Recording Music at a Professional Level From An At-Home Studio

The last couple of decades has seen music production become gradually more accessible. Between more affordable equipment and Recording Music at a Professional Level From An At-Home Studio

Nevertheless, you still need to make sure your audience gets the highest quality audio you can provide them with. This means that no matter how do-it-yourself (DIY) your home studio setup is, you have to establish ways to ensure your output is still professional. You don’t have to break the bank to achieve this but it does require some planning and consideration.

Let’s run down some of the aspects you should consider when striving to record music at a professional level from your home studio.

Consider Your Environment

The mistake too many people make when they are new to recording is failing to account for the elements of their immediate environment. Whether you’re building your dream DIY music space or adapting a room in your apartment, the architectural aspects and objects can impact your recording experience. As such, your first step needs to be a thorough assessment of your intended recording environment.

Review the size of the room. Is there space to fit a dedicated recording desk? This is important to know as it will have a knock-on effect on the type of recording equipment you can invest in. If you have a lot of blank hard surfaces, you’ll find this will affect the acoustics of the space. You may need to consider putting up thick curtains over windows to dampen the potential for echo.

Alongside the physical attributes of the environment, you should also review sources of ambient sound. Are there ticking clocks in the room or squeaky floors? If you are using your kitchen to record in, you may find problems coming from your appliances. If your refrigerator is buzzing or rattling louder than the usual hum, this could be the result of issues ranging from compressor damage to a misaligned drain pan. Some of these problems you can take care of personally but others will require expert attention. Identifying and repairing these aspects will minimize the sounds that disrupt the quality of your recordings.

Soundproof your Space

No matter what the size of your intended space is, soundproofing is an essential part of a professional home studio setup. This serves a couple of different purposes. Firstly, it makes sure your neighbors and family are shielded from the noise of your instruments. It also prevents your recording from being disrupted by stimuli from outside.

There are some practical and relatively inexpensive approaches to this process. The soundproofing techniques you use to block external noise will differ from those you use to keep your sound inside the room. The former can be achieved by hanging heavy blankets over your doors and applying acoustical caulk to the window seals. While the latter requires strong absorption measures. This could include affixing acoustic foam to the walls and laying thick carpet on the floors or ceilings. 

However, if your home studio needs to function as a living space when you’re not recording, you can take more flexible measures. You can create removable acoustic panels by adhering foam to wooden boards that you can place against the wall when needed. You can also use micro suction tape to attach foam panels to your ceiling while also being able to easily remove them afterward. Simple draft excluders and fabrics to block cracks around doors can make a big difference, too.

Prioritize Your Gear

It’s very easy to go overboard when it comes to home recording equipment. There’s a lot of accessible hardware on the market and a range of fun production toys to play with. However, you likely don’t have the budget to splurge. As such, it’s important to prioritize the important items so you can gradually build up the rest. 

The key initial components to focus on include: 

• Microphones

Your choice of microphone is the front line in achieving professional quality audio. As such, you need to choose the most appropriate items for the instruments you’re recording and the outcome you want to achieve. If a large-diaphragm condenser microphone doesn’t fit into your budget, you can still record high-quality vocals on an industry-standard dynamic mic like the Shure SM58 or the Sennheiser e945. If you’re recording acoustic instruments, you’ll also need a small-diaphragm condenser mic.

• Computer

Having a high-powered computer isn’t essential to achieving quality home audio recording. If you’re planning to collaborate in recording and mixing remotely, most standard laptops will be sufficient to connect to the cloud and share files with producers and musicians. 

That said, if you’re running a digital audio workstation (DAW), you need a computer with sufficient memory and processing power to run the software and store large audio files. This will usually require a minimum read-only memory (RAM) of 8GB and storage of at least 256GB.

• Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Your DAW should get as much attention as your mics and instruments. This is because the right software can impact the quality of your recordings and support more creative ambitions for your music. At its most basic, a DAW makes it easier for you to record and edit multiple tracks. 

However, more advanced DAWs give you access to virtual instruments and audio effects. You’ll also be able to mix and master through the software. How it fits into your budget will usually depend on the extent of your needs. Industry standards like Avid Pro Tools usually offer a range of packages but you can also achieve great results with free open-source software like Audacity.

Conclusion

Recording music to a professional quality is achievable in the comfort of your home. However, you need to make some smart choices to be effective. Assess your intended recording environment for issues that need to be addressed and take the time to thoroughly soundproof. Identify the equipment you need to prioritize so you can gradually build up your tools within your budget. This is a great time to be an independent musician. With some focus and effort, you have powerful creative potential.

Courtesy of Indiana Lee