Studio Equipment
Starting a home recording studio is no small task.
You’ll need a few key pieces equipment before you can even start recording and creating music.
That said, I’ve created a long list of helpful articles to make things a little less daunting for you.
This page is where you’ll find all of my articles related to home studio equipment.
First, let me lay out what it is you need to start the most basic home studio.
Equipment Categories
What Do You Need For A Home Recording Studio?
Making a fully functional home recording studio isn’t as daunting as you might think.
Although it will be a very simple home studio, you will still be able to create some awesome music with these components:
- Studio Desk: for a place to hold your gear safely.
- Computer: (either Mac or PC) equipped with adequate specifications.
- DAW: (or Digital Audio Workstation) this is where you can record, track, manipulate and edit audio.
- Audio Interface: for connecting all of your gear and properly powering your microphone and studio monitors.
- Microphone: for capturing audio.
- Headphones: for monitoring all of the audio in your studio.
- Studio Monitors: for additional monitoring from a different reference point.
It does get a bit more complex than that down the road though.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to take everything on at once.
You can build a home recording studio in stages and break the process down in to small, bite-sized goals.
Home Studio Equipment For Beginners
Professional Recording Studio Equipment List: The Top 50 Essentials
This is your all-in-one overview of everything that’s required to start a home recording studio. Not only that, but this list goes beyond that and shows you everything necessary to evolve your studio down the road. Check here first if you don’t know where to start!
Best Home Recording Studio Packages
If you’re looking for a way to kick-start your home recording studio endeavors, then one of these bundles is a great way get yourself started. In most cases, you’ll get everything you need to get your foot in the door, so check out the article for my top picks.
Speakers
Best Small Studio Monitors
Undoubtedly, one of the most important investments you’ll make in your home studio journey is a set of studio monitors. Most of the time, a home studio exists in a small space, which is why I’ve compiled a list of the best small studio monitors to suit smaller rooms.
Best Studio Subwoofers
Although it’s not absolutely necessary, a studio subwoofer can bring more bass presence to your production process. You do need to make sure that your acoustic treatment is up to par, which makes them more useful later on in your studio endeavors. Check out the article to learn more!
Headphones
Best Headphones For Music Production
Studio headphones are absolutely essential in any home studio setup. You’ll need a good pair of headphones for music production to properly monitor any and all audio flowing through your studio. Check out this article for my top picks as well as a lengthy buyer’s guide.
Open Back Vs Closed Back Headphones
In lieu of the previous article, the topic of open back vs closed back headphones can be quite confusing to some beginner producers. In this piece, I attempt to break down the differences between the two most popular types of headphones to help you make the right choice.
Best DJ Headphones
Despite what you might think, there is a distinct difference between studio headphones and DJ headphones. This article goes over what exactly makes DJ headphones different, and I also give you my top picks on the market today. If you want to take your music on stage, then you should definitely check this one out.
Best DAC Amp Combos
If you’re looking for a way to take some load off of your audio interface, then a dedicated DAC amp combo is a great investment. Not only that, but these devices help to create high-fidelity audio monitoring throughout the entirety of your studio productions.
Best In-Ear Monitors
There is an argument to be made for using in-ear monitors in a home recording studio environment. Although they’re designed to be used for live performances, they’re top-notch drivers, sound isolation and small profile makes them a great reference point.
Microphones
Best Studio Mics
The core of any home recording studio setup is a microphone, but not just any mic will do. The best studio mics out there are made to capture all of the nuances in a singers voice. Picking the perfect microphone is the first step to taking your studio to the next level, and I give you my top picks to give yourself a head start.
Best Overhead Drum Mics
As opposed to recording vocals, recording instruments requires a different approach. Not only that, but recording drums in particular requires special, small-diaphragm microphones that can handle high SPL. In this article, we talk at-length about this topic, so check it out to learn more!
Best Boom Arms
It’s true that most home recording studios exist in some pretty tight spaces. Using a desktop microphone boom arm is a great way to mount your condenser microphone in a space-saving manor. In this article, I go over everything you need to consider before buying a boom arm, and I even give you my top picks toward the end.
Audio Interfaces
Best Thunderbolt Audio Interfaces
As the central hub of your studio, you need an audio interface that will handle any task you throw at it. Nowadays, the standard type of connectivity is Thunderbolt due to it’s speed and reliability. That’s the very reason why this article is centered around the best Thunderbolt audio interfaces.
Best Audio Interfaces For Mac
Mac users tend to have a different standard when it comes to the equipment they use. By nature, Mac computers offer the best modern connectivity options available. In terms of audio interfaces, we’re mainly talking about Thunderbolt connectivity. The audio interfaces in this list are what I consider to be the most suitable devices for Mac users to use in their studios, so check it out to learn more!
Other Gear
Best Home Studio Mixers
If you plan on taking on bigger recording jobs where you need multiple inputs with dedicated effects processing for each one, then a home studio mixer will be your best friend. Similarly to audio interfaces, mixing boards give you the means to connect all of your gear in one place. That said, there is a distinct difference between an interface and a mixer. Check out the article to learn about that and to see my top picks!
Computer Specs For Music Production
A computer is where it all starts in any home studio. That’s why finding the right one is extremely important. In this article, I show you the exact computer specs you need to look for in a studio computer. Also, for those of you who are interested in building your own computer, I give you all of the best components to look for as you piece things together.
Best Computer Monitors For Music Production
On top of finding the perfect computer, there are some specific things to look for in a computer monitor for music production. You’ll need a screen that’s big enough so you can see everything in your DAW clearly without having to strain your eyes. I go over this and everything thing else you need to know about computer monitors in this article.
Best Power Conditioners
Power conditioners have two main jobs in the studio. For one, they protect all of your gear from power surges and any other disturbances. For two, they help to clean the overall electrical signal to improve the fidelity in your studio equipment. They are a necessary piece of gear, but they can be a bit confusing to understand. Check out this article to learn everything you need to know about power conditioners, and to see my top picks!
There’s More!
This page covers home studio equipment exclusively.
There is plenty of content on Studio Frequencies for you to read up on though.
Refer to my other categories to learn even more:
