Home Recording Equipment Basics

     So you want to build up a home studio but don’t know what to buy?  You have money to spend but no clue how to spend it?  Well thankfully, this post is dedicated to home studio budgeting basics.  In this blog post I will discuss useful ways to spend that money and some common misconceptions that can keep you from spending more than you have to.  

Basic Equipment:   

  First let’s talk about what you need to get started.  A computer is key for smaller project studios.  Most home studios run off some sort of DAW software inside a computer.  With that being said let’s talk about software.  There are many options when it comes to DAWs.  There is Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, and Cakewalk.  Those are the top level DAWs that are recommended by professionals.  There isn’t much difference between them in terms of functionality.  The difference comes down to the user interface and what you feel comfortable with.  So download some demos and try them out.  A common misconception is that you need a separate piece of software for various tasks.  For example, Pro Tools for audio tracks and Reason for digital music.  This is incorrect.  All the professional level DAWs can record audio and produce digital music.  You really only need one DAW.  Then you can purchase third party plugins and virtual instruments to beef up the capabilities of that software. So pick a DAW, and purchase a simple interface.  Something with 2-8 channels is acceptable for a small home studio.  This interface will allow you to record audio into your DAW.  

     The next thing you need is a microphone.  Purchasing thing an external preamp is not necessary right out of the gate but I get a lot of people asking about this.  They want to know what to spend more money on; a mic or a preamp.  A good preamp can make a bad mic sound decent, but a cruddy preamp will make an awesome mic sound like trash.  So it is always better to invest in clean preamps.  You can purchase a good preamp and then get a mid-level microphone.  That’s a winning combination right there.  A great budget mic is the Rode NT1A or the Blue Bluebird.  I have been using both of those for years and love their sound.  

What about monitoring?

     The last piece of basic equipment you need is something to monitor with.  So get yourself some speakers or headphones.  When it comes to headphones you want as flat of a frequency response as possible.  This means NO BEATS HEADPHONES!!!  Beats headphones emphasize the lower frequencies and boost some highs, so this makes them terrible for mixing.  You want headphones or speakers that will give a good representation of the audio as it sits in the mix.  So shop around and make sure to look at the response curves in the specifications.

     So hopefully you now have some idea of the basic equipment you need to get your home studio up and running.  Some next steps may include buying plugins, virtual instruments, more microphones, or external gear.  As always, have fun with it.

-Jon

Sources:

http://bluemic.com/bluebird/

http://www.rodemic.com/mics/nt1-a

http://lifehacker.com/5853193/how-can-i-set-up-a-home-recording-studio-on-the-cheap

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/determining-what-you-need-for-your-home-recording-.html

Home Studio Acoustics: Part 1

     We already know that home studios are not going away.  It is best to embrace this shift in the recording industry and figure out a way to make it work.  Many professionals criticize homes studios because they are often run by amateurs, and they don’t necessarily use the best equipment or have the best acoustics.  Recording and mixing music is all about the acoustics.  If the acoustics of the space are decent then low grade equipment can still be useful.  However, bad acoustics can make even the best equipment completely useless.  This two-part blog post will overview some effective ways to strengthen your room’s acoustics and give you a better mixing environment as a result.  In this first post we will go over some ways to treat the inside of your room.

     Let’s assume that for this post that you live in a space where knocking down the walls and building from scratch is not an option.  This is probably the most realistic scenario.  So what do you do?  Well, you have to treat the room in such a way that you eliminate reflections and room resonances.  However, sound isolation is also very important if you live in an apartment building and have neighbors.  Sound isolation techniques will be covered in the second post so let’s focus on reflections and resonances for now.  Small rooms are very tricky to deal with because they produce room modes within the audible frequency spectrum.  A room mode is the natural resonance frequency of a room dimension.  The equation is the speed of sound/wavelength.  The wavelength in this case is the dimension of the room.  So if our dimension is 19ft, then our resonance frequency is 1130/19=60Hz.  This means that we will have issues within the 60Hz area and some multiples.  

     These resonant frequencies will alter your perception of the mix and this can result in unbalanced mixes.  Reflections are another key component to small room acoustics.  Since the dimensions are shorter the reflected sound arrives at the listening position with strong amounts of energy. This too can alter the perception of the mix and cause phase issues.  So let’s talk about some effective ways to treat these issues.

     After figuring out the frequencies that are giving you trouble you can begin to pick out some acoustic treatments.  Companies like Primacoustics and Auralex provide some affordable consumer grade acoustic treatments that can get the job done.  Don’t just slap foam all over the walls though.  Place some absorption directly on the wall behind the speakers and at early reflection points to eliminate sound reflecting off the walls towards your ears.  Next, it is wise to pick out some diffusion to place on the wall behind the listening position.  This will help scatter the sound around the room so it does not create a standing wave.  A cost effective way to create diffusion is to use furniture elements like a book shelf filled with books.  The various depths and densities of each book create a great diffusion element with some absorption as well.  

     Everything I have discussed so far is great for mid to high frequencies, but we know that low frequencies are what’s giving us the most trouble.  Low frequencies like to hangout in corners so placing high density objects there can help absorb some low end.  The companies mentioned before also sell some corner bass traps to help with this problem, but it is not necessary to spend a lot of money.  You just have to understand basic acoustics and absorption properties.  Many people will say to place egg cartons on the wall for diffusion and absorption.  This is not a good technique.  Egg cartons do provide some absorption, but it is only in the high frequencies.  We know that small room suffer most from low frequency issues, so egg cartons aren’t the best solution.  

     This ends this installment of home studio acoustic basics.  Next post I will discuss sound isolation methods for your home space.  Future posts will revisit the acoustic treatment topic so stay tuned. 

-Jon