4 Essentials to Build Your In-House Studio
Contrary to our beliefs, building a home studio (for a beginner) isn’t as complicated as you might think. You don’t need to rent out a recording studio worth thousands of dollars to make great music anymore. If you’re a skilled musician and you have the drive to make and share your music with the world, anything is possible. However, when you make music, quality is of utmost importance.
Here are 4 essential products you might like to invest in (reliable and of good quality) to build your in-house studio.
1. A Microphone
We cannot emphasize the necessity of how important it is to buy a good microphone. Investing in a good microphone can help bring out the subtleties that are unique to your voice. However, when we say “good”, we don’t necessarily mean a $10,000 Brauner microphone. A microphone that’s currently very popular in the industry is the Shure SM7b microphone, which you can obtain for less than $400. Dua Lipa is known to have used the SM7b microphone to record music for Future Nostalgia.
2. An Interface
An audio interface is a device that allows the signal to pass from your microphone to your computer. Think of it as the messenger. You can connect a microphone or even instruments like keyboards, electric or acoustic guitars, bass guitars to the interface which is connected to your computer. You can monitor the volume levels while recording. A Focusrite or PreSonus is a great investment for a beginner, with a fetching price of $150.
3. DAW
A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is the next step in building your home studio. This is the glue that holds it all together. Seriously. Most of the songs we listen to today are made in a DAW. The vocals and all of the instruments are all processed together in a DAW and then exported to listeners. You can record vocals, live instruments, electronic instruments or even program sounds in a DAW using various plugins (virtual sounds). DAW’s usually reside in a similar price range. The musical prodigy Jacob Collier uses Logic Pro X, which costs $199, with free upgrades. If you use an Apple device, you get a preinstalled DAW - Garageband which is basic but quite a useful application.
4. Headphones
Many companies make earphones that are high in quality and yes, they are great for listening to your favourite podcast when you’re on a run or talking to a friend on the phone while you get your groceries but we cannot stress the importance of how investing in good headphones is better for your performance when recording or producing. The clear difference in the quality of the audio helps you better convey the message of your song to your listeners. To start off, investing $150 in the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones can give you an immersive experience of the nuances in your own music when you record or play it back.
Add-Ons
If you are or would like to venture into music production to help with the songwriting process or to learn to make demos, studio monitors and a midi keyboard might be a beneficial investment. Companies like Sweetwater or Guitar Center hire in-store as well as online music technicians to help you pick out budget-friendly gear.
The doubt of “What now?” after investing in gear can be an overwhelming one. The initial jitters of feeling like you are wandering unchartered territories do start to fade away after the first try or two. You have to be patient and know that almost every one of us feel this way. You might feel like you don’t know how to terminologically frame your question, or to put forth the question of what you can’t comprehend. And the tip to conquer these challenges is keywords. Youtube or Google at your beck and call and search engines are programmed to help you connect the dots. We promise you, it gets better right after the first try. So, take a leap of faith and trust that you will navigate your way.