home recording studio
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:35 pm
I've been looking into purchasing a home recording studio but i'm not really sure where to start. I don't really need anything incredibly fancy, so does anyone have any suggestions?
what exactly do you want to do? record live instruments? sequence tunes with MIDI? Do you want a PC/Mac digital audio workstation [DAW]? Or a stand-alone recorder? Or maybe a keyboard workstation [like a Yamaha Motif ES6 or a Roland Fantom X6]? What kind of budget do you have in mind to invest? My own home studio is quite extensive, but I've had 30 years to collect gear, so I think it's best to set your sites on small with room to grow. These days, with all the great gear out there, you'll definitely get a lot of bang for your $$$. Your best bet is to do your homework: get some catalogs like Musician's Friend, Zzounds, American Musical Supply, Music 1-2-3 and visit your local music stores [you're in San Diego, right? Guitar Center is near Grossmont Center or if you're in North County, try their San Marcos location. Also Ozzie's in Poway, Alan's in La Mesa, and Whittaker in Chula Juana].
You didn't say what you do have; you may already have the necessary ingredients to start a home studio: a PC or Mac with a good sound card [audio ins/outs & MIDI]. Just add keyboard/controller, software, and maybe a mic or two and you're set. And don't forget about used gear --- bargains galore on eBay, Craig's list, recycler.com, and harmony-central.com. Feel free to PM me if you got s'more questions --- I live in San Diego too......