Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond to our user Poll about which topics to publish next. There was a clear winner!
“Dave, I have $xxx to spend on Home Recording gear…What should I buy?”
People often come to me asking me whether they should buy this pre-amp, that compressor, or this piece of software. Few people can ignore cost as a limiting factor on their available choices. So, in this 1st part today, we’ll cover
In Part 2, we’ll cover what equipment to buy with budgets of:
Then in the final part:
Please feel free to let us know if you found these examples useful. Just use the Comments section at the end of each post.
Thanks!
Ken Johnstone
(Publisher)
PS: Of course there’s much more than just budget to consider. Click this link for more information on our step by step guide to Selecting Sound Recording Software and Equipment – that Works for your recording needs.
Dave, I have $100 to spend on Home Recording Studio Equipment, what should I buy?
You won’t be able to get much music studio equipment with this. Here’s what you could do…
- Click the next link and buy a Shure SM58 dynamic microphone ($100) – This all purpose microphone is a basic good quality piece of studio equipment.
- Plug it into your friend’s computer and start recording using the basic audio recorder that came with the operating system, or…
- Google something like “Pro Tools free download” – you may still be able to download a free version of Digidesign Pro Tools and record using this. Otherwise you could get started with Audacity.
Dave, I have $300 to spend on Home Recording Studio Equipment, what should I buy?
You still won’t be able to get much music studio equipment with this amount of money.
- Click the link and buy a Shure SM58 dynamic microphone ($100) – This all purpose, durable microphone is a basic good quality piece of studio equipment.
- Plug it into your friend’s computer and start recording using the basic recorder that came with the operating system, or…
- Google something like “Pro Tools free download” – you may still be able to download a free version of Digidesign Pro Tools and record using this. Or start with Audacity.
- *Tascam CDR-788 CD Burner (<$200) – A CD burner is essential if you want to be able to output your music to CD to listen to on your personal stereo.
*Note: CD or DVD output is required for high quality recording masters. However, given the popularity of mp3 distribution, you may decide a CD Burner is not a priority for your type of sound production.
Dave, I have $550 to spend on Home Recording Studio Equipment, what should I buy?
You will be able to get some good music studio equipment with this amount of money.
- Go to your favorite online store, or click the link and buy a Shure SM58 dynamic microphone ($100) – This all purpose, durable microphone is a basic good quality piece of studio equipment.
- Plug it into your friend’s computer and start recording using the basic sound recorder that came with the operating system, or…
- Google something like “Pro Tools free download” – you may still be able to download a free version of Digidesign Pro Tools and record using this. Otherwise you could get started with Audacity.
- *Tascam CDR-788 CD Burner (<$200) – A CD burner is essential if you want to be able to output your music to CD to listen to on your personal stereo.
- CDR80 80-Minute Blank CDRs in Spindle (50 discs) ($30) – You need to get some blank CDs to record onto!
- Sennheiser HD25-1II Professional Headphone ($200) –
These fantastic, flat-response headphones will let you hear very clearly what you are working on and you will start to learn to listen accurately to music before progressing to studio monitors. BE WARNED – Headphones do not give a totally accurate representation of sound but this is not really a problem for most people.
*Note: I’ve included a link to our eBay CD Burners page, since the Tascam CDR-788 model is now hard to find new. Current models are much higher cost…
As always, we’d be glad to hear your thoughts and experience. Please use the Comment link below.
Talk to you again in Part 2…
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dave, i’d like to know if pro tools is only compatible with macs;I mean, can I use it on windows?
Hello Jean,
(I’m covering for Dave today)
Thanks for your question.
Yes, ProTools is available for Mac and Windows PC. You can get more info in our Digital Recording Equipment section at http://www.homemusicrecording.com/category/digital/recording_software/
Just click the Pro Tools box for access to product details, including software compatibility.
It seems rather pointless to suggest users to download a piece of software that is 7 years old and no longer compatible with any of the new operating systems – It’s disabled in XP, Vista, and OS 10.
A much better option is a piece of open source software such as Reaper or Audacity, which are free and offer more flexible options than pro-tools will ever be able to. Also, they use standard plug-ins, which Pro-Tools has always felt too privileged to allow.
What all do I need to buy a studio sound proof walls everything on a budget of 700-1000
dave ( or whoever) im making a studio in my basement and i dont have alot of cash, but after i get the mic, is there anything else ( besides a cd burner or headphones, i have those already) that i should get?
Hi Nathan,
Thanks for your question – you’ll get a quick idea of the main components to consider when you scan Part 1 and Part 2 of the above article.
But exactly what you need depends on what you want to record and produce, and what media you want to distribute it on.
For a step by step guide to selecting the right kind of gear for your recording needs, download here.
It’s amazing what you can do today with a computer and a few hundred dollars of simple recording equipment. EasyMusicRecording.com is dedicated to making it easy and affordable for you to experience the satisfaction of recording music at home. Our assumption is that many musicians would like to record as a hobby – beginning with a very simple setup, laying down 1-2 tracks at a time, with an initial outlay of less than $1,000, . . . and gradually upgrading as your needs grow and your skills improve.
I was wondering what type of setup and (mic types, Processors, ect) i would need to record a studio quality cd with the band all playing in one room at one time. I use a tascam 16 track digital recorder and have ableton live on my computer.
can you recomend equipment needed to set up medium size recording studio and where can i source them.
many thanks
I think it’s very ill-advised to inform people that they can build a “home recording studio”
for $7,500. It’s money right down the drain.
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your comment – for some people, spending $7,500 on a home recording studio would be a complete waste of money – as you say.
That’s why it’s so important to consider what your purpose is for your studio, select only the gear you’ll need to fulfil that purpose, and buy wisely. Dave’s ebook on Selecting Sound Recording Software and Equipment – that Works is a guide to getting great value from your studio, and spending no more than is needed.
On the other hand, I know a few folks who have spent far more than $7,500 for their “home studio”, and feel they get great value from their investment.
It all depends on your purpose…
Interesting approach, though I have to say that trying to lay something like this out in one (or two) articles is like trying to tell someone how to become a doctor in a weekend.
I’m all for home studios, but the reality is, building a home studio is probably a waste of money. Almost all musicians would be better off buying something simple like a an all-in-one digital recorder (like those Zoom or Fostex deals) on eBay to demo stuff, and spend their money on better instruments and gear.
Once they have their material honed, and their gear sounding top-notch, go record with a professional.
If you want a very expensive hobby, recording is great! If you want o be a pro, that’s awesome! But if you are dreaming of making a commercial quality recording by buying a bunch of gear, you’re kidding yourself.
You can spend any amount of money on a drumset, but if you don’t play drums, and don’t want to become a drummer, what are you doing? Go find a drummer, and get on with your life!
I’m not trying to be rude, but I see so many musicians with really great home setups, and they can’t make a decent recording to save their lives. So they hire me, and that’s cool, but they could’ve saved a lot of money and time if they hadn’t been sold a bill of goods by some Guitar Center salesman.
If you insist on doing it yourself, my blog has some tips, though it’s aimed at a slightly experienced audience!
dave, i’m in school and will soon have a really good laptop. I want to record my music and what i want, or think i want, is an E-Mu tracker pre usb 2.0 audio interface and an Iomega prestige 500GB hard drive (idont want to use all the space on the one in the laptop). I have a Beringer dynamic mic and i plan on plugging my guitar into the interface. The interface comes with several recording software programs including drums and bass as well as some vst instruments. My question is will this be enough to give me a good enough recording to send to someplace like discmakers to have professionally mastered?
Hi Mac,
Ken here – Dave’s travelling again (almost constantly in demand these days…mostly producing large corporate events) The list of gear you mention should be no particular problem. You could improve input quality with a better mic, but at the price, the Behringer (XM8500?) is hard to beat.
You don’t mention what you’re listening with. If you are aiming to distribute you music at all, include a decent pair of studio monitors, and check your mix sounds ok on ipod with ‘phones, your home hifi speakers, an old “ghetto blaster” and car stereo at least.
Whether the results will be good enough to send for professional mastering depends more on the software you use, your own skills at performing your music and using your music production system, as well as the end purpose of your recording.
Have fun!
Dave,
As an audio production/sound engineering enthusiast, I think it’s great to give budget-based advice on home recording. However, I have to strongly disagree with advising folks to purchase a microphone before headphones. My experience is predominately in live sound reinforcement and recording, and thus headphones are crucial. But even in a home-studio setting, having a pair of decent headphones is definitely a better first step than buying an SM-57.