Building A Home Recording StudioBuilding a home recording studio has never been cheaper or easier to do! These are wonderful times we live in! We musicians no longer need to book blocks of time in a big, expensive recording studio. We no longer need to spend thousands of dollars on a five-song demo.
For less than the cost of a big studio demo, we can record as many demos as we wish! Building a home recording studio truly is a sound investment. So how do we go about it? Read on! The following guide is designed to help you make informed choices as to which kind of gear is right for you. Just remember, it all comes down to personal preference. What's right for me may not be what's right for you. So make sure to do a bit of research before you buy. On this and the pages that follow we'll cover hardware, software, mics, monitors and everything in between! I'm not going to talk about tape-based recording here, as digital recording has long been the standard. Even the DAT (Digital Audio Tape) has pretty much fallen by the wayside. Instead let's focus on the DAW, or Digital Audio Workstation. The DAW generally comes in two varieties: Computer-based or Integrated. Building A Home Recording Studio: The Integrated DAWThe Integrated DAW, or all-in-one Multitracker is a stand-alone device that combines the necessary components such as an audio interface, an on-board computer with dedicated audio-editing software as well as a control surface and graphical user interface. This is probably the way to go if you want to keep things simple, and you want to get up and running fast. Of course, you still need to invest in microphones, studio monitors and such; but you won't have to fork out for a separate computer, audio interface, and software etc... and make sure they are compatible with each other. It is possible to produce some wonderful recordings on these machines. I personally used one of the Roland VS Multitrackers for several years, and was quite happy with the results. These units often come with great-sounding digital effects built right in, so there's no need for a rack of expensive outboard gear. The downside to this setup is it's not upgradeable. What you see is pretty much what you get. Building A Home Recording Studio: The Computer-Based DAWComputer-based recording refers to having a computer running audio editing software. The computer provides CPU power for processing, and all editing is done within the software program. The Computer-Based DAW is what most recording enthusiasts are leaning toward these days, and with good reason. With these systems, the sky's the limit. Each component can be upgraded to something more powerful to keep up with your recording needs. The vast amount of third-party virtual effect plugins available is staggering, and new ones are constantly being released. Let's take a look at some of the components we will need for our Computer-Based DAW system: The ComputerIt doesn't matter if you prefer a Mac or a PC. However, the computer you choose needs to be powerful enough to handle the many demands placed on it by the recording software. Go for the fastest processor, a good sized hard drive and as much RAM as you can afford. Most computers these days do have the necessary power, but it's a good idea to go for a bit more than you think you'll need! Use the computer just for recording I also recommend getting a separate hard drive to record to. The computer should be used only to run the programs. When choosing an external hard drive look for one with a speed of at least 7200 rpm, and preferably firewire. If using one computer for everything, applications not necessary for recording should be disabled whenever possible. You don't want a bunch of widgets using up valuable CPU power. Next in Building A Home Recording Studio we'll move on to the recording software., audio interface, and all the other goodies! Return from Building A Home Recording Studio to Home
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