If there’s one thing I’ve learned about starting a project studio for home recording is that you really need to plan things out before you open your wallet. As testament to that, right now there’s a pile of unused equipment that will be going up on ebay pretty quickly that was at one time, ‘had to have’ equipment.
Before I get into what preamp to buy or what mic to use, let’s take a look at your most basic need: your studio. Where are you going to put it? Are you going to use a spare bedroom, part of your garage, another building on your property, the attic? Let’s look at some criteria to consider.LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Granted that’s the mantra of every Real Estate agent I’ve ever met, but it holds true to your studio as well. Let’s look at some factors:
Convenience
The studio needs to be convenient for you to get to. That may be a no-brainer, but I’ve seen some crazy places people have put studios. How about in your attic where the only access is from a drop down ladder pulled down from the ceiling? I’m still wondering how the hell he got the mixer up there (it was bigger than the opening). A studio that is convenient to get to is a studio that gets used.
Comfort
Let’s face it, you could build the world’s greatest studio but if you’re not comfortable in it, how do you expect to get any work done? Yeah, the garage has a ton of room and that nice high ceiling, but what’s it like in the summer? I live in Tucson, AZ and some days can reach well over 105 degrees. Sure, you can put an air conditioner in there but, not only does it play hell to recording quiet tracks, you’ve got to leave it running ALL off the time. Just because you’re not in there doesn’t mean you’re equipment can’t use a moderate temperature. Ever see what happens to computer equipment when the temperature goes over 95 degrees? A garage can get a lot hotter than that.
Climate
One of the biggest concerns that effects your comfort and the health of your equipment is the climate where you live. Granted, I just trashed garages for a studio (in Southern Arizona) but a buddy of mine has just created a wonderful studio in his garage… in Southern California. Big difference. Listen, it’s simple: if it gets blistering hot or bone-chilling cold during parts of the year where you live, keep your studio inside the house.
ASK YOURSELF A BASIC QUESTION FIRST
What do you want to record?
This alone will determine what type and size of a studio you should plan for.
Are you recoding a podcast or do you want to just mix loops to generate a final product? If so, a corner of your bedroom, den or spare bedroom would be more than adequate.
Are you a singer songwriter that want’s to play most, if not all of the instruments? Then you’ll need a bigger space such as a den, basement or spare bedroom.
Are you planning on recording drums or vocals? If you’re just adding vocals to your tracks, a spare closet would convert nicely to a vocal booth. Drums are another matter. Either you need a space large enough to dedicate to the drums and mics or you’ll need enough space to be able to isolate the drums from the rest of the instruments.
Do you want to record full bands? Then you’re going to need a much larger space like the garage, a basement or possibly a separate building on your property (if you’re so lucky to have one).
Click to enlarge
My studio is a pretty basic project studio. I converted my office (a second bedroom) to the main part of the studio and the walk-in closet to a pretty decent vocal and guitar booth. It’s only a 10 x 12 foot room but, as you can see by the attached diagram, it’s pretty compact and comfortable.
I’ll talk later about everything in it. Until then, look for the next installment where I discuss acoustic treatment of your studio.
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