Home Setting Up A Home Recording Studio | An Introduction

Setting Up A Home Recording Studio | An Introduction

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Hey there friend!

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Building a home studio can seem like a daunting task. Whether you are a vocalist, a beatmaker, or any sort of musician, you have probably thought about what it would be like to have your own equipment. A studio to call your own. I too dreamed of having my own space filled with all of the musical things that make me tick. Over the years I have accumulated a lot of stuff. Some of it I still have, some of it I sold because either I upgraded, or didnā€™t need it anymore.

The setup I have now suits me very well and is meant to show beginners that you donā€™t need any fancy pants state-of-the-art equipment. You can derive great sound from affordable products.

Letā€™s get startedā€¦

[Setup]

First things first. Youā€™re going to want to choose a comfy place to record your sounds or craft your beats. I chose my bedroom, as it is the most convenient and comfy place I know of! Here I can escape the world and drown out all my troubles with music.

The only place I wouldnā€™t recommend is a bathroom setup. That area is designated for other tasks and wouldnā€™t be ideal.

Choose some furnitureā€¦

My awesome chair is now peeling šŸ™

Take it from me, thereā€™s nothing worse than being uncomfortable in your studio space. Iā€™ve experienced some of the worst seating in the business. The feeling you get from sitting in a crappy chair for 6 hours is like sleeping on concrete.

I’d recommend going with something similar to my super awesome, extra comfy, uber soft executive chair that you see to your immediate right. šŸ˜›

Next, I would decide on a desk. An L shape is ideal because it provides ample room for gear and lots of space for other stuff as well. It also makes you feel like a mother f*cking executive! When I plop down to make a beat, I feel like a king. You should too. I can’t recommend my own desk since I got it so long ago, but you should definitely go with something that makes sense for your particular set up. Always keep in mind the type of room that you will be using.

(Storage)

I have a desk with drawers, but if I didnā€™t, I would probably invest in some plastic storage containers. I currently just use cardboard boxes for all of my misc. wires.

They are a great way to keep things organized and can be had for cheap. In addition, you may want to add an over-the-door coat hook. I canā€™t even begin to tell you how much time was wasted in the past untangling chords and trying to figure out whatā€™s what. Save yourself the trouble.

Continue to Choosing a DAW

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26 comments

Roman December 27, 2014 - 6:53 pm

First of all, your website really impressed me on the first glance. Awesome layout and feel to it. Certainly fits your niche.
Second of all, very good article with even better internal links.

Keep it up! šŸ˜€

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Stu December 27, 2014 - 7:03 pm

Thanks Roman! I really appreciate the kind words. I will be updating it so keep checking back!
-Stu

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Nichole December 31, 2014 - 5:08 am

Hey Stu,
Love the look of your site! I have to admit I know nothing about home studios but I wanted to set one up I know where to go. You have everything layed out nicely and easy to follow with so much excellent information.

Nichole

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Stu December 31, 2014 - 5:27 am

Thanks Nichole! yeah I’m actually in the midst of editing and adding to it as well. Keep checking back!
-Stu

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Ship January 7, 2015 - 8:04 pm

I have to say your website looks fantastic. It is weird my daughter was just playing me something she mixed for school. I am sure she will love this site you have some great content but I have a feeling it is going to cost me a fortune. šŸ™‚

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Stu July 9, 2016 - 4:30 am

Nah not a fortune Ship! Fortunately, you can obtain the necessary gear all for around $1000. When you take into account that there are single pieces of gear costing a grand, it’s not that bad. šŸ™‚

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Lindsay February 6, 2015 - 2:22 am

Hey Stu,

I love the site. I love the graphics and short paragraphs.
Keep up the good work!

Lindsay

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Stu February 6, 2015 - 7:56 pm

Thanks Lindsay.. I appreciate it! šŸ™‚
-Stu

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Brad February 6, 2015 - 2:41 am

You have a lot of good information on setting up a home studio! I’m definitely going to be checking back often since I’m looking to set one up in my spare bedroom

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Stu February 6, 2015 - 7:56 pm

Please do Brad! Seriously šŸ™‚ Thanks for stopping by
-Stu

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Erik June 1, 2015 - 5:32 pm

ay good stuff brotha! im going to be picking up a new computer this summer and i might need to come to you for some advice

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Stu June 2, 2015 - 1:44 pm

Thank you sir, don’t hesitate to reach out!
-Stu

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Carrie January 5, 2016 - 3:44 pm

Wonderful. Very clear and well explained each step. Thank you!

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Stu January 6, 2016 - 1:13 am

Thank you Carrie!!

If you have any questions contact me!

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Santa March 5, 2016 - 12:08 am

Thanks for the amazing and helpful info you’ve been sharing with us and btw I too had gazllion tabs opened when i started bro xD .. it’s all for the sake of what we love .. Thanks again

SanTa

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Stu March 5, 2016 - 4:35 am

Hey there!

Thanks so much for the kindness and love. I really want to show people that building a home studio isn’t as hard and daunting of a task as people make it out to be. I’m really glad you are enjoying the site. Please don’t hesitate to reach out again, or Contact me!
All the best,
-Stu

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K.Frat October 23, 2017 - 5:36 pm

I stumbled upon this website in an effort to find out which mic I should buy and was given so much more information about, well everything!! This is actually really helpful since I’m trying to start my at home studio.

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Stuart Charles Black October 23, 2017 - 9:53 pm

Thank you much!

Please let me know if you need specific help with anything down the road or whenever!

Blessings,

-Stu

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Jw September 7, 2018 - 12:46 am

You have been really helpful Stu! Thanks bro do you have any other social media? Definitely want to keep in touch Iā€™m always gonna have questions! Again thanks

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Stuart Charles Black September 7, 2018 - 3:28 pm

Yeah man the links are all to the right! I’m on Instagram more so than Twitter though. Definitely check me out on YouTube as well. Got a lot of good stuff coming. Thanks so much for stopping by..
-Stu

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lufolufo September 16, 2018 - 7:25 am

Stu I really appreciate you writing all these unbiased reviews and articles so a newbie like myself can learn! They are all very clear and straightforward. May I know if you would also have recommendations on in-ear earphones that are more neutral/balanced/honest? I have tried the Westone UM Pro 10,20 and 30 and I really like them as I can hear everything but the bass is not heavy at all. But I personally like the Sennheiser brand. Recently I also bought the Nexum Aqua+ wireless dac+amp. Thanks for your time and again, you got an awesome website, keep it up!

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Stuart Charles Black September 17, 2018 - 1:40 pm

Hey bud! Hmm I like the Shure SE215 have you heard that one? It’s incredibly clean, detailed, and crisp. I don’t have as much experience with IEM’s but I would take a look at the Etymotic ER-4S as well. That would be an example of something more balanced. Let me know if that helps!

Thanks so much for the warm comment. Let me know if I can get permission to put it on the front page! šŸ™‚

-Stu

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Phil H November 29, 2018 - 6:29 pm

Hey Stu, I am relatively new to the audiophile world, and your site is one if not the best sources of info I have run across. I love your analytical approach, and matter of fact review and tutorials. Thank you very much. I do have some questions regarding headphone cables and would appreciate your input.

I have the Senn HD 700, but for my uses I need a shorter cable with either the 2.5 TRRS balanced, or the standard 3.5 mm to use with the FiiO x5iii, and also through a DAC and my computer. The DAC uses a 1/4 connector. My first question is do higher quality cables, really make much of a difference as marketed through the other websites, or it basically just snake oil? Do the $30 ones on Amazon deliver the same sound as the $300 high end ones? What would recommend?

Also what terminal ends would you recommend? I will need adapters to use the TRRS balanced (or is not really worth it?) and the 3.5mm connectors for my amp, and also the 1/4 plug.

Also, I don’t understand the significance of balanced cables (4 connectors) when you have to use a 1/4″ adapter which only has 3 conductors. Wouldn’t it defeat the purpose of the separate ground wire, if they are just both terminated to a common ground through the adapter? So much to learn. Thank you in advance for your input..

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Stuart Charles Black November 30, 2018 - 6:34 pm

Hey Phil!

Thanks for the kind words!

1) I would just go with the cheaper cables to start. You’re not going to hear much of a difference. I’ve heard an Optical cable in the thousands and yeah it sounded fine, but there’s no real perceivable difference between it and a cheaper cable. Just my opinion. I would recommend just getting a cheaper cable.
2) I like 1/4″ but it’s just preference. It doesn’t really matter, and mostly depends on what I have in front of me. If the amp requires a 1/4″ plug I just use an adapter. So for you if I’m understanding correctly, just use a 1/4″ to 3.5mm for the X5.
3) Not too sure what scenario exactly you’re referring to in your question. I use TRS to XLR in my Studio Monitor set up and the balanced cables cancel out any noise from reversing the polarity. That’s really the only experience I have with it.

Let me know!

-Stu

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snaz February 23, 2023 - 7:58 pm

No 6xx and you’ve spent hours making posts arguing they’re your fav ……

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Stuart Charles Black February 23, 2023 - 8:07 pm

huh?

Reply

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