Table of Contents
It has never been easier to record at home. At the same time, the quality of the gear has only improved over the last 10 years, and prices have dropped to a level where most people can join in. There are many great bundles that include most of what you need to get started. However, needs vary, and that’s why, with this guide, we’ll try to give you an overview of the different elements that are necessary – and which can be left out – when you’re buying equipment for your first home studio. Before each section, it will be indicated whether it’s need-to-have or nice-to-have, and we’ll start with a walkthrough of the different components. In addition, in this guide we focus on a setup built around a computer and only briefly mention other options at the end.
Watch the guide video here:
Computer - need-to-have
The computer is the brain of your home studio. Most modern computers can easily handle recording, as long as it’s not huge productions. There are some Audio Interfaces and programs that only work with either Mac or PC, but most work on both platforms. You can always find minimum computer requirements for each program, but if you have a computer that is no more than 4–5 years old, has 8gb RAM, an i5 processor and hard drive space, it will be enough in most cases to get started.
DAW - need-to-have
DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation and is the program in which you record, play back and process your audio files. There are many different ones to choose from, and here we’ll just mention a few: Presonus StudioOne – great for both audio recording and MIDI. Easy to get started with and navigate. It’s easy to start with a smaller version and upgrade when the need arises. Ableton Live – as the name suggests, it’s built for live use, although it certainly also has its place in the studio. It’s used especially for electronic music, as it has many unique features that make it very intuitive to work with in this genre. But as mentioned, there are many options – ProTools, Logic (Mac), FL Studio (PC), Reason and Reaper are also good DAWs, and it’s worth checking YouTube before you decide which platform you want to work in.
Audio Interfaces - need-to-have
Your Audio Interfaces is the link between your DAW and “the real world”. This is where the output from the program is converted from digital to analogue audio, and where your physical inputs are located – often there will also be one or more microphone preamps and line inputs, as well as a monitor controller and headphone amp. Which audio interface is right for you depends entirely on what type of music you want to record. If it’s electronic music with software instruments, you typically don’t need that many inputs, but if you want to be able to record a drum kit or an entire band all at once, it requires more inputs.
Headphones - need-to-have
Headphones are practical if you want to work without the neighbour banging on the wall, and they’re indispensable if you’re recording with a microphone. While recording, you of course need to hear what you’ve already recorded, but if it’s played through a speaker, you’ll get bleed on the recording – meaning that on your recording you’ll capture both what you’re recording right now and what you’ve already recorded in the background – and that makes it harder to mix properly – so put on the headphones!
Microphones - need-to-have
There are many different microphones to choose from! The two most common types are the condenser microphone and dynamic microphones. Without going into details about the design and the difference, you can roughly say that a condenser captures a broader sound image – but it’s also more sensitive, which means it will pick up a fair amount of room sound. A dynamic microphone doesn’t have as broad a frequency range and captures more of what is directly in front of it – and there are also more differences we’ll skip here. But that means that if your room doesn’t sound super good, in some cases you can get better sound with a good dynamic microphone than with a condenser. A classic dynamic microphone found in most studios is the Shure sm7b. However, it requires a fairly powerful preamp, where most small audio interfaces fall short – but a standard Shure sm58 can actually also sound really good.
Cables - need-to-have
It goes without saying that you need a cable between your microphone and your audio interface. Not much to say about that. All microphone cables we sell can be used – the cheap ones also work perfectly fine, just make sure the cable matches your microphone and your audio interface! Some audio interfaces have XLR inputs, while others use a 6.3mm jack input!
Microphone stand - need-to-have
If you’re recording things with a microphone, you of course need a stand that can hold the microphone. It won’t do to hold it in your hand, as that will often create unwanted handling noise; a microphone stand helps with that, so your recordings stay nice and clean!
Plug-ins - nice-to-have
Plug-ins can be many things, but basically you can say they are 3rd party programs you use inside your DAW. All DAWs come with a range of plug-ins installed that you use to shape the sound of what you record. These can be EQs, compressors, distortion or other effects. To begin with, you can easily manage with the built-in plug-ins, but after some time it can be fun to experiment with other types. The name plug-in comes from the days when recording was done in analogue. You would, for example, insert an EQ in the chain (with cables) – in English, plug in.
Software instruments - nice-to-have
As with plug-ins, a couple are often included with your DAW. Software instruments work by you controlling them with MIDI – e.g. from a MIDI keyboard. That way you can have countless organs, synths, pianos, drum machines and much more digitally inside the program.
Microphone preamp - nice-to-have
Before you record the sound from your microphone, it needs to be amplified. All microphone inputs on mixers and audio interfaces are, in reality, a microphone preamp, which you control with the gain knob. However, it’s also possible to buy external microphone preamps. There are models with tubes and with transistors, and they can sound really good – but when you’re starting out, it’s not the most important thing – you can easily use the preamp in your audio interface.
Pop filter - nice-to-have
If you’re recording vocals, a pop filter is almost a must. It’s a ring with black, thin fabric stretched across it. It filters out strong air “pops” from vocals. They often occur on P sounds – and they don’t sound good!
Studio monitors - nice-to-have
It’s really great to have a pair of good studio monitors – and it’s probably one of the first things you’ll want to upgrade if you start out with just headphones. A good pair of monitors lets you hear what you’re doing. Recording and making music without being able to properly hear what you’re doing is a bit like painting blindfolded – it’s not optimal! Of course you need two, and they need to be positioned properly so they’re at ear height.
Monitor controller - nice-to-have
With a monitor controller you can precisely control the level of your monitors, and there are often other functions like dim (where the level is reduced), mono (so you can check your mixes in mono), multiple outputs for multiple sets of monitors, headphone amp, etc. It’s not something you’ll need right away – the monitor controller in your audio interface will be enough for most users.
MIDI keyboard - nice-to-have
If you want to use software instruments, a MIDI keyboard is essential. The keyboard doesn’t have any built-in sounds, but only sends MIDI data, which your software instruments convert into notes. It can often be connected via USB directly to the computer.
MIDI controller - nice-to-have
MIDI controllers can look very different! They can consist of buttons, faders, knobs and drum pads, and are used to control your DAW and your plug-ins without using a mouse. With faders you can control the faders in your DAW’s mixer; with knobs you can control various plug-ins; and with pads you can play in drum beats. Many MIDI keyboards also have a range of MIDI controller features.
Acoustic treatment - nice-to-have
The room you record in has a lot to say in terms of sound quality. That’s why it can be a good idea to optimise it. This can be done in several ways. There are good bundles with various acoustic products that can help the sound, including screens that can be placed behind the microphone, “feet” for your monitors, etc. It’s also possible to improve things yourself, for example by having a sofa or other items in the room.
“Take 1!”
Now you are hopefully a bit better equipped to decide what you need. You can keep expanding your studio as your needs evolve. If you’re in doubt about what’s right for you, you’re always welcome to contact us by phone, email or via Facebook, and we’ll be happy to help you find exactly the right setup to suit your needs.
Enjoy the recordings!
