We equip a recording studio for a novice musician

In this article, we will talk about the basic configuration of a beginner's home studio, try to prioritize and decide on the choice of the most necessary devices.

Best friend

It is better to choose a computer for a studio with a large amount of RAM

Despite the massive admiration for analog recording, in the modern world it remains only a delight to the ears of real aesthetes, and the musical preferences of the majority are shaped by digital. That is why, the first device that should settle in your studio is a personal computer.

In general, modern computer programs for musicians can replace an entire orchestra and allow you to create compositions “on your knee”.

But for the comfortable operation of a working computer, several parameters must be taken into account:

"capacious" hard drive ;
The more RAM, the better. If your PC or laptop does not have high performance, they can be equipped with RAM, and in order not to make a mistake with the choice, we advise you to read the instructions "How to choose RAM for a computer or laptop".
powerful processor. It's definitely not worth saving on it if you don't want the rendering of the audio track to take forever.

Compactness and power will not be superfluous

Portable laptop allows you to work on musical material outside the studio

Despite the power and capabilities of modern PCs, musicians increasingly prefer portable laptops, and here's why:

modern laptops are rarely inferior to their stationary counterparts, and sometimes they are able to “put on the shoulder blades”, showing off powerful processors, “flying” video cards, large storage drives and other powerful stuffing;
laptop portability allows you to work on musical material not only within the walls of the studio, but also take it with you to spend every free minute with benefit or show off new compositions to colleagues and friends;
and most importantly, the noise. Despite the performance, a desktop player can put a pig in the form of noisy coolers and a very unpleasant background will be found on the recording, even if you take care of soundproofing.

And again apples?

The macOS operating system is much more convenient for working with musical material

True connoisseurs of the Windows OS can argue for hours about its advantages over the “kosher” macOS operating system, but the reality is that almost all eminent sound engineers increasingly prefer the operating system offered by Apple.

In fact, you can work comfortably in any option, but the system installed on the MacBook is much more promising, as it is more tailored to work with multimedia, especially with sound. And the very connection of peripherals will be much easier and more convenient on macOS.

Apple MacBooks

Sound card

The presence of a sound card will greatly simplify and improve the process of recording vocals and acoustic instruments.

If your creative flight is limited solely to writing light DJ tracks or children's songs, then the studio can be completed at the stage of purchasing a laptop, but if your plans are far-sighted, the next purchase is a sound card.

What kind of animal?

The task of the sound interface (sound card) is to digitize the analog signal received from the microphone for further work with it on a computer.

Cards built into PCs and laptops are not capable of fulfilling all the requirements of a professional musician, so for high-quality recording of guitars, keyboards, drums, and even more so vocals, the purchase is simply obligatory.

Among the variety presented, you can lose your head, but for the first time you should not spend money on the "monsters" of the industry, but choose the best and most functional option for your needs.

Before buying a sound card, you should pay attention to :

jack ports;
MIDI IN ports. A prerequisite if you are going to connect a keyboard;
XLR type ports (for condenser microphone). In inexpensive and compact sound cards, the microphone port is usually paired with a jack port. One plug is enough to get started.

As for the brand, it all depends on your financial capabilities, but you should immediately make a reservation that phantom power, tube preamplifier stages and other things are still a waste of money.

Popular external sound cards

Microphone

Having a high-quality microphone is the key to successful vocal recording.

Vocals are sacred, and the quality of the vocal line on the recording will depend on the correct choice of microphone, and the sound of acoustics is not indifferent to the microphone.

According to the type of sound production, microphones can be divided into two main types:

dynamic microphones. Due to the simplicity of the device, they are more accessible and widespread, do not require external voltage and are often used in the rehearsal process, at concerts and anywhere where the sound is with increased amplitude.
condenser microphones. More sensitive, able to cover a wide frequency spectrum. They have a complex structure, but the price is correspondingly higher. Condenser microphones are perfect for studio recording of vocals and acoustics. But if you're trying your hand at growling or want to record drums from rock songs, the sensitive condenser is best left alone.

In fact, it’s better not to save on a microphone, and replenishing the arsenal of a home studio at the same time with two types will not be superfluous.

As for the microphone preamp, it will certainly not hurt, as it will significantly improve the signal level and even remove artifacts, such as whistling and hissing consonants, but for beginners this is not the most important component of the studio, and many modern programs are able to clean out even the most “sad” sound.

Keyboard

The keyboard is capable of simulating almost all acoustic instruments

The purchase of a drum set is a good idea, but not only is it expensive, it is also “cumbersome”. A massive structure will require a large area, which is not always available to a novice musician.

Moreover, in order to learn how to “knock” cool, it will take a lot of time and effort, so a variety of plugins will come to the rescue, which the MIDI keyboard is rich in. By the way, good keys are strong not only in imitation of percussion, but also in many other acoustic instruments.

Before you start choosing, determine the budget, as the price range is very wide, and also estimate the space to determine the dimensions of the keyboard. Depending on the working area, you can choose both a full-fledged digital piano with 88 keys, and a compact version with 49, 32 and even 25.

If throughout your childhood you didn’t study Bach’s CTC or Czerny’s etudes, then you don’t need expensive hammer action for nothing, but you shouldn’t refuse a slider that allows you to transport notes in the process.

To better understand the intricacies and make your choice, the following materials will help: “How to choose a synthesizer” and “TOP 5 digital pianos”.

Play and sing my guitar

The choice of an electric guitar must be made based on your musical skills and professionalism.

Before you run to the store for guitars, and you really need several of them, it’s worth mentioning that a beginner can easily record them with samples on the same keyboard. But if you really decide to take the recording path seriously, then mastering the guitar is simply inevitable.

A decent mini-format home studio simply must have:

acoustic guitar ;
electro rhythm guitar, a.k.a. lead guitar;
bass guitar.

The choice of a guitar, and especially with the prefix "electro", is a very controversial and sensitive issue. Experts advise choosing an instrument depending on the skills you already have, your goal and the direction of music in which you are going to work. And of course, from your financial capabilities.

When choosing acoustics, many musicians recommend choosing an electric acoustic guitar, which is perfect for both the studio and for a concert, preferring full-size models with a built-in tuner. Before going to the store, we advise you to familiarize yourself with a useful selection of guitars of various levels and price ranges.

As for the bass, there is an opinion in the musical environment that for beginners it will be much more convenient to use a bass guitar with passive electronics that perceive a larger frequency range and do not need a separate preamp. Of course, such models are seriously inferior in terms of sound purity, they are susceptible to external interference, and the duration of the sound is not the same. You can get acquainted with the best universal basses of this type in a comparative selection.

Headphones and monitors

For the convenience of summarizing the sound recording on headphones and monitors, it is better not to save

Even an inexperienced person understands that headphones are the main attribute of the recording process, since any creation must be carefully mixed and listened to before presentation. To do this, you will need not only the presence of high-quality ears, but also monitors, which in total gives us two separate devices necessary for a recording studio.

Headphones should choose closed typeso that they sit comfortably on the head and do not let in extraneous sounds. For a more "deep" cleaning of the composition, choose high-quality headphones with the most even frequency response and famous brands, for example AKG K171 MKII or Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro Price from 17 569 up to 26 316 ₴. Professionals believe that saving on headphones is definitely not worth it.

But with stuffed monitors, you can wait a little. In fact, at first, the budget version of the speakers is also suitable. But at the same time, you need to understand that the use of such devices will negatively affect the quality of mixing and all your efforts will come to naught.

If you decide not to save on monitors, then it makes sense to look at models such as Adam A7X or Focal products. As a last resort, you can also consider offers from YAMAHA, for example Yamaha MSP7 STUDIO .

More experienced musicians know that it is perfect to choose monitors for the style of music, for example, for electronic, give preference to monitors from Tannoy, but listen to rock compositions on Genelec studios, but these are subtleties that are not so critical at the initial stage.

Even if you're willing to spend a fortune on monitors, there are a number of factors that make expensive speakers sound ugly and vice versa.

The first thing to consider is the size of the room. If your studio is going to be small and the monitors will be close to you or the sound engineer, opt for near field devices. In a larger room, mid-range monitors will give a good panorama. And for a large room, long-range monitors are an excellent choice, which will also become indispensable assistants in the mastering process.

Popular closed-back headphones

Quiet, recording in progress!

Good sound isolation will protect your compositions from unpleasant hum and echo

Soundproofing is one of the important stages in the formation of a home studio, since the quality of the recording will largely depend on it. Making soundproofing is not difficult. Its modification is selected according to the location of the room itself and the characteristics of the room.

If you are going to record vocals, especially academic ones, it makes sense to make a separate cabin: a box knocked down from bars, sheathed with mineral wool and foam plastic, you can also use good old foam rubber. The walls of the cabin must be sheathed with a natural dense fabric, and a carpet with a massive pile should be laid on the floor.

In the case when vocal parts are not the main thing for you, and there is no desire to mess with a wooden structure, you can limit yourself to soundproofing the room.

In specialized stores, soundproofing panels are widely available that can absorb echo, hum and other unnecessary noise well. Thanks to a simple device, the quality of the recording will improve significantly, and processing will take less time and effort.

The panels must be positioned correctly: opposite the sound engineer's workplace, in the same place where the monitors are located and at the level of the condenser microphone stand.

What else?

Additional accessories for the studio must be purchased depending on the set musical goals.

There is no limit to perfection and a recording studio can be equipped indefinitely, especially since the range of equipment for every taste and budget. In addition to the devices already described, it is not superfluous to buy the following in the studio:

sets of cables of various lengths. Additional "jacks" and XLR will not be superfluous;
guitar stand and footboard (or several);
microphone stands (floor, desktop);
combo amplifiers ;
mixer ;
additional monitors;
external drives for storing draft projects.

It will not be superfluous to get a comfortable chair with adjustable height and back, as working on musical compositions involves long hours of searching and experimenting.

A home recording studio is available to everyone, even in a phased filling mode. You should not immediately chase after the amount of equipment or famous brands - the gradual development of certain techniques and styles will expand your musical horizons and tell you which devices and at what stage you need.