With prices on most audio gear dropping substantially the last few years, there has never been a better time to start recording your own music at home.
It can be daunting trying to decide what equipment you want/need, which is why we’ve put together this easy guide that covers the essentials for starting home recording.
Audio Interface
An audio interface is what will allow you to plug in guitar/bass/keyboards/microphones in to your computer. A good audio interface should have a flat and wide frequency response (put simply, the interface should be able to handle a wide range of sounds without altering the tonal qualities of them, such as distorting). You also want an audio interface that allows different input types, importantly XLR (for microphones) and Phone/6.5 (guitars/bass/keyboards).
Microphone
The workhorse of the studio! There are all sorts of microphones, each designed to record specific types of sounds in specific environments. For home recording, you’ll want a good all-round microphone that can handle a wide range of sounds (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano etc).
Microphone Accessories
Speakers / Studio Monitors
Studio monitors are somewhat different to regular speakers. Home speakers are usually designed to tweak the sound (add bass/treble) to get the best possible performance from them. Studio monitors are designed to add nothing to the sound being played through them. This is to let you hear the “pure” form of your recording.
Recording Software
For newcomers to home recording, the software used should be relatively simple to use. Many professional recording applications can cost thousands of dollars, which is why Audacity is such a good starting point; it’s free. For a beginner, it will be able to do everything you need to do to record your tracks.
Audacity : $Free
