The first thing to consider is the space you have available and how it can fit your needs. If you live in a small apartment, it might make sense to dedicate a small room or part of a room to your studio, but this might limit the kind of acoustic treatments and recording applications you could use, for example to dampen room reflections or to record live drums.

If your space is really small, there’s still a lot you can do, but you may be limited to the number or size of instruments you will be able to record. Considering that there are some award-winning and massively popular recordings made in a home studio, size isn’t necessarily a limiting factor in the quality of recordings you can produce in a home studio.

Beginner’s guide to home studio recording gear

If the room is rectangular, it’s best to put your workstation and monitors on the short side, so that the monitor speakers can project over the length of the space. Use sound-deadening materials such as carpets, curtains, and a soft couch to absorb sound and minimize annoying reflections that can interfere with hearing the music properly. Acoustical foam can be fixed to the walls for additional absorption of sound.

Of course, there is no “perfect” space for recording, and the room you have will likely present some challenges, even under the best circumstances. The trick is to make the most of what you have, by putting some thought into how you place your gear, plus using some effective acoustical treatments to minimize any undesirable acoustical characteristics.

Your computer is the brain of your recording studio operation, and what you choose will greatly facilitate or hinder your work. Nobody likes to be slowed down in fulfilling their creative vision by a slow computer.

While the computer you already own may have what you need, you should check to make sure that at minimum it has the following:

• 64-Bit Operating System
• 8 GB of RAM
• 4-Core Processer
• Solid State Drive (SSD) as primary operating hard drive with 1TB internal storage
• Hard Disc Drive (HDD) as secondary storage, can be several

SSDs are more expensive and faster than HDDs. To stretch your budget, use the SSD (with minimum 128 or 256 GB) for the computer’s operating system and the slower (but cheaper) HHDs for backing up large files, and storing music libraries.

PCs are cheaper than MACs, but a MAC will come already configured to optimize for audio recording

Next, you will need an audio interface. This is an external box which allows you to transfer analogue signal from instruments, microphones, or MIDI sources to your computer’s digital audio software.

There’s not much of a difference between them other than the number of inputs and outputs, which determine how many instruments or audio sources you can record at once. They are available relatively inexpensively and there’s no need to spend a lot to get one with all the features you need.

Most recordings enthusiasts choose an audio interface with 2-4 inputs and outputs. If you are recording many instruments simultaneously, or drums, you might need one with more inputs, and some people prefer more than two outputs, to use for multiple reference monitors, for example.

Desktops will give you more bang for the buck but if you need to be portable you can buy a laptop with everything you need. The portability comes with an extra cost. Most electronic music producers prefer MACs but there are many who use PCs.

Next, you will need an audio interface. This is an external box which allows you to transfer analogue signal from instruments, microphones, or MIDI sources to your computer’s digital audio software.

There’s not much of a difference between them other than the number of inputs and outputs, which determine how many instruments or audio sources you can record at once. They are available relatively inexpensively and there’s no need to spend a lot to get one with all the features you need.

Most recordings enthusiasts choose an audio interface with 2-4 inputs and outputs. If you are recording many instruments simultaneously, or drums, you might need one with more inputs, and some people prefer more than two outputs, to use for multiple reference monitors, for example.

Recording studio monitors come in many sizes and speaker configurations and offer a variety of price points. Note that reference monitors are not the same as the speakers consumers use to play music. They are designed to have a flat response across the audio spectrum, so as not to color the sound or boost certain frequencies in the music during playback.

Since listening is such an important part of creating music, the speakers you choose will have an impact on your eventual product and process. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, and they need to be matched to your room size and properly placed.

The drivers (speakers) should be relatively small, between 5-8 inches for small to medium-sized rooms. Cost should be in the $300-$400 range per pair.

Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs are the software used to record music. There are free ones such as GarageBand and CakeWalk, but functionality is severely limited, and these are only recommended for complete beginners or if your budget is very small.

The gear you buy might come with a free trial of the more serious DAWs, or a “lite” version, but eventually you will need to buy something. You can certainly try out the free versions to see what works best for you.

Options for DAWs include Ableton, Cubase, ProTools, Logic Pro X, and others. The main differences are the functionality, features offered, and price. You can find plenty of reviews and videos online, so take the time to research them, and try before you buy.

Pricing models vary from purchase to subscription only. ProTools is the most expensive at about $500 a year, while Logic Pro X, Ableton, Cubase and others are priced between $200-$500 to buy the software, with or without instrument libraries.

Short video on how to setup a home music studio for beginners

If you plan to record vocals, or acoustic instruments like guitar, you will need at least 1-2 microphones to start. The basic microphone for everyday use should be a dynamic mic, such as a Shure SM57 or SM58, both selling for around $100.00. There are similar models in the same price range from other companies, such as Audio-Technica or Sennheiser.

Optionally, you might choose to add a condenser mic for specialty purposes, such as capturing a room ambience, recording cymbals, hand percussion, or vocals in a certain style. Over time, you might wish to expand your arsenal of microphones suited best to the styles of music you record, and your budget. Microphones can get very expensive but there are always bargains and many inexpensive models will work exceptionally well.

As with reference monitors, the headphones should provide a flat signal response, meaning that the sound is not colored in any way, or any frequencies boosted or cut. These are very different from consumer headphones, and you should never use those for recording purposes.

The headphones should seal tightly around your ears and be comfortable when wearing for long periods. If you are recording multiple instruments at once, you might need several pairs. Good studio headphones start at around $150 and can easily cost more than $300 for pro models.

You will also need a headphone amplifier of some sort, preferably with multiple outputs. These tend to be fairly inexpensive. Your interface may also support headphone use.

This usually means a keyboard, but there are other types of controllers using pads, buttons, or even tracking stringed instruments such as a guitar. An EWI (Electric Wind Instrument) can also be used, as can your computer. But by far, the most common solutions are to use a keyboard controller, and a music studio without one would seem remiss.

MIDI (stands for Musical Interface Digital Instrument) has been around since the 1980s. It’s a way for computers to “talk” to each other, to use sounds from another instrument, for example. MIDI is the industry standard, so all devices that use it can be connected and used together simultaneously in performing and recording.

A MIDI keyboard may not always be needed but will be essential for performing tasks beyond just playing notes. They can trigger automated sequences, samples, and are used for editing and layering performances as needed. Cost depends on size of the keyboard and will range between about $150 for a small one and over $300 for one with a full 88 keys.

You will need cables to wire all this stuff together, plus some peripheral hardware such as microphone, keyboard, and instrument stands, microphone clips, pop-filter, boom arms, and maybe some cases to store it all in when not using. You might also want to add some additional sound accessories like a guitar amp, or whatever your needs dictate and space allows for.

There are different cables and connectors, such as 1/4 inch for connecting instruments, XLR for microphones, and special cables for MIDI connections. Inexpensive cables might start at around $15 but it’s better to invest in quality cables because they can also affect the sound. The better cables use better materials, electrostatic shielding, and connectors, and will last longer.

The top-quality cables can get quite expensive (over $75 each) so most people will opt for mid-priced cables, usually in the $25-$40 range depending on quality and availability. Some people also choose to assemble their own cables to save money, but this isn’t for most beginners.

Whether you are new to music making or a veteran, it is possible to put a home studio together quickly, efficiently, and without breaking the bank. Whatever your musical goals, you need a space that will work, most likely with some acoustical treatments.

You will need a reliable and fast computer, whether a PC or a Mac, desktop, or laptop, and optimize it for music with the proper configuration of processing and memory. The last thing you want is a computer that slows you down, so this is perhaps the single biggest factor in setting up your studio, and likely the most expensive individual piece of your gear.

You’ll need a digital audio interface, microphone(s), peripheral hardware like stands, pop filter, and clips, a midi controller, studio reference monitors and headphones, and some cables. Plus, you will need a DAW software solution.

Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be expensive to get some stellar results. You could probably get everything you need (besides the computer) for under $1,000. Computers have gotten less expensive over the years, but we can’t know if that will continue or not, however likely it seems.

Probably the biggest mistake people make is overspending on gear with features that they don’t really need.

It may seem like a lot, and you do need to do some research and experiment a bit to find out what works best for you and is in your budget. Hopefully this article has given you an idea of the basics and the costs involved with setting up your home studio, and where to start.

Definitive guide on how to set up a home recording studio