If you are an aspiring singer and planning to make your portfolio, you need to record your voice professionally. However, not everyone can afford the expensive rent of a professional studio which charges every second you spend in the room. In this article, we have made a list of the required tools and equipment to create your own personal recording studio at your home which is also a much safer and budget-friendly option during the current pandemic crisis.
5 Essentials to Setup a Recording Studio at Home
Here are the necessary equipment and other tools to set up your own home recording studio
- Acoustically Treatable Room
- Quality Microphone
- Sound Editing Software
- Computer & Headphone
- Audio Interfaces
1. Acoustically Treatable Room
The first thing that you need in order to create a recording studio at home is an isolated room. Choosing the right room for your recording setup is crucial in order to avoid unwanted background noise and echo which cannot be filtered afterwards.
Make sure that the room that you are selecting for the recording setup is far from the maddening noise of the street and large enough to not let sound waves bounce back and forth creating echoes. A square room with bare walls will generate more echo.
If that is not possible, you can also use sound-absorbing materials on the wall to reduce unwanted noise and echo. If acoustic panels are out of reach, you can use pillows, blankets, and thermocol to layer the walls and carpets on the floor to reduce mid and high-frequency sound waves.
2. Quality Microphone
This is no rocket science that you need a microphone to record your singing. However, the right kind of microphone is a must if you are serious about the quality of your voice. While any microphone, including your phone, is apt in recording audio, recording singing will require a high-quality microphone.
The best bet to purchase a microphone for recording your voice is a condenser vocal microphone. The condenser vocal microphones, unlike those used during karaoke sessions, are more sensitive to catch the right pitch of your voice type as well as have better output ratings.
3. Sound Editing Software
In order to record, edit and produce high-quality audio files, you need a digital audio workstation. There are plenty of options available online to choose from and you can download them directly to your system. Some of the most used and digital audio workstations are Ableton Live, Image-Line FL Studio, Apple Logic Pro, Steinberg Cubase, and Avid Pro Tools.
The majority of these DAWs offer free trials which can be availed to record your voice for a sudden opportunity or decide the right software for your requirements and comfort.
4. Computer & Headphone
The costliest of them all, in order to record your voice from a professional mic, you require a system to install the digital audio workstation. While many come lucky regarding this as it is the only requirement that is not related to singing primarily and is a day-to-day requirement of the majority of professionals, some might be in need to purchase or rent a system to record, edit and produce the audio efficiently.
Additionally, you might require a headphone to listen to your own voice during the recording or during the editing process. While editing can be done without a headphone if necessary, it is always recommended to use a quality headphone for editing the audio efficiently and critique your voice by listening to it.
5. Audio Interface
High-quality microphones cannot be connected to a system running on Windows or macOS directly as they lack the requisite audio interface. In order to process the input analog sound and convert it into digital data, an audio interface is required. The audio interface will allow you to record external sounds like vocals into your system.
If you are only recording your vocals, budgeted audio interfaces with two basic analog input and outputs will do the job to record the basic stereo line-level input. Make sure that the audio interface is compatible with your DAW before you buy one.
Additional Tips While Recording
1. Microphone Setup
While a professional microphone can drastically improve the quality of your recording, the placement of the same plays a crucial role in achieving the best recording. Finding the sweet spot for the microphone placement can be achieved by trial and error. Place and record audio at different distances of the microphone from the mouth in order to determine the best output.
The height and positioning of the mic in the room always affect the quality of the output and therefore, both of these requires hit and trial as well. Additionally, using a pop filter to reduce the irritating popping sounds bursts of air that a microphone can pick up from plosive letters.
2. Make Several Recordings
The relief of having a personal recording setup allows you to record for any number of hours as you are not under the time contrasts imposed by the recording studios. Also, you have the flexibility of discarding the audio and recording from scratch since you only have to pay for a one-time setup.
You can also do multiple recordings to compare and discover the best version of your audio later during the editing step. With the benefit of time in your favour, you can come up with a better recording than a single take.
3. Start Networking
Once you have created your own personal recording studio and produced some quality audio, the next ideal step is to share it with someone who cares for your talent. You can upload your work at the only social media platform dedicated to entertainers and the entertainment industry, EntNetwrk, and showcase your hard-earned talent to a community of like-minded people.
The free digital platform helps you to network with industry experts and explore opportunities in the industry. EntNetwrk also helps you to hone your skills with digital workshops as well as provide you with regularly organized digital contests.
Final Thoughts
Though a professional recording studio cannot be matched with a personal recording set-up at home, the latter is apt for anyone starting their career as a singer and trying to record their singing. It is not necessary to empty your bank account to purchase the above-listed items at once. You can start with small steps and invest to check out one point at a time. Once you will see the results with the implementation of each step progressively, it will become more peaceful to move to the next step.
Additionally, you can download the EntNetwrk mobile application for free to build your profile and start networking with industry stalwarts. The platform allows you to upload audio files to your profile and you can use it as your digital portfolio.
