While extremely high quality and expensive equipment, as well as a million-dollar facility, is a tremendous asset to making professional recordings, it pales in comparison to the importance of having the basic skills required to make a great recording and mix when setting up a home recording studio setup.
Setting up home recording studio equipment can be costly and challenging. However, it does not need to be! With a few inexpensive pieces of kit, it is easy to prepare recordings for release from the comfort of your own home without shattering the bank!
So, we will show you how to set up a home recording studio and that too on a budget!
Why would you need a Home Studio Setup?
Producing Professional-Quality Audio at Home
The quality of audio we are accustomed to today is much higher than it was a few decades ago. Therefore, while releasing music, it is essential to maintain a high standard in terms of audio quality to add more listeners.
There are two ways to achieve this: renting a recording studio setup or building your own. Due to advances in audio recording technology and the increasing processing power of computers, the difference in the quality of audio presented by a professional studio and a home studio has become negligible.
How much would it Cost to Build a Home Studio?
The good news is that a good home studio doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money.
Today, high-quality music recording equipment, such as USB audio interfaces, microphones, etc., are available at surprisingly affordable prices. However, it is essential to know what you want to achieve before setting a budget. In general, as an accompaniment to a piano or acoustic guitar, a singer-songwriter can be far from good.
- two-channel audio interface (USB sound card),
- a microphone,
- And a good pair of studio monitor headphones.
Considering the additional cost of some accessories like cable and mic stand, the cost of such a setup would be between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. If you want to build a studio capable of recording an entire band, the price will undoubtedly add up due to the need for additional recording channels and microphones.
How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio for Cheap
Basic Home Studio Equipment
There is no end to what studio equipment you can buy for a studio recording. However, from a budget-friendly home studio standpoint, we will only discuss the minimum amount of gear to kick-start your music production.
Computer
To start, you’ll need access to a computer. You do not need the most up-to-date Mac Pro, complete with every specification available that could power a spacecraft and cost you a little fortune. Still, you can record your music on your big brother’s hand-me-down Windows 95 computers from the 1990s.
We recommend the current Mac Book Pro, iMac, or Mac Mini (or any PC equivalents – though a significant percentage of creatives in the music business choose Macs) that are in the middle of the road.
The computer will be the center of your operations and is an essential part of the home studio.
DAW
It makes no difference which one you utilize, but you will need to find the best DAW for music production. To record, use virtual instruments (VIs), and mix, you must first launch this “software.”
It used to be too expensive to run a Pro Tools rig in a home studio, but now for around $300 a year, you can have the same software that professionals use.
If you’ve used GarageBand, Logic Pro has a decent segment in the audio world due to its similar layout and look. Or, for about $200, you can buy Apple’s Logic, which is the preferred choice for most songwriters, producers, and musicians, both professionals, and beginners, who are just getting into the production, recording, and mixing game.
Audio Interface
Unless you want to use only virtual instruments (VIs) and samples in your compositions, you will need the best audio interface to connect to your computer. Not only is it possible to record sounds like your own voice, guitar, or synthesizer via a microphone or instrument connection, but an audio interface will also give you some high-quality output in the form of a set of speakers – or “monitors.” they are called in the audio business. You will also need to learn the best usb audio interface if you are a podcaster or musician.
You can use your computer’s headphone output. Still, it’s not as good an interface, will require adapters, and can usually be a bit of a fuss with the buzz and other artifacts of computers and audio converters.
Good Speakers
For the most part, good monitors and headphones don’t require a significant investment of time or money. It’s essential to hear what you’re recording and mix in as much detail as possible to create a high-quality track. The advantage of using monitors over commercial speakers is that they tend to be “flat,” whereas commercial speakers are adjusted with an enhanced EQ curve.
While your vehicle audio system or home music studio HiFi system can be enjoyable to listen to music, you should avoid mixing on such techniques as you can end up with some costly mixing blunders on those systems and avoid those troubles. You must have the best speakers for home studios.
Microphones
When recording voice or any other acoustic instrument, you need a microphone to capture the sound. There are types of microphones; you will only need one microphone for the entire project.
If you’re working in the popular music industry, making sure your voice tracks stand out from the mix is the most critical component of your recording studio setup process. Luckily, you can record great sounds using a microphone that’s within your budget.
Home Recording Studio Setup Diagram
With the help of this diagram, you can also create a mini home recording studio setup for your home, and along with that, you can also make a voice-over home recording studio setup. Organize your best home recording studio setup with help from this low-budget equipment.
Conclusion
These are the best home recording studio setup ideas. No matter how expensive your equipment is or how good your home studio’s acoustics are, it ultimately depends on your skills as a music producer. The skills and knowledge can bridge the gap between a budget home studio and a professional recording studio. Therefore, it is essential to master the fundamentals of music production and develop an ear and taste for good.