The Coronavirus Home Recording Guide

Part 1 — Gear

Here we are. Everyone stuck at home trying to figure out what is going on. For many music producers, being at home social distancing is a normal fact of life. But for our artist and song writing friends, this is a new reality. With recording studios closed, people need to find a new way to get work done at home.

In this series, I will be providing tips and recommendations on how to best setup a home recording setup.

Part 1 — Gear

Part 2 — Software

Hopefully I can be a small step in helping you create from home!

Gear

As a professional recording and mixing engineer, gear is one of my favorite things to talk about. I love to have in depth conversions about the difference between FET and VCA compressors. Tube mics vs, solid state. Do not let me go down the rabbit hole. But, I understand that for most beginners, they need a simple budget setup to get started. This conversation is not intended to help you build the ultimate home recording studio, it is to help you get started during this time. For the gear portion of the guide, I am assuming that you have a computer.

There are 3 main pieces of gear and 3 auxiliary parts that you will need to get started at home. The main pieces are:

• Microphone
• Audio Interface
• Headphones

Without these 3, there will be no recording. In addition to these 3, you will need 3 more auxiliary pieces to get everything working together. These are:

• Cables
• Microphone stand
• Pop Filter

The Bare Necessities

I believe that these are the bare necessities to get a high quality recording signal at home. Let’s start breaking some down and then I will make some packages for different price points.

Microphone

Your microphone is the most important part of the recording setup. It will be used to capture your raps and melodies. Microphones can range wildly in terms of price, quality, and features. For vocal recording at home, you need a Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone. These microphones are made for vocal recording.

SE2200c

In terms of home recording for the songwriter/rapper. Here are my top Recommendations:

1. sE2200c — Best for lower/more full vocals, male rap vocals, pop style singing. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $300
2. AKG C214 — Best for , airy female vocals, Bright Rap Vocals, R&B style Vocals (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $350
3. Neumann TLM 102 — Best for both lower and higher vocals, rap style vocals, versatile across multiple genres (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $700

Audio Interface

Now that you have a microphone, the next piece you need for your setup is an audio interface. The job of an audio interface is to connect all of your gear to your computer. Think of it as the hub of your home studio. Your microphone and headphones will connect to the interface, which will connect to your computer. The interface will also allow you to adjust the volume of your headphones and microphone.

Focusrite Scarlett Solo

In terms of home recording for the songwriter/rapper. Here are my top Recommendations for 3 different computer connections:

1. USB C — Focusrite Scarlett Solo— a great simple interface with 1 microphone connection and 1 headphone connection. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $109
2. USB 2.0/3.0 — PreSonus AudioBox iOne — a great option for those with a legacy computer. This interface provides 1 microphone connection and 1 headphone connection. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $109
3. Thunderbolt — Universal Audio Arrow — top of the line interface providing 2 microphone connections and one headphone connection. This interface is harder to use because of the software, but there are great online resources. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $500

Headphones

The last of our main pieces you will need for your home studio is a quality set of professional grade headphones. While we all love our beats and airpods, in order to properly hear yourself, a quality set of headphones is essential. But Ben, “why not speakers?” At an entry level, headphones will get you a much better result than speakers, especially in an un-treated room.

Audio Technica m40x

In terms of home recording for the songwriter/rapper. Here are my top Recommendations:

1. Audio Technica m40x — In terms of entry level headphones, these have always been my favorite. They have great bass response and are very comfortable and clear. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $99
2. Sennheiser HD 280 — A studio staple. These headphones have a great mid range allowing you to hear your voice very clearly. — (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $99
3. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro — A great option at a slightly higher price point. These headphones are known for their extreme comfort. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center) — $130

Auxiliary Pieces

now that we have covered the main pieces that you will need. Here are the 3 auxiliary pieces that are essential to making sure your setup runs correctly.

Cables

XLR Cable

The first are cables. It is essential that you have a high quality microphone cable to connect your microphone to your interface. The studio standard is a 10 foot XLR cable. Most microphones and interfaces have an XLR connection on them to connect the microphone to the interface. I recommend buying 2 just incase one breaks. These cables will run you between $7–15/each.

(Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center)

Microphone Stand

A Regular Microphone stand

A microphone stand is important to make sure that your microphone has a comfortable place to sit as well as to keep it from moving. The less movement, the less of the background the microphone will pick up. I recommend a stand with legs rather than a rounded bass. These stands are more stable. A good stand will run you between $15-25. (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center)

Pop Filter

Mesh Pop Filter

A pop filter is a piece of plastic and fabric (sometimes metal) that goes in front of the microphone. The filter attaches to the stand. Pop filters are important for two reasons. 1. They keep the microphone from “popping” when you sing/rap a “p” or “b” sound. In the audio world, we call these plosives. 2. They can help you keep a good distance from the microphone. Your pop filter should go a hands with from the microphone. A word of caution, For a mic that will be being shared with multiple people, a metal pop filter would be a better option. Also, make sure you disinfect your pop filter before someone else uses your mic. A good pop filter should run you between $5–15 (Amazon/Sweetwater/Guitar Center)

All in One Packages

If your budget is on the lower end, multiple companies offer an all in one recording package. These packages are a great option if your total budget is below $500. They will often come with all you need to get started. However, with an all in one package, you can run the risk of the equipment being of a lower quality. All in one packages should be seen as a starting point. In order to get a better result, you will need to upgrade some of the pieces eventually.

Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio 3rd Gen Recording Bundle

With that said, here are some recommendations for all in one packages:

1. Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio 3rd Gen Recording Bundle — this package includes an interface, microphone, headphones, and cable. You will need to get your own stand and pop filter. (Sweetwater) — $219
2. Presonus AudioBox iTwo Studio with HD7 Headphones, M7 Mic, S1 Artist, Pop Filter, and Mic Stand — as the title suggests, this package has everything you would need to record with an older USB 2.0 computer (Amazon) — $229
3. Focusrite SCARLETT Studio Pack — this package includes everything you would need to get started recording right away. (Amazon) — $289

Packages for every budget

Now that we have gone over all of the different essential pieces for your home setup, here are some links to custom packages for different budgets.

Package 1 — $600 total gear budget — (Amazon)

Package 2—$650 total gear budget — (Amazon)

Package 3— $1300 total gear budget — (Amazon)

Now you have your gear!

Now that you have made it to the end, you should have a good idea of how to properly equip your studio! While this is by no means the only way, these are just some options about how you can keep working during this time. Most importantly, whether you get a $250 package or a $1300 package, it is never about the gear, it is always about you. The gear is just here to help you get your ideas out.

Click here for part 2 about what software you need for your setup!

BT

Ben Thomas is a Philadelphia based recording and mixing engineer. With over 4 years of professional experience, he has worked with some of the industries top stars including: Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil’ Dicky, Meek Mill, Jazmine Sullivan, NLE Choppa, Chika, Lil Yatchy, Donn T, Chill Moody, Bilal, Jorja Smith, and many others.

Check out his work at: benthomasproductions.com