What is the point of even mentioning studio equipment when we are trying to become successful musicians? – A lot more than we think. As I became aware of some things, I learned how important it is to be a part of the whole production of an album in order to be successful. First, let’s take a look back at what studios used to be like.
Even the term studio equipment sounds intimidating and expensive. I used to think studio equipment was something only for big businesses. That’s not far from the truth. Recording used to be very expensive and complex. Even then, computers did not become a very important asset of a studio until much later.
The recording rooms were tested for sound acoustics and other factors that contribute to sound quality – it used to be a complex set of tools that only big businesses could afford. So, it was a big deal to have the opportunity to record your music.
A band had to be signed before they could enter the studio. Big labels used to allocate on average about 50k for recording and about 20k for mixing and mastering.
When computers were introduced to the recording process later, it was still difficult to get a computer to work properly in the studio. In order to connect an instrument to a computer, it was necessary to buy multiple extra parts for the computer itself in order for it to run properly, then the extras such as sound cards and or interfaces. As a result of computer technology, small businesses and independent labels were able to enter the industry at the same level of quality as the major studios.
In the last 20 years, things have changed for the better for musicians in a number of ways. Computers are now powerful enough to host complete studios with minimal additional investment. Almost any computer nowadays can record instruments with its built-in hardware.
Mics, cables, and speakers are also a few of the different types of studio equipment that have evolved throughout the years.
These days, most people still believe that big productions are only produced by large studios, despite the fact that in reality that’s not the case. In some cases, recordings are being made using mobile devices and then mixed and mastered by professionals, but nobody really knows whether those recordings were actually made on mobile devices.
Today, thanks to the advancement of technology, any computer can be turned into an expensive production studio or even a portable device can be used to produce the same quality sound that can be recorded in a professional studio.
As a matter of fact, some studios started out with just a computer and a couple of pieces of equipment. The equipment that they usually had in their studios included a computer, a mixing table, microphones, cables, studio monitors, and a professional audio interface.
The simplicity of this allows them to invest more in room acoustics in order to get the best audio possible to then send the recordings to a mastering studio. We will cover this in detail later in this course.
Ultimately, this advancement in technology also provided a doorway for many musicians that were on par with or even better than those that already had signed with a major label, but had been overlooked by the labels due to the limited amount of room that the labels had at any given point in time for so many artists.
Anyone now has the chance to own a recording studio capable of matching the quality of some of the top studios around the world with very little investment, and with very little effort. It only requires an in-depth understanding of how the recording process works, from the creation of songs all the way to mastering them.
A basic home studio does not require a lot of equipment these days. In fact there is just one main piece of equipment that must be brought.
As we previously mentioned, today you can turn a modern computer into a complete recording studio using a range of software. There isn’t much you need for this. All you need is a small, slightly soundproof room.
It sounds hard to believe, but I have witnessed the development of the latest software and plugins myself that in reality you do not even need to use real instruments and you will produce something that sounds almost as good as real. I am stating that while that may not be what we want, the quality is already there.
Basically, studio monitors are speakers that allow you to hear your recordings in accurate quality. In studio monitors, clarity and quality are enhanced by producing a very flat frequency that makes it possible for you to hear small details in the recordings in a way that is different from normal speakers.
If you plan to record live vocals or live instruments, a studio microphone is one of the most essential parts of your studio setup. The two most commonly used microphone types in studios are condenser and dynamic.
Dynamic microphones are perfect for recording high-level audio without distorting the sound, such as drums, loud amplifiers, or other live effects. On the other hand, condenser microphones provide a better frequency response for live vocals or acoustic instruments like guitars or strings.
Live performance cables are different from studio cables. During the recording process, small noise caused by a bad cable might ruin the entire production.
Studio cables are high-quality cables not meant to withstand live performance conditions. There are two types of cables, analog and digital, with analog cables carrying analog signals and digital cables carrying digital signals.
This is a list of instruments that, as the name suggests, are going to be the ones that will be the basis of your projects for the most part. There is no doubt that for most studios these days, the most important equipment for a studio is a keyboard or a MIDI controller.
These keyboards or midi controllers are able to control the various virtual instruments that your studio software is eventually going to support.
Technology has evolved so much in the last few years that this is pretty much all that is needed for a major production these days.
If you have knowledge and understanding of the recording process from the beginning to the end, you will be able to create a complete music album that can compete with some of the top studios in terms of quality.
No matter if we are using it as a way to make money or not, it is important to have a home studio at all times.
No matter if we are using it as a way to make money or not, it is important to have a home studio at all times. It will be your tool for creating music, which will eventually lead to success for you.
Basically, what the task here is to do is to go through the list of basic equipment that a home studio requires and write down what you already have if you have any of those items and what you might want to start considering getting as soon as you can make some investment in it.
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