Saturday, April 9, 2011

Building Your Home Studio Part 1

Making and recording music is a fun and rewarding experience. The only prerequisites to this tutorial are having a computer and being musically inclined.

Step 1 Write a plan of what you want to do. Do you want to build a recording studio? Is it a singing booth? Is it an engineering booth? Is it for computer based music production? Knowing what you want before you start can help you decide which equipment you will need.

Step 2 Acquire the appropriate equipment, such as: amplifiers, microphones, mixers, electric instruments, cables for connecting it all together. A modern computer built or purchased within the past 3 years should be sufficient. If possible, acquire a working high-quality soundcard.

Step 3 Buy or download music-editing software for your PC. The following are recommended Reason, Cakewalk Sonar, Pro Tools (comes with Mbox 2 Mini), Cubase, FL Studio, Adobe Audition, LMMS or Audacity. If you have a fairly new Mac, it will already have GarageBand preinstalled. This will work well, although if you want to be more professional you can also buy Logic. Play with it, learn the keyboard shortcuts.

Step 4 Connect everything up. This is where most of the genius (and perspiration!) comes in. In general, keep it as simple as possible. For best playback quality run from the sound card into a mixer or amplifier and then to your monitor speakers. For best recording quality, run instruments/mics into a mixer(make sure you are getting a clean, clear, undistorted signal) then run from the mixer into the sound card.

Step 5 Learn how to record a sound from an input line and how to arrange pre-recorded sounds. Also learn how to turn an arrangement into a .wav or .mp3 file. (After all, eventually we want to make a CD with all this awesome music!)

Step 6 Select a room in your house. Sound-proof it if possible. If not, try to use special carpet or insulation that can at least reduce external noise.

Step 7 If you have trouble with any of the above, pick up a Mixing / Studio Book. It will help you understand the underlying concepts needed to keep you going for a lifetime.

That was only part 1 of the whole tutorial, on part 2 I will explain more in depth about gears and such. Stay tuned!

45 comments:

  1. interesting, I might do this on my free time

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  2. It's something I've always wanted to do, but comepletely do not have the funds for it

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  3. Interesting blog :) I've wanted to start making my own music but couldn't find the time. Anyways, followed :)

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  4. These are good tips. We need to revamp our recording studios at our on campus radio station, and these tips could prove rather useful

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  5. i have my own little pro tools setup. great post =]

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  6. Would you recommend linux for such a set up or what? I'm not sure I'd want to splurge on a mac.

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  7. @Kempai - I don't know too many people that use linux for Recording so I can't really tell ya

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  8. I wanna build something like that in my house

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  9. I could do with this... thanks for the great info. Following :)

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  10. Cooledit Pro is a really useful sound software to use.

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  11. Well written, thanks for the info!

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  12. Sounds fun, I might get into this for a hobby!

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  13. Good tips. Should help people who are building their own home studio.

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  14. Hey, thanks for the great info!

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  15. Good info! Thanks for the tips. I'll be setting up a music studio at some point in the future.

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  16. yeah, my studio looks pretty much like this one explains.

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  17. Interesting. Looking forward part 2

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  18. I've been meaning to find a way to connect my guitar to my PC to record some songs. Good post.

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  19. interesting to read about, but unfortunately I cannot build a home studio because I am broke as shit :P my home studio also is like, the saddest thing ever. i need monitors, not headphones!

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  20. Love the blog, following along chap.

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  21. Thanks, useful tips in there.

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  22. Hmm, interesting. I've been dreaming about home studio.

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  23. I am getting this, I like to try it out.

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  24. I think I fail at the musically inclined part, but I'm going to check out some of the software you suggested.

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  25. Thanks for the guide, I don't think I have enough space in my house to do this though.

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  26. I'm actually looking into doing this. Thanks for the sweet advice!

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  27. awesome info! I bet my bf will find your blog very useful! gotta pass it onto him :-)
    followed
    http://ttroton.blogspot.com/

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  28. Well thank you, I wll consider your advice when I build one

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  29. I've read everything on this blog, its awesome. Keep up the good work!

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  30. My friend wants to start making hiphop beats to rap to. I'll show him this. Great post.

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  31. Now this is a good idea, if i only had the money and the room ...

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  32. Nice info, interesting too! Follow

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  33. I saw a picture of a friends friend and their studio - Made me want to make one for myself.

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