Essential Recording Studio Setup Gear – What You Must-Have

This guide is for anyone who’s considering a recording studio setup. It’s not the cheapest hobby, but it is incredibly exciting. The best approach is to opt for good quality equipment that will last for years. You also need a studio that’s expandable so that you can build on what you have over time. The first step is to set your budget and then go through the list of essential items.

Recording Essentials

There are 9 recording essentials and a few supporting accessories. It’s not hard, but you need to make sure everything works in harmony. There are plenty of cheap products for each of the categories. My advice is to buy the best you can afford. Avoid gear at the bottom of the bargain basement unless it’s part of a promotional sale or a quality secondhand purchase.

Below are the 9 recording essentials needed to create your home studio setup:

1. Suitable laptop or desktop computer
2. DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
3. Audio Interface
4. Studio headphones
5. Microphone
6. Mic stand
7. Studio monitors
8. Acoustic room treatment
9. External hard drive

You may need a few accessories to support the above. For example, some mics don’t include a cable. There could be other items like adapters, stands, and storage cases.

The rest of this guide examines the above list and includes a few examples for each category.

About My ‘Recording Studio Setup’ Guide

The primary purpose of this guide is informative. The products included are all excellent examples of recording equipment. Feel free to print this page off and refer to it whenever you need a refresher. You may want to keep a simple checklist to help keep track of your potential setup.

——————————————————————————————————————-

#1 Laptops or Desktop Computers?

Laptops or desktops, Windows or Macs, those are the questions. You may know what’s right for you or have your computer already. Laptops are lightweight, powerful, and portable, and desktops are becoming the choice of yesteryear. Even so, they still check a few boxes for audio recording. They’re fast, have lots of INs and OUTs, and super-easy to customize. But desktops are not portable.

Mac laptops are often the preferred choice for music recording, but it’s just that—a preference. The options are Mac Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, and Mac Mini. The Mac Pro is the workhorse for studio recording. Those with cash to spare might want to consider the incredibly powerful iMac Pro. Windows laptops are easier to upgrade, tweak, and customize more generally than Macs. They’re cheaper too.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

Music and audio producers use a Digital Audio Workstation or DAW to record. DAW can be a software program, a hardware console, or a configuration of both. Most DAW is of the software variety. It lets you create and then manipulate the recorded audio. It’s an essential tool for special sound effects, Foley, music, podcasts, and so on. DAWs can differ, but they all share similar abilities.

DAW lets you record voice, compositions, live or virtual instruments, and all things audio. The best thing about DAW is that you can see and edit whatever goes into it. Examples are to arrange tracks, or musical notes, and automate how or when the audio enters or leaves a timeline. It’s then a case of mixing the creation. If you can think it, there’s a good chance you can do it in DAW.

DAW System Requirements

A DAW must be able to work with your system. DAW system requirements include:

• Windows and or macOS versions
• Minimum Intel® Core™ processors
• Minimum available hard drive space in GB
• Minimum GB RAM requirement
• Internet connection for installation and program activation
• Minimum monitor resolution
• Touch-enabled monitor (not all DAWs)

The more powerful your system, the better the DAW will function. Check out the Studio One page for a typical list of system requirements for its program.

Studio Audio Interface

An audio interface (AI) is at the heart of a home recording studio. It takes analog signals and converts them to digital. And the playback function lets you connect headphones or studio speakers to listen to what you’ve done. For that to happen, the AI converts the digital signal back to analog. In short, an audio interface helps you to record voice, vocals, and musical instruments in the highest quality.

Connectivity and Controls in Brief

Here’s a quick breakdown of the connection and controls of a standard audio interface:

• Connects directly to a computer or iPad
• Connection can be via USB, FireWire, PCMCIA to ExpressCard, and PCI
• The AI performs analog-to-digital conversion and vice versa
• Users can edit the stored audio streams directly from a computer
• An audio interface has various inputs for mics and instruments
• Controls may include Gain, Volume, Pad (Attenuator), Source, and Direct Monitor
• Some audio interfaces have midi inputs and outputs for keyboards
• The audio interface gives high-quality playback as well as recordings

Internal Vs. External Audio Interface

Computers have sound cards, and that’s what an audio interface is. So, why invest in a dedicated external option? Why not use the internal one that comes with a computer? The answer is limited sound quality and minimal Input/Output or I/O. A built-in sound card is also prone to jitter, electromagnetic interference, and latency. Thus, they’re not ideal for pro-quality recording.

Below are 2 examples of popular audio interfaces for use in the home studio.

Studio Headphones Matter

No home studio setup is complete without headphones. Part of the recording process is to monitor what you do as you do it. There are lots of headsets to consider, but some are much better than others. The preferred choice for recording purposes is the closed-back variety. That’s because they’re 100% sealed around the back and prevent noise from bleeding out.

Open Back Vs. Closed Back

Open-back headphones don’t block the outside world like the closed-back types. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as it depends on user preference. Open-back headphones also breathe better. That’s worth consideration if you expect to wear them for extended periods. The ‘in your head’ effect of closed-back headphones is not something that everyone’s comfortable with.

I’ve included one of each in the headphone samples below. Be sure to read any user reviews, especially from those who use them for home recording and mixing applications.

The Studio Microphone

Microphones come in all shapes, sizes, quality, and price ranges. It can seem an impossible choice for anyone new and inexperienced. The first step is to know how to break down your needs and expectations. Some mics are best suited for specific applications, so that already reduces choice. Do a little homework so that you can make a better-informed decision (see next).

You may want to use the points below as a personal checklist.

• Set a min and max budget, but avoid the low bottom-end
• Know the genre(s) you plan to record
• Get familiar with microphone specs and what they tell you (see below)
• Dynamic or Condenser mic? Know the difference
• What microphone accessories does your studio need

There are some essential studio accessories for microphones. They include cables, stands, pop filters, shock mounts, and portable vocal booths. You may also need a mic activator.

Be Tech Spec Savvy

There are plenty of easy-to-grasp articles online that explain microphone tech specs in plain English. Your home studio is quite a technical space anyway, so it pays to learn about these things.

The table below shows the mic specs that every budding audio engineer should know:

Buy the best mic that you can afford at the time once you know what you need and why. A decent quality mic should last for many years and is an excellent investment.

The examples below get lots of positive feedback from real users. They may or may not be the right mic for you. It’s still worth visiting them to get familiar with the specs and terminology.

The 101 of Microphone Stands

Every studio microphone needs a stand, and the sturdier, the better. They are among the cheaper accessories but essential nonetheless. There’s more to choosing a stand than first meets the eye. You don’t want one that’s too big or bulky if you run a mobile type studio. And nor do you want one too light and flimsy that knocks over with the slightest touch.

Types of Microphone Stands

There are 6 microphone stand categories, and only you can decide which design fits your purpose. You also need to consider the studio space and the specific mic applications.

1. Tripod stand
2. Tripod Boom
3. Desktop
4. Round base
5. Low profile
6. Overhead

A studio mic stand should be hard to knock over, rugged, and easy to use. Not all stands are. Other considerations are clip types, quality of the clutch, and a microphone’s weight. Some of the cheaper boom arms are not strong enough to support heavier mics for extended periods.

Studio Monitors

Prepare for a surprise if you’ve never listened to sound with a flat response curve. Studio monitors may seem lacking compared to regular stereo speakers with less bass and more noticeable highs. Don’t worry—they’re supposed to sound different. And it doesn’t take long for the ears to adjust. The whole purpose of studio monitors is to reproduce sounds accurately, and not for general listening.

This short guide doesn’t get into the specifics. The four points below highlight the essential areas to consider before you invest in any studio monitors.

1. Amplifier to drive the speakers
2. Room adjustment controls and EQ
3. The speakers deliver a wide dynamic range
4. Power considerations (more is better)

You can use the two examples below to learn more about studio monitor specs and capability.

Acoustic Room Treatment

Ambient or background noise can often cause unwanted distractions in a home studio setup. The good news is you can treat a room for very little outlay. Affordable foam panels can remove excess natural reverb. However, it’s easy to overdo treatment to the point where the space sounds dead if you’re inexperienced. In that case, diffusers can help to add and scatter a few reflections.

Bass Traps are a type of acoustic energy absorber that do an excellent job of absorbing bass, mid, and high frequencies. Get to know what kind of treatment your space needs before you do anything. For example, does it need simple soundproofing or acoustic treatment? The former minimizes any unwanted noise that travels in and out of a room. The latter controls sound reflections.

Learn how to evaluate the acoustics of your recording space to prevent buying the wrong gear. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials if you need guidance with acoustic treatment clap testing.

External Hard Drive

The only way not to lose crucial data is to back it up. Making copies of your saved work is the least glamorous job in a home studio, but the most critical. And sod’s law says the day you need a backup is the day you failed to make one. Seriously, losing your hard work is the most annoying and depressing feeling ever. It happens, and those studio sessions are lost forever without a backup.

Even worse than losing personal projects is to lose the work of clients if you have any. Internal hard drive failures are more common that most people realize. I keep an identical copy of all my work on another computer and an external hard drive. I archive completed projects in the cloud as well. External hard drives are also vital tools if you record in studios other than your own.

Types of Hard Drive

You have two types of external hard drives to consider. The older technology is the hard disk drive or HDD. It’s the cheapest option and gives more storage space for a lot less money. However, these drives are bigger and heavier than the newer Solid State Drives (SSD). Not only that, but the read/write speeds are slower too. My suggestion is to opt for an SSD if budget allows.

I’ve included both HDD and SSD drives in the example below.