6 Essential Home Studio Building Blocks

1 – Computer

I’m not going to get into the whole Mac vs. PC thing — that discussion is beyond the scope of this article. And, to be honest, these days it’s somewhat irrelevant. You should go with the platform that you prefer or that the other musicians you associate with use so that you can have easy interchange of files. I will, however, come down pretty firmly in support of using a laptop to drive your studio. Today’s laptops offer tons of power, and most importantly, with a laptop, you can pick the computer up, stuff it in a bag, and take it with you wherever you go. I’ve been using an Apple Macbook Pro for a while as the heart of my studio, and I love it. Wherever I go, my studio can go with me. I take it with me to the coffee shop for editing sessions, for example. A change of scenery can be inspiring for writing sessions, too. And having a laptop makes it easy to do remote recording of gigs and rehearsals. Just pop your audio interface, microphones, and headphones into a bag and you’ve got a studio ready to work on the go.

Two things to consider when you’re choosing a computer: First, get the biggest internal hard drive you can afford. A solid-state drive (SSD) will improve the computer’s performance. Second — and this is very important — get as much memory (RAM) in the computer as you can. It’s a given that data and files always expand until a computer’s hard drive is full, so you’ll eventually need all that drive space. And max RAM means that your computer can more efficiently run applications and load up sample libraries and virtual instruments. Also the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini and some iMacs now come with soldered-in RAM, meaning that you cannot upgrade the amount of RAM at a later date.

Is it a problem to use a desktop computer or an all-in-one unit such as an iMac? Absolutely not! In fact, the performance may be marginally or greatly better with a desktop computer. Go with what works for you and that you prefer. For me, the portability of a laptop outweighs other considerations.

I do recommend that you add a portable external hard drive to your studio rig, whether you use a laptop or a desktop computer. It used to be a no-no to record audio sessions to the computer’s internal hard drive, but these days, I do it all the time without issues. Still, having an external hard drive allows me to transport large files, keep huge instrument libraries off the computer’s drive, do quick backups, and more. When I head to another studio for a session, I simply bring along the files I need on my drive, making it easy to shuffle the data back and forth.

I use portable USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt drives from LaCie Rugged, G-Technology G-Drive ev, and Glyph Studio Mini drives. One is for backup, I have another with active sessions and projects on it, and another holds my iTunes library.

2 – Audio Interface

You’re not going to get very far with your studio if you can’t get audio and other signals in and out of your computer! That’s where an audio interface comes into the picture. An audio interface connects to your computer and provides audio inputs and outputs for microphones, instruments and processors; monitor outputs for feeding the studio speakers; one or more headphone outputs for private listening and overdubs; and potentially other connection types, such as MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) ins and outs for controlling keyboards and other gear, digital signal connections, and more.

There are many things to consider when deciding on an audio interface, but two that should be foremost in your mind are the computer connection format the interface uses and the number and types of inputs and outputs it provides. Today’s interfaces generally connect using USB 2.0, Thunderbolt, and Firewire. Which is the best for you depends mainly on your computer — if your computer has no Thunderbolt port, then choosing a Thunderbolt audio interface would be a bad decision! Match up the connection format of your computer with the interface’s format and you’ll be in good shape — all three connection formats work great and can handle tons of tracks and signals.

The number of inputs and outputs you’ll need depends on how many sources you want to record simultaneously, as well as how many other devices you need to feed with outputs. You’ll also want to look at how many of the inputs support microphone connections. For many home studios, two ins and outs, with two microphone preamps is just fine — you can track a couple of mics or a stereo keyboard, while feeding studio monitor speakers and headphones. Examples include the Universal Audio Apollo Twin (currently Thunderbolt only, but coming soon for Windows/USB), the Focusrite Clarett 2pre or Scarlett 2i2, the PreSonus AudioBox USB or AudioBox iTwo, and the Apogee Duet, among many others.

If you need more than two inputs, for example to record a drum set or if you want to track a few players or a full band all at once, there are interfaces available that will give you up to 32 simultaneous inputs, such as the Antelope Audio Orion 32+. Other multi-channel audio interfaces include the Universal Apollo 8p, the Apogee Ensemble Thunderbolt, PreSonus Studio 192, MOTU 869 HD Hybrid, Steinberg UR44, and many more.

Certain audio interfaces also offer nice extras. For example, the Universal Audio Apollo interfaces have built-in DSP power — basically onboard computer power — dedicated to running UAD-format software plug-in effects and processors, taking a big load off of your computer. Several other interfaces provide onboard mixing capabilities, reverb and other effects, and so on. Examples include the Antelope Audio Zen Studio, MOTU Ultralite-mk3 Hybrid, RME Fireface UCX, and more. While not essential, onboard DSP is a valuable bonus, and can make your recording process much more streamlined.

3 – DAW Software

So you’ve got your computer and audio interface, but you’re not quite making music yet. You won’t get very far without software to drive them! For a recording studio, what you’re looking for is digital audio workstation — DAW — software. A DAW recreates a complete recording studio right inside your computer. You can record audio, edit tracks, mix tracks together, process sounds, add parts with “virtual” software instruments, and basically do everything you need to do to put together a complete music production. Today’s DAWs are hyper-powerful, yet also easy to use. Avid’s Pro Tools remains the studio-standard DAW, but other DAWs, such as PreSonus Studio One, Steinberg Cubase, MOTU Digital Performer, and Cakewalk SONAR are tremendously popular and each have their own strengths. Digital Performer, for example, works great for music production, but is also a leading DAW for film score use. If you’re into loop-based music, definitely check out Ableton Live or Bitwig Studio. While all DAWs can work with loops, these apps are especially suited to loop-based composition and arranging.

For EDM musicians, songwriters, and others looking for an all-in-one DAW solution that equally combines built-in instruments with full-on recording and mixing capabilities, Propellerhead Reason and Image Line FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops) are applications that you should consider.

Most of the DAWs on the market offer two or more versions. There will be a more affordable, “lite” version and a full-on “flagship” version. In general, the lite version will support less tracks and have scaled-down features. The flagship version will likely come with a much wider selection of free bundled plug-ins (software effects and processors you can use on your tracks) and free virtual instruments (synthesizers, samplers, drum machines), as well as extras such as drum loops you can use to create tracks and more.

4 – Monitoring

To make good music, you’ve got to be able to hear yourself! In my opinion one of the most critical aspects of a studio — home or “pro” — is the quality of the monitoring system. This includes both studio monitor speakers as well as headphones.

In many home situations (particularly apartments) and when you’re working remotely, whether recording on location, editing at a coffee house, or making beats on a subway train, headphones are the way to go. Not only do phones allow you to work privately without disturbing family or passersby, but you’ll find can also really focus on creating in the isolated space that headphones provide. They’re also great when you need to critically listen for noise, flaws, and balance problems in a mix or track. AKG K240, Sennheiser HD 280, and Sony MDR-7506 headphones are all super-popular choices. They’re affordable and sound excellent. Or, if you can, step up your headphone budget — one of the best presents I ever gave myself was a pair of high-end headphones.

In some situations you may find that headphones are too bulky — either visually (while I’d never be accused of being a fashionista, I’m not a fan of wearing a big pair of phones while sitting in a coffee shop, for example) or physically; a pair of full-sized headphones doesn’t fit very well in most computer bags. For those situations, I use a set of in-ear monitors (sort of the “pro” version of the ubiquitous earbuds). I have some higher-end Westone in-ears that feature custom molds fit to my ears. They’re super comfortable and with five drivers in each earbud, they sound absolutely incredible. In fact, I know pro engineers who have used those types of in-ears for mixing records! But you don’t have to go for expensive custom-fit in-ear monitors. I’ve used “off-the-shelf” Westone and Shure in-ears and they sound phenomenal. Other good choices include Etymotic Research, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, and more. When I’m traveling I always carry Bose QuietComfort 20 noise-canceling earbuds. They’re awesome on airplanes, buses, and trains; not only do they cancel out background noise (like jet engines) but they sound wonderful, too.

For most of your work, though, you’ll probably rely on monitor speakers. There are so many great choices available in monitors today. I prefer active monitors, which feature a built-in amp and electronics, so they’re self contained. Just connect to your audio interface and go! Look for a monitor with full-range and flat response, with enough power to fill your room. Focal, JBL, Genelec, Yamaha, KRK, PreSonus, Dynaudio, Samson, Mackie, and more are all familiar names in studio monitor speakers.

5 – Two Good Microphones

Almost every studio will have need of a microphone for capturing vocals and various acoustic instruments. Even if you’re working on “electronic” music, you’ll probably find you’re using a microphone more than you might think. There’s a reason that pro studios have huge mic lockers; every mic sounds different and responds differently on various sources.

So where to begin when you’re just getting your studio rolling? I recommend starting with two microphones. First, I suggest a good all-around dynamic mic, such as the tried-and-true Shure SM57 or one of the Blue Microphones enCORE family. Behringer, Telefunken, Audix, Miktek, Audio-Technica, and many other companies all make great-sounding and highly affordable dynamic mics. You’ll use your dynamic microphone on electric guitars, percussion, drums, vocals, and more.

To complement your dynamic mic, I recommend also picking up a good all-around condenser microphone. A condenser will be great on acoustic instruments, vocals, stringed instruments, piano, percussion, and many more sources — even as a room mic for capturing natural ambience in your tracks. Check out the Rode NT1, the Audio-Technica AT-2020, or if your budget allows, you can’t go wrong with a studio-standard AKG C414 or Mojave Audio MA-200. The list of great condenser mics is long, and covers every application and price point from super affordable to stratospheric. Choose a good one to start and you’ll have a great base on which to build your mic locker.

Once you have a good dynamic microphone and a good condenser microphone in place, then you can expand your mic palette with ribbon mics and additional dynamics and condensers as your needs and budget allow; you can never have too many microphones!

As you’re thinking about microphones, you should also consider how many sources you anticipate recording simultaneously. If you’re miking up a guitar amp, one or two mics will likely suffice. But if you need to record a large drum kit or a full band, then you may need a wider array of microphones at your disposal. Several mic manufacturers offer pre-configured bundles designed for miking drum kits that make getting what you need easy.

6 – Keyboard

Even if you’re not a keyboard player, I always recommend equipping your home studio rig with a controller keyboard. It doesn’t have to be fancy; the idea is to have a simple, instantly accessible instrument that you can use to input notes for synth and sampler parts, to play in drum patterns, and if the keyboard has knobs on it, adjusting parameters in your software with your hands instead of clicking with your computer’s mouse or trackpad.

For a straight-ahead controller keyboard I use a CME Xkey. It’s the smallest keyboard I’ve found with full-size keys — in fact, it slips into my laptop bag so I can take it on the go when I’m traveling or taking a break from the studio to do a little work in a coffee shop. If you want more full-featured control, check out a controller with additional onboard knobs and switches that you can assign to various functions. I’m a big fan of the Arturia Keylab controllers, the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol family, the new Alesis VX49, the Novation Impulse series, and the offerings by Akai, M-Audio, Nektar, and more.

If you’re into making beats or loop-based music then you might also want to consider one of the cool “groove” controllers that make it so easy to get “hands on” with drum and rhythm parts, as well as control DAWs such as Ableton Live.