First Glimpse Article - Home Music Recording Equipment


Home \| Article Search \| Subscribe & Shop

Home Music Recording Equipment

Print This

Gaming, Media & More
February 1, 2010 • Vol.7 Issue 2 Page(s) 74 in print issue
Home Music Recording Equipment Everything You Need To Make A Masterpiece

You can set up a recording studio in your own home with just a few crucial components.

The first item you need for home recording, believe it or not, is a computer. The computer will receive the digital audio data from the microphone and recording interface; use software to process the audio; and store the data for future audio use, modification, or mixing. You don’t need a special or super-fast computer, though. Even a computer with about a 2GHz processor and 1GB or more of RAM will be enough. However, if you begin working with intensive applications, such as virtual instruments (synthesizer-like instruments that come in software form and run from your computer instead of a standalone keyboard), you’ll likely need to up the computer firepower.

Although you can plug an instrument with a 1/4-inch jack, such as an electric guitar, directly into an audio interface, you’re going to need a microphone to capture the sound of vocals or other instruments, such as a trumpet or cello. Don’t forget the microphone cable to connect it to the audio interface or the microphone stand to hold it for you.

Next, you’ll need an audio interface. This is the device that connects to the computer and receives a signal from the microphone. There are generally two types of interfaces available: USB and FireWire. Make sure your computer has the appropriate USB 2.0 or FireWire ports, depending on the interface you buy.

Although you can use your audio software to mix your recordings on your PC, having a mixing board is generally preferable because the physical knobs and faders are much easier to use on the fly. The mixing board resides between the audio interface and the computer, so again, be sure that you have the necessary USB or FireWire ports to hook this up to your computer.

You’ll need a way to listen to the playback of your recordings, so look for a pair of studio monitors and headphones. The headphones are necessary for you to simultaneously listen to a click track to keep time or what you’ve already recorded while you perform additional tracks.

Recording software is crucial to the process, as well, as this is the environment wherein you’ll be able to organize, edit, and export your completed tracks.

And, of course, the final and most important ingredient to a recording studio is you, with musical talent and a little inspiration.

by Seth Colaner

Standalone Music Recorders

Using a computer and audio interface combination isn’t the only way you can record high-quality sound; there are many standalone music recorders available, as well. Consider a digital 4- or 8-track recorder, which allows you to record and mix multiple audio tracks and add some audio effects (such as reverb or a phaser effect) on a single device. Then, you can export the project (or individual files) to a computer or, in some cases, burn them directly to a CD.

Other music recorders are compact, so you can take them with you wherever you go and record your masterpieces as they come to you, and many of them still let you create multitrack recordings and add effects.

Home Copyright & Legal Information Privacy Policy Site Map Contact Us