Set Up Your Home Studio (Gear)

What You’ll Need

Before we can get to work and start learning about recording, you’ll need a few things. Recording equipment will cost you some cash, but you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot. Here’s what we recommend:

Audio Interface Although your computer likely comes with a microphone input port and you can buy low-grade microphones to plug directly into your sound card, you won’t achieve anywhere near a high level of quality. Additionally, built-in sound cards provide little to no control over the signal. Among other advantages, an audio interface provides you with the ability to use high quality microphones and studio monitors (speakers). When operating on a budget, expect to spend at least $150 for a decent unit. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Presonus AudioBox 22VSL, and Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 all provide two microphone inputs and good recording quality without a high cost. If you need four inputs but can’t spend much, look at the Presonus AudioBox 44VSL or the MOTU 4pre. Those with more room in their budget should consider the MOTU Track16 and MOTU 896mk3, as well as the Apogee Duet and Quartet when working on a Mac. Any interface on this list will work well so long it is compatible with your computer. Check the system requirements before buying.

Microphone(s) If you plan to record vocals or live instruments, you’ll need at least one microphone. Most microphones record certain instruments and sound types better than others. For example, the Shure SM-57 is a popular choice for recording snare drums (although it has other uses, too) and the AKG 535 EBproduces great vocals. You can get very specific about your mic choices, but since we’re just starting we want to find an inexpensive yet versatile option. Most any condenser mic with a cardioid pickup pattern (we’ll discuss what this means in later lessons) in the $100-200 range will work. On the extremely cheap side, the Behringer C-1 and Samson C01 (which we use for our podcast) produce quality recordings for under $100. For more money, the Shure SM-27-SC and Rode NT3 will offer a cleaner, better sound under more circumstances. (In most cases you’ll benefit more from recording in a quiet, echo-free room than you will from spending hundreds on microphones, but we’ll talk about that more later.)

Studio Monitors Not to be confused with computer monitor that displays a picture, studio monitors are speakers that do their best to represent recorded sound as cleanly and accurately as possible. If you’ve never heard music through a pair of even decent studio monitors, you might be blown away by the detail they provide. Even better, you can get a good pair for a reasonable price—much less than you’d pay for high quality entertainment speakers that, most of the time, don’t sound as good. The Samson Resolv A6 cost $250 for a pair and work great. For a little more money, look at the Yamaha HS50M for $150 each (you need to buy two). For a step up, consider the Yamaha HS80M for $250 each (you also need to buy two of them). Regardless of what you get, you should also invest in a pair of monitor isolation pads so the sound quality of your monitors aren’t negatively affected by the surface you place them on.

Midi Keyboard/Controller If you plan to use virtual instruments in your arrangements, you’ll need a MIDI keyboard to play them. These come cheap, and you don’t need anything fancy in most cases. For under $100, you can pick up the M-Audio KeyStation 49 for a compact keyboard that connects over USB. For a few more keys, get the M-Audio KeyStation 61. These keyboards only provide basic controls, however, so if you plan to manipulate your instruments (a common need in electronic music) you’ll want something like the M-Audio Oxygen 49 instead. For those who intend to include a realistic piano, you’ll need to cough up quite a bit more money for a good digital one. Most digital keyboards have semi-weighted keys that respond to how hard you push them, but actual pianos are a bit more complex. A semi-weighted keyboard will not feel natural to a pianist so those who want a realistic feel and representation of a piano need to purchase a full 88-key keyboard that incorporates a graded hammer effect. For a long time, the Yamaha P series has been one of the best values. If you plan to use a virtual piano in your work, get the Yamaha P105B.