Building home recording studio from scratch

BigGuitars

Active member
I’m wanting to build a studio to record decent demos. I would like to discuss what would be needed for recording basic rock music (i.e. guitar, drums, bass, vocals). Let’s just assume I’ve already got all the instruments and amps. What would I need in order to be able to record decent quality stuff?

If there are videos or links you could share, that would be great. The studio will be a small space - a cedar cabin 320 square feet. I’m mainly just asking about equipment.

I’d like to possibly discuss options at a variety of budgets, from low to high. Odds are, my budget will not be high, but I’ll have to get into it and see what this stuff costs before I’ll know what I’m willing to spend.

Thanks.
 
Well first you will need to download a DAW on a capable PC. I recommend Reaper as there is a free trial and it is a good program.

For the PC - you will want to get as much RAM as you can and I suggest a good CPU with hyperthreading.

Then you will need an interface to connect to the PC to record the instruments. If you are doing live drums I would go with at least 8 inputs. You will also need the mics to record with.

TBH That is all you need. You can do it with headphones or with monitors. You can even use free amp sims and a drum program like SD3. If you go that route you won't even need mics.

That is as basic as it gets IMO. If you want something amazing you will probably want professional room treatment for the best sounding drums you can get and for monitoring purposes.

There are an endless amount of programs, mics, monitors and interfaces to choose from. That could go on all day.
 
For resources I would go to other forums and just read, read, read. Reading, learning and trial and error is the only real way to learn IMO.

There are a few gems here like that Michael Wagner thread that was recently bumped.

The Andy Sneap forum to me is the best source on a forum. Tons and tons of info there but it is now kind of dead user wise. There are other cool places like Gear Slutz.

There are also paid learning programs like nail the mix and a lot of producers now offer workshops. Youtube is your friend, you just have to do down the rabbit hole.

I have yet to do a workshop but that is my next step. Most places I have mentioned you will find the very common standard mixing tips. They are good to know but there is so much more to learn.

The only other thing I want to add is that there are amazing programs out there like Ozone for mixing and mastering. Most people will tell you no, you do not need good plug ins. Those will just get you to point A faster. I say what is wrong with that :)

Yes it is good to learn the what's and why's but this is 2018 and there are faster ways of doing things now.
 
I'll add that, for me, the biggest improvement I got was when I upgraded my AD-DA converters to the best I could afford. I went through 5 different interfaces until I settled on a Lynx Aurora. It was like everything just started working after that. I'd gotten a few good mics, a few good mic pres, read everything I could get my hands on, and spent years trying to perfect my techniques. Nothing ever got the sound I thought I should be getting, no matter what I tried, until I got that converter. If I would've believed that it could have made that much of a difference, I would have started there, saved a lot of time, and probably saved a lot of money.

My second recommendation is to just practice as much as you can. Record anything and everything. Just like playing, the more you practice, the better you get.

Also, I agree that Ozone is a good product. I do think that a good understanding of how things work together and *why* is essential, if for no other reason than to get new ideas about how to break the rules. But there are several great forums (Gear Slutz), lots of YouTube (some great, more worthless), and lots of books.

Just don't forget to have fun with it all. It can be great fun, and I think it should be fun, which is the best reason to do any of this! :)

Good luck and ask about anything you want along the way, here or anywhere. I think that most of us here have at least a little recording experience (especially when it comes to guitars).
 
Computer, interface, microphones.

Then gradually fall into the rabbit hole. If you think guitar GAS is serious, recording GAS is another level entirely.
 
dirtyfunkg":23oggs81 said:
If you think guitar GAS is serious, recording GAS is another level entirely.
You're not kidding... vintage boards like Neve, SSL, API, etc., vintage '59 Les Pauls don't have a thing on those... not that I'll ever have that kind of money, but... :doh: :bash:
 
Well, you don’t need a whole Neve or API console, just a couple of channel strips. Even a Neve sidecar is STUPID money.
 
Yep... could buy a really nice car for that money...

Of course, with all GAS afflictions, it's still awfully fun to look at and dream. :)

Even though I know it's a model, and it's not as good as the real thing, but the UAD plugins are really good. It's been enough to (mostly) keep my wallet away from the... umm.. more exciting things. ;)

I've got an LA-610, 2 Chandler Ltd Germanium Pres, an AEA R84, a Telefunken Copperhead, and a Mojave Audio MA-200, along with an SM-7, SM-57, MD421, and an e906. Everything else is in the box. Cubase 7.5 (I need to upgrade), and a couple of UAD Quads. And the Lynx Aurora. What I haven't been able to keep my wallet shut tightly enough for is so many of the 80s and 90s digital processors are really cheap (if they're still working). So, in addition to the Eventides, TCs, and Lexicons in my guitar racks, I've got about 20 more spaces of Rolands, TCs, Lexicons, Yamahas, and other oddities. What I really like about these boxes is that most of the signal stays analog with the converters sandwiched around the DSP as opposed to most modern gear that hits the converters first thing after the input and last thing before the output. I think, since a lot of these were designed by EEs who were still heavily invested in the analog domain, that they all have a much more distinctive sounds than many modern processors. I'm a big fan of character pieces. With most of my projects in the box, I like having pieces that can add some character.

Anyway, I'm obviously obsessed with this stuff, too. When I first started recording, I had 2 Radio Shack cassette players. Recorded on one, then played that back along with a new track and recorded that into the other one. I'd bounce back and forth until I got what I wanted. Switched to computer recording about 20 years ago and am just amazed at how many more options there are these days and how much the technology has advanced. I remember the Scorpions recording Love at First Sting on a digital system back in the 80s. Even with my modest setup, I've probably got close to the same amount of digital quality, if not more. Now if I only had 1/10th their talent, I would consider myself lucky, indeed.

Edit: I hope I'm not implying (and I'm definitely not trying to imply) that I think anyone needs a ton of gear to get into this properly. I've heard some great things done with Zoom recorders and Reaper. And, with advancing technology, this stuff just keeps getting better all the time.
 
dirtyfunkg":2fofnqhl said:
Computer, interface, microphones.

Then gradually fall into the rabbit hole. If you think guitar GAS is serious, recording GAS is another level entirely.

Dude for real, you speak truth. I’ve spent WAY more $ recording the guitars and bass I thought I spent way too much $ on lol

For real tho, see maddnotez post, you’ll be good there...
 
You're treading dangerous water here, friend. If you're like me, you'll do it out pragmatism, then end up hours and hours as well as thousands of dollars deep. If you're trying to keep it simple, I'd recommend getting a Focusrite 18i20 for an interface, JBL LSR305s for monitors, an SM57, an Audix D6, a pair of MXL 604s, a Shure SM7B, and get creative for some tom mics (maybe some MD421s if you're willing to go all the way, or maybe some cheaper dynamics like the Audix D4 or something). Not necessarily "cheap", but for "being able to track real guitars and drums", it's about as cheap as you can get while maintaining any semblance of quality. Depending on the DAW, stock plugins are probably enough to carry you, but if not I'd recommend the Slate VMR. Some awesome EQs and compressors in there.
 
I'll second the recommendation of JBL monitors. That's a lot of monitor for the money. Those Audix tom mics are really good, too.
 
thrashinbatman":2r4g65vs said:
You're treading dangerous water here, friend. If you're like me, you'll do it out pragmatism, then end up hours and hours as well as thousands of dollars deep. If you're trying to keep it simple, I'd recommend getting a Focusrite 18i20 for an interface, JBL LSR305s for monitors, an SM57, an Audix D6, a pair of MXL 604s, a Shure SM7B, and get creative for some tom mics (maybe some MD421s if you're willing to go all the way, or maybe some cheaper dynamics like the Audix D4 or something). Not necessarily "cheap", but for "being able to track real guitars and drums", it's about as cheap as you can get while maintaining any semblance of quality. Depending on the DAW, stock plugins are probably enough to carry you, but if not I'd recommend the Slate VMR. Some awesome EQs and compressors in there.
May I suggest upping the SDC (Small Diaphragm Condenser) budget a tad to get Røde NT-5's instead of the MXL 604's? I still own my NT-5's amongst many nicer mics, but I found the 604 rather bland.

Otherwise, I fully agree with your mic-list, seeing that my #1 kickdrum/bass/floortom mic recommendation on a budget is a mic hard to find these days: Audio Technica ATM-25. It has created a bit of a cult following these days. The Audix has more pre-EQing going on, and the ATM-25 is a bit more forgiving there. Owned an RE-20 as well, but at a certain point preferred the ATM25 and SM7B.

If I had to name 3 mics that made me the most happy (and would give you a very versatile start),
Beyer M201 (Steve Albini famously said "If the SM57 were a microphone, it would sound like this.")
Beyer M88 (record guitar or vocals with that and GRIN!)
Audio Technica AT4047SV (vocal mic with quality 'warmth' and definition. Is supposed to be their take on the famous N... U47.

Note that I own these, next to the usual suspects that make up the typical Gearslutz's Best Buy Guide on a Budget (4 MD421's, 2x SM57, SM7B, CAD M179's, MXL V67G, etc.).

By the way, I record somewhat differently and NEVER had a computer in my home studio. Started out with a Korg D16, owned a whole slew of all-in-one multitrackers including the venerable Akai DPS24, but upgraded this year to an A&H GS-R24 analog desk with FW/ADAT I/O card and an Alesis HD24XR 24 track recorder. Modified the Alesis to be really silent (SSD drives with SATA converters, SilenX fan, 15dBA). The nice thing here is that I just run 6 ADAT wires between the GSR24 and the HD24XR for 24 track sends and returns. Should at some point I want to ditch the Alesis, I could just get a PC, slap an Antilope Orion in front of it or get the cheap RME Digiface USB interface to hook up to the GS-R24's digital I/O card. Since I got a shitload of analog and digital outboard, this more 'oldschool' approach fits me better than dealing with ASIO drivers, latency, yaddayadda...
 
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