Small Home Studio Guide
Home studios are a great commodity for any serious musician. If you enjoy writing your own songs then a home studio is a must have. There are lots of great home studio equipment available now that can fit any musicians budget or space limits. This guide is intended for recording novices who are looking to put together a small studio on a tight budget. If you are interested in recording at a professional studio that offers affordable pricing check out my recording studio's website at www.highpassstudio.com
To view more information about a particular product simply click on the title of the product (written in blue text like this) or click on the product's image. Clicking on either of these will take you to the items page at the Zzounds Online Music Store. If you are curious as to why I recommend purchasing from ZZounds you can click here to find out!
The Computer
The first item you need to consider is your computer. The more power you can afford the better! I highly recommend a PC over a MAC because there are plenty more recording software options, and free software available for PC users. When buying a PC be sure to choose one that has at least a dual core processor, and at least 2GB of ram. You may also want to invest in an external hard drive to make sure your recordings are always backed up.
The Recording Interface and Software
For a small home studio set up I recommend buying a bundle package where the recording software and the interface come together. Here are your options:
This package is only $149 and it comes with a recording interface with two mic inputs (for recording with a microphone or for directly plugging in your guitar or bass). It also comes with Presonus Studio One recording software and tons of extras! Click the image above to check it out!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
This package is slightly more expensive, but that's because you're paying for the Steinberg name. Steinberg is a great company and their recording software Cubase is one of the best recording programs in the industry. This package isn't necessarily better than the Presonus package - it's just another option. Either package will do so be sure to check them both out and pick the one that sounds like it will work the best for your individual needs.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monitors and Headphones
A monitor is a studio term for speakers. Most professional studios invest thousands of dollars in multiple pairs of different sized monitors. If you want a good monitor system you will need to spend at least $300 per speaker.
Since we are constructing a small home studio on a budget I recommend forgoing the monitors and investing in a great pair of headphones instead. Most monitors under the $300 price range aren't good so you will be much better off investing in a quality pair of headphones.Here are two of my headphone recommendations.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Monitors and Headphones
A monitor is a studio term for speakers. Most professional studios invest thousands of dollars in multiple pairs of different sized monitors. If you want a good monitor system you will need to spend at least $300 per speaker.
Since we are constructing a small home studio on a budget I recommend forgoing the monitors and investing in a great pair of headphones instead. Most monitors under the $300 price range aren't good so you will be much better off investing in a quality pair of headphones.Here are two of my headphone recommendations.
This pair of headphones is used in countless numbers of professional studios all over the world! They work great, they are built tough, they sound great, and they are very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The price is only $99 and it is well worth the investment. Highly recommended!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
First let me say that I don't recommend using in-ear headphones for studio work. Headphones like the first pair I listed are much better for studio purposes. However, I understand that some people on a budget probably don't want to invest $100 in a pair of big chunky headphones and would rather spend it on smaller, sleeker, more portable headphones. If you must get in-ear headphones then these are a safe bet. They won't get you results like the Sony MDR7506 but they will be better than any budget pair of headphones you may have lying around your house.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Microphone
If you are planning on recording vocals, a guitar or bass amplifier, or an acoustic guitar then you will need a microphone. First let me say that you do not need a microphone to record your electric guitar and bass guitar tracks. You can simply plug your electric instrument straight into your recording interface and use software amplifiers (more on that later). Also note that different mics are better for different things so I will list four budget microphones that will each be good for a different purpose.
The Condenser Microphone
Condenser microphones are great for recording vocals and acoustic instruments. If you are planning on recording a lot of clean vocals and acoustic guitar I highly recommend investing in one of these microphones. These microphones can also be used to record electric guitar and bass amplifiers.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Microphone
If you are planning on recording vocals, a guitar or bass amplifier, or an acoustic guitar then you will need a microphone. First let me say that you do not need a microphone to record your electric guitar and bass guitar tracks. You can simply plug your electric instrument straight into your recording interface and use software amplifiers (more on that later). Also note that different mics are better for different things so I will list four budget microphones that will each be good for a different purpose.
The Condenser Microphone
Condenser microphones are great for recording vocals and acoustic instruments. If you are planning on recording a lot of clean vocals and acoustic guitar I highly recommend investing in one of these microphones. These microphones can also be used to record electric guitar and bass amplifiers.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Dynamic All Purpose Microphone
These two dynamic microphones have both been studio standards for many years and have been used on countless numbers of recordings! These microphones work great on anything especially guitar amplifiers and bass amplifiers. These microphones can also be used for acoustic guitar and vocals but it probably wont sound as good as a condenser mic. Edgier vocals that are used in music like rock and metal usually sound great when recorded with a dynamic microphone.
The difference between these two microphones is very minimal. Both mics can be used in all of the same types of applications but each mic is also intended more for a specific purpose. The Shure SM57 is designed for recording amplifiers and other instruments. The Sm58 is mainly designed to record vocals and be used as a live vocal microphone.
So, lets sum things up. If you want to record guitar or bass amplifiers then use the Shure SM57. If you want to record edgy rock or metal vocals then choose the Shure SM58 or one of the Condenser mics listed above.
The Dynamic All Purpose Microphone
These two dynamic microphones have both been studio standards for many years and have been used on countless numbers of recordings! These microphones work great on anything especially guitar amplifiers and bass amplifiers. These microphones can also be used for acoustic guitar and vocals but it probably wont sound as good as a condenser mic. Edgier vocals that are used in music like rock and metal usually sound great when recorded with a dynamic microphone.
The difference between these two microphones is very minimal. Both mics can be used in all of the same types of applications but each mic is also intended more for a specific purpose. The Shure SM57 is designed for recording amplifiers and other instruments. The Sm58 is mainly designed to record vocals and be used as a live vocal microphone.
So, lets sum things up. If you want to record guitar or bass amplifiers then use the Shure SM57. If you want to record edgy rock or metal vocals then choose the Shure SM58 or one of the Condenser mics listed above.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What About Drums?
Drums are the hardest instrument to get right in the studio. If you want to record a real drummer you will need an expensive multi input recording interface, a lot of microphones, an excellent sounding room, and a ton of patience and hard work to get it to sound right. I recommend forgoing the idea of using a real drummer and use a drum machine program instead.
There are many very realistic sounding drum machines on the market today. The more money you're willing to spend, the more realistic the drum machine will sound and the more options you will have. However, since we are just looking for a budget drum program I will list a couple of the budget friendly programs that will work well for the small studio musician. Be sure to take a look at all of them and choose the one you feel will fit your needs.
What About Drums?
Drums are the hardest instrument to get right in the studio. If you want to record a real drummer you will need an expensive multi input recording interface, a lot of microphones, an excellent sounding room, and a ton of patience and hard work to get it to sound right. I recommend forgoing the idea of using a real drummer and use a drum machine program instead.
There are many very realistic sounding drum machines on the market today. The more money you're willing to spend, the more realistic the drum machine will sound and the more options you will have. However, since we are just looking for a budget drum program I will list a couple of the budget friendly programs that will work well for the small studio musician. Be sure to take a look at all of them and choose the one you feel will fit your needs.
This drum program is by far the cheapest at only $29. If you're really on a budget, then this is the drum program for you. However, if you want a drum program that sounds really good I recommend spending a bit more and getting the next drum machine I have listed below - the Toontrack DFH EZ Drummer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Toontrack is legendary for their drum software. They allow you to fully customize your drum kit and easily get great sounding results. If you want a great rock drum sound for an affordable price then this is the drum program for you!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Free Plugins
A plugin is a piece of software that can be added to individual tracks to affect the sound of the track. For example, if you were recording an electric guitar and you wanted to put a chorus, phaser, or distortion effect on it you would use a plugin. There are many different types of plugins (EQ, Compressors, Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Distortion, Amp Simulators, and more) and each one serves a different purpose. Most recording programs (DAWS) come with a series of included plugins to get you started - but you can never have enough!
You can also use plugins as guitar and bass amplifier simulators. Amp simulators allow you to use realistic sounding amplifier plugins on your guitar and bass tracks! Some amp simulators come with the speaker cabinet simulator built in, and some require that you use two separate plugins at once on the same track (one plugin as the amplifier, and one plugin as the speaker cabinet).
This all may sound confusing but it really isn't once you get in there and mess around with it. If you need help figuring out how to use amp simulators take a look at this excellent free tutorial: http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/using-guitar-amp-simulators-101-part-1/
You can buy many different kinds of plugins from stores likeZZounds but there are also tons of great plugins online available for free! I will provide several links to some of the best places to get free plugins. To view any of the following websites simply click each website's link written in blue - like This.
http://lepouplugins.blogspot.com/
http://www.kvraudio.com/
http://www.acmebargig.com/#
http://freevstplugins.blogspot.com/
http://antress.blogspot.com/
http://www.vstplanet.com/Effects/Effects.htm
http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/the-13-best-free-vst-plug-ins-in-the-world-today-277953/1
http://www.hometracked.com/2007/01/11/best-free-vocal-plugins/
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sites With Recording Tips
If you are really interested in creating the best recordings possible there are many great websites that offer tons of tips, tricks, and techniques to help make your recordings sound better. Many of these sites are also filled with experts who can help you with any problems you may have or anything that is confusing you in the recording process. Feel free to check these sites out!
http://tweakheadz.com/
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/
http://www.soundonsound.com/
http://homerecording.com/bbs/
http://ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap-151/
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/recording-studio/
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Conclusion
That covers just about everything to get you started! If you have any further questions feel free to send me an email. If you need more help we can always schedule a lesson time and I'd be happy to instruct you further on setting up your small home studio on a budget!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Free Plugins
A plugin is a piece of software that can be added to individual tracks to affect the sound of the track. For example, if you were recording an electric guitar and you wanted to put a chorus, phaser, or distortion effect on it you would use a plugin. There are many different types of plugins (EQ, Compressors, Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Distortion, Amp Simulators, and more) and each one serves a different purpose. Most recording programs (DAWS) come with a series of included plugins to get you started - but you can never have enough!
You can also use plugins as guitar and bass amplifier simulators. Amp simulators allow you to use realistic sounding amplifier plugins on your guitar and bass tracks! Some amp simulators come with the speaker cabinet simulator built in, and some require that you use two separate plugins at once on the same track (one plugin as the amplifier, and one plugin as the speaker cabinet).
This all may sound confusing but it really isn't once you get in there and mess around with it. If you need help figuring out how to use amp simulators take a look at this excellent free tutorial: http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/production/using-guitar-amp-simulators-101-part-1/
You can buy many different kinds of plugins from stores likeZZounds but there are also tons of great plugins online available for free! I will provide several links to some of the best places to get free plugins. To view any of the following websites simply click each website's link written in blue - like This.
http://lepouplugins.blogspot.com/
http://www.kvraudio.com/
http://www.acmebargig.com/#
http://freevstplugins.blogspot.com/
http://antress.blogspot.com/
http://www.vstplanet.com/Effects/Effects.htm
http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/the-13-best-free-vst-plug-ins-in-the-world-today-277953/1
http://www.hometracked.com/2007/01/11/best-free-vocal-plugins/
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sites With Recording Tips
If you are really interested in creating the best recordings possible there are many great websites that offer tons of tips, tricks, and techniques to help make your recordings sound better. Many of these sites are also filled with experts who can help you with any problems you may have or anything that is confusing you in the recording process. Feel free to check these sites out!
http://tweakheadz.com/
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/
http://www.soundonsound.com/
http://homerecording.com/bbs/
http://ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap-151/
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/recording-studio/
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Conclusion
That covers just about everything to get you started! If you have any further questions feel free to send me an email. If you need more help we can always schedule a lesson time and I'd be happy to instruct you further on setting up your small home studio on a budget!
_Site Navigation:
Home About Me My Resume Frequently Asked Questions
Beginners Guide Testimonials My Affiliates Contact Me
© 2012 AZ Guitar Instruction
Home About Me My Resume Frequently Asked Questions
Beginners Guide Testimonials My Affiliates Contact Me
© 2012 AZ Guitar Instruction