Ambitious musicians can jumpstart their career by investing in a home studio.
With recent innovations in personal computing and audio technology, building a home studio has become a realistic goal for aspiring music producers. Although first steps into the world of professional audio equipment can be intimidating, following a few simple guidelines will lead to a well-designed, quality music-making environment. After purchasing your equipment, a small amount of preparation and construction will allow you to quickly bring your new tools into effective operation.
Instructions
1. Decide exactly where you will be installing your new recording equipment. Choose a room that offers enough space for physical comfort that is well isolated from environmental noise. It is advantageous to choose a room that has multiple electrical outlets, as it is very easy to overload a single socket with multiple pieces of technology.
2. If you have purchased mountable hardware equipment, such as compressors and equalizers, securely screw these items into your rack. Place the rack in close proximity to your digital workstation. Wiring from your hardwire will connect into your audio interface which will be located next to your digital workstation.
3. Place your microphone stand as far as possible from your other hardware to eliminate the possibility of electrical hum in your recordings. The length of your microphone cable will ultimately limit the possible distance you can create. Do not place your microphone stand near a window or door, as the chance of environmental noise leaking on to your recording will be much greater.
4. Tape large pieces of dampening foam on the walls nearest your microphone stand. Place one piece of foam on the ceiling directly above the microphone. Dampening foam will help eliminate unwanted echo and reverb in your recordings.
5. If you have purchased studio monitors, place these near your digital audio workstation. If possible, elevate your monitors off of the floor. Studio monitors are used for critical listening, and the best results are often achieved when the monitors are mounted above your workstation or at eye level. The columnists at "Digital Trends" emphasize the importance of quality studio monitors, stating, "You should spend a fair chunk of your studio budget on some good speakers."
6. If you have the luxury of multiple power outlets, assign devices to each outlet and plug them into surge protectors. Plugging equipment directly into a power outlet creates the risk of damage from power surges.
