The 7 Home Recording Studio Essentials for Beginners
CHAPTER 1: The 7 Home Recording Studio Essentials for Beginners
Building a home recording studio is a HUGE project…isn’t it?
It takes months ofplanning, research, and preparation…doesn’t it?
Well most people think so, but the truth is…
Getting started is far easier than you might imagine.
Because REALLY… all you need is a few basic essentials.
And in today’s post, I’ll reveal exactly what those are…
As I walk you through the entire step-by-step process of building your first home recording studio from scratch.
So let’s get to it. First up…
Why Simple is Best
The fact is, not only is it possible to start off with just a simple studio…it’s actually preferable.
Because just like with any hobby, by attempting too much too soon:
- you get overwhelmed,
- you get discouraged, and…
- you eventually quit.
And all that time and money you invested goes to waste. 
So to avoid this fate, just keep it simple. But you might be wondering…
How cheap is too cheap?
Since home recording can be expensive…musicians often search for the cheapest possible solutions to recording their music.
And that’s fine, except…there is such a thing as “too cheap“.
For example, in a previous post entitled: The World’s Cheapest Recording Studio…
I showed you how to build a working setup for as little as $400. And if that’s your spending limit, it’s better than nothing, right?
But as I warned in that post, there are strict limits to what can be accomplished in such a studio…and I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone truly serious about recording their music.
Instead…here’s what I do recommend:
The Perfect First Studio for Newbies
With the following7 items:- A Computer
- DAW/Audio Interface Combo
- Studio Monitors
- One Set of Headphones
- One Microphone
- A Few Cables
- One Mic Stand
What you have is a simple working studio, perfect for anyone just starting out with home recording.
And here’s why:
- It allows you to start ASAP with a minimal investment in both time and money.
- More importantly…it’s the perfect foundation to build upon later as your skills mature.
So here they are…the 7 items to start your studio:
1. A Computer
When starting a studio from scratch, thecomputer is the biggest expenditure by far.
Because as common wisdom states:
Ideally, you want the fastest one you can afford.
But these days, virtually everyone already has a computer of some sort. And virtually all computers are fast enough to at least get you started.
So in the beginning, regardless of your budget, I recommend using what you have for now.
If and when you want to upgrade later on, here’s what I recommend:
Up next…
2. A DAW/Audio Interface Combo
If you don’t already know…
The DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is thesoftware used torecord, edit, and mixmusic on your computer…
And the Audio Interface is the hardware used to connect your computer with the rest of your gear.
These two items can either be bought separately, OR as acombo. But your first studio…I highly recommend the combo.
Here’s why:
- It’s one less item on your shopping list.
- It’s cheaper than buying them separately.
- It offers guaranteed compatibility and tech support.
Plus, the two companies that offer these entry-level combos are among the best in the business: Avid Pro Tools, andPresonus Studio One.
Avid offers a free copy of their Pro Tools Express DAW with the following interfaces:
- Avid Fast Track Solo – (price/reviews)
- Avid Fast Track Duo – (price/reviews)
- Avid Mbox – (price/reviews)
And Presonus offers a free copy of Studio One Artist with the following interfaces:
- PreSonus AudioBox USB – (price/reviews)
- Presonus AudioBox 22VSL – (price/reviews)
- Presonus Audiobox 44VSL – (price/reviews)
Any of these combos is perfect for newbies starting their first studios. If however, you’d rather buy a DAW and audio interface separately…
Check out these 2 articles:
Up next…
3. A Microphone
While most home studios acquire dozens of microphones over time…
All you really need to get started is one.
The standard “first mic” that everyone recommends is:
- It’s cheap (around $100)
- It’s super-versatile
- It’s recognized worldwide as an industry standard
However, depending on what instruments you record, there may be better options, so in this post I reveal the best affordable mics for every major instrument:
And if vocals are your main thing…check out this article as well:
Up next…
4. Headphones
Just like with mics, withheadphones…
In the very beginning, all you really need is one.
Because when you’re just starting out, most of your time is spent recording by yourself.
For studio purposes, there are 2 very-specific designs considered standard:
- Closed back headphones for tracking – which offer optimal isolation at the expense of lesser sound quality.
- Open back headphones for mixing – which offer optimal sound quality at the expense of lesser isolation.
While open back headphones are considered more of aluxury…for your first studio, closed back headphones are anecessity.
And in this post I reveal the best options for both:
As a supplement to your headphones, I also recommend an extension cable…since standard headphone cables are always too short.
A word of caution though: With THIS cable especially, I highly advise getting the best one you can afford, as cheaper ones have horrible signal problems from the constant movement.
Personally, I like this one: Mogami Headphone Extension Cable 25′.
Up next…
5. Studio Monitors
Despite the fact that many home studios now do the majority of their mixing on open back headphones…
Traditionally, mixing has always been done on speakers…
Or as they are commonly known in pro audio: studio monitors, or nearfield monitors.
Compared to consumer speakers, which are designed with various tonal “enhancements”…
Studio monitors have a much flatter frequency response, which provides a more neutral, uncolored sound to objectively judge your mix.
And while they can get pricey…there are still plenty of affordable options for beginners as well.
These are the top ones I recommend:
Up next…
6. XLR Cables
One day, your studio will have a TONS of different cables…
But for now, you only need 3:
- 1 long XLR cable for your mic, and…
- 2 short ones for your monitors
For a standard project studio in a small 10×10 room, these are the EXACT ones I recommend:
- Mogami Silver XLR 25ft (1x) (for your mic)
- Mogami Silver XLR 6ft (2x) (for your monitors)
But before you buy those monitor cables, double-check that the stereo output of your audio interface has XLR connectors. Sometimes they use TRS, in which case, you’ll need these instead:
As you can see, good mic cables can get fairly expensive, so if you’re looking for something in a different price range, or you just want to learn more…check out this post:
And for the last item…
7. A Mic Stand
While many beginner assume that all mic stands are the same…
The truth is…a solid mic stand is one of the most worthwhile investments a new home studio can make.
However, since mic stands can get pricey, and most beginners are on tight budgets, a cheap reliable stand such as this one is more than adequate when you’re first starting out.
But if you’re looking for something different, or just want to learn more about mic stands in general, check out in this post:
What Comes Next
At this point, you’ve reached a milestone in your home recording journey. You now know ALL the ingredients needed to set up a simple studio and start recording your music NOW.
But that’s only the beginning.
Because next it’s time to acquire some knowledge…which I share with you in the 10 articles of Chapter 2:
If you enjoy that (which you will), be sure to also check out:
- Chapter 3: The Beginner’s Guide to Recording Studio Microphones
- Chapter 4: How to Set Up Your Recording Room
- Chapter 5: Improving Your Studio Over Time
If you enjoyed this post…
- Download it here for free to keep as your reference, or…
- Get the entire course in PDF format by clicking here.
And Finally…
If all this research and decision-making seems a little overwhelming right now…
And what you REALLY want is for someone to tell youEXACTLY what to buy…
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