{"id":7,"date":"2022-03-12T21:09:51","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T21:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soundref.com\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2024-04-06T09:06:15","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T09:06:15","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/soundref.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Home recording studio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How to set up a Home Recording Studio – The 12 Essential Steps<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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When inspiration strikes, nothing beats having a home recording studio at the ready.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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With your own recording studio you can make top quality recordings at a fraction of the price of a commercial studio. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Welcome to my site. I’m Daren Banars\u00eb, a TV and stage composer<\/a>, working from my own home recording studio. I’m also a former lecturer on the music degree course at Goldsmiths College, University of London.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I know how frustrating it can be to get started with home recording, and choosing the equipment necessary to get pro audio quality for film, TV, or commercial recordings. My studio has evolved over the years, and I’ve moved from working in big commercial studios, to using a very simple set up at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I use my studio for so many things – creating music, recording voiceovers, making soundtracks for TV and recording my melodica YouTube videos<\/a>. You might have heard my music on the Apprentice<\/a>, Top Gear<\/a> or Newsnight<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These opportunities are now open to everyone. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it can be difficult to know where to start with the array of equipment choices out there. There\u2019s also some important considerations that often get overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article I\u2019m going to break down everything you need for your own home <\/a>studio, so you can get started right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topics covered:<\/strong>
1. Choosing a Computer
<\/a>2. DAW Software
<\/a>3. Audio Interface
<\/a>4. Microphones<\/a>
5. Studio Monitors
<\/a>6. Studio headphones
<\/a>7. MIDI Controller Keyboards<\/a>
8. Soundproofing<\/a>
9. Acoustic treatment
<\/a>10. Stands and cables
<\/a>11. Studio set up
<\/a>12. Music Production Courses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s get started…<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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1. Choosing a Computer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The computer is the heart of the home studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re starting out, and already have a computer, I recommend using whatever you already have. PCs and Macs are both fine, so stick with the operating system you\u2019re comfortable with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buying a computer<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re buying a new computer, there\u2019s a few things to consider… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll need a fast, powerful machine. The computer needs to work with several large audio files at the same time, and without enough power, it\u2019s at risk of constantly stuttering and stopping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the great killer of creative flow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Specs for a music computer<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In terms of specifications, aim for at least 16gb of ram and the fastest CPU you can afford. You could get away with less than this, but with ever-expanding file sizes, its better to future proof your investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to have to trade it in for a more powerful model next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for the internal hard drive – make sure it\u2019s fast enough. SSD is better than HDD, and no less than 500gb in size. Many musicians opt to buy another external hard drive, just for audio files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also consider how noisy the fan is. Too much noise makes it impossible to make decent recordings, or even hear what you\u2019re mixing properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can you produce music on a laptop?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

These days laptops are powerful enough to be the centre of most home recording studios. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love taking my laptop to a cafe or shared workspace, to write, edit or even mix music. Of course I need headphones for this (more below<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Apple Macbook Pro<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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I bought a 14″ Macbook Pro M3 for my own recording studio in 2023. I went for a higher spec than I need right now, as I do video editing too, and wanted to future proof for years to come. I chose 36Gb of ram, and upgraded to a 2TB SSD drive. A good budget alternative would be the Mac Mini.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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If I was going the PC route, I\u2019d be tempted to make a saving by building my own desktop machine. Though more likely, I\u2019d go for a ready made laptop, like the Del XPS or Samsung Notebook 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n