Common Equipment to have in a Home Studio
A recording studio is where musicians mix and master their music and balance the audio which offers greater control than doing so while recording. If you’re a music enthusiast or beginner, you’ve probably thought of having your own recording studio at home. An advanced or professional studio contains a large number of tools and equipment that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars While this is not an option for most aspiring musicians, it is possible to assemble a functional studio that allows most beginners to step into the field and get more experience before beginning in earnest at a comparatively lower price. This article details several essential equipment that helps establish an amateur home studio for the aspiring musician.
Cables
Cables are used to connect recording and processing equipment together as well as supply power to various equipment. As the amount of equipment increases, so do the cables as they need to be plugged in and connected to each other. In order to keep the studio organised, proper cable management is also necessary, and it helps to arrange the layout of the studio beforehand. Before you get some cables, you’ll need a better idea of how many would be required. For a beginner studio, 3-5 XLR cables is generally sufficient.
Computer
A computer to be used as a Digital Audio Workstation is an essential component of any recording studio. The computer should be fairly powerful but more advanced features would not be used by those just starting out so a PC with modest specs and free DAW software can go a long way. Paid DAW software have more features and steeper requirements and should be upgraded to once the need arises.
Microphones
A high-quality microphone is essential for the recording process as the quality of the output is directly affected by the input quality, received by the microphone. While professional studios have different microphones and those with different specifications and settings, just one is enough for a beginners’ studio. Other addons such as pop filters and microphone stands may be required depending on use. For those recording mostly vocals, a condenser microphone should be purchased and for those recording instruments as well, a dynamic microphone may be required.
Headphones and Speakers
While working on the audio, it is important to have an idea of how the final output will sound as accurately as possible. A high-end pair of headphones with good audio quality will ensure that the audio mixer will be able to hear the end product as they are working on it and make accurate adjustments as required. Speakers are less important compared to headphones as they are generally broadcasting devices but may be helpful to compose compound tracks or to experiment while developing beats and music.
Audio Interface
An audio interface is a useful tool and consolidates all the inputs from microphones and instruments to feed it into the computer for use in the DAW software. This makes the post processing step much faster and easier.
