For musicians wishing to record in their own home studios, computer-based recording has brought opportunities that would have been unimaginable to a previous generation of recordists. In the era of huge analog tape machines, massive sound boards, and bulky racks of outboard gear, a large recording and mixing space was essential. The digital recording revolution has made state-of-the-art recording possible in spaces as small as a spare bedroom. If you have the space for a desk for your computer, and a place to sit and set up a microphone or two, making your own recording studio is fairly straightforward. Here's proceed:
Instructions
1. Decide upon an exclusive recording space and devote it to the creation of music. It doesn't have to be a huge room; it can be a small bedroom or even a study. The main point is to have an area when the focus is entirely on the music and distractions are at a minimum. If you're in the middle of a vocal take and you're staring at piles of mail or scattered magazines, your mind will be tempted to wander. Make your studio a sanctuary; a place where disturbances are minimal and you can concentrate on the recording task at hand.
2. If your budget allows, purchase a computer to use exclusively for your recording studio setup. The processing of music files can be very demanding of a computer's performance, so the more streamlined your system is, the better. If a new computer is out of the question, then a little maintenance is in order. Disable any unnecessary programs that are using up valuable memory, and make sure that there are no software games and/or audio that start automatically that might interfere with your recording and cause latency problems and audio drop-outs. This is also a good time to consider an upgrade to your computer. It's wise to have 2GB of RAM to ensure smooth operation of your system, with 1GB being the absolute minimum.
3. Choose your recording software. There are many first-rate recording and editing programs on the market, and devotees of each swear that theirs is the best. It's all a matter of preference of course; most of the big names should give you all the options you need. If you want to keep things simple, Cakewalk comes highly recommended, as does Garageband (for Mac users).
4. Choose a couple of versatile microphones. A condenser mic for vocals and acoustic instruments is a must, and the good news is that in recent years, condensers have dropped substantially in price. You can pick up a capable one, like the AT3035, for around $200 (see link below). If you're going to be recording electric guitars and want to mic an amplifier, you may also want to pick up a dynamic mic like the invaluable and classic Shure SM57 (there's a good reason why practically every studio out there has several of them at their disposal). These mics can handle the extreme sound pressure levels (SPLs) that might damage the more fragile condenser models.
5. Next, you'll need a hardware interface device in order to get your signal into the computer. The interface will have pre-amps that will boost the signal of sound sources that have a low output, like microphones. There are many models available on the market, and like the aforementioned condenser microphones, bargains can be had. You will pay more for more inputs, so make sure you don't pay for more than you need. If you're a solo performer, you'll need only a couple of inputs; if you're going to be recording a full band, then obviously you'll need a few more.
6. Get more storage. Recorded music files will use up a lot of your computer's hard drive space, and if you're recording, editing and using effects processors, you'll fill it up fairly rapidly, so it's a good idea to purchase an external hard drive that you can use exclusively for your recorded files. In addition to protecting your hard work in the event of a computer failure, this will also hold you in good stead should you wish to take your tracks to another studio for a collaboration or outside mixing session. A 500 GB external drive should work nicely; see link below for examples.
7. When your music is recorded, you'll need to be able to monitor it at the mixdown stage. For this you need a pair of flat-response studio monitors. Unlike regular stereo speakers, these will give you an un-colored playback of your music. This is essential for getting the best possible mix that is suitable for playback on a variety of playback systems. Don't make the mistake of trying to mix on headphones; they're notorious for their bass-heavy response and are not an accurate way to evaluate how your mix will sound through a speaker system.
