Recording Studio Floor Plans: Simple Advice For Getting Started
Anyone can throw together a home recording studio today. But how do you build one that will match your needs and function well? That’s what I want to cover in this brief article. You will discover that creating a better studio is all about planning. So get into “planning” mode right now, and start reading.
Building A Home Recording Studio
If you happen to be starting from scratch, that’s an excellent thing. You have a clean slate. That means you can create your studio from the bottom up, and everything will be as you planned it. But typically, you have some equipment lying around or pieced together. That stuff needs to be integrated into your studio somehow, right? Not all the time. Beware that temptation – developing your studio around gear you already have can be frustrating and pointless. Sometimes it’s best to just ditch the old stuff and start over. For instance, if you have a 4-track recorder… it’s probably time to move on. Sorry!
Today, there really is no excuse for not recording to a computer. Even the larger studios are doing it. So we can start there. Get a newer computer – brand new if possible. Try to make this a dedicated “studio computer.” You don’t want your friends surfing the internet or looking at their Facebook on this computer. And you shouldn’t be doing your homework on it either. Having a single purpose computer means it will last longer, get fewer viruses, and work better when you are recording.
In fact, just get a Mac. Apple makes the best computer for running a studio. But if you must stay with Windows, that’s alright also. Plenty of studios use Windows for their software. One more tip – it really doesn’t matter how fast your computer is. If it was made in the last year, it’s quick enough.
Best Recording Studio Software isn’t keeping up with the computer manufacturers. You can find a $300 computer that will be plenty fast enough for your studio. But you should get a lot of hard drive space. Audio files can be huge, so make sure you have a big hard drive and a big backup hard drive.
Moving on, you need an interface of some sort. This gets the audio into the computer. Go for a USB 2.0 interface (most new interfaces will use USB 2.0 or Firewire – either is alright). You can get them inexpensively with minimal features, or you can buy the farm and get all the knobs and lights. Begin with at least 2 channels, so you are able to record in stereo. But break the bank and get 8 channels if you can. You’ll thank me when you need to mic up the drums. An 8 channel interface can be purchased for under $500 these days. Oh yeah, and your software will come with the interface.
For microphones, you need a condenser microphone and a dynamic microphone to begin with. That’s the bare minimum. Later, you need to have a variety of microphones so you can experiment with different sounds and combinations. Spend your money wisely. Sometimes 2 cheap microphones is better than 1 costly microphone. Having backup equipment will save you a lot of headaches later on. Trust me – I’ve seen it all!
What’s left? How about speakers or headphones? I recommend headphones at first if you’re on a tight budget. Spend $50 and buy something decent. Then later buy a good pair of active monitors. These can be found for about $150 for an inexpensive pair. Add some cables to your setup, and you’re done! Now you have a simple, easy recording studio that can be a ton of fun – or a lot of money, if you wish to charge bands for your services. Enjoy!
Want to set up an easy recording studio business? To discover the secret to making money with your home studio, click the following link (Building A Home Recording Studio).
Post a comment