From artists just getting started to seasoned veterans, musicians of all levels are exploring the creation of their own home studio space. But it can be a challenge.
In this post we cover just 7 tips for setting up your home recording studio right.
7 Tips for Setting up a Home Recording Studio
1. Make Sure you Can Hear Yourself (and well)
One of the most important factors in any recording studio is of course the sound. A lot is said about the quality of the recording itself, which is important, but we also want to stress the quality of your playback. You need to hear yourself well, and that means getting quality studio headphones and studio monitor speakers for the job.
These are our picks for the best studio headphones for home music production and here are our suggestions for the best studio monitors for home music production.
2. Plan Out the Space
Before you get caught up with exactly what kind of gear you need, we highly recommend laying out the space on paper. Place where you want speakers, where your main set-up will be, and how the acoustic will play out. It’ll go a long way to saving you serious time down the road.
Pay close attention to the size of the furniture and equipment you want and make sure you can fit in the gear you plan to buy!
3. Consider Foam or Fiberglass Panels for sound absorption
Excellent gear is still stifled by poor studio design and set-up. Foam panels, ideal for general sound absorption, and fiberglass panels, ideal for pulling in high-frequency sounds, will benefit you immensely. Even with low-cost gear, your sound is dramatically improved right out the box.
Acoustic foam can absorb sound waves. This helps to prevent the sound from bouncing around rooms and causing distortion. If you are unsure about the best way to treat your room, seek help from an expert as this can make a huge difference to your music production space.
If you are recording vocals at home we also strongly suggest you buy a pop filter / mic screen for your microphone.
4. Keep Speakers Away from Walls, Especially Corners
With tight space constraints, this may be unavoidable. But your walls will absorb sound. Try as hard as you can to keep your speakers away from the walls, particularly corners, to avoid heavy bass absorption.
5. Tidy Up
Use the power of “does this bring joy?” A home recording studio should have no wasted fluff. Every part should contribute to the music process and/or bring satisfaction and joy. Remember, your studio is a reflection of your mind. Cleanliness and organisation can help you to keep focused on your music prodiction.
6. Bump Up Your Internet
Don’t let your perfect home studio get impacted by a mediocre connection. It’s worth the upgrade- get a premium quality plan to make sure your internet is seamless. Nothing sucks more than waiting hours for your DAW to update or that perfect sample to download!
7. Don’t Get Stuck in the “Gear Weeds”
If you aren’t extremely adept at understanding gear and gear requirements, that’s okay! You can have choice paralysis by the number of ways you can bring your studio to life. Really, if you are truly honest, all you absolutely need is a way to record. Everything else is extra (extremely helpful!) but extra. So don’t let expanded choices cripple your motivation in making a home studio.
Start with the basics and slowly build your studio as you go!