Five Important Items To Have In Your Home Recording Studio

It’s no secret that digital technology has transformed the music industry. One area where this is particularly evident is in the home recording studio equipment available to purchase online. Many digital imitations of classical instruments and high-tech recording software are now available, meaning you no longer need a wall of expensive guitars or synthesizers or to book time in an expensive recording studio to produce high-quality music. You can now transform your workstation or spare room into a home recording studio setup.

You don’t have to look far to see evidence of this modern phenomenon. In a tiny home studio inside their parents’ house, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas recorded her debut album, When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. The album topped the Billboard charts and won a handful of Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Finneas also earned the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical prize. “This is for all the kids who make music in their bedrooms,” he announced when accepting the award.

How does your home recording studio journey start? It begins with acquiring some essential pieces of equipment to help get your home studio setup right. If this seems like a massive project, don’t worry. We will explain which pieces of equipment you need right away and which you can save up for. 

Some essential equipment to get your home recording studio setup right

Building the perfect home recording studio typically begins with your computer. Provided you have a recent operating system that can handle your software, you should be good to go. We’re going to assume you have that covered, and instead concentrate on some essential pieces of music equipment. Let’s dive in!

Want to learn about recording in a professional studio? Read 5 Criteria for Picking the Right Studio.

Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Your Digital Audio Workstation or DAW is likely to be the most critical piece of equipment you will purchase. Think of it as the centerpiece of your studio: it’s where you will record, edit and mix all your music. There are numerous options at various price points, and many come with free trial periods so you can try them before you buy. What works for one producer may not work for another, so we recommend trying them out and seeing which one you prefer.

PreSonus Studio One is great if you want an intuitive interface and an uncomplicated workspace. Often described as one of the most comprehensive yet easy-to-use DAWs on the market, it is ideal for beginners or if you need to buy a lot of gear at once. PreSonus offers multiple options depending on your experience level or budget. 

• Studio One 5 Prime is FREE
• Studio One 5 Artist is $99.95 USD
• Studio One 5 Professional is $399.95 USD 
• PreSonus Sphere – which includes Studio One 5 Professional – is also available for a monthly subscription costing $14.95 USD

Logic Pro X (Mac) has excellent MIDI capabilities that are great for the creatively-minded producer who wants a little extra help creating an efficient workflow. Suppose you desire a ton of built-in virtual instruments and audio loops and use an Apple computer (Logic is only available for the macOS platform, PC users beware). In that case, this DAW is an excellent option. Logic comes with a free 90 day trial period and is available for $199.95 USD from the Mac App Store.

Ableton Live is famous for its seamless workflow capabilities, which is why it’s known as the go-to software for major EDM and hip-hop producers. It’s also available for Windows and macOS and has a free 90 trial period. Once your free trial ends, Ableton offers you three different packages to choose from. All come with an option to split your payments over six months.

• Live 11 Pro is $99 USD (or $16.50 USD per month)
• Live 11 Standard is $449 USD (or $74.85 USD per month)
• Live 11 Suite is $749 USD (or $124.85 USD per month) 

Audio Interface

An audio interface is a vital piece of hardware that connects your microphone, speakers, and headphones to your computer. You may wonder why you need this, considering a sound card is already present on your computer. The answer is that your audio interface will provide you with the capabilities to record cleaner audio. This is crucial if you hope to place your music in film, TV, and commercials or impress editorial playlist curators at the major streaming platforms.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is easy to install and connects to your computer through the USB port. All you have to do is plug in your instruments, and you’ll be ready to record right away. The price for the Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen is $169.99 USD.  Focusrite also sells refurbished models for a slightly lower price.

The Audient EVO 4 is another easy-to-use option that will have you recording high-quality audio within minutes. Its pocket size means it’s ultra-portable, so if you’re traveling or working with collaborators, it's the perfect audio interface for you. The current price for the Audient EVO 4 is $129 USD.

Studio Monitors

If you’re serious about producing high-quality music, you will need a decent studio monitor. This will offer a flat response that you can’t get from headphones, which is particularly critical during the mixing stage. While you can mix on headphones, a studio monitor will provide a more realistic, uncolored sound that will highlight the full range of characteristics within your music. To fully optimize your home recording studio setup, we recommend doing some research into the placement of your speakers.

KRK Rokit 5 G4 is a 2-way active studio monitor speaker that provides a full range of frequencies to enhance your mixing capabilities. Another benefit is its size: the KRK Rokit 5 G4 is the smallest monitor in the Rokit family. This means that if you want to take it up a notch, you can. And at $189.00 USD, the Rokit 5 G4 is an excellent option whether you’re operating on a budget or not. 

The Yamaha HS8 active studio monitor offers name recognition backed by years of experience in the audio technology field. If a studio monitor that has been tried and tested in recording studios throughout the world is something you desire, this is the one for you. Currently, the price of the HS8 is $592 USD. However, Yamaha offers two cheaper alternatives: the HS5 for $252 USD and HS7 at $441 USD.

Studio Headphones

Though it’s always advisable to mix your music through a studio monitor, sometimes you simply have to reduce the noise level – especially when creative impulses strike late at night. A little privacy is also nice when working with high-volume audio. To that end, you’re going to want to invest in a good set of studio headphones. The debate usually boils down to whether you should get closed or open-back headphones. Closed-back headphones are better for tracking, while open-back headphones are better for mixing. Though more often than not, one pair will do.

Sennheiser seemingly has a pair of headphones for every occasion, with prices starting low and climbing into the thousands. While it may be tempting to splash out on an expensive pair, the Sennheiser HD280 is all you really need to begin your audio production journey. At $99.95 USD, the closed, around-the-ear headphone gives excellent sound quality at an affordable price.

Like Sennheiser,  Sony has an affordable option that offers exceptional sound quality. If you want the same headphones that thousands of music producers use worldwide, the Sony MDR 7506 headphones are an excellent choice for $99.95 USD.

Microphone

If you plan to record vocals or any acoustic instruments, you will need a couple of good studio microphones (a few accessories such as mic stands, a pop filter – check out the Stedman Proscreen XL) – and cables to connect everything to your audio interface are equally important). There are two main microphone types to consider. Dynamic microphones work best in a live setting where it’s loud and sonically chaotic. Condenser microphones are ideal for capturing quieter, more delicate sounds.

The Rode NT1A is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone that will bring warmth and clarity to all of your vocal recordings. If you’re starting with only one microphone on hand, you should make it this one. For $229 USD, it comes with a studio-grade pop shield, shock mount, 20' microphone cable, and a dust cover included.

For something with a lower price point that still has excellent sound quality, look no further than the AKG P170 small-diaphragm condenser microphone. If you’re recording overhead instruments such as drums, guitars, or strings, this is a great studio microphone to have available. At $105 USD, it's friendly to most budgets.

Similarly priced at $99 SUD, the Shure SM57 is the perfect dynamic microphone for capturing sounds from every angle. It’s particularly good at handling low-frequency instruments, so if you’re recording bass or drums, this is another excellent option to have in your home recording studio.

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