Monday, September 1, 2014

5 Tips For Setting Up a Home Audio Recording Studio

When putting together a home audio recording studio, there is no doubt that equipment will play a major factor in the success of the recordings. However, this does not mean you have to pay top dollar for everything you purchase. Most people are going to initially navigate to the well established brand names. And if you have thousands of extra dollars collecting dust, why not? These companies manufacture great equipment. But it is not necessary to limit yourself to these brands. In fact there are countless other companies out there that produce top-notch equipment and at much more reasonable prices. I have made it a point to do my homework before making any purchases. And it has seemed to work well for me. Here are a few tips when it comes to purchasing equipment for your home audio recording studio.
1. Before any recording is done, make sure the recording space sounds good! Test the area with room measurement software. REW Room EQ Wizard is amazing... and free. Adequately treat the problem areas with bass traps and broadband absorbers. There is no point in having quality equipment if the room sounds like crap.
2. Research! This is why God gave us the internet. There are a ton of great recording forums out there that can teach you everything you need to know about equipment. Members of these forums may be able to lead you in the direction of some low-cost gems. Also check out the review sections on music instrument retail sites.
3. Check out equipment shootout videos on the internet. There are plenty of quality videos that compare equipment from different brands. Use your ears. Decide what you like best. It's okay to pay attention to brand names, put don't put too much value on them. There are less well-known companies out there that make excellent equipment. Seek them out. Quality doesn't have to come with a high price tag.
4. Study the fundamentals of setting up a recording studio. Good equipment is of little use if you have no idea how to set it up correctly. Just imagine having several thousand dollars invested in microphones. Now envision an unsatisfactory final project because you neglected to learn the proper placement of these audio-capture devices. Extremely depressing, isn't it?
5. Practice! Learn your equipment just like you would a music instrument. Get accustomed to all the features. Regardless of the quality of the equipment, you have to know how to use it. Being able to get the maximum capability out of your equipment can make all the difference.
These are just a few suggestions to consider when setting up a home recording studio and purchasing equipment.

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