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The Definitive Checklist for your Home Studio

Setting up a space to record your music at home can be a daunting task. Most people have no idea where to start and make countless mistakes while spending thousands on unnecessary gear or equipment. To save you from making the same mistakes, we’ve put together a home recording studio checklist that is geared towards musicians who want to begin recording music with efficiency and affordability in mind.

1. Microphones After the musician and their instrument, the second most important part of any home recording studio checklist is the microphones. It’s the microphone that picks up the sound and has the power to make or break the quality of a recording.

That said, you don’t need to spend an insane amount of money to get a good quality microphone. There are plenty of all-round ‘go-to’ microphones that will always do a solid job for you in your home studio, and that also won’t break the bank.

2. Recording Interface Next on the list is the interface, which converts the analog signal from your microphone to a digital signal your computer can process. There are several reasons to use a dedicated audio interface rather than the sound card built into your computer. Modern interfaces are powerful studio tools as they’re packed with features.

When you choose an interface, you’ll have to think about which features are most relevant to your workflow like inputs and outputs, kind of computer/device connectivity (whether USB, thunderbolt, etc), level of sound quality, budget and many more.

3. Computer

The computer is the heart of a home recording studio and a major consideration when going through the checklist. There’s nothing worse than a session being ruined by a slow computer causing errors.

In the beginning, regardless of your budget, it is best to use what you have as nearly all computers are fast enough to at least get you started. However, the biggest choice you will have to make when recording will be between a Window’s PC or Apple’s Mac computer.

4. Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. It’s a piece of software that allows you to record multiple tracks, edit them, and mix them together, resulting in a single audio file. You can get a DAW whether you’re using a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.

All DAWs do the job quite well, but some are better suited for audio tracks while others may be better for MIDI. Some research is necessary to find out which DAW would be most comfortable for you and the music you are making.

5. Monitors Your audio reference monitors (playback loudspeakers) are important regardless of what you’re using your home recording studio for. Whether for multitracking music, post production, voice-over work or DJ, you need articulate speakers that reveal the details and nuances of the recordings. If any of these apply to you, then you should probably invest in high-quality speakers such as the FX50 and FX80 from Fluid Audio, which will give you an accurate representation of the music you are working with.

If the monitors you are purchasing are a smaller size, you may also want to consider buying a subwoofer. This will allow you to be certain you are accurately hearing the low frequencies below the LF cutoff of your mains.

6. Speaker Stands Not everyone considers them to be an important item on the checklist, but speaker stands like the Fluid Audio DS5 and Fluid Audio DS8 can be a worthwhile addition to any home studio. They allow you to properly adjust the height and angle of your monitors in a way that will give you the best frequency response and stereo image.

7. Headphones Headphones are often overlooked when purchasing equipment for a home recording studio. When recording music, one needs to be comfortable with what they’re hearing. It’s also important when mixing to have a set of superior quality headphones to check your mixes on.

8. Microphone Stand Don’t underestimate the importance of a good microphone stand when starting out. You might be tempted to buy the cheap ones but they won’t last you long. Microphone stands are moved around and adjusted a lot, resulting in plenty of wear and tear. A high-quality stand will last much longer and be a more secure spot to leave your precious new microphones.

9. MIDI Controller Those using software instruments would be wise to add a MIDI controller to your home recording studio checklist. Devices such as MIDI keyboards and drum pads allow you to play the instruments on your computer in a more realistic way than with a mouse.

Many also include knobs and faders facilitating better control of an instrument.

10. Various Cables

Once your studio is set up with the minimum gear, the next step is to connect everything. For this, you must add these cables to your checklist, which are vital for your set up. The three main types of analog cables you'll encounter and ever use in the studio are: 

XLR



TRS



TS

11. Workstation Desk Though not an integral part of the checklist, a workstation desk can add a professional touch to any home recording studio.

Usually designed to hold rack gear, a MIDI controller, and monitors, they can improve your workflow and make for a more comfortable place to work. They improve your posture, reduce fatigue when working over a long period, and are well worth the investment.

12. Acoustic Treatment Depending on the size and shape of your studio (and how serious you are about your sound) you may need to get your room acoustically treated. Although a lot can be done with absolutely no acoustic treatment, there is no denying that you’ll notice a drastic improvement in quality once added.

If your home studio has a lot of noise when recording, you may need to add isolation to your checklist as well. Isolation is usually more structural and involves stopping sound from transmitting in and out of your room by using damping materials in the walls and floors.