After you have made the conscious decision to finally set up your dream home recording studio, the question “What gadgets do I need to have?” always pops up. Some of you might start with a humongous budget to back you up. Others, on the other hand, may have quite a limited start-up capital. However, this doesn’t change the fact that there are essentials that you must have so you can successfully operate your home recording studio.
Having a recording studio can be quite profitable, but you must first go through the expense of purchasing your equipment. To help you start with the basics, here are some of the top gadgets that you must have in your home recording studio:
1. A Good Computer
If you already have a good enough quality computer in your home, then you are ready to start. Whether it is a Mac or a PC doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you know how to use and operate the computer, and that you can install enough recording and music software like Fl Studio on it. You can also try Fl Studio mobile If your existing computer has minimal RAM, now’s a good time for you to update your files, clear up some space, or purchase a bigger RAM capacity. Experts recommend buying the highest RAM capacity that you can afford at the moment.
2. Turntable
Especially if you are setting up a recording studio to create your own music mixes like that of a DJ, you definitely need a turntable as well. This gadget, also known as a phonograph, is a rotating platform that allows you to play sound recordings. Turntables are generally expensive. But as you are starting out, there are still excellent quality turntables that belong to the more affordable price range, such as the best turntable under 500 US dollars.
3. Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
With a computer to start with, you should now upgrade it to make it record-worthy. When you are starting up a music studio, it isn’t as simple as recording audio on your cellphone. Your computer cannot function for a studio without a program to back it up. This is where your Digital Audio Workstation comes in. This allows your computer to be used for recording, editing, and mixing music.
Here are some of the best Digital Audio Workstations for you to try out:
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Pro Tools
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Avid Pro Tools
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Studio One
4. Microphone Isolation Shield
Microphone isolation shields work as its name suggests: it is attached to your microphone stand and it reduces the amount of sound that is reflected upon the microphone. Hence, the sound quality improves once it is set for recording. Users of the microphone isolation shield have consistently given the best feedback of this gadget, stating that it is indeed worth the investment because of its usefulness. If you compare the overall audio quality when you use this isolation shield vis-à-vis without one, you will hear for yourself how much better the quality is with a microphone isolation shield.
5. Audio Interface
When you record music, you will need to find a way to convert your analog or acoustic sounds into digital ones. This generally works by providing a connection to the computer when you are recording, and back out of the computer when you are playing back what you have previously recorded. An audio interface achieves this for you. Some of the best audio interfaces you can try out include:
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Apogee ONE
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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
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PreSonus AudioBox
6. Headphones
When you are going to start a recording studio, you have to be more professional, too. You cannot just expect your mobile phone’s free earphones to do the job. One of the smallest but most essential gadgets that you should have are music-recording headphones with good quality. One of the features that you should look for in a headphone is that the back should be closed. With a closed back, very little sound leaks out of the headphones and goes back to the microphones. This also improves your audio recording quality, as the sound quality tends to be more clean and clear.
7. Studio Microphone
What’s a recording studio without a microphone in it? You don’t need too many of them; even one or two pieces will work just fine, especially that you are still starting a home recording studio. Microphones are one of the most classic gadgets in a recording studio that was needed many years back, and still is as of the present. The only difference is that the microphones of today have generally improved in their features and quality, too.
With the numerous microphones for you to choose from, owners of recording studios unanimously opine that you should set your price limit at 100 US dollars. With that kind of budget, you can already find an excellent quality studio microphone.
Conclusion
With these gadgets, you are sure to be one step closer towards becoming the pro studio you’ve always dreamed of. These are just the bare minimum of what you need, and you can slowly add in some more gadgets eventually. As you are only beginning, you do not need to have all the devices on the market. You only need the basics, but make sure they are also the best.