I’m going to describe my studio hardware plus related issues. If you’re setting up a home recording studio for the first time a lot of what follows should be useful, but bear in mind you’ll probably have slightly different needs in terms of your main instrument (I’m a guitarist), number of musicians likely to be recorded simultaneously, size of budget, type of music preferred, etc.
It would be nice to have a recording setup like Peter Gabriel's Real World studios (pictured left), which you can hire if you like for £1,000 a day! Alternatively, that same amount can give you a good start to setting up your own facility at home.
There’s a balance to be struck between (i) Starting small and adding equipment as your skills and knowledge improve, with the accepted risk that you’ll sometimes be selling stuff on Ebay that you’ve out-grown; and (ii) buying more sophisticated gear that will serve you longer but present you with multiple learning curves and possible accompanying frustration. That must be your choice depending on your temperament and budget. When I started home recording over ten years ago I went for option (ii). I still have the original mixing desk I bought and glad I made that choice, but I did struggle at first with how to use it correctly and how to cable everything else up.
Computer: PC or Mac? Well, if you’re one of the stylee tribe who think Apple can do no wrong then I can’t sway you! If you’re not, the chances are you already have a suitable computer or some kind of preference anyway. It’s true that a lot of pro studios use Apple because of some notion that they fit in with the artistic vibe, but my advice is:
- You’re going to need a powerful computer (or DAW, short for Digital Audio Workstation) with plenty of memory to get the best out of music recording software, so look at sellers that specialise in those, e.g. Scan Pro Audio, Rain, or Carillon.
- Noise: the specialist suppliers named above make PCs that are virtually noise-free. This is important if you’re going to be recording vocals in the same room as your DAW, which is usually the case with home studios.
- Your computer is going to be the heart of your setup so do a lot of research, for example at Sound On Sound magazine where you can find excellent detailed reviews and machine tests. Ask questions on forums, but beware: I find some people highly recommend the DAW (and other kit) they own when they have little or no direct experience of any others.
- Laptop or workstation? Only go for a laptop if you’re going to be doing most of your recording on the move.
- Check that the DAW software you have in mind will run on the computer you have in mind, e.g. Sonar is PC only, some are multi-platform. There’s a comparison table here.
- Screen: Invest in the largest one you can afford. DAW software enables you to view a number of aspects of your project simultaneously (and on two separate screens if you want!), and you’ll also be looking at it for long periods.
- Powerful graphics card? Good news, you don’t need one, a cheap one will do unless you’re going to play games on the same machine. DAW software needs a fast processor and lots of memory but the graphics demands are low.
I have a Scan 3XS Intel i7 2600K @ 3.40Hhz quad core system with 16GB of RAM, 1750GB storage on three hard drives plus 1,000GB external backup storage.
