Home Recording 101


We all know that technology has come a long way in the past few years. This could not be truer for musicians. Before the technological revolution, a band needed a decent demo before it could get a gig, which meant going to a studio and paying a hefty hourly fee. Because this system was prohibitively expensive for most starting musicians, the work was often rushed in an effort to save money. Getting it right was costly, sometimes too costly.

These days, however, if you have a halfway decent computer you are already on the cusp of having your own recording studio. By the way, I mean it when I use “halfway decent” as a qualifier: you don’t need anything approaching the state of the art. In fact, if you are reading this on your home PC, odds are that you have already invested the majority of the overhead required to start your own home studio.

So, you’ve got the computer part covered. What else do you need? Four things:


First, you have to ask yourself how you’re going to connect you instrument into your computer. Does your PC have a ¼” jack? How about an XLR or MIDI port? If the answer to these questions is “no” (and it probably is), then you need an interface to do the job of connecting your instrument to a computer that, by default, does not recognize it. These range from a simple 2 input audio interface to a multi input audio interface with MIDI capabilities. The interface you choose should be based on your needs and your budget.


Luckily, most interfaces these days come with entry level recording software. While these versions don’t have all the bells and whistles of a full recording suite, they do allow you to capture your musical ideals, perform basic editing techniques and most importantly burn your music to CD or save it as a mp3 file.


If you are going to want to record vocals with your music, you’re going to need a quality microphone. Via the microphone cable, the mic plugs into the audio interface just like any other instrument. Note: you will have to make a decision what type of microphone you plan to use (i.e. a condenser or a dynamic microphone). Unlike dynamic microphones, condenser mics require a power source generally referred to as “Phantom Power” or “48V”. Most audio interfaces provide phantom, but be sure to check the specs of the audio interface before you purchase it.


Studio headphones or monitors provide a flat response and are thus ideal for mixing. What do I mean by “flat response?” Compare studio headphones or monitors to standard commercial stereos and speakers. Most of these products are designed to “color” the sound; think about how many times you have seen a stereo that advertises “Bass Boost” or something similar. This might be great for enjoying a finished work, but while mixing one needs a flat response so as not to be influenced by this speaker “bias”.

That’s it! You’ve got a studio! But what does that mean, exactly? It means that now you can take as much time as you want to get the perfect recording without it costing you an arm and a leg. Need more startup ideas? Record some scratch takes, save it as a MP3, and e-mail it to your band mates. This allows busy musicians to collaborate when their schedule would not otherwise allow it.

You’ve gotten this far! Now that you’re writing and recording with ease, how about getting some gigs? With your home studio you can make a demo for next to nothing at home, start sending out emails, and post your songs online. You’ll be gigging in no time!

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