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What is a good home studio setup?

I am looking for a good home studio setup but don't really know what to get so what do you think is a good starter setup #music #producer

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imani’s Answer

What is your budget for home studio set up? You can find lots of good quality products on amazon!
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Eric’s Answer

Andre,

Home studios can consist of a setup as simple as a laptop, headphones and a midi controller if creating electronic music with no vocals to a full-blown and dedicated room(s) with spaces set aside for drum kits, vocal booths and guitar amps all requiring microphones. If you could hone in on what type of recordings you'd like to accomplish then more accurate answers could be given.

If you are after a basic setup capable of at least recording vocals and perhaps guitar, I can recommend the following:

I'm in the Apple family so I'd personally recommend an entry-level Mini along with a basic monitor and keyboard/mouse setup. Two inexpensive microphones I'd recommend are the Shure SM-57 and maybe a Lewitt LCT 240 or 440. You'll need an audio interface to feed those mics into your computer. The new MOTU M2 looks like a solid choice. To monitor during recording and mixing you'll want a pair of near-field monitors, maybe something by Alesis or M-Audio. A midi controller will allow you to play software/virtual synthesizers, drum machines and samplers. I like the Akai Advance series. Spend a few hundred dollars on a studio desk. Finally, if you go the Mac route you'll probably want to be using Logic as your recording software. It can be a bit daunting/overwhelming at first but there are many online resources to get you going, I recommend Music Tech Help Guy on YouTube as he works exclusively in the Logic environment.

I hope some of this might be helpful.

Eric Jenkins
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Bringacupcake’s Answer

What is your budget? USB Mic and a Audio Interface with at least two inputs and two outputs would be a good start. Mixers are a plus for more inputs.
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Israel’s Answer

Andre,
I recommend getting good equipment that can provide you with a full and solid sonic experience. That doesn't mean tons of expensive equipment. It means carefully selected high rated gear. My suggestions:

-Universal Audio - VOLT 276 Audio Interface (also cables to connect to your studio monitors)
-Audio Technica - AT2020 USB Microphone (plus a mic stand)

-You also need Studio Monitors. I suggest getting 6.5 or 8 inch Powered Studio Monitors that can give you some BASS response. But choosing a set of speakers is a very personal sonic choice and much depends on the music you want to produce. That being said, consider the YAMAHA HS Series, the JBL MKII Series and ADAM. There is a pair of speakers that is available from a website called MONOPRICE.COM that is inexpensive and surprisingly very good sounding: STAGE RIGHT SV28. They also have a very well priced sub-woofer: Monoprice 10in Powered Studio Multimedia Subwoofer. If your music is along the R&B or Rap sounds, a sub-woofer is probably a good idea.

-Get yourself some good headphones for listening and mixing. The price range is huge ($100 to $2000). Check out brands like:
° SONY MDR 7506
° BeyerDynamic DT 770
° SHURE SRH 840A
MONOPRICE sells a very inexpensive headphone (about $20 or less) that is great for when you have a musician or singer recording live in the studio. They sound just fine, they take a beating and they're cheap enough so you can have a couple of them laying around. (Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphones).

-You're going to need a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). This is the software you'll be using to produce your music. There is a wide variety to choose from and which works best is again a personal choice.
° If you're music is dependent on BEATS then look into ABLETON Live and FL Studio. They both have entry-level versions that may be free but they are very limited in capabilities. Consider paying for them if your budget allows.
° There is PRO TOOLS which is the industry standard for recording, production, editing and mixing. But it is more costly. However, they do offer some greatly discounted student prices.
° If you use an Apple MAC computer, consider LOGIC PRO. I personally only use it for composing because I don't like the user interface for editing or mixing, but it features a big collection of samples and loops that are of great quality and are designed to work seamlessly.

-The other piece is a MIDI controller. Again, depending a bit on what you'll be focusing on producing, there are several keyboards and controllers. Brands like M-Audio, Novation and Alesis have good keyboards in varying sizes. Some even have Pads integrated for drums performance. Novation and Native Instruments have great controllers that are only Pads.

This gear list should be enough to get you started properly. I suggest that you purchase your gear and software from a distributor that offers true customer support. It may be tempting to buy from suppliers like Guitar Center or Amazon to save a couple of bucks, but trust me when I say that it's not worth the difference because when you run into trouble setting up or operating your gear they offer "0" help. A distributor like SWEETWATER.COM has an entire department dedicated to customer/gear support and education for almost every piece of gear they sell. They have an in-house expert from every brand in the building ready to help you when you're stuck, confused or have a problem... and they're super friendly.

I hope this is useful. Good luck.

NOTE: I AM NOT A SWEETWATER EMPLOYEE. I AM A VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER.
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