We live in a world where anyone can create and release their music to the world. Thanks to platforms like TikTok and YouTube, music creators can skip the middleman (record labels don’t always have your best interest in mind, after all) and release their songs directly to the public.
However, if you really want to pursue a career in your music, you will need professional equipment and a quality recording studio. Luckily, you don’t have to spend your hard-earned money renting access to professional studios (which can be quite expensive). If you have the space, you can create your own recording studio that will always be readily available when inspiration strikes.
In this article, we’ll take a quick look at the main steps to take and give you a rough cost estimate. This way you can get an idea of how much budget you will need.
Configure your recording room
Sound is a finicky thing, which is why you need a special room to capture it the right way. If you’ve ever been to a professional recording studio, you’ve noticed that it doesn’t look like an ordinary room. First of all, there are no windows, the walls are insulated to prevent any sound leakage, and the door is really solid and also insulated.
Now, you can’t do this at home, but you can choose a part that has some of the specs you need. For instance, a high ceiling is always better and you should have a carpeted floor to reduce reverberations. Also, choose one with very few windows (none would be better) and a solid door, preferably wood.
The idea is to find a room where there will be as little echo as possible. Echo is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to remove from your recording and if you want your music to sound professional, you can’t have reverbs.
Also, give the room an acoustic treatment by buying foam absorbers for the walls and bass traps for the corners. It’ll cost around $300+, but if you’re not too picky about foam quality, you can go lower.
Build your equipment
This part is a bit more expensive, but there are ways to cut costs, especially as a beginner.
For example, you can use your laptop or PC as the main hub and if you don’t plan on doing complex edits, there are free digital audio workstation (DAW) rigs you can use. Even the more complex ones have free trials that last one or two months, so take advantage of them.
Then you will need a audio interface to get your recordings in digital format and then to headphones and speakers. This device is essential if you want to produce good quality music, just like an affordable studio microphone.
However, the microphone is one of the elements that you cannot be stingy with. Fortunately, thanks to microphone modules, you now have the option of choosing a custom microphone that is high quality, but won’t break your budget. Plus, you can really customize these tools to suit your needs.
You should also have a preamp, which is a nice studio piece of equipment that goes between the mic and the DAC. The preamp makes your mic feel warm and alive (especially if it’s a low-cost model), whether it’s vocals or instruments.
Finally, you can’t do much without good headphones and monitors because you won’t be able to check the quality of your music. Now, when you draw the line and add it all up, you might find that the gear will cost you upwards of $2,000, depending on what level of quality you’re aiming for.
Configure all
Once you have all the tools, you also need to learn how to set up your own home recording studio. To do this, you need to understand how each piece of equipment works with each other and how to install them for optimum quality.
All in all, it can be a bit of work and your budget can be tested, but you don’t have to get it all at once. Choose your items carefully and build your studio as you go to avoid putting too much pressure on yourself. After all, once ready, you’ll be free to use it however you see fit!
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