any of their Audio interface products.
- Avid’s Protools Express Version comes with there lower budget products like the Fast Track Solo
- Steinberg’s Cubase lite comes with the Native Instruments Komplete Audio as well as Steinberg’s own line of interfaces.
If you want to know more about DAW’s then check this article by clicking on the image above
This unit is the body of your recording suite.
It is the hardware that enables connections from your analog gear to your digital work-space and computer.
It also upgrades your normal audio capabilities that are built into your Computer with quality, inputs, and outputs.
As I have already mentioned, some audio interfaces in the budget range, come packed with a DAW and sometimes with other software and/or plugins you can use and add to your arsenal.
Why would you want to monitor on your Headphones?
It definitely isn’t the same as mixing with a pair of Studio Speakers now is it…
If you look at the big studios, do you see them using headphones for mixing their tracks?
The answer is no!
These Monitors are called near field speakers.
The reason for this is...
...they are near you!
The difference between studio monitors and hi-fi speakers is:
The studio versions try to have a flat frequency response.
This flat frequency response gives you a more accurate signal without coloring your audio.
The world's best monitors are quite expensive…but you're in luck, there are great affordable ones out there!
Why should these headphones be closed back?
A simple answer:
Because they are going to be used for recordings…
It doesn't sound nice when audio is spilled from your headphone onto your microphone.
You're going to end up with a signal that has more sources on it than you initially intended.
The other type of headphone is the open back one.
These isolate less and are usually used for mixing.
Overall...
...they have a better sound quality in contrast to the closed-back versions.
So for recording, you would want to get closed-back headphones (In ears perform great to0)!
A Versatile Microphone
When you're a novice, you only need one…
What kind of mic do you need?
One that can record virtually anything!
The one that is recommended is the SM57 by Shure. This is a dynamic mic and will be one you will come to love.
The main reason:
- It’s super affordable
- Can handle any signal
- Professionals use it too
But, it all depends on what you want to record: Like vocals, guitar, a piano, and anything else you can think of.
There are other mics that are designed to record such instruments or signals. But the SM57 is definitely one you should buy.
Not all stands are built the same…
Get a good quality solid stand that will support your microphone.
This stand will probably last you a lifetime!
But if your a novice and don’t have too much to spend on a stand, you can just go out and buy an affordable one that feels sturdy enough.
If you want to acquire more knowledge about Microphone stands which are out there you can read: Which Microphone stand to choose for your studio.
There may come a time that you will have a closet full of cables…
But until then you will only require these:
- A USB cable for connecting your audio interface with your computer
- Two XLR or TRS cables for connecting your speakers to your audio interface
- At least a ten-foot XLR cable for your microphone, or use the one that is included with your MIC.
At this point, you don’t have to invest in premium quality cables, but they are out there!
Read this article: The best XLR cables for your Microphone
Want to Continue reading?
Now you have gained a basic knowledge about Essential Studio Equipment you might want to know more.
But for now, we covered every item you need to set up a basic home studio.
The journey continues:
Want to gain in-depth knowledge? Discover more in these 5 Chapters.
Chapter 1: Setup a Home Recording Studio
Chapter 2: How to Record Audio Perfectly
Chapter 3: Studio Acoustics and Furniture
Chapter 4: Upgrading your Studio
Chapter 5: Mixing Essentials
For now, I recommend you to just start with Chapter 1 and all of its articles.
Some articles may refer to audio-related products we discuss within the Original Blog on...
Happy researching, Jay. (Don't forget to share and comment).
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