The 5 essential components of a home recording studio

1. A good computer

Graham says, “More often than not you already own a computer that is capable of being the hub of your home recording studio.”

Mac? PC? Graham says you should go with what you know. Great music is being made on both. His one specific recommendation is to get as much RAM as you can afford.

2. Any DAW (digital audio workstation)

This is the program which you’ll be using to record and edit (and sometimes mix and master) your music.

Graham believes that Sonar, Audition, Pro Tools, Cubase, Live, Reason, and Studio One are all great — so just get one that’s compatible with your computer (and in your price range) and get started!

3. A solid audio interface

You need a way to turn analog or acoustical sounds (vocals, guitars, etc.) into a digital signal. That’s where the audio interface comes in.

Graham says, “Most DAWs work with just about any brand of audio interface. This leads to an endless list of boxes to choose from. Let me give you a suggestion: limit yourself to just 2 channel interfaces. What I mean is, don’t buy more than you need.”

4. A quality studio microphone

Mics are important. BUT… if you’re working mostly by yourself, or tracking instruments one at a time, you don’t need more than one or two mics.

Also, Graham cautions that because there are so many quality mics on the market now, you shouldn’t spend any more than $100 on a microphone, unless you’re looking to own a specific mic for a specific reason.

5. A pair of studio headphones or monitors

… because you have to HEAR what you’re recording! Only own headphones? Great, start recording and mixing on headphones. You can always listen to your mixes on other people’s systems, or in the car, or wherever, in order to get a reference for how the headphones are positively or negatively shaping the mixes.

And when it comes to buying monitors, don’t spend too much.

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Clearly the theme throughout much of Graham’s advice is to keep it simple, start small, don’t spend too much, get to work, and have fun!

As you record more and more at home, you’ll discover ways to solve problems WITHOUT spending money or adding gear (though a nice preamp does sound pretty good about now). Ahhh! OK. Back to work

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