Basic Recording Studio

My theory is that these days, the average consumer has access to equipment that is perfectly capable of producing CD-quality recordings. What is often lacking (in my music, for example) is the requisite knowledge and experience. If a professional recording engineer was stuck on an island with the most basic of setups, he or she could still produce a fantastic recording.

So what does it take to set up a decent workable recording studio? Here’s a list of what I think is the foundation for a perfectly good studio:

Mic (MCA SP-1)	$40
Mic Stand	$20
Mic Cord	$10
Pop Filter	Free	I used an old pair of pantyhose stretched (clean, of course) over a wire hanger.
Mixer (Soundcraft Compact 4)	$100
E-MU0404 SoundCard	$100
Misc. Cables	$100	Just a guess… I’ve built up quite the collection over the years.
Altec-Lansing Speakers	$70
SHS6XL	$210	Or $80 for the upgrade from earlier versions...
Computer	$700	Rough price for a fairly basic Dell desktop.

So let’s see… That’s a grand total of $1350, but over half of that is for a computer. If you already have a half decent computer, you’re already halfway there!

Of course, I'm also a big fan of using what you have, and slowly building up. For example, I've been using the Altec-Lansing speakers for a while now, but an upgrade to higher-quality monitors will probably be my next purchase.

For me, Sonar Home Studio provides a big part of the studio. Along with providing a sequencer and MIDI editing capabilities, many, if not all, of the necessary effects and processors are included. With SHS, I have access to reverb, eq, compressor, etc. And because it supports VST effects and instruments, I can also find a huge number of effects free on the web, some of which are quite good.

Feel free to drop me a note and let me know what you think. Am I totally wrong? Do we really need mics that cost thousands of dollars, tube compressors, etc? Or can a high-quality recording be produced on a setup as basic as that described above?