DIY Audio Gear
A GUIDE TO RECORDING GEAR For BEGINNERS
Are you ready to capture the magical musical moment right when inspiration hits, wherever it hits? If so, keep reading.
This guide will help you get everything you need to start recording your own awesome professional audio.
You will need:
If you are NOT using a USB microphone, you will also need:
SOFTWARE
Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs, is computer recording software. They range from basic to super advanced. If you are a complete Newbie, start with the first one, and as you feel limited or encounter blocks with the software, move down the list.
Beginner - Recording
Audacity - It is simple. Start here.
Just get Audacity first. Before getting any other DAW. It is basic. It is easy to get started multi-track recording. It will help you test your microphone. It is not fancy at all, and therefore perfect for beginners. This FREE utility is used by almost all producers. It can easily do destructive audio editing and removing noise from a track.
beginner - mixing
Option 1:
Reaper
Free. Powerful. A Gateway Into Production Software.
Reaper is super awesome for beginners recording acoustic tracks. It has all of the key features of Logic and Protools, but FREE. They are open source and the community is helpful. You can import your own plugins. Lots of tutorials available. This one got me started when Audacity just wasn’t enough. If you want to adjust volume through the track or do any kind of automation, have nicer sounding plugins, a more user-friendly mixing environment, I would highly recommend you try this!
Option 2:
Studio One
by Presonus - Free and Well-Known.
Another FREE program used by many electronic musicians. If Reaper is not your style, you might try this instead.
PROFESSIONAL
Option 1
Logic Pro & Garage Band for Apple users only.
Garage Band is free, and totally awesome, but limited. A big step up from Garage Band, with a great interface, and amazing professional-sounding built-in plugins. It has become industry standard right under Pro Tools. If you are not an Apple user, there are other options for you.
It is not free, but it is not too expensive either. About $200 one-time for Logic Pro 10.
Option 2
Protools - The industry standard in music production
Windows or mac
If you want to learn to use the same software as the industry pros, this is considered industry standard. They do cost more than the others, payments are made as monthly subscriptions.
SYNTHS
If you don’t play instruments or have access to them, a synth will be the best bang for your buck. You can create an unlimited number sounds with a good synth, with built-in common voices of strings, percussion, wind, but also classic old-school synth sounds. DIY producers will get a lot of value out of a good synth. This is how you can create backing tracks to sing over.
Roland JUNO-DS with 88 weighted keys and only 16 pounds! Woah! This synth not only has awesome built-in sounds, but free downloadable sounds so you can expand and grow as your music grows!
USB, MIDI and 1/4” outputs for connectivity. There is fome on-board recording for samples and loops, but to record to a computer, you will need a USB audio interface.
Pyle Folding Keyboard Stand - Fits 54 - 88 keys With the headphone hook! The width and height can be adjusted separately
MICROPHONES
There are 3 options for beginners — USB, Dynamic, or Condensor (mono or stereo). Stereo sounds the best for acoustic recordings. Dynamic are best for live if you are having problems with feedback and loud spaces. Condensors pick up all the little nuances of the instrument, but feedback and pick up background noise, so best used in quiet studio settings. Pick the one that will work the best for your recording scenario.
USB Microphones - BEsT VALUE, No USB Audio Interface Needed!
USB Blue Microphone Bundle - You can plug and record directly in your computer with no other hardware needed! Sounds good enough.
USB-powered condenser microphone, meaning it works best in quiet studio environments. Might feedback in loud environments. Includes USB Blue Snowball Ice Microphone, Shock-mount, pop-filter, and adjustable mounting arm.
Dynamic Microphones - Best For Loud, Live and Durability
Shure SM58 dynamic microphone Bundle is standard, tried-and-true for use in loud environments - live shows or for loud voices/instruments. Dynamic Cardiod design means it can handle live and loud without horrible loud feedback, just don’t point it directly at the speaker! This bundle comes with everything you need to wire into a separate speaker or a USB audio interface.
If you just want the Shure SM58 microphone alone, you can find it here. No power required for this wired (XLR cable) option.
There is also a wireless option available. The wireless receiver required power.
CondensEr Microphones - BEST STUDIO SOUND
AKG Condenser Microphone - Entry Level. The P220 is affordable and sounds great for vocals. Best in a quiet studio environment. Requires an XLR connection with phantom power. To record to a computer using this microphone, you will need a USB interface with a phantom power feature (48V).
AT4050 - High-Quality Professional Sound for Reasonable Price
Considered a Bread and Butter Microphone, this one can record pretty much anything. It can handle pretty loud instruments and voices without distorting, even though it is a condenser. It has clarity and transparency, meaning it does not color the sound. It is a neutral-sounding microphone. Add some EQ and you can make this mic bring out and frequencies you want.
If you only have one microphone to do all your work, and you want a less dark and boomy and more clear, professional sound, this will work for you. Works well for singers and voice-overs.
And…oh my..they also make a stereo version of this mic! Great for recording pianos, guitars, or any acoustic instrument!
USB Audio Interfaces
If you are recording audio to a computer without a USB microphone, you will need to choose one of these.
Focusrite Scarlett - Best Value for Beginners
Two inputs for either XLR microphone cables or 1/4” instrument cables. Phantom power included. This is a favorite for most producers starting out. So beginner-friendly, it even comes in a bundle.
Zoom Handy Portable Audio Interface - Best Value for Busy Nomadic Nerds.
Best Sound, super affordable, and portable. No computer needed. Perfect for limited hard-drive space, and if you don’t have a lot of time or space to set up microphones.
This is a personal favorite of mine. It might be a little intimidating at first, but you will love it! You can use it as a USB audio interface for your computer if you would like, but you don’t have to! You are just 1 SD card away from recording everything right into the device with a beautiful built-in stereo pair of microphones. You can’t beat the stereo microphone for acoustic recordings, it sounds better than a thousand-dollar single mic setup. It also has two inputs if you want to plug in other instruments or microphones.
Universal Audio | Apollo Twin - Best For Multitrack recording, Mixing, FX
If your computer keeps crashing, use this!!
Another personal favorite of mine. If you want more professional-sounding recordings, this will get you there. Built-in processors allow you to use Universal Audio’s plug-in FX like reverb, delay, chorus, without making your computer sound like your air conditioner. If you find the background noise in your tracks is coming from your computer, or if your computer keeps crashing when you try to record or mix, this will solve that problem. Some of the UA plug-ins are free, some you must pay for separately. It is worth it if you are using a laptop to record.
Noise Reduction
Now that you have all your hardware to record, you might notice unwanted background noise in your recordings. Here is what you can do about it.
Heavy Velvet Curtains - There’s a reason you see these used on Theater stages. Put these in front of your noisy windows, or build yourself an indoor tent around your microphone. Either way, these heavy curtains help actually block unwanted sound from crossing the thick velvet barrier. Just make sure you use a curtain rod so the curtain does not touch the window, or else the low vibrations will still come through. For best results, you need an air pocket between the window and the curtain.
Troy Studio Microphone Isolation Box (Stand Mountable) - Works great with the Samson Microphone Boom Stand. You can use this stand and box for almost any microphone in a shock mount.
LyxPro Portable Sound Absorbing Microphone Shield - In case the Troy Studio one above is sold out. This is the nest runner up.
Microphone Reflection Shield - Note: This does NOT help with sound blocking, just reflections. The two options above are betterr for sound blocking.
Snap Studio Ultimate Pop-up Portable Vocal Booth - Superior Noise Reduction for Voice Recordings
SPEAKERS
Now that you have recorded and realize your built-in speakers are trash, your headphones are being picked up by your microphone when you record, and worst of all there is a DELAY when you record vocals which makes you sound late when you sing along with a backing track, you’ve discovered your need for monitor speakers and headphones to plug directly into your Audio interface.
If you have a USB microphone and you notice a delay, all you can really do is restart your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
Here are some entry level speakers and headphones that will work wonders!
KRK Monitor Speakers for USB Audio Interface.
When recording and mixing, you need speakers to give you a flat frequency response, meaning it will sound good on most speakers. Some speakers bost bass more, others do not. Flat frequency response will make your recordings sound good in large and small speakers. These are time-tested, a DIY recording engineer’s standard speakers, and great entry-level for the price.
HEADPHONES
You will need headphones to record one layer at a time, so you can listen to your backing track and record a new acoustic layer, like a vocal. If you record this way, you can apply FX and change the volume of each instrument by itself. When you can hear the backing track in the vocal track, we call that bleed. We want as little bleeding as possible when we are creating studio recordings because mixing becomes easier and more creative.
These Samson headphones are under $100, and do the job great! No creaking sounds picked up in the microphone when singing with these.
If you are willing to spend a wee bit more, these AKG K240 MKII headphones also will not make creaky noises and have a removable cable!
Bluetooth headphones might have a delay, so beware!