Home Recording Studio
Home Recording Studio For Cheap
I am not some big website trying to tell you how to build your home recording studio to get click throughs and sell ads on the side of my site. I am a guy who built his own home recording studio by working his ass off at day jobs just like you probably are. I have experienced the hardships of having to learn everything myself and build everything in my home recording studio.
I’m going to tell you to make your own home recording studio just how I did it and this makes the MOST sense when you think about it.
When I was way too young and way too poor to be able to afford anything.
I still wanted to record my own music at my own home recording studio. I mean it was the dream in 2008 and it is the dream for artist today lol.
In the very beginning, I had a $10 Wal Mart Logitech long neck mic I pinned up to the wall in my grandmas basement.
Then later all I could afford would be a $50 USB mic with decent quality.
Fortunately, this lack of money and finances was actually AMAZING for my development as a music artist.
Because I personally knew the quality wasn’t amazing for a home recording studio and I only wanted to release AMAZING music so….
I had this USB mic for a few years and I recorded songs day after day after day in my home recording studio. I was hearing myself, building my style, developing and tweaking everything I’d do along the way. It forced me to get good at mixing, recording, DAWs, songwriting and everything before I just released ANYTHING.
Then when I knew I was finally GOOD enough, I worked my ass off to go buy the GOOD EQUIPMENT.
THEN I started recording my best music and finally released my 1st mixtape in 2011.
Quality Home Recording Studio Music Gear
Quality Home Recording Studio Music GearThat was the mixtape that blew me up, “but why?” You ask.
Because I had practiced so long with the poo poo (by comparison) $50 USB mic, when I finally got the big dog stuff I was more confident than ever. I was ready to level up my gear because as an artist I leveled up from practice.
What you cannot do, is just assume you are good because you have quality gear. That is a curse that will ruin your musician / rapper / singer career.
When I went from poor quality with a good style, to good quality and a good style. Everything blew up for me.
What’s also important about me mentioning this, is that I know a lot of you can’t afford to spend $5,000 on a basic studio set up. But you can afford to go get this $90 USB mic that I recommend, and get started on building your voice, flow, microphone presence, breathing technique and everything else I recommend.
When you finally feel you have built your style and you are ready to move up, then you move up!
You probably also don’t understand how preamps work, what they are for, and all other music gear and software plug ins etc. That’s a years worth of basic understanding alone. So until then, go cop this microphone and get to practicing!
If you can’t afford it, but you are serious, tell your Mom or Dad you want your Christmas/Birthday Present early and you NEED this, Because you do. I’m pressuring you to get started on getting better today. Every day you waste the more days it’s going to be before you reach your goals of being a super star or making beautiful music that your family and friends love.
Microphones For Home Recording Studios
Since the original creation of this how to build a home recording studio article I have created individual pages for both microphones (which now ranks Top 10 on over 5 different Google searches) and a page for the preamps (which also ranks)
Just showing a little bit of credibility 😀
You can see the article for the best microphones for home recording studios that I recommend here:
Home Recording Studio Microphones
Home Recording Studio USB Microphones
Preamps For Home Recording Studios
I also recommend a pop filter and microphone stand
I found these 2 items cheap for you.
Microphone Stand $19.99 + FREE Shipping
Click Here To Check It Out On Amazon
Do you need a stand? I recommend it. You will feel much more confident on a microphone that is on a stand.
Pop Filter That Attaches To The Microphone Stand
$7 + FREE Shipping and A must have.
Click Here To Check It Out On Amazon
The pop filter blocks the air from all the PUHs and FUHs that you exert out of your mouth when you are recording. You’ll definitely always need this and until you get your breathing technique down, you definitely need this lol.
You will also need some head phones to record yourself and keep the noise out of your recording.
Here are some SOLID headphones for about $20
Just think, once you get this all set up you can tell everyone you have a studio and invite friends over. That’s what everyone else is doing.
From here it is EASY, You’ll be able to just install the software that comes with the microphone, plug in the mic to the USB port, direct the signal of the software to mic, and start recording yourself.
GO,
NOW,
GET THIS STUFF,
Don’t sit around thinking about it. If you want this, START NOW, fighting the fear is the only thing holding you back.
It was the only thing EVER holding me back.
You probably are telling yourself, “Yo, I’m super good though, I wanna record and release music NOW. I’m tryin to drop my album in the Fall, Ima blow up dawg cuz I’m so good.”
Well that’s awesome, I hope you ARE that good.
Unfortunately that’s your ego talking and I assure you, you are not as good as you think. No one ever is.
And if you haven’t been practicing for years on end…. You’re not nearly as good as you think.
There is a reason Jay Z didn’t release his first album until 26, why 50 Cent didn’t blow up until 28 and why 2 Chainz didn’t come back till 35 and blow up.
It’s because these guys understand practice and dedication make you better, and it takes patience. Nothing great comes easy.
If you’re seriously so lazy you just want it over night and you don’t want to work for it. I don’t even want your lazy ass on my website. If you are that lazy ass person not willing to work your ass off 12 hours a day or more, you are what is wrong with society.
People thinking they deserve things, with out having to work, as if they deserve things for no reason.
I worked from dog shit and continue to work because I know this is what makes people legendary. Not sitting around playing Xbox all day and swiping bitches right on Tinder you don’t have a chance with.
Get ready to work!!!!!!!!
Or go the fuck away and be a normal person. I personally do not want normal because I have never been normal.
Don’t worry about mixing yourself yet. That’s not going to be a concern until you are good enough mixing it for release matters.
Now, if you truly feel like you are on that next level already and want a recommendation on what to buy for a home studio set up.
I’ll give some specific price ranges for everyone in a few budget zones, all the way up to a great level.
NOTE: YES, All of these options work with Windows AND Apple. May seem stupid to say that but you’d be surprised how often people ask lol
Studio Monitors / Speakers
You don’t NEED these unless you are really mixing yourself. When I moved to LA, I left my Yamaha HS 80s back in Chicago. I knew I wouldn’t need them since I go to major studios to mix here.
I record myself in a room with my high end microphone and preamp. But the speakers I use are Creative speakers that I got for FREE from craigslist that the people threw in with the 24″ monitor I bought. So really, I am using $10 speakers from wal mart to listen back, because I know from experience, it doesn’t matter at all.
As long as my recording quality is good, that’s what matters. When it’s mixed in a real studio, then released, it’s coming out of your speakers, not mine.
For information on how to record yourself and understanding if how far to be from a microphone, how to set up a room for recording and understanding what will give you the best sound quality for your recordings, check out the “Do I need a booth to record my vocals?
In there, there is also a guide on how to create your own CHEAP Acoustic Treatment.
https://www.smartrapper.com/the-cheapest-way-to-sound-proof-a-home-studio/
It is a must so you understand that HOW you record, matters almost as much as WHAT you record. Most people don’t realize this.