These days, you don’t need to book an expensive studio to create magic! Thanks to the ever-shrinking distinction between professional and consumer gear, making music at home has never been more accessible.
Some of the biggest albums were made in a home studio! While it’s a big leap, setting up a home studio is one of the best things you can do. Here are a few reasons why.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Complete Control Over Your Setup
- It’s Cost-Effective
- You Get to Stay Home
- Create on Your Own Schedule
- Freedom to Experiment
Complete Control Over Your Setup
The best part of having a studio? Getting to choose your own gear! Sure, decked-out professional studios are great if you’re a gear junkie. But would you know how to use any of that pricy equipment?
Chances are, you’d spend most of your booked hours just trying to figure out how to operate the console and get connected! With a home studio, none of that is an issue.
A solid home studio setup doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. You can get started with only a few pieces of essential gear.
Your computer is going to be the brains of the operation. Believe it or not, it’s possible to create some amazing tracks with nothing but a laptop in tow. Your DAW, or digital audio workstation, has all the functionality you need to produce “inside the box.” Thanks to plugins, a full digital mixing console, and MIDI capabilities, it’s all that you need!
Of course, expanding your studio a bit will only open up your options. But even then, you can keep things simple and still achieve impressive results.
Beyond your computer and DAW, we recommend starting out with some great near-field monitors or studio-quality headphones. A good audio interface and a simple microphone are a must, too. Throw in some acoustic panels and accessories to soundproof a room, and you’re all set!
The beauty of a simpler home studio setup is that you can learn the ins and the outs of the gear that you have. Instead of getting overwhelmed in a professional studio, you can become the master of your domain and create more efficiently.
It’s Cost-Effective
We’ve all seen those multi-million dollar studios filled with all the gear an audio engineer could ever dream of. Sure, it’d be nice to record in those studios one day. But doing so could set you back several thousand dollars an hour!
Let’s face it: Spending that kind of money is not practical unless you have the support of a label behind you!
Working in a home studio is far more economical. You don’t have to worry about billable hours or tight recording windows. All the gear is your own. Think of it as an investment in your craft.
You Get to Stay Home
In the past, the idea of working from home was far-fetched to many; musicians included! But today, it’s the new normal.
Thanks to the worldwide pandemic, heading to a professional studio is no longer possible.
Unfortunately, this has put a lot of projects in limbo. Artists and creative professionals aren’t able to work, having a big impact on the industry and leaving careers hanging in the balance. It’s a tough reality, but it’s one that we have to contend with.
A home studio solves a lot of those issues and helps you keep moving forward with your career. There’s a lot of great technology out there to take advantage of. Not only can you invest in gear that gives you professional-quality sound, but you can stay connected and collaborate remotely.
Create on Your Own Schedule
With our new normal of working from home, you’re free to follow your agenda. No more worrying about strict recording times or tight schedules.
Now, that can be a bit of a double-edged sword for some! It takes some time to get in the groove when you work from home. But, there are several steps you can take to find your rhythm!
Set some ground rules for home studio and stick to a schedule that works for you. Treat your time in the studio as your job and cut away all distractions. Before you know it, you’ll find the inspiration and motivation to do more at home than you would in a professional studio!
Which leads us to our next point…
Freedom to Experiment
Once you start working in your home studio, you’ll quickly find that it becomes a nexus for creativity. People tend to come up with more creative ideas when they’re in a place they’re comfortable with.
In a home studio, you don’t have a ton of pressure to deal with! There are no clients breathing down your neck or colleagues to impress. So, you’re free to experiment and come up with some killer ideas.
Think of your home studio as a place to hone your skills and try out new things. Master your DAW workflow and learn that new plugin you’ve been interested in trying out! Experiment with new sounds and come up with ways to bring your ideas to fruition. Who knows? That experimentation could lead you to your next big hit!
Wrap Up
Home studios have a lot to offer creative professionals. While many think that they’re out of reach, setting up a private studio space is easier than you think!
With our chaotic world right now, a home studio can become a place of solace. It’s an environment that will inspire you and help you come up with a masterpiece!
This is a guest contribution by Giorgio Passalcqua. Music has always led the path and he’s been following doubtlessly. After many years of recording in studios as a singer of a swing/cabaret band, he decided to create my own home recording studio and built a blog about it. It involves exactly the things he loves the most which are writing, creating, and learning. And that’s why he called the blog Sounds Wow. It really does!
