PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production Help setting up a (basic) home studio, that can still create great results?

My workspace up until now has been putting my laptop on my dresser drawer, an SM57 w/ boom arm, and a MCA SP1 condenser mic balanced within one of the dressers.

My aim is to set something up something cheap and basic, yet that can provide professional results.

I only really need to record voice, acoustic guitar, and plugged guitars (bass, electric guitar).

Looking for tips on how to best utilize my space to create professional recordings.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to get started? - like what might be the best way to arrange my room for recording music? Where to put sound deadening panels? Best way to setup a vocal booth in my closet?

My plan currently is to:

Build a desk, to go right next to the closet. There's about 73 inches (185cm) from the closet to the bed, so I was thinking of using most of that space for a desk (~70 inch desk).

Rig up some sort of vocal booth in the closet. Use hanging clothes as sound insulation, and perhaps put egg cartons on the walls all around the hanging clothes. Open to suggestions if there is a better solution.

Not sure what else to do in the room to ensure good results. Any suggestions?

Here are pics of the space:

https://imgur.com/a/5X5b45R
https://imgur.com/a/TuWGP29

Alternate bed positioning: https://imgur.com/a/K06h8T1

https://imgur.com/a/Yr53QLf

https://imgur.com/a/TDQFhUx

You can get professional results in the bedroom.

However... The closet as a vocal booth is not really necessary and don't waste your time with egg cartons on the wall. They're totally ineffective as sound treatment. Generally, your bedroom should be acceptable unless you live near a busy road or a motorcycle clubhouse. Carpet, furniture, curtains, impact the sound of the room. You don't want it too live or too dead sounding. Look for the middle ground. All of my vocal tracks are recorded in a room with very little acoustic treatment and most with my fan running and animals outside making animal noises. Listen carefully to some of my songs and you might hear dogs and chickens and possibly goats. I try to eliminate the obvious ones with a retake punch.

I'd spend the money on a condenser mic and a good audio interface. Good monitor speakers or mixing specific headphones are a necessity. You need to hear the music as accurately as possible

Then, learn as much as possible about recording and mixing. The best treated room with millions of dollars invested in state of the art gear in the hands of a beginner will sound like crap while at the same time a bare bones laptop and mic in the hands of a professional will sound amazing.

My philosophy has been to buy the right equipment for me to get the job done and then learn how to use it most effectively.

And don't overlook the ability of band in a box to provide you with professional level backing tracks for your project. Then all you need to do is lay down a good vocal track on top of the instruments.

There's a lot of people here that can help. Listen to the music in the showcase and ask questions. Post your music and ask questions specifically about the mix, and listen to the advice given.

That is my 2¢ worth for now

Consider subscribing to the magazine, Recording. They do regular features about setting up studios, including equipment and sound treatment. Their archives will have lots of articles that would apply to you.

+1

I do all of my recordings in a totally untreated room. My approach was to get good near field monitors, a good audio interface, and a DAW. By good I do not mean expensive. You can get the good monitors and audio interface for a reasonable price. Any DAW will do and if you a PC and you have or get Band-in-a-Box it comes with a DAW.

I record my acoustic and electric guitars directly into my DAW: Amp syms have come a long way and can sound really good. My acoustic guitars are plugged directly into my DAW via either the built in electrics or a tuning piezo pickup. I can get virtually any guitar sound I want using effects in my DAW.

I use the following for my dynamic and condenser mics, again I don't have expensive mics:

https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Adjustable-Constructed-Industrial-High-Density/dp/B07BCLLBSN/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=microphone%2Bshield&qid=1683121048&sr=8-5&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/penypeal-Microphone-Sound-Absorbing-Effectively-Reflections/dp/B09TPP3FLZ/ref=sr_1_31?keywords=microphone+shield&qid=1683121048&sr=8-31

https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlet...76649&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/KRK-RP4G3-Perform...204&sr=1-10

Also note that there are lots of good free effects and amp syms available as well as some very good inexpensive ones.

Also as been mentioned using Band-in-a-Box (BiaB) can produce professional sounding backing tracks, even at the lowest price point as the engine is identical in all versions of BiaB. The difference in the BiaB versions is the amount of RealTracks, Realdrums, and styles.

I started out and currently am recording with low to middle of the road priced equipment, software, and guitars. YMMV

Thanks! I'll check these links out.

Thanks Guitarhacker - I agree, in the hands of a pro, a basic setup will sound great. Hopefully I can create something minimal, that will sound good at the same time. I been focused purely on songwriting the past 2 years almost, now gotta start learning the sound recording aspect of it.

Thanks Mario - I checked those products out - I'm assuming you use the Isolation Shield for the condenser mic, and the Pop Filter Isolation Ball for your dynamic mic? Just curious you you use both mics for vocals only? Or when do you use one mic vs the other?

Those do look like cost effective solutions that might work better than setting everything up in my closet. (Or perhaps I could set up the Isolation Shield in my closet, with clothes behind me, for extra sound dampening).

I use the isolation ball for my condenser and the shield for the dynamic.

99% of the time the mics are used for vocals with the condenser getting the most the work. When BobH, my musician partner, and I both sing I will use the dynamic. The 1% is used for recording things like percussion, my glockenspiel, or when recording other people's acoustic guitars.

The isolation shield and closet idea should work, especially if you live in a noisy area. If you don't live in a noisy area you may not need the closet. The isolation ball is very good at blocking extraneous noises from all directions.

I hope this helps.

I'm weird, but my initial thought to your original post was when you mentioned having a bed in the room, and then asking about dampening .. a bed may already provide pretty efficient sound dampening

One thing I learned in my house (YMMV) .. if you don't like the sound of the mic where you have it right now, move it and try again
I've found trying things like (instead of a closet) put the mic in a hallway .. doesn't sound *quite right? turn it around and face the other end of the hallway .. open/close different doors in the hallway .. ended up with some pretty decent vocal tracks that way

All that typing to say -
Experiment and figure out where/how your space can work for you, that's a pretty cheap option to try first before investing in other stuff and then figuring out how to use that other stuff

A typical bedroom, full of stuff, will absorb and reflect in ways that are decent diffusion...a book case with books stacked higgledy piggledy on the wall directly behind you works wonders.
Avoid working in corners.
Avoid putting speakers in corners.
Avoid closets...there're a squillion reasons for this.
As good a, non usb, mic as you can afford, a decent interface, a pop screen and reflection shield are always handy, a pencil & rubber band.
Experiment.

Curtains/drapes that you can hang across a room and adjust can be helpful to adjust the reverb/spectrum.

As a quickie;

Just the past week I purchased new monitors and was really disappointed. They were really boomy particularly the low “C” on the guitar. Moved the speakers off the wall a bit and that fixed it. Created a slightly raised platform so they are no longer on the desk (the platform legs as well as the speakers have rubber feet). This reduced the boominess even further.

The room is hopeless but in a leased small unit I can’t do too much so I’ll have to live with what I have. My point is even moving speakers can have a fairly dramatic effect on how things sound.

Just a thought
Tony

Speaker placement is critical.

Thanks Mario, good points. I'll experiment with just the ball first and see what works. There is a good amount of traffic going by outside my window, but perhaps the ball will block it out.

Good points, I remember reading Bruce Swedien's book (sound engineer for Michael Jackson) and they would record vocals off hardwood floors (to pick up Michaels dancing stomping sounds), and things like recording coke bottles in the bathroom IIRC.

My ear can't pick up those nuances yet though, it's odd. To me it sounds the same in one room vs another room, unless it's a matter of cars driving by and such.

Just curious, if I was to line the back wall of my closet with a duvet, and sing with my back to the closet (into a mic with a isolation shield, facing the window) - would that be an OK option?

It ain't the gear, its your ear.

Howdy Q....

See Guitarhackers post.
That will get you going.

To reiterate, as he infers....
It's not all about having the most expensive equipment.
It's about knowing how to actually use the tools you have effectively.

Good luck getting setup....enjoy.

Exactly Tony,
Of course, starting with the instructions that come with the monitors can be useful too.
Mine made it clear that X distance from a wall was critical for good response though they did have a switch to adjust if there was no other option. Similarly isolation from any large surface can reduce resonance/boom as well as avoiding reflections from the same surface.
My new speakers are mounted at the prescribed distance from the wall, lucky me that I have the space to do so, on isolation pads that are on top of solid bases...(I did have them on big, old speaker boxes but that created all sorts of problems), and off the desk.

Hi,

Here is a link to my business website (NZ Acoustics Ltd) where I have lots of products and advice for home and professional studio owners.

https://www.nzacoustics.com/

All small rooms have significant sound problems. They don't have a professional sounding reverberation instead they have very nasty flutter echoes and almost always have bad bass problems including the dreaded boominess around 120 Hz. So the answer is to take all the reverberation out of the room completely.

For a small room you need a minimum of:
- Ceiling acoustic panels at least 50mm thick
- Back wall panels to stop sound reflections back into your mic over your shoulders. You cannot place too many panels on your back wall.
- Panels at first reflection points to speed up your mixing

Always sing into one of the front corners of your room and make sure there are acoustic panels on both corner walls.

Speakers - don't use surround systems just use two high quality monitors pointing correctly down the long axis of the room. Speakers such as Focal can reduce another major problem with small rooms - uneven bass response at different parts of the room.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for further advice. We only supply our products in NZ but more than happy to help forum members with suggestions for their rooms.

Best Regards
Nigel

I've been doing this well over 50 years and test gear for a lot of companies. My choices probably don't show up on anybody's list but here's the gear I recommend to those starting from scratch on a budget. Best thing is that you can add things as your budget grows.

Microphones.

An SM57 is a pretty good mic with the right preamp or with a booster that flattens out the problems caused by the impedance mismatch. It was designed when the 600Ω Bell spec was the norm for PA and recording gear. Modern solid state gear runs 1800Ω–2400Ω but the Shure dynamics are unchanged. Something like this restores a 57 to the way Shure intended it to sound—these show up used on Reverb and eBay, too. Triton FETHead

As the rest of your chain improves, you will get tired of the SP1. When it's time to step up to a truly decent (but still affordable) mic… The RØDE NT3 is the closest I have found to the "if you're only going to own one condensor" mic. Also easy to find used. RØDE NT3

At some point, if you read enough, you'll think, "What does a U87 really sound like and should I get one? Migawd they're expensive!!!" Yea, then you'll read how every clone or copy is the one you really want — ignore everything else. My 2¢: The real deal has 3 patterns: cardioid, omni, figure 8 and a decent clone does too. Besides, as you get more experienced, you'll learn how to use all three patterns. Then there's the fact that there's a difference between vintage and modern—yep, Neumann changed the specs and build over the years. This clone is unique in that it has hardware circuits that ape both builds (with a switch between the two) plus the RF circuit (that can be switched out) plus a popular cardioid modification — all in the same mic. $700 new, around $500 used.
UST Twin87
A friend bought one and we compared it to my vintage and modern U87s. Exact? Much closer than I expected, especially the Vintage. I did buy a pair, however, and that's what I use on remotes while $10K worth of mics stay here. No hard case but a $15 Apache 1800 case from Harbor Freight works great (the $30 2800 holds two) Apache Cases at Harbor Freight .

Pop filter.

You don't want to know what I have spent over the years on the drawerful in my studio—most of it not very good. The best, most effective and the most neutral I've found is the Hakan P-110 that uses a 7/8" polyester aquarium filter media. Do not spend $99, however. This one on Amazon is the exact same thing for $20 Acoustic Mic Filter and has the same flaw: the nuts on each end of the gooseneck are loose and need tightening with a 10mm wrench. If you don't mind bending some coat hanger wire, you can make your own with the exact same filter media, 6 pieces for $6: 7/8" Bio Filter Media

Interface.

Almost all released since late 2019 use the same Cirrus Logic chip family. If it boasts "Fast USB 2, Near Zero Latency, 192kHz 24 bit", you should consider; anything less—pass. The 8 channel version costs manufacturers less than $8 in quantity which is why nearly everyone is using it. Those boasting 96Hz are using an older version with greater RT latency that I would avoid. Both of these have the CL chip set, are Class Compliant on the Mac (no drivers), 4 In over USB (if you need Loopback), good Win drivers and great phone support if you need it.

I really like the Direct In/Out Monitor/Blend knob that most have. Unfortunately, nothing from Focusrite has this which is why I cannot recommend the Scarlett interfaces (even though the 3rd gen uses the CL chip). Without it, you need to set those levels in your DAW instead of turning a knob on your interface.

If you need only 2 channels out over USB, there is one choice that is a clear winner, IMO. New $190, used $120. Absolute best bang for the buck and nothing else is as versatile. It even has built in hardware effects. Only downside is no MIDI — and you didn't list that as a need.
Mackie ProFx6v3
I don't recommend the larger ones, however—all are 2 out/4 in over USB, even the version with 33 inputs.

Next step up has 8 out/4 in over USB. $329 New, < $300 used. Read my review at Sweetwater to see what this can do.
M•Audio Air 192|14

Speakers.

This is a rabbit hole. One can spend thousands and not get anything you can trust. I absolutely believe in using a subwoofer unless you have a large room or a huge budget — you don't claim to have either.

This set include a decent sub and has become a small room standard. I use the same sub with a very high end 8".

JBL 305P MkII / LSR310S

I have some cool tricks for setting the Mains/Sub balance without using special equipment when that time comes.

Room treatment

I agree with others that a cluttered room can reduce standing waves — always a good thing. A bookcase with books and spaces opposite your monitors can do wonders.

Hi,

I notice the use of a bookcase to help room acoustics mentioned several times in this thread.

Unfortunately books do not help small to medium sized room acoustics much because they don't absorb much sound. Instead they primarily reflect it and therefore act more like a diffusor.

Diffusors are used in large rooms to stop standing waves and have the effect of increasing the apparent size of the room. Therefore they are a very specialist piece of equipment and not useful to tame small room acoustic problems.

If you do have a bookcase on the back wall behind your mixing position you can remove some of the books and place small acoustic panels (300 x 300mm) in those gaps at least 100-150mm thick. This will help the room acoustics.

Best Regards
Nigel

Nigel,
The book cases, whilst not fab or absorbers, help a little in my circumstance - the difference is audible & I did simple tests before & after.

You've some excellent items in stock - and no sign of "acoustic" foam anywhere.
Pity the ditch prevents shipping.

I've spent money, thus far, on some isolation from rooms above with two layers of "decoupled" extra thick Gyprock on the ceiling with a lot of absorption rated Rockwool between them & the original ceiling which also has insulation between it & the floorboards above. Ah, those floorboards look magnificent but even a sock walk sounded like a sock hop.
That cost quite a bit so I'm holding my horses until funds allow me to buy the makings for wall mounted absorbers & some traps.

I have been doing this a very long time.

My experience is similar to Ray's. Bookcases don't so much as absorb (they do a little) it's that they diffuse in a very healthy way.

The key is not to fill them up.

The OP asked for


Not so sure about "great" but "very good" is certainly possible.

Yes, one can go with QuietRock and build a room from there but that is very expensive — dead quiet but it costs a small fortune.

That'll be my problem with bookcases ... I find it almost impossible to stop them filling up!

It does occur to me that an open-backed celular structure like a bookcase, with curtains/drapes on the back and a set of castors, could be a very effective way to help manage sound in a room that isn't a proper dedicated studio. It can be stored ahainst the wall, pulled across the room to help both diffusion and damping of standing waves, use before or behind the mic/monitors/singer/listener. Physical stability of such a structure may well be a concern unless it's quite deep. It might be interesting to experiment.

Hi Gordon,

If you are serious about improving the sound of your room and recordings then you may wish to contact my son Oliver Spiers who lives in Brighton (UK) and runs a company called GB Acoustics Ltd.

https://www.gbacoustics.co.uk/

Best Regards
Nigel

Hi Nigel,

Useful to know and bookmarked. I really don't do much recording now though. When I did it was mostly for theatre work, years ago, not for music per se. In that environment the theatre's own acoustics usually dominate anyway, and even that is hugely dependent on the distribution of occupied seats.

I've considered recording music and may yet do some, but so far it's very much a 'maybe'.

The room I use for music playing has numerous issues that I can kind-of manage. The main one is noise from the road, though that's about as low as can sensibly get it, thanks to secondary glazing and a 4ft deep en-suite shower-room between the front wall and the room. The partition between en-suite and room (it's not presently used as a bedroom) comprises multiple vertical glass panels in fairly deep wooden frames and the three layers of glass are all different weights and characteristics. If I started recording I'd likely put a heavy curtain/drape diagonally across the room in from of that partition. Some of the room's oddities are also possible benefits ... a sloping area at part of one end because it's in loft space. Some big lumps of furniture that help to avoid fundamentals reflections and a reverb time that's modest even as it stands. I do have pink-noise spectrum analyser on my mixer, so I have tools to help see what's happening. There's really only one good solution to the road noise issue ... move.

In truth, these days my ears are shot enough that I'd likely no longer notice many issues. I'm in my 70s, have some hearing loss and some tinitus, so I have no hope, really. My days of acute hearing are well gone.

If I really wanted it, I have access to a couple of purpose-built studios at a local college. One of those is pretty good ... sensible size and proportions, non-rectangulatr and with acoustic treatmnents. The other I have little idea about now ... we tried it as a practice room when it was first built and before they'd had any treatment for the acoustics and at that time it was so apallingly bad that we couldn't even use it for practice. It was quite extraordinarilly 'live'. I sometimes wonder if they ever tamed it, of if they failed which is why they still use that older one that was pretty good.

They do regular features about setting up studios, including equipment and sound treatment. Their archives will have lots of articles that would apply to you.
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