| The innovations that have been brought about since | | | | Pre-amps - These will give your instruments much |
| the advent of digital music recording have changed | | | | better sound than can be achieved by running them |
| much in the recording industry. One of these big | | | | directly into the mixing board. You can set the sounds |
| changes is that it is easier than ever for musicians to | | | | of instruments individually using pre-amps, offering you |
| record themselves rather than go into a studio. If you | | | | much more control over your recording. |
| are looking to record on your own, you can set up a | | | | Monitors - While some prefer headphones for this |
| home studio and start working towards putting | | | | purpose, you may want to consider some high quality |
| together a CD. What follows is some of the "must | | | | full range monitors; these will let you hear the full |
| have" equipment to get started with a home studio. | | | | dynamic range of your recording during the mixing |
| A computer and software - There's a lot of different | | | | phase, if you do opt for headphones instead of |
| software out there for the purposes of recording. | | | | monitors, be sure to use headphones specifically |
| Regardless of which software package you pick to | | | | designed for the purpose. |
| use in your home studio, you will need something. You'll | | | | Microphones - You'll want high end microphones for |
| find that this will become the center of your home | | | | recording which will capture the full range of voice and |
| studio. You'll need a relatively powerful computer with | | | | other sounds recorded in the room. For voice |
| a lot of RAM and a large hard drive so that you can | | | | recording you'll want a pop filter - this prevents hard |
| easily store and work with your recordings. | | | | consonants from overloading your recording. |
| Foam - Soundproofing is important. The echo which | | | | Compression - This can be done either by a separate |
| can occur in some rooms can ruin your recordings. | | | | compression unit or after recording, but shouldn't be |
| Using soundproofing foam will deaden the sound in this | | | | neglected. Compression allows you to limit the peaks |
| room, which depending on size and shape may only | | | | and valleys of sounds and match these peaks |
| need to be partially soundproofed to provide you with | | | | between different tracks. |
| the echo dampening you need for your home studio. | | | | Using this basic setup will allow you to create good |
| A mixer - You'll need this to get the sound from the | | | | sounding recordings from the get go. You can add in |
| instruments and voices to your computer. You'll need a | | | | other equipment as you go on, or take out equipment |
| mixer with enough channels to handle everything you | | | | you find yourself not using, but the equipment listed |
| want to record all at once (it is a good idea to get a | | | | above will get you off to a good start with your home |
| mixer with a few more channels than you think you will | | | | studio. |
| need). | | | | |