How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio

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“If you’re in the business of recording, and you don’t have a recording setup, you’re like a guitar player without a guitar.”

My professor Roger Arnold said that in class one day at the University where I studied Music and Sound Recording, and it hit home. That was the day I went and bought my first setup.

But guess what, you just simply do not need to go to college to record yourself anymore. There are plenty of online resources available to you, like my entirely free Pro Tools and Vocal Production Course: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeoLC0UqQLXj08qLkJUwFsRig7gnWmgz4&si=XpLs3I9SYQrufZB9 

You might be a songwriter, instrumentalist, or singer and have little to no interest in being a recording engineer, but you do want to create music, and music needs to be recorded to be shared. That means you will benefit from being self sufficient and having a recording setup. Having to pay an engineer, pay someone else to record your idea, and wait so long for other people to get to your project is just such a loss of time and money. Yes it will take a little time and money to get set up and learn how to run your own sessions, but the dividends will be well worth it.

If you’re feeling some resistance, and the task of learning how to engineer is daunting, you’re not alone. At the end of this article I'll tell you how to get over that hump. Let’s dive in to the recipe for a professional home recording studio:

The Main Ingredients

Computer

Recording Software

Microphone 

Interface 

Headphones

Speakers

Mic Cables

Monitor Cables

Pop Filter

Mic Stand

Acoustic Treatment

Low Budget Starter Kit for $133

If you have your own computer and pair of headphones already and your budget is tight, we can start with the most basic setup just so you can really start practicing recording and build from there. This is the cheapest gear that I recommend:

• M-Audio Solo Interface $49
• Gator Frameworks Mic Stand $39
• Mackie EM 91C Mic $45
• Pro Tools Intro (Free)

You can definitely get started on a lower budget, and then over time upgrade things. But these first two ingredients are important to get right from the beginning because you will likely continue working with these two things for the rest of your career. 

Computer

If you’re already a Mac user, great. If not, also ok, but when it comes to all things audio and also visual, Apple just always comes out on top. You can certainly make it work on a PC, and I know some successful producers who do, but as an Apple convert, I can say I’m never going back to PC. 

Recording Software aka DAW

The Digital Audio Workstation is what we call our recording software/computer program. Depending on what you do, many professionals share similar opinions on which software is good for what. The consensus is that:

• Logic is great for both recording and producing instrumentals.
• Pro Tools is ideal for recording, editing, and mixing—so if you’re only recording voice or instruments, but not really producing, this is my go-to.
• Ableton tends to reign king when it comes to producing instrumental electronic music.
• Garage Band is free with Apple computers and it is basically a very limited version of Logic. So even though I’m totally Pro Tools biased, I do encourage a lot of people to start in Garage Band and then upgrade to Logic in the future because it’s super similar.

None of this is law. You can do anything in all of these DAWs. I produce instrumentals in Pro Tools, which not a ton of people do. And some people record vocals in Ableton, which sounds weird to me haha. There are no rules. If you’re on a budget, get started in Garage Band, and move over to Logic when you can.

Microphone

Starting out, I recommend a condenser microphone for pretty much all recording. I rock a tube mic myself- Manley Labs makes my favorite mics for vocals hands down. Here is what my journey of microphones has been, and I’ve had a great experience with them all in the many phases of my career:

Sterling Audio SP150 - My first mic <3

Rhode NT-1A

Slate ML-1 

Manley Reference Cardioid 

Neuman U87

Interface

This is the device you plug your external gear into so it can communicate with your computer. That would be your mic, speakers, headphones, direct inputs like a 1/4 inch guitar cable, and any analog outboard gear (which you don’t need).

Some recommendations:

M-Audio Solo

Focusrite Scarlett Solo

Presonus Studio 24 

Universal Audio Apollo Solo 

Universal Audio Apollo Twin 

Apogee Duet

Apogee Symphony Desktop

If it’s in budget, I recommend Universal Audio. I’ve had my Apollo for 5 years and it’s still running great. It has a built in preamp, and I feel that sounds just fine without buying an additional preamp. If you plan to record instruments like acoustic guitar, you may want to have 2 mic inputs (twin, not solo), so you’ll have the ability to use two microphones! I use the Presonus Studio 24C when I’m on the road, and it does sound good! 

Headphones

I always recommend full over the ear closed back studio headphones to best minimize “headphone bleed” (the sound from the headphones gets picked up by the microphone), and you can usually work on a good mix in the headphones if they’re good quality. I use Focals, but I’m not gunna lie, they’re on the bright side which isn’t ideal. You’ll want to find a great “flat frequency response,” so you can mix in headphones and get a true sound in your ears. Beats by Dre’s, for example, boost the low end, which is a satisfying listening experience, but when you’re mixing with those, you’ll probably turn your bass too low to compensate for the elevated bass that Dre likes. Here are my recommendations:

Sennheiser HD 280

Sony MDR

Focal Listen Pro

AKG K271 MKII

Speakers

We call em monitors in the studio ;) Top favorites in most home studios are:

Adam T7V (make sure you buy 2 lol)

Yamaha HS5’s 

Yamaha HS8’s (what I have!)

KRK Rokit 5 

If you have the space on your desk, you could just put your monitors on em, but ideally you want them to be placed at least 6 inches away from a wall (or the frequencies hitting the wall will multiply, giving an untrue sound), and create an equilateral triangle between the two speakers and your head (aka the sweet spot). You may opt to get speaker stands.

Cables

Microphone cables tend to be the culprit when something starts buzzing, crackling, or overall sounding weird through the mic. I think it’s important to get great mic cables, and I always choose Mogami. They have a lifetime warranty. 

Monitors usually come with a power cable, but don’t always come with cables to plug into your interface. If you need cables, two basic TRS 1/4” cables will do the trick.

Pop Filter

If you will be singing, you need this. If you’re just playing instruments, you don’t, but 10 bucks says you’ll lay down some hot fire eventually ;) A pop filter prevents too much air from hitting the microphone’s diaphragm and causing ugly pop sounds, primarily on plosives like words that start with P or B. I have gnarly plosives, it’s the death of me- so I got a fancy pop filter AND I put a windscreen on my mic (cheap Amazon windscreen). Try a basic one and just don’t get too close to the mic. The general rule is to sing 6-8 inches away from the mic itself.

Gator Pop Filter

Hakan Pop Filter

Mic Stand

If you’re leaving the mic stand in the same place all the time, basic stands will be fine. Mic stands used for live shows that are constantly moved and adjusted can fall apart pretty quickly. The key is making sure that when you make any adjustment on a mic stand, you loosen the mechanism and then re-tighten it when it’s in the right place. People like to just force the tightened mic stand to move to their whim. This is how they break. Gator and On-Stage make super decent basic stands. Always get a boom style stand so you can move it into the right place. Straight stands only look cute in live shows, but have limitations.

On-Stage Standing Mic Stand

Gator Standing Mic Stand

Gator Desk/kick Drum Mic Stand (What I use!)

Acoustic Treatment

Ideally you want to record in a “dead” space, where there are little to no reflections (aka reverb, aka echo). Walk-in closets have been my primary vocal booths for years and years because clothes absorb the sound and don’t reflect back into the mic. If you want to create an even better situation, I’m a mega advocate for making your own acoustic panels (check out my DIY guide). “Foam” has failed me. I’m sorry, I think acoustic foam (aka egg crate) is basically a joke and doesn’t do much. Fiberglass insulation is the best. Many of my friends do swear by their Kayotica Eyeball, but it looks like a fancy piece of foam to me. 

Bundles for your Budget

Sweetwater.com is my favorite place to buy gear, plugins, and whatever I can get through them. Their customer service is unparalleled, and they have great specials. Sweetwater, Guitar Center, and Sam Ash all tend to run bundle sales, and you can get major discounts if you’re ok with the packages they put together. 

Now let's talk about how to not give up when the process of learning to record becomes overwhelming...

Maintaining Inspiration While Learning

Trying to learn recording techniques while you're in creative mode can feel like a vibe killer. When you’re inspired, you want to stay in that high vibe and keep the creativity flowing. To avoid technology interruptions and troubleshooting from derailing your inspiration:

• Use voice memos and write down your ideas as soon as they come to you. This way, your creative thoughts are captured and won't be lost due to tech issues.
• Make learning a separate, designated time rather than trying to squeeze it in while you're in the middle of creating something.
• Practice with something low-stakes, like recording a cover song that isn’t super important to you. This gives you room to experiment and learn without the pressure of a high-stakes project.

Overcoming Challenges in the Creative Process

After 12 years of recording, I decided to become a producer and start making my own beats. I realized that my previous attempts often failed because I was inspired but then got stuck. Here’s what typically happened:

I’d start working on a beat, but then get lost not knowing what I was doing. This would lead to frustration as I searched YouTube for answers, or struggled to find the right percussion sounds. Often, I’d get overwhelmed by all the options on platforms like Splice, which made the process feel more like a buzzkill.

To address this, I began focusing on specific, manageable goals. For instance, one day, I decided to learn how to side-chain a kick to the bass. By narrowing my mission to just that, I accomplished it and felt a sense of excitement. Similarly, I’d dedicate a whole day to finding percussion sounds I liked so that when I was in creative mode, I already had them ready.

Becoming a Self-Sufficient Recording Engineer

At one point, I didn’t even know I needed to learn how to side-chain a kick. It's easy to feel lost without knowing the basics, but thankfully, there are endless resources available online to help.

Commit to learning one thing at a time. Make it a point to figure out what you need to know and then dedicate a day to mastering it. As you absorb these details, you'll start to feel more confident and capable.

If you need help with setting up your studio, I’m here to assist. By turning your ideas into finished recordings efficiently, you'll position yourself as a competitive force in the music industry.

By maintaining your inspiration and breaking down learning into manageable tasks, you’ll build the skills needed to become a proficient recording engineer.

You can ALL of my product recommendations in this curated Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/kimeramorrell

Take the full free course and become self sufficient in just 3 months: