Recording Home Studio on a Budget.

[jpjr50]

Most of us would like to record our music but thinking it must cost a fortune to have recording studio at home. Well I did mine a $1500 budget and I'm a total noob to all this so I learned a lot during my research I'd like to pass on for those interested in doing this.

I have a ManCave which is a 12 x 16 room with closet and bathroom. The closet turned into a vocal booth and everything else remained the same.

How I am recording? This is important and you most know this before anything. You can use a channel control board like a live concert and run instruments through microphones to record / edit. OR you can run instruments / microphones through an audio interface (USB or Firewall) then using a DAW to record / edit from your PC.

My setup - I am using a FocusRite Scarlett 18i8 audio interface (USB) which I run through my PC. I can plug microphones, guitars, bass, drums, etc (full band) all at once (or one at a time to record tracks) if I'd like then run that through my PC through a DAW.

What DAW to use? I found there are so many choices for recording / editing and some cost upwards of several hundred dollars or more. ProTools being the most used which costs around $299.

My setup - Reaper 5.0 which costs only $60. If you're thinking it doesn't do what ProTools can do you would be wrong. I'm no expert on this stuff (I'm a noob) but I've already recorded several songs, instruments, voices, etc.

Here is what I purchased for my budget. If buying all at once you get a discount like I did. I'm using Guitar Center for links.

(1) Studio Work Station - $150
http://www.guitarcenter.com/On-Stage...Workstation.gc

(1) FocusRite Scarlett 18i8 - $300
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Focusrit...o-Interface.gc

(1 Pair) PreSonus 5.25 - $115 (they were being discontinued)
http://www.guitarcenter.com/PreSonus...dio-Monitor.gc

(2) Cables for the PreSonus speakers to the FocusRite - $10


(2 Bundles so 4 Microphones total) Audio Technica AT2041SP Bundle - $149
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Audio-Te...ophone-Pack.gc


(4) Microphone Boom Stands - $49
http://www.guitarcenter.com/DR-Pro/T...coping-Boom.gc

(4) Microphone 15 Foot Cables - $14.99
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Monster-...phone-Cable.gc

Micellaneous stuff:
(1) Guitar Stand Holder - $27 from eBay.
(1) Supplies to turn closet into vocal room - $50

Needed stuff:
Acoustic sound foam
Stools with foot rests for musicians
Rugs on the floor for sounding proofing
Small couch or small futon so people can watch


Pics so far:

[MikeBmusic]

With a nice 12'x16' room, I'd recommend NOT using the closet for vocals unless there is some other issue about recording in the main room. The sound is going to be boxy and need a lot of EQ correction to fix.
Acoustic treatment is the next step - but not 'foam'. Bass traps in corners, a ceiling 'cloud' and panels for 'point of first reflection' walls on either side of your mixing position. All of these would be using rockwool (OC 703, 705 or Roxul). These wil not only control the echo-y sound you get from hardwood floor and sheetrock walls/ceiling) but also tame the low end which foam will not take care of.
If you build them yourself, you can get 6-8 2'x4'x4" traps for around $250.00

[Fran Guidry]

What reason do you have for recording vocals in a closet? Early reflections are generally the enemy of recorded sound and a closet provides the most earliest reflections possible.

Fran

[DesolationAngel]

You may have something different in mind for how you're using that AT2020... but... if you're using that as a vocal mic it looks like it's oriented in an odd way (unless I'm really wrong that's a side address mic unlike the 2021 which is end address). The way it's set up in that photo with the corkboard it'll be recording... the corkboard.

[Mobilemike]

Originally Posted by DesolationAngel

You may have something different in mind for how you're using that AT2020... but... if you're using that as a vocal mic it looks like it's oriented in an odd way (unless I'm really wrong that's a side address mic unlike the 2021 which is end address). The way it's set up in that photo with the corkboard it'll be recording... the corkboard.

Yup this was my first thought too. It is a side address mic. A quite nice one though!

-Mike

[jpjr50]

I've purchased most of the pieces but not completely setup yet.

The goal with the vocal room is to cover most of everything with acoustic material. Although the stuff you buy at the store is just ridiculously priced so I've found alternative material and how to build it. I've seen videos of vocal rooms as closets with clothes all over the place acting as the acoustic material. The main room is fine for vocals as well when it's also properly set up.

As for the mic, it was for the picture. I realized the first pic of the closet didn't have a mic, I put one on there to take the pic.

The goal of this thread is to show a home studio is affordable on a budget.

This is a work in progress thread, not a finished thread as you can see by my list of things I still need to buy.

EDIT- Just realized someone had mentioned the corkboard and I didn't even see it until now. This closet was my youngest son's Art Gallery and the corkboard I never took off the walls.
In fact he renamed the ManCave to "JamCave Studios" as you can see he drew up a picture.