How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio

It's all very well thinking ahead and buying all the gear that you'll need; first things first though and before doing anything else it's always best to find the space. Are you going to set aside a whole room for the recording studio, or is the recording studio going to be a part of another room which is already in use? This is something that needs to be decided, and you also need to work out how much space you're going to have available for equipment.

I'd personally recommend setting aside a whole room for the recording studio; you'll get better acoustics this way and your recording studio will therefore be of a better quality. Make sure you'll be able to space the equipment out, you don't want things to be too cramped; always make sure the space you're using is of an adequate enough size to allow movement and also to allow for the sound to travel. It's not nice to work in cramped conditions and it's also better for the sound quality if you're recording in a fairly open area rather than in a tight space.

So the first step to be taken is to choose the area in which you wish to record. Once you've decided where your home recording studio is to be located then it's then and only then that you should move on and start thinking about other aspects such as which equipment will be featuring in your music studio.

So now that you've found the space for your home recording studio you next need to start thinking about recording equipment. What sort of equipment are you going to need and what sort of budget do you have at hand? You can spend a lot of money on a home recording studio; alternatively however you can buy basic bits and purchase more as you go. It all depends just how much money you have at hand, how much you can afford to spend and how much you really need to save. Know your budget and always be sure that you stick to it. It's great to have a home recording studio; you don't want to spiral into uncontrollable debt as a result of it though.

Be honest about your budget, don't kid yourself that you have more money to spare than you actually do, and always be sure to be realistic. Work out your exact budget and then set about purchasing home recording equipment. Stick to that budget rididly and never be tempted to shell out too much more than you can afford to.

You're going to need hardware and you'll also require software; think long and hard about both, ask around on internet forums, ask your friends if you know anyone else with a home recording studio, and also go into specialist stores and ask there too. Independent music stores are always the most helpful I find; stores that are run by people that have set up shop out of a pure love for music. They're often very knowledgeable and there's a good chance that they'll be able to help.

There's a lot of software/hardware out there on the market to buy, my best advice is to try out all the different options that are available work out which one you like best. See which programs are best suited to you; find out what equipment you gel best with, and also what equipment is best suited to the style of sound that you wish to create.

In terms of software I've always personally got on best with Cubase. I've had spells with Reason and FL Studio also though, and for those that have Macs then Pro Tools and Logic are two top quality options also. I just really love the Cubase interface, it takes some getting used to and in terms of ease or use then FL Studio is probably the better option; with Cubase you can achieve a lot greater effect though I feel and I just can't really fault it. That said, when I first started out I did happily use FL Studio for a good couple of years; there's nothing at all wrong with it and it's also incredibly affordable too.

I think to best utilise Cubase's many features then you really have to enrol in a course of some description, you can try and teach yourself and over time you'll get to grips with it; it's not easy though, and for ease then FL Studio is most definitely the preferable option. It's more of a 'plug and play' program, and although in my opinion not nearly as good as Cubase; it's still an excellent piece of kit. I know many home recording studio owners that swear by FL Studio; as I've said before, it's really a matter of preference and my best advice is to play around with the different options and work out what suits you best.

Choose your software and hardware wisely, try it out for yourself, and also ask the advice of others. Others will only be able to advise as to what they personally perceive as preferable, it's trying for yourself where you learn the most however and only in trying the equipment out for yourself will you know whether or not it's suitable for you.

Midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface; a midi keyboard itself has no onboard sound, what you do with a midi keyboard however is connect it up to your production program (FL Studio, Cubase, Logic, Garageband etc.) and it is there that the sound is provided through VST's (Virtual Studio Technology).

Midi keyboard's range in size from 25 keys right through to 88. The size of the keyboard you wish to invest in will depend on your budget and space availability, basically though you should always look to purchase the best midi keyboard that you can afford. If you're just starting out then it's a sensible option to start with a lower end midi keyboard, the more advanced you become at using it however, the more you will feel the need to be using a bigger and better model.

Entry level midi keyboard models include the AKAI LPK25 and the Korg nanoKEY; both of these midi keyboards feature 25 keys and both have their benefits. Both midi keyboards are quite similarly priced, and if you're looking to purchase one or the other then my personal recommendation would be the AKAI LPK25 for its higher quality keys and raised black keys. The LPK25 inclues an arpeggiator and for the price is a very fine piece of kit.

The microphone is an extremely important part of the studio. You could have the best set-up in the world, without a good quality microphone though for getting your vocals down then it's just not going to sound right. The same advice applies for microphones as for all else when it comes to setting up a home recording studio; try out as many different microphones as you can and purchase the one you feel is best which is within your budget. You don't want to spend too little on a microphone, it is a very important part of your set up; you don't have to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars to achieve decent effect however and if you go to local music stores and try out different options then you'll be able to get a feel of which option is best for you. By all means don't necessarily buy the microphone there; if you can find it cheaper elsewhere then do so, you still need to go into a store to try it though as without trying it out for yourself then you just won't be able to make an informed decision. You want to know what you're buying and know that it's of a good quality; you don't just want to spend your money and hope for the best as that could turn out to be a huge waste of time and more importantly money.

Perhaps the most important part of your studio; the speakers. It's through your monitors that you judge as to the quality of your recordings, and if you haven't got a good pair of speakers to let you know how your recordings sound then this will be a big mistake to make.

You want to be sure of the quality of your recordings, and it's therefore important to pick out the right speakers. Head along to your local music shop, check out the monitors that they have to offer, and see what you think of the sound that they have to offer. Read internet reviews, listen to YouTube reviews, do what you have to, but just make sure you pick out some speakers that are perfect for you. It's extremely important to get it right with the speakers.