Mixer Workstation

Mixer Workstation

Transform an Old Room into a Recording Studio

Low-Budget Equipment Advice on Music Recording Necessities

Designing an unused room can be exciting; with a little bit of creativity and a few purchases, you can build any room for any purpose. If you are into music, reconstructing your room into a recording studio can instantly pave way for a small sideline business or a great hang out with friends and bring music compositions to the next level.

Being serious with your hobby is a good thing, and the next best thing can be injecting some entrepreneurial spirit into your pastime, that, a recording studio made out of an old room can be a quick and practical solution. Providing a haven for musicians within your circle can surprisingly breed genius musical ideas and compositions, and using print postcards in the near future to fully promote aspiring artists, or even yourself, can be a great solution. With just a few design and purchase tips, your room can be functional and professional-looking in just a matter of days.

1. Audio Mixer: Without this equipment, your chances of building a recording studio of your own will not happen. An audio mixer or sound board is the heart of every recording since this is what controls the level of timbre and other dynamics in recordings; without this, an input of the vocals and instruments cannot be blended in accordingly. You do not need to purchase a brand new one; asking around in different DJ mixing schools, DJs themselves, clubs, schools, or teachers in the field can easily lead you to buying much cheaper equipment.

2. Carpet or Foam-based Walls: Music recorded has to stay within the parameters of the room for reasons that you need all sounds produced to bounce clearly for proper soundproofing. This way, you can capture acoustics precisely and accurately. Usually, soundproofed rooms are structured with patterns and grooves; but for a cheaper solution for homes, you can use foam on canvas boards, carpets, or heavy drapes to dampen and reduce sound pressure.

3. Flooring: To add more to soundproofing, carpeting your floors also provides better soundproofing for any recording.

4. Reference or Studio Monitors: At your computer area, having near field monitors will help when you are triggering with notes and recording. Your large mid field monitors are used for when you are at your mixing desk; this set of monitors is what helps in evaluating crispness and balance of sound.

5. Speakers: Purchasing a good set of speakers is also important; with positioning, avoid placing them at the corner but instead a few inches away to avoid excessive bass boost.

6. Lighting: Using dim lights can build an atmosphere for being more creative; just make sure the dimness is still workable to read though music sheets. Adding fixtures such as lava lamps and dimmed spotlights can help increase mood.

7. Musician Recording Tools: Have at least five microphones present. Purchasing a dynamic microphone can already suit a small recording studio plus these items are fairly cheap compared to others. Sometimes, they come packages fit for vocal and drum recordings.

8. Digital Audio Workstation: Choosing a good kind of software to install in your computer is one thing you should spend time looking for. This is where recording, editing, and playback are produced; without this, you will not be able to manipulate the sounds coming in from the recording.

These items may seem difficult to set up and expensive; but you will be surprised that cheap finds are just around the corner and will still give you the same benefits brand new and modern equipment provide. What’s important is that you get to produce and record music; and eventually turn this into a running small business. As you progress, getting postcard printing done to give to your prospects can specifically hit a group of people. This way, your promotions are effective and cheap as well.

About the Author

Kristine is a content writer, with experience in the marketing and public relations industry. Currently, she resides in the Los Angeles, California working in the field of marketing.