You dont always have to buy everything new, plenty of studios are filled with equipment that has been purchased second hand from various places such as pawn shops, second hand dealers , local internet sites , ebay,local papers etc etc etc.....
Yeah I saved quite a bit of money by finding some weird&uneducated people that bought some gear but couldn't even figure out how to use them, got frustrated so tried to sell as quickly(and hence, cheaply) as possible lol. Biggest 2 examples are my audio interface & wah pedal (535Q it's really configurable). And to some extent, my guitar (although it wasn't 2nd hand) as a weird guitar shop guy got frustrated after not being able to find anybody to sell an ironbird as nowadays everybody wants to play the dumb pop singer that uses the guitar as an accessory rather than an instrument (so neck dive is a no go for them meanwhile I fixed it simply by changing the location of the strap pin lol).
Yes, I have saved a lot of money by keeping an eye out for decent second hand gear, and by regularly visiting my local music store to see if they have any special deals or sales on. Knowing what you need/want is important, and then don't always go buy it straight away. Keep an eye out and you might find a good alternative at a more affordable price.
You're a dead set legend mate, no bullshit. I've been watching your vids for a long time, even my Mrs and kids will sit down with me only to realise they have spent 4 hours of their day listening to you educate them on stuff they have nothing to do with. The look on their faces when they realise whatever it was that they were meant to be doing is no more, Priceless
Two more tips: If you are in a very tight budget, you can use most of digital modelling guitar amps as audio interface to record, just check if your amp has a USB port. Amps like Fender Mustang and Katana boss can help you while you save money for an audio interface. And lastly, invest in a comfortable chair. If you are going to spend lots of time sitting in your home studio, best thing you can do is to have a comfy chair, your back and butt will appreciate it. Health and safety is THE most important.
I say on a minimal budget, stick your guitar straight in the audio interface and use software for the amp emulation. A low latency interface is nice, then you have many possibilities while you save for more gear. Use your computer keyboard as a piano or drum pad and use any headset mic for recording other stuff if you need to. Play around like that for a while to find out what the next upgrade should be. It can be super minimal.
Damnn the comfy chair is a great tip!!! I was wondering why I don't feel comfy and want to lay down all the time in my new room/studio, but now I realised that I have a wayy better chair at my old place and thats why I felt better there. Thank you for that hahah
JESUS CHRIST died for us on a cross for our sins. 3 days after his death he resurrected and was, is, and will be The LIVING GOD. Repent from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior in a prayer and also ask for the HOLY SPIRIT to come into you in that same prayer as well and have FAITH in JESUS CHRIST. You could come to Jesus Christ as you are, but once you accept Him, you have to become new, change, and be born again, and also turn away from your wicked ways. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God Bless You. The Bible is the true word of God. Please read the Bible and you will see Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Praise only be to GOD. Give your life to CHRIST. JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON FOR HIS CHURCH.
@@KenanGuitar Have over a million? He just makes junk-food for musicians. It's athletically pleasing and just enough "facts" so people can justifiably tell themselves it was worth while. Touring musical don't have enough time to make 90 hour editing sessions.
A few months ago I started a new studio for my self, the last home studio I had was back in the late 90s, and OMG things have changed. I had never used midi before, every thing I did was recorded live, between my kids and I we produced 4 albums. I watched your great video and I totally agree with your comment at the beginning of the video , the more guitars the better.. I have gone from live recording to writing classical pieces like symphonies to now where I am finding my self enjoying writing film score pieces of music where the film is in my head. But all for my self not anyone else. I love it.
Audio interfaces usually come with software sufficient for recording. I suggest testing different software like Ableton, Cubase etc. as free versions for a while before purchasing hardware. They are quite different from each other. Using the same software as your friends really helps.
I would suggest not spending any money on software when you're just starting and messing around. You can sell your hardware pretty easily like your interface, but no one's going to want to buy your ableton live if you decide this isn't for you. Better off pirating your daw and vst's until you're experienced enough to start making money off of it
@@incongruous4Can you still make money off of music you release even if recorded with a ripped daw? There's no legal bad no-no men that will try to be like yo UR GOING TO JAIL or nothin like that?
@@shredderofstrings3223 I don't think you'll be on a large corporations radar if you sell 10 cd's lol. If you do get caught, which is next to impossible, but say if you do there's no way you're going to jail. At worst you'll get a fine you have to pay. But really, it's more of a moral question of if you're okay with pirating than a legal question. 99.999% sure you won't get caught.
My studio is comprised of a cheap pair of Audio Technica headphones ($50 US or so), Scarlett Solo 3rd gen ($100-120), AT2020 Condenser Microphone ($100) and a $200 used laptop running Windows 10. I like Reaper as a DAW because it has a bunch of free tools, both made by reaper and it's community, and it is highly affordable at $60 for a lifetime license for personal and commercial use under $10,000 a year profit. It also has a free 60 day trial with no limitations on the software and I used the free trial for 4 years without any complications. It's also very small at 19mb for the whole program. I put it on a flash drive and set up my Google drive to grab all of my projects and takes so I can launch it on any computer in my house or take it on the go without using any disk space on my computer. Very handy, especially on the go. I just need an internet connection and my flash drive to work on anything.
Big part of the home studio fun is how personalized it can be ....but nothing dulls inspiration quite like set up time. So aim for a space and system that's ready to go and allows/inspires you to be creative
I love how organized this is!!!!! There's no wasted time it's all the crucial pieces with explanations of why it works this way and what it does and all in a soothing asmr way LOL Best studio setup vid I've ever seen hands down!!!
My recommendations for affordable gear: Motu M2 Audio Interface - $180 Rode NT1A Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic - $230 Reaper Digital Audio Workstation - $60 (or if you already have a Mac, Logic for $200 is amazing) Adam T7V Studio Monitors - $500 for the pair Roland A49 Midi Keyboard Controller - $250 Beyerdynamic 770 Pro Close-Backed Headphones (80ohm) - $160 These are the new prices for all these things. I found a lot of them cheaper by buying demo or open box models. Also, you don't need an amp profiler like the Kemper. Those are great, but you can plug directly into your interface and run an amp sim in your DAW. Most DAWs come with decent amp sims, but there are also plenty on the market you can buy for cheap if you don't like the stock ones in your DAW.
What do you think about garageband? I like very much abbleton live but i have to use it pirate and garageband came with the mac, i don’t to use it well yet, do you think it can replace the Live? Thak you for the things you recomend!!
Hey Paul great advice as always, one recommendation I would add as a great bonus would be A TEACHER. I say this because I started out actually being gifted an interface and a copy of a DAW by someone and yet found my self frustrated for months because of not knowing basic terms or concepts related to recording and production. It wasn't untill I saw your video on recording guitar that I was able to USE THE GEAR PROPERLY and finally make a recording I was pleased to hear afterwards. Needless to say It got me started on the road but I think the value of having someone to teach one how to use the tools cannot be underestimated.
I finally finished my home studio. Started in 2012 and added bit by bit - Yamaha CLP 745 as my main instrument as I play piano primarely - M-Audio 61 leys MIDI keyboard - Behringer B1031A 8” active Monitors - Yamaha AG03 mixer (Audio interface) - Fender Player Series Strat HSS - Yamaha TRBX174 Bass - Fender Classic guitar (basic one) - Roland TD07KV electric drums - Sennheiser XS vocal microphone - Shure SM 57 vocal microphone - Ibanez guitar chair - Basic mic stand - Driving all through M1 Max Macbook Pro with Logic
i was looking for a video like this for ages when i started my channel years ago. It took me ages to figure out all the different things i needed for a home set up. Glad an awesome video like this exists to help players who are new to recording.
I like your advice to let the gear evolve vs. the (wrong) thought that a person needs all the fancy gear to record. IHMO, the most important things in the studio are non-gear: 1.) Well trained and cared-for ears and 2.) Transparent organization & processes which enable creativity.
Listen... Paul Davids...Thank you so much for explaining this to a beginner. Only 1 minute 40 seconds into your video, and I had to stop to say thank you for approaching this complex "non-musical" (if you get what I mean) part of making music understandable. I really like how you say "why every musician needs one." Thank you for empathizing with those of us who equates home studio setup to operating the dashboard of a flying saucer. Bless you for keeping it simple. I'm also reading the valuable comments of your many subscribers, of which I am one.
this is a great video. I still use garageband on an ipad and get great results. I actually went back from Logic to GB. I love its simplicity. It reminds me of my early days playing around with a Tascam 4 track recorder.
Even when Paul talks about topics that don't really apply to myself I'm still excited to watch because he makes everything seem so damn interesting. :D
I miss my old Yamaha MT-2X 4 track. A good VHS HiFi was great for bouncing tracks and the final mix down. Ansel Adams once took a 2 week treck to Yosemite and his glass plate negatives were damaged. He had 12 negatives left to last him 2 weeks. Every shot had to count. Composition and exposure had to be perfect, and they were. Sometimes you get more when you have to work with less.
I pick my guitar back after 16 years. At that time I was randomly strumming, with no real meaning. I'm now in the right mindset to dig into the guitar world and really approach a proper learning. Man, believe me...your channel has now and higher presence in my homepage than puppies. You're are a masterpiece!
Here's a tip for beginners: The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is one of the more popular audio interfaces out there because of it's price, however it's pretty terrible for guitar and practically unusable unless you have a DI box or intend to mic your amp. The 2i2 clips so early from a plugged in guitar it's pretty much impossible to use. So basically just stay away from the 2i2, the 2i4 is a little more expensive but handles guitar perfectly.
@@jbpanic Absolutely! Shame about the 2i2, it'd be a perfect little package if it didn't clip on literally any setting. Glad my experience with one helped you make a good decision.
@@majipan2719 I've never used it, I would suggest researching reviews to see if it can handle guitar input. I know the 2i4 and up work fine with guitar. Wish I could help you further than that.
@@majipan2719 The solo has gain controls for guitar and mic that turn red when it's clipping, so you can easily adjust back to green. I use and love it.
I think Plugins for your DAW make a huge difference. The room I record in sucks but spending a couple bucks on some plugins have really helped in making the room sound far better.
This is from my list and how I got started 1. Get a Good Desk: Prioritize durability-preferably hardwood. 2. Buy a Comfortable Chair: Ergonomics matter for long sessions. 3. Invest in a Laptop or PC: Choose one that fits your production needs. 4. Get the Necessary Software: Purchase your DAW or essential programs. 5. Master the Software: Build your skills before expanding your setup. 6. Buy Monitor Speakers: Essential for accurate sound reproduction. 7. Purchase an Audio Interface: For clear input/output quality. 8. Get Quality Headphones: For precise monitoring and mixing. 9. Familiarize Yourself with the Setup: Take the time to learn your equipment. 10. Consider MIDI Keyboards: Based on your music creation needs. 11. Update Your Sound Library: Stay current for creative inspiration. 12. Buy a Microphone: Essential for recording vocals or instruments. 13. Start Soundproofing: Improve your studio's acoustic quality. 14. Network and Earn Income: Keep your studio sustainable. 15. Stay Focused and Believe in Yourself: Dedication to your goal is key.
Thank you for doing a sensible vid, it popped up on my youtube I cried when the word FireWire was mentioned, I own a redundant TC Konnect 24 FireWire 400 which was killed when Apple moved to FireWire 800 then to Lightning Over time I think as the studio builds the important things are a patch bay, a power board rack and a switch with a mute button and volume that sits between the patch bay and monitors so it's easy to swap cables without having to turn the monitors off And additionally cable ties or elastic bands to roll the cables up and hang them on some hooks because they get very messy The other thing is tidy up the room after use and don't leave mics on a stand at the end of the session. Last night I broke my own rule and left an akg 3000 on the stand because I was tired ... The sound I heard from the other room was the stand falling over (mic lived but has a ding) 🙏
Great video, thanks! I nervously set up my first studio recently but in the end it was very easy to do, after lots of research and tips from friends. I would recommend the following: I got a Scarlett 2i2 bundle from Focusrite which included a two input interface, a good mic, good pair of headphones and cables. I think they are excellent value for money and possibly the most popular interface for amateur musicians. Then I downloaded Reaper as my DAW, which was a free download (you can pay later if you want to and it’s very cheap). I use a good old Windows 10 PC and have had no issues with Reaper at all. A few weeks later I bought a pair of Presonus monitors. The whole lot cost me less than 500€ and I have a very useable studio for recording my demos and for guitar practice in general. I should have done it years ago :) Cheers!
Hidy! I have almost exactly what you are using, except I found Reaper too difficult for me right now. A studio engineer from Muscle Shoals, AL, who was a voice student of mine, advised me to start with Reaper. I’m using Audacity, but I’m looking into Logic Pro X, maybe. I’m so old school, having used analog a long time, this is a real challenge for my adhd brain. But, never give up! That’s my motto!
I too saved piece by piece until I found Peace. Your humorous approach to helping others is gratifying. I noticed you like the higher end gear like Audeze mics etc... which are very unaffordable for most but the satisfaction is the end game. Keep Rocking Paul - I'll catch up with you when the bus leaves for Pluto ~ Cheers
In all my professional endeavor's I have had a mentor that was a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT or a SME. Although I have been recording for years (16) and have my own home studio (area77 Studios) and produce music I always felt that I could be better by learning from an expert. After watching this video I think I know who that is. Do you give private lessons? LoL...no really I would pay to learn from someone your caliber. You just turned speaking into the microphone into something better than 99% of people produce! I want to get better musically and I am not publicly afraid to state this. Bravo sir! Sgt Boudreau
You're a great teacher, coz it is clear that your goal is to help your audience understand & not to show what you know like some videos out here. Thank you for the inspiring advice at the end & even for sharing your story. I'm a big fan.
My Home Studio consists of - Asus Laptop - Beyerdynamic Headphones - Adam Audio Speakers - Akai MPK Mini mk3 MIDI Keyboard - Focusrite Scarlett solo Audio Interface - Thomann Active DI Box, so i can Record the DI and reamp it with some plugin later (Amplitube 5 comes with the interface and sounds pretty good) - Cubase Elements - NadIR IR Loader (free) - my actual amp (ENGL Powerball 2 into an ENGL 2x12 cab with vintage 30's). I use that for direct monitoring with the thru signal from the DI box, i do not record the Amp sound currently due to lack of Microphones :D Maybe someone finds something that works for them with my list, except the actual Amp everything was pretty affordable and the results i get are pretty good :) I Plan on adding a twoNotes Torpedo Captor X so i can crank the amp and record the line signal from the captor, or adding an SM57 to record the cab with.. or both and see what works best for me :) And for DI i will probably Upgrade my Interface to get more XLR jacks so i can record the DI, the Captor AND the Mic and choose later what i wanna do with it. A Tip that i tried that worked very well, if you use a Modeler (like a Helix or a GT1000) those work as audio interfaces too, so you can just connect them with USB and go record.
@@Canale_Chiuso nope not at All, Quality is all good so far, i had slight reverb when i was micing up my cab in my room before it was treated, but since i installed acoustic treatment it is all gone
As always a great video that gets straight to the point. I’d add a little hint for people recording acoustic instruments, drums or vocals: watch your recording room acoustics. Before you upgrade your microphone and interface because it just doesn’t sound perfectly leave that cave with low ceiling that you thought is your perfect room for your studio and give other rooms a try. I saw a lot of people struggling and having their “wonder moment” when they just got out of their box. Including me. The room is truly essential.
And you can do a lot for next to no money. Recording with a directional mic and hanging a duvet on the wall you're facing can do a lot to damp nasty reflections from the room if it's a nasty sounding room.
- MOTU M2 interface which is great and very low latency and not expensive. - Behringer B1 condenser microphone - Bias FX 2 - Addictive drums and addictive trigger - Mixcraft 9 I use Mixcraft 9, which is paid but easy to use. But there is also the Ardour project on Linux (not sure if that is still alive), which is freemium but kind of complex. There are a lot of free VST plugins out there which work so well. Recording acoustic guitar with both jack and mic (or maybe even two mics, one on the sound hole and one on the end of your fretboard) gives your sound both warmth and punch and you can play with the balance there.
And, although I realize I am a true dinasour, there are still mobile digital boards, such as Tascam. I have a 24 track that I have recorded 100 plus songs on. I play all instruments (acoustic drums, guitars, bass, keys and vocals). I record guitars and drums open mike; keys and vocals direct into the board. This is all done in a basement with cement floors and wood panel walls. Why? At 72 years old, my live touring days are behind me, but my passion to create music still lives. Going DAW is absolutely the way to go but what's important is that you find what works for you. Thank you for all of your wonderful guidance and music education!
I find a small 8 channel mixer to be super useful for signal routing to several devices - a central point to control all the various inputs/outputs - great for gigging as well.
I'll throw reaper out there as a great starting DAW. It's free and fully functional, not just the lite version. You may find another you like more, but at the least it's great to learn the basics on. And it's not going to cost a penny
Well, it's free as long as you don't mind the "please wait" pop-up when starting it. But even so, the full version (personal/small business, for life) is $60. Money I happily paid after I'd been using it for about 6 months.
Nice! I am also a PC guy and do all my music recording/production on a custom-built PC. Great to see another PC champion out there for music production. Thanks!
Damn that's interesting. What is it like recording on a boat? Are you able to get clean sounds without the sound of the waves crashing against the boat?
I lived at sea for many years with a guitar and gear. The salt air eats your electronics. It requires a great deal of extra care. That said, it was the best years of my life. Many sailors play and record from their boats and the jams are amazing. So much talent out there. Cheers!
Idk about that one bro, taking thousands of dollars worth of music equipment on something that might end up at the bottom of a lake seems like a bad idea
Another few tips if you are not shure if you are willing to invest: 1. Try finding some local leasure center. Many of them have the gear and then you can try it out so see if recording etc. is really your thing. It is usually free or at least very cheap. 2. If you have some friends (or a band) everyone doensn't need to buy everything. Yo can borrow or co-own stuff, which means that you can start recording sooner than you would if you were to wait and save to be able to buy everything for yourself. Btw, great video, Paul! Love från Skåne, Sweden
Awesome advice! I've had some great experiences with tip #1- approaching a local theatre/festival and learning about DMX/lighting and projections, as well as spending hours engineering and mixing genres of music outside of my usual repertoire.
I started with a Focusrite 18i8 second generation interface. Nice feature is the two (2) headphone inputs, 8 instrument inputs, 4 with phantom power and the ability to mute the monitors while recording and immediate playback when not. I’m in a tight space mic’ing amps and guitars/vocals directly. The sound quality is absolutely great. Pro tools first came with the interface if you order it direct from them via their site. If you can find them Event 20/20 8” powered monitors will not disappoint. Plenty of sound quality and headroom and a realistic way to hear what you’ve just recorded for playback (unmuted).
I can recommend Reaper as a DAW. Lots of value for very little money. Reaper is an often overlooked and underestimated DAW. I used Cubase before and Reaper just felt most intuitive to navigate in terms of alternatives. It's very versatile, customizable, and has low latency. Admittedly, there are easier to use interfaces if you are a beginner and new to DAWs.
One dumb question. How do you make the effects of the guitar? Do you record the guitar with a microphone from the guitar amp, or do you do the distortion for example on the pc? I was wondering how that is done usually..
@@davidzahnd2891That's not a dumb question at all. It's actually a fantastic and intelligent question. In short, you can do both. If you plug your guitar in directly through your audio interface/external sound card, you can download amplifier simulators (amp sims for short), plenty of which are free with or without limitations depending on what you choose. Look up free amp sims here on RUclips and find one that tickles your fancy. I am a fan of Amplitube 5's demo myself. Also, when you look up amp sims, you'll hear about Impulse Responses a lot. Those are just speaker cabinet simulators. Not all amp sims have cabinet sims with them, so looking into those as well will help a great deal. As far as micing your amplifier, you will need to experiment with microphone placement against the speaker to get the sound you want. You will also need to have your amp's volume loud enough to get the speaker moving or you won't get the clarity of your amp. Finally, if you like the sound of your amp but can't record it because of the volume requirement, plugging your amp in directly will work but you'll need an impulse response (cab sim) to clean up the direct signal. If you do record with your amplifier, I would suggest looking into something called a DI Box. This will let you record both your amplifier and direct guitar on two separate tracks. This is so you can do what's called "Re-Amping" which is exactly how it sounds. With a DI Box setup, you can hear what your guitar sounds like with and without your amp without doing multiple takes. I find this to be the preferred way of recording when recording with a real amp, especially if you're sending files off to a producer who will, if they know what they're doing, always ask for a DI (or direct input) take of your guitar so they can clean up your take if the amp's take is unusable for any reason, or if you want to switch up the sound in general.
I've used Protools, Ableton, Cubase, Logic, Garageband (and a little bit of Reason) - and Reaper is awesome. It finds any plugins on your computer, it never glitches (this is at you, Protools), and it is really intuitive. I think people talk it down out of snobbery.
@@nicholasrichardson5431 if I'm able to provide some value to my fellow musicians and save them time, I'm more than happy to do it. But don't thank me. Thank Glenn Fricker from Spectre Sound Studios for this information. I'm just summarizing what I learned from watching hours of his lessons on recording. Keep doing what you love to do!
Paul is the best. The first video I saw of his, he was playing "Brothers in arms" by Dire Straits. Gave me shivers, what a great song and sensitive performance.
Presonus and Focusrite have awesome kits for a reasonable price. I started with that, after some time I moved to UAD. Bdw headphones from that kit are incredibly good, I'm still using them.
Yeah those Focusrite kits go for as little as €250,- (depending on where you're looking) and include an audio interface, a pair of over-ear headphones, a microphone and an XLR cable. Basically everything you need to get started. Great stuff.
Cakewalk by Bandlab is a fully functional DAW that is completely free as of 2020, before then it was a paid for DAW(Sonar). It's pretty good also, especially since Bandlab started updating/fixing it.
I would recommend the Tascam X8 new 32 bit portable recorder. For the musician that is just starting out, it's the perfect choice. It provides the audio interface with your computer and four XLR mic inputs. It is an amazing tool.
When I started my little home studio, I used Garageband ( already installed )on my old Mac PowerBook, a Line6 Tone port ux2 and as a monitor a very nice stereo tube radio by Graetz from 1964. It still sounds great and every thing is working now about 15 years, no problems at all ! Thank you for this well made channel, by the way.
Great video - may I ask you a few questions please? 1. How do I record bass guitar - straight into interface, through an amp or what? 2. how record electric guitar - what is difference from going straight into interface vs. mic up amp vs direct out of amp vs. use guitar plugin? 3. how record vocals 4. how record keyboard all to make a radio ready quality recording at home? Please advise - thank you John
Thanks for this very general introduction Paul. Perhaps consider turning this into a series where each episode focuses on one aspect of the 10 things that you covered in this video
I agree, I am still searching for a mixer that will plug into the computer easily and has enough inputs to record 4 to 6 drum microphones. An affordable one that is. :-)
@@SteveGovern I have gotten a second hand Behringer UMC1820, I got it for 100 or 150 euros. Pretty affordable to me with 8 inputs and many options out. I've actually used it for the first time in my latest video, consider checking it out, but its not an unboxing or anything, just for a little cover.
Very nicely done. I've built up my home studio over the past year building on instruments and gear I've been collecting over the years. It does all come together, toughest part is learning the DAW (I jumped into Bitwig Studio). All this is hopefully an investment for years to come. You've covered all the bases. Thanks!
Good and affordable gear: I am a super late comer to the home recording setup. I've been playing since my teens and I am now in my fifties. Have alway's had formidable PC's (hobby gamer) and decided to start the journy down the home studio route. I went with Presonus hardware and software. Studio One combined with HD5 Monitors and their equivelent headphones combined with the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. I have a friend further down this path than I and his advice and instruction was super helpful. But the learning curve was not as dramatic as I assumed that it would be. I was surprised how quickly I was able to layer guitar tracks and add some goodies. My amp of choice is a Fender Machete and it has the added bonus of XLR out and Cab simulation with the ability to mute the in-cab speaker. The microphones that I use are Sienhiesers. Great video Paul. Don't be afraid folks
I have been working on my setup for 8 years. I finally have everything on this list 1 year ago. I finally feel comfortable with getting everything into the computer. I even use this same setup live.
Cool run-down of starting a home studio. I think if you are just starting out and don't want to break the bank: audio interfaces by Scarlett (solo is the smallest one) are very durable, affordable and come with Ableton Live Lite. Also for a Midi keyboard I think the Novation Launchkey mini Mk.3 is a nice option, giving a small size keyboard combined with some launch-/drumpads for a nice low price (and again Ableton Live Lite included). I think with that you have a nice base for around € 200 (not counting the laptop yet, because there's too many different options there). Great video man! Greetings from Rotterdam. :)
I use an SM58 (€100) and an Rode NT1 (~€255) as microphones. Both work great. I'm very pleased with the Yamaha AG06 interface(€146) although it's 2 Channel recording only and only one Phantom powered channel. Edit 17.05.2021: I Mixed up the Price of one of the total shippments with the Price of the microphone in the original post. so i looked it up again and corrected it.
My setup: USB Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 2nd Gen (170€) DAW: REAPER (60€) MIDI Keyboard: Swissonic EasyKey 49 (70€) Microphone: AKG C3000 (150€, I bought it used for 60€) Mic Stand: Millenium MA-2050 (40€) Closed Over-Ear Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M40 X (90€) Miscellaneous: Thomann Kazoo (3€) Overall less than 500€ for a small studio satisfying all my needs. There are great USB interfaces for ~100€, including some cheaper Focusrite Scarlett products and the Steinberg UR12, but they usually come without MIDI. I don't actually use my MIDI inputs, the keyboard works perfectly fine via USB. And honestly, 49 keys are a bit overkill for some MIDI programming. Studio monitors are missing though. Another investment not considered here are VST plugins, but that's a story for another day...
Paul I've been following you for a few weeks now learning guitar techniques as I start my guitar journey and now setting up a small studio, I find this on your channel. Thank you so much for this tutorial and guidance, VERY helpful indeed.(Dank je wel en vriendelijke groeten) Mike (UK)
Thank you Paul for this video! I'm diving into this home studio world. Got the Presonus Audiobox USB96, Studio One Artist, an okay mic and lots of ideas. I started the home studio because I wanted to let my idea fly, flourish, and evolve. It's also helped me see where I need to improve in my playing (along with videos like yours and some of the other RUclips instructors. Seriously, thank you). I'm looking to get a key board next. But first, I need to build a dedicated studio space. lol. Anyway, all that to say, thank you for this video and all the other video's you've put out showing people like me different ways to unlock the fret board.
I’ve got the simplest and cheapest setup and having a blast. Using Linux, I run the opensource Ardour as DAW. A cheap Behringer interface, using a HB American sound pedal as guitar amp straight into the interface and I put a few own pedals in front. As microphone an SM57. Works great for simple things.
Focusrite 2i2 Gen 3 Interface Yamaha HS5 Monitors (Pair) SM57 for Cabinets, Rode NT1A for Vocals & Acoustic Guitar Also all of this stuff can be bought used, just make sure you have a good return policy in case something does not work. Record vocals in the closet since that provides natural audio treatment. My 2 Cents. Keep making awesome content man!
I think one of the best starter audio interfaces out there are the Presonus AudioBox USB. Very inexpensive and built like a tank. Rock solid drivers. We've used it live for our midi keyboard setup too.
Hard disagree on the build. I bought the Presonus Audiobox 96 bundle and Presonus monitor speakers. The volume pots on both started scratching after a month. The headphone input started crapping out after 2 weeks. The Presonus mic cable gave out after 2 months. In my experience Presonus is poorly built junk. I wish I had decided to wait a bit, research a bit more, and shelled out for a higher quality audio interface.
@@roosterball69 you might want to exchange some of those guitars for different instruments to broaden your range & style :D btw I wish my country's economic situation wasn't as shit because I really wish to buy one of those roli seaboard rise keyboard-y instruments (they're damn cool and expressive lol that squishy touch & pressure sensitive interaction surface is as as expressive as a digital instrument goes). Could almost replace a guitar and any sorts of other instruments if you're feeling creative enough.
@@roosterball69 actually yeah, if I can find an old but workable string instrument like a cello for cheap/free I wouldn't mind fixing it up myself as I'm not that shy when it comes to diy-ing my way around such stuff :D
Things to organize your workflow and equipment are very important as well, whether it be shelving (I prefer metal wire shelves that allow you to hang certain cables and whatnot from while stacking stuff on top), totes of all kinds, a fishing tackle box actually works great for any hardware like screws, nuts, bolts, etc., and anything with wheels or casters (I use furniture dollies for everything) makes things like amps, speakers/monitors, or a drunken band mate incredibly easy to maneuver! Thanks again Paul for another great video!
I really wanted to hear the final version of the song you were recording! I agree with all of this and I think it's important to keep in mind that you can always upgrade later. I had a little M-Audio Oxygen8 V2 midi keyboard for a long time and it did the job well. Even the super entry level interfaces have decent pre-amps now... there's really no excuse: make music!!
My recommendation: Room treatment. Bass traps, and first reflection panels and a ceiling cloud to start. These are the most important parts of a home studio over expensive gear. I also wouldn't hang acoustic instruments on the wall in a studio, as the the hollow bodies will create problems when mixing and recording instruments when not using DI.
You have a great sense of humor! Like how you explain the usages of all the items. I am a novice with all that equipment, but I have purchased most of it and different musical instruments. Plan to make my own music. I am 62yrs of age. Peace and Blessings.
Check this out: I also bought myself a $100 Gazebo / Pergola (200cm x 200cm) and placed it in my basement on a noise absorbing rug. I left the outside "walls" off and placed moving blankets on all five sides. Got myself a 10M led strip for the inside and some bass traps in the corners and foam on the inside off the blankets. Super easy set-up for recording with my D18 and singing at the same time straight into my iPhone using the Roland Go Pro mix. Call me cheap but I just love my little "tent" inside my basement. Nice and cozy. Love your channel man!!
Hi Paul, thanks for yet another very well thought out video lesson. As a retired professional singer, I now concentrate mostly on composing my own songs. I often collaborate with a Band Buddy Muso back in South Africa. I thought one thing you may add (maybe under miscellaneous) to your DAW desk is a set of layered shelves. Eg; so that Instrumental Keyboard and typing keyboard are not in the way etc. Also, an armless comfortable swivel chair. Thanks again!!
This is what i would add. Band in a Box. This is an accompaniment program. I use it every day for practice, can also be used fro recordings. Just type in a few chords (or load a song), tehn choose waht type of backing you want, how many choruses, tempo, off you go, live high quality musicians accompanying you - a full band. Choose from Blues, Jazz, Rock, Country, Bluegrass, World, Latin and so many more styles (thousands), choose your vibe, record if you want. Loop any section or even a single bar, slow it down if you want, change a chord voicing. Use it for scales and cycles too. It's my most GOTO software. Paul you should review this. It IS pricey, but it is much better than any other accompaniment software, uses live musicians and is very comprehensive. It gives you the opportunity to practice your chops with any genre of music, just like with a live band
I didn't think I'd ever get to this point in my guitar journey (being ready to record something). I am now on year 5 and this is my breakout year!!!! I'm excited. I feel like a real musician....I need more toys!!!!
I spent the whole video waiting for “Here is my magic UberZTool that does all 10 in one”. Great video! One addition might be a Zoom H2n type portable condenser for those field recordings.
I'm just getting going with my home recording setup and bought a pre-loved Behringer UMC22 interface for under £30. This video has shown me what else I need without all the BS and advertising. Thanks!
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
You dont always have to buy everything new, plenty of studios are filled with equipment that has been purchased second hand from various places such as pawn shops, second hand dealers , local internet sites , ebay,local papers etc etc etc.....
Ahh, great tip!
Yeah I saved quite a bit of money by finding some weird&uneducated people that bought some gear but couldn't even figure out how to use them, got frustrated so tried to sell as quickly(and hence, cheaply) as possible lol. Biggest 2 examples are my audio interface & wah pedal (535Q it's really configurable). And to some extent, my guitar (although it wasn't 2nd hand) as a weird guitar shop guy got frustrated after not being able to find anybody to sell an ironbird as nowadays everybody wants to play the dumb pop singer that uses the guitar as an accessory rather than an instrument (so neck dive is a no go for them meanwhile I fixed it simply by changing the location of the strap pin lol).
Yes, I have saved a lot of money by keeping an eye out for decent second hand gear, and by regularly visiting my local music store to see if they have any special deals or sales on.
Knowing what you need/want is important, and then don't always go buy it straight away. Keep an eye out and you might find a good alternative at a more affordable price.
Can confirm, I bought a secondhand TLM 102 for over $200 cheaper. One of the best purchases I've ever made.
@@ccelik97 Oh, you're so much smarter than all those dumb people around you, YOUR THE BEST
I love how you explain everything slowly and so that we understand how everything works together. Such a pleasant presence
This guy has a very high level of skill in presentation… so enjoyable to listen to
1. Computer
2. Audio Interface
3. Headphones
4. Microphones
5. DAW
6. Studio Monitors
7. MIDI Keyboard
8. Mic Stands
9. Cables
10. Miscellaneous
Great video bro!!
This helps so much thank you!
You're a dead set legend mate, no bullshit.
I've been watching your vids for a long time, even my Mrs and kids will sit down with me only to realise they have spent 4 hours of their day listening to you educate them on stuff they have nothing to do with.
The look on their faces when they realise whatever it was that they were meant to be doing is no more,
Priceless
Ur so fckn aussie mate
Two more tips:
If you are in a very tight budget, you can use most of digital modelling guitar amps as audio interface to record, just check if your amp has a USB port. Amps like Fender Mustang and Katana boss can help you while you save money for an audio interface.
And lastly, invest in a comfortable chair. If you are going to spend lots of time sitting in your home studio, best thing you can do is to have a comfy chair, your back and butt will appreciate it. Health and safety is THE most important.
I say on a minimal budget, stick your guitar straight in the audio interface and use software for the amp emulation. A low latency interface is nice, then you have many possibilities while you save for more gear. Use your computer keyboard as a piano or drum pad and use any headset mic for recording other stuff if you need to. Play around like that for a while to find out what the next upgrade should be. It can be super minimal.
😭😭😭 omg what are you guys talking about. I really want to produce music, but alright. I'll read more🥹
Damnn the comfy chair is a great tip!!! I was wondering why I don't feel comfy and want to lay down all the time in my new room/studio, but now I realised that I have a wayy better chair at my old place and thats why I felt better there. Thank you for that hahah
There's still so much to learn 😭😭😭@@kinarroo2135
JESUS CHRIST died for us on a cross for our sins. 3 days after his death he resurrected and was, is, and will be The LIVING GOD. Repent from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior in a prayer and also ask for the HOLY SPIRIT to come into you in that same prayer as well and have FAITH in JESUS CHRIST. You could come to Jesus Christ as you are, but once you accept Him, you have to become new, change, and be born again, and also turn away from your wicked ways. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God Bless You. The Bible is the true word of God. Please read the Bible and you will see Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Praise only be to GOD. Give your life to CHRIST. JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON FOR HIS CHURCH.
“Your best investment is to buy more guitars.” 🤣😂🤣
My wife even started laughing at that one.
Trust me its a therapy.
Was there anything else after that, I just clicked on the next video
I mean that a fact
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Show me the way Paul Davids!!
i still can't work out how you don't have more subscribers. peace!
That’s the way
@@christopher-miles It's crazy how he doesn't have over a million
So how does Paul david?
@@KenanGuitar Have over a million? He just makes junk-food for musicians. It's athletically pleasing and just enough "facts" so people can justifiably tell themselves it was worth while. Touring musical don't have enough time to make 90 hour editing sessions.
0:00 That is hilarious. My desk DOES look like that because it's the same Ikea desk.
same 😂
he really motivated me at the end,"just start doing it, its amazing". inspirational fr
A few months ago I started a new studio for my self, the last home studio I had was back in the late 90s, and OMG things have changed. I had never used midi before, every thing I did was recorded live, between my kids and I we produced 4 albums. I watched your great video and I totally agree with your comment at the beginning of the video , the more guitars the better.. I have gone from live recording to writing classical pieces like symphonies to now where I am finding my self enjoying writing film score pieces of music where the film is in my head. But all for my self not anyone else. I love it.
You should definitely share it!!!
Share them with the world!
"Every one thing you buy for the studio makes you buy two other things"
Lao Tse
I thought this is said by sun tse
@@chang912 LOL Im pretty sure his name is shih tzu
@@chang912 Sun tazoo as Pauly walnuts says
I Tse
Hillarious... :)
Audio interfaces usually come with software sufficient for recording. I suggest testing different software like Ableton, Cubase etc. as free versions for a while before purchasing hardware. They are quite different from each other. Using the same software as your friends really helps.
I would suggest not spending any money on software when you're just starting and messing around. You can sell your hardware pretty easily like your interface, but no one's going to want to buy your ableton live if you decide this isn't for you. Better off pirating your daw and vst's until you're experienced enough to start making money off of it
@@incongruous4Can you still make money off of music you release even if recorded with a ripped daw? There's no legal bad no-no men that will try to be like yo UR GOING TO JAIL or nothin like that?
@@shredderofstrings3223 I don't think you'll be on a large corporations radar if you sell 10 cd's lol. If you do get caught, which is next to impossible, but say if you do there's no way you're going to jail. At worst you'll get a fine you have to pay. But really, it's more of a moral question of if you're okay with pirating than a legal question. 99.999% sure you won't get caught.
@@incongruous4 cool, 😎 thanks
@@shredderofstrings3223 Good luck! all the best
My studio is comprised of a cheap pair of Audio Technica headphones ($50 US or so), Scarlett Solo 3rd gen ($100-120), AT2020 Condenser Microphone ($100) and a $200 used laptop running Windows 10. I like Reaper as a DAW because it has a bunch of free tools, both made by reaper and it's community, and it is highly affordable at $60 for a lifetime license for personal and commercial use under $10,000 a year profit. It also has a free 60 day trial with no limitations on the software and I used the free trial for 4 years without any complications. It's also very small at 19mb for the whole program. I put it on a flash drive and set up my Google drive to grab all of my projects and takes so I can launch it on any computer in my house or take it on the go without using any disk space on my computer. Very handy, especially on the go. I just need an internet connection and my flash drive to work on anything.
how much did they pay you to say that 😭
@@boucwol I wish I was paid to say that
Man’s like the Neo of audio Matrix!
Big part of the home studio fun is how personalized it can be
....but nothing dulls inspiration quite like set up time.
So aim for a space and system that's ready to go and allows/inspires you to be creative
I love how organized this is!!!!!
There's no wasted time it's all the crucial pieces with explanations of why it works this way and what it does and all in a soothing asmr way LOL
Best studio setup vid I've ever seen hands down!!!
My recommendations for affordable gear:
Motu M2 Audio Interface - $180
Rode NT1A Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic - $230
Reaper Digital Audio Workstation - $60 (or if you already have a Mac, Logic for $200 is amazing)
Adam T7V Studio Monitors - $500 for the pair
Roland A49 Midi Keyboard Controller - $250
Beyerdynamic 770 Pro Close-Backed Headphones (80ohm) - $160
These are the new prices for all these things. I found a lot of them cheaper by buying demo or open box models. Also, you don't need an amp profiler like the Kemper. Those are great, but you can plug directly into your interface and run an amp sim in your DAW. Most DAWs come with decent amp sims, but there are also plenty on the market you can buy for cheap if you don't like the stock ones in your DAW.
What do you think about garageband? I like very much abbleton live but i have to use it pirate and garageband came with the mac, i don’t to use it well yet, do you think it can replace the Live? Thak you for the things you recomend!!
@@pablofaivre Reaper and Cakewalk are both free and are way better than garageband
Hey Paul great advice as always, one recommendation I would add as a great bonus would be A TEACHER. I say this because I started out actually being gifted an interface and a copy of a DAW by someone and yet found my self frustrated for months because of not knowing basic terms or concepts related to recording and production. It wasn't untill I saw your video on recording guitar that I was able to USE THE GEAR PROPERLY and finally make a recording I was pleased to hear afterwards. Needless to say It got me started on the road but I think the value of having someone to teach one how to use the tools cannot be underestimated.
While this is true, RUclips is goldmine for knowledge. there are fantastic tutorials on here
2:58 I was listening with headphones and was caught off guard by that. Excellent editing my friend! You truly are a master
i know right?!
I finally finished my home studio. Started in 2012 and added bit by bit
- Yamaha CLP 745 as my main instrument as I play piano primarely
- M-Audio 61 leys MIDI keyboard
- Behringer B1031A 8” active Monitors
- Yamaha AG03 mixer (Audio interface)
- Fender Player Series Strat HSS
- Yamaha TRBX174 Bass
- Fender Classic guitar (basic one)
- Roland TD07KV electric drums
- Sennheiser XS vocal microphone
- Shure SM 57 vocal microphone
- Ibanez guitar chair
- Basic mic stand
- Driving all through M1 Max Macbook Pro with Logic
FINALLY!!! a reviewer who shows the pieces and DEMONSTRATES the actual play and interaction of instrument and engineering!!!! thank you
When he did that thing with the left and right but pointed to HIS left and not mine, my brain was like "hold up, what was that?"
i was looking for a video like this for ages when i started my channel years ago. It took me ages to figure out all the different things i needed for a home set up. Glad an awesome video like this exists to help players who are new to recording.
I like your advice to let the gear evolve vs. the (wrong) thought that a person needs all the fancy gear to record. IHMO, the most important things in the studio are non-gear: 1.) Well trained and cared-for ears and 2.) Transparent organization & processes which enable creativity.
While I agree that your two non-gear things are important, they're both absolutely useless to record music with, so you need gear lol
Listen... Paul Davids...Thank you so much for explaining this to a beginner. Only 1 minute 40 seconds into your video, and I had to stop to say thank you for approaching this complex "non-musical" (if you get what I mean) part of making music understandable. I really like how you say "why every musician needs one." Thank you for empathizing with those of us who equates home studio setup to operating the dashboard of a flying saucer. Bless you for keeping it simple. I'm also reading the valuable comments of your many subscribers, of which I am one.
this is a great video. I still use garageband on an ipad and get great results. I actually went back from Logic to GB. I love its simplicity. It reminds me of my early days playing around with a Tascam 4 track recorder.
I think you introduced the condenser mic as dynamic. Good video for those starting out to record!
yes, i realized that. but he corrected seconds later.
You’re such good influence to all people who love music. So many good advices. I appreciate your vids, Paul.
Even when Paul talks about topics that don't really apply to myself I'm still excited to watch because he makes everything seem so damn interesting. :D
I miss my old Yamaha MT-2X 4 track. A good VHS HiFi was great for bouncing tracks and the final mix down. Ansel Adams once took a 2 week treck to Yosemite and his glass plate negatives were damaged. He had 12 negatives left to last him 2 weeks. Every shot had to count. Composition and exposure had to be perfect, and they were. Sometimes you get more when you have to work with less.
Manx flexing 😂jk jk
I pick my guitar back after 16 years. At that time I was randomly strumming, with no real meaning. I'm now in the right mindset to dig into the guitar world and really approach a proper learning. Man, believe me...your channel has now and higher presence in my homepage than puppies.
You're are a masterpiece!
Clever video. So polished. You always put a ton of work into production. I always appreciate it.
Bedankt kerel.
I agree, I admire his dedication to the videos he uploads.
Here's a tip for beginners:
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is one of the more popular audio interfaces out there because of it's price, however it's pretty terrible for guitar and practically unusable unless you have a DI box or intend to mic your amp. The 2i2 clips so early from a plugged in guitar it's pretty much impossible to use. So basically just stay away from the 2i2, the 2i4 is a little more expensive but handles guitar perfectly.
Was just trying to decide between the Scarlett 2i2 and 4i4. Thank you for this rec!
@@jbpanic Absolutely! Shame about the 2i2, it'd be a perfect little package if it didn't clip on literally any setting. Glad my experience with one helped you make a good decision.
And what about the solo version?
@@majipan2719 I've never used it, I would suggest researching reviews to see if it can handle guitar input. I know the 2i4 and up work fine with guitar. Wish I could help you further than that.
@@majipan2719 The solo has gain controls for guitar and mic that turn red when it's clipping, so you can easily adjust back to green. I use and love it.
I think Plugins for your DAW make a huge difference. The room I record in sucks but spending a couple bucks on some plugins have really helped in making the room sound far better.
This is from my list and how I got started
1. Get a Good Desk: Prioritize durability-preferably hardwood.
2. Buy a Comfortable Chair: Ergonomics matter for long sessions.
3. Invest in a Laptop or PC: Choose one that fits your production needs.
4. Get the Necessary Software: Purchase your DAW or essential programs.
5. Master the Software: Build your skills before expanding your setup.
6. Buy Monitor Speakers: Essential for accurate sound reproduction.
7. Purchase an Audio Interface: For clear input/output quality.
8. Get Quality Headphones: For precise monitoring and mixing.
9. Familiarize Yourself with the Setup: Take the time to learn your equipment.
10. Consider MIDI Keyboards: Based on your music creation needs.
11. Update Your Sound Library: Stay current for creative inspiration.
12. Buy a Microphone: Essential for recording vocals or instruments.
13. Start Soundproofing: Improve your studio's acoustic quality.
14. Network and Earn Income: Keep your studio sustainable.
15. Stay Focused and Believe in Yourself: Dedication to your goal is key.
Thank you for doing a sensible vid, it popped up on my youtube
I cried when the word FireWire was mentioned, I own a redundant TC Konnect 24 FireWire 400 which was killed when Apple moved to FireWire 800 then to Lightning
Over time I think as the studio builds the important things are a patch bay, a power board rack and a switch with a mute button and volume that sits between the patch bay and monitors so it's easy to swap cables without having to turn the monitors off
And additionally cable ties or elastic bands to roll the cables up and hang them on some hooks because they get very messy
The other thing is tidy up the room after use and don't leave mics on a stand at the end of the session. Last night I broke my own rule and left an akg 3000 on the stand because I was tired ... The sound I heard from the other room was the stand falling over (mic lived but has a ding)
🙏
Great video, thanks!
I nervously set up my first studio recently but in the end it was very easy to do, after lots of research and tips from friends. I would recommend the following:
I got a Scarlett 2i2 bundle from Focusrite which included a two input interface, a good mic, good pair of headphones and cables. I think they are excellent value for money and possibly the most popular interface for amateur musicians.
Then I downloaded Reaper as my DAW, which was a free download (you can pay later if you want to and it’s very cheap). I use a good old Windows 10 PC and have had no issues with Reaper at all. A few weeks later I bought a pair of Presonus monitors.
The whole lot cost me less than 500€ and I have a very useable studio for recording my demos and for guitar practice in general.
I should have done it years ago :) Cheers!
Ive been trying to learn reaper too but i cant wrap my head around it. Do you use a midi ?
Have pretty much the same set up. Game changer for sure.
@@Stellarainn Hi...just seen your reply. No I don’t, apart from the virtual midi for programming drum plugins.
Hidy! I have almost exactly what you are using, except I found Reaper too difficult for me right now. A studio engineer from Muscle Shoals, AL, who was a voice student of mine, advised me to start with Reaper. I’m using Audacity, but I’m looking into Logic Pro X, maybe. I’m so old school, having used analog a long time, this is a real challenge for my adhd brain. But, never give up! That’s my motto!
Literally just started recording and this video couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks for all your hard work, Paul!
I swear when he picked up that mic I was so ready to hear Paul sing.😋
'A man's got to know his limitations.' - Dirty Harry
I was expecting "Imagine" by John Lennon!
I too saved piece by piece until I found Peace. Your humorous approach to helping others is gratifying. I noticed you like the higher end gear like Audeze mics etc... which are very unaffordable for most but the satisfaction is the end game. Keep Rocking Paul - I'll catch up with you when the bus leaves for Pluto ~ Cheers
In all my professional endeavor's I have had a mentor that was a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT or a SME. Although I have been recording for years (16) and have my own home studio (area77 Studios) and produce music I always felt that I could be better by learning from an expert. After watching this video I think I know who that is. Do you give private lessons? LoL...no really I would pay to learn from someone your caliber. You just turned speaking into the microphone into something better than 99% of people produce!
I want to get better musically and I am not publicly afraid to state this. Bravo sir!
Sgt Boudreau
You're a great teacher, coz it is clear that your goal is to help your audience understand & not to show what you know like some videos out here. Thank you for the inspiring advice at the end & even for sharing your story. I'm a big fan.
My Home Studio consists of
- Asus Laptop
- Beyerdynamic Headphones
- Adam Audio Speakers
- Akai MPK Mini mk3 MIDI Keyboard
- Focusrite Scarlett solo Audio Interface
- Thomann Active DI Box, so i can Record the DI and reamp it with some plugin later (Amplitube 5 comes with the interface and sounds pretty good)
- Cubase Elements
- NadIR IR Loader (free)
- my actual amp (ENGL Powerball 2 into an ENGL 2x12 cab with vintage 30's). I use that for direct monitoring with the thru signal from the DI box, i do not record the Amp sound currently due to lack of Microphones :D
Maybe someone finds something that works for them with my list, except the actual Amp everything was pretty affordable and the results i get are pretty good :)
I Plan on adding a twoNotes Torpedo Captor X so i can crank the amp and record the line signal from the captor, or adding an SM57 to record the cab with.. or both and see what works best for me :) And for DI i will probably Upgrade my Interface to get more XLR jacks so i can record the DI, the Captor AND the Mic and choose later what i wanna do with it.
A Tip that i tried that worked very well, if you use a Modeler (like a Helix or a GT1000) those work as audio interfaces too, so you can just connect them with USB and go record.
do you have problems with the recording quality? like slight echo/reverb?
@@Canale_Chiuso nope not at All, Quality is all good so far, i had slight reverb when i was micing up my cab in my room before it was treated, but since i installed acoustic treatment it is all gone
@@mrcl_ op setup
As always a great video that gets straight to the point. I’d add a little hint for people recording acoustic instruments, drums or vocals: watch your recording room acoustics. Before you upgrade your microphone and interface because it just doesn’t sound perfectly leave that cave with low ceiling that you thought is your perfect room for your studio and give other rooms a try. I saw a lot of people struggling and having their “wonder moment” when they just got out of their box. Including me. The room is truly essential.
And you can do a lot for next to no money. Recording with a directional mic and hanging a duvet on the wall you're facing can do a lot to damp nasty reflections from the room if it's a nasty sounding room.
- MOTU M2 interface which is great and very low latency and not expensive.
- Behringer B1 condenser microphone
- Bias FX 2
- Addictive drums and addictive trigger
- Mixcraft 9
I use Mixcraft 9, which is paid but easy to use. But there is also the Ardour project on Linux (not sure if that is still alive), which is freemium but kind of complex.
There are a lot of free VST plugins out there which work so well.
Recording acoustic guitar with both jack and mic (or maybe even two mics, one on the sound hole and one on the end of your fretboard) gives your sound both warmth and punch and you can play with the balance there.
Great video! Very helpful! Thanks!
My family has urged me to start recording more, so quite thankful for this one!
Don’t listen to your family.
Your family want you to fail.
Such positive comments... 😂
Recording is also something I am looking into more. Music is simply a great passion of mine, and I'm glad my family supports!
@@ApertureCapture ikr😂
God bless you my friend ! It's a perfect evening in India and I am loving every bit of it while watching this video. 🙏
Stay safe Kabir.
@@dhh488 you too
Love seeing how many others are starting their own home studio in the comments - me too! I'm a classical viola player 😊
Thank you Paul Davids!
Love the viola. Be sure to share your work!
And, although I realize I am a true dinasour, there are still mobile digital boards, such as Tascam. I have a 24 track that I have recorded 100 plus songs on. I play all instruments (acoustic drums, guitars, bass, keys and vocals). I record guitars and drums open mike; keys and vocals direct into the board. This is all done in a basement with cement floors and wood panel walls. Why? At 72 years old, my live touring days are behind me, but my passion to create music still lives. Going DAW is absolutely the way to go but what's important is that you find what works for you.
Thank you for all of your wonderful guidance and music education!
I find a small 8 channel mixer to be super useful for signal routing to several devices - a central point to control all the various inputs/outputs - great for gigging as well.
I'll throw reaper out there as a great starting DAW. It's free and fully functional, not just the lite version. You may find another you like more, but at the least it's great to learn the basics on. And it's not going to cost a penny
Well, it's free as long as you don't mind the "please wait" pop-up when starting it. But even so, the full version (personal/small business, for life) is $60. Money I happily paid after I'd been using it for about 6 months.
Nice! I am also a PC guy and do all my music recording/production on a custom-built PC. Great to see another PC champion out there for music production. Thanks!
I’m going to build this on our new boat when we get it
I’ll happily record there :)
Damn that's interesting. What is it like recording on a boat? Are you able to get clean sounds without the sound of the waves crashing against the boat?
A submarine works well unless a Soviet Sub locks onto you with their sonar. Or a whale farts. Lol
I lived at sea for many years with a guitar and gear. The salt air eats your electronics. It requires a great deal of extra care. That said, it was the best years of my life. Many sailors play and record from their boats and the jams are amazing. So much talent out there. Cheers!
Idk about that one bro, taking thousands of dollars worth of music equipment on something that might end up at the bottom of a lake seems like a bad idea
Another few tips if you are not shure if you are willing to invest:
1. Try finding some local leasure center. Many of them have the gear and then you can try it out so see if recording etc. is really your thing. It is usually free or at least very cheap.
2. If you have some friends (or a band) everyone doensn't need to buy everything. Yo can borrow or co-own stuff, which means that you can start recording sooner than you would if you were to wait and save to be able to buy everything for yourself.
Btw, great video, Paul!
Love från Skåne, Sweden
Awesome advice! I've had some great experiences with tip #1- approaching a local theatre/festival and learning about DMX/lighting and projections, as well as spending hours engineering and mixing genres of music outside of my usual repertoire.
I started with a Focusrite 18i8 second generation interface. Nice feature is the two (2) headphone inputs, 8 instrument inputs, 4 with phantom power and the ability to mute the monitors while recording and immediate playback when not. I’m in a tight space mic’ing amps and guitars/vocals directly. The sound quality is absolutely great. Pro tools first came with the interface if you order it direct from them via their site. If you can find them Event 20/20 8” powered monitors will not disappoint. Plenty of sound quality and headroom and a realistic way to hear what you’ve just recorded for playback (unmuted).
I can recommend Reaper as a DAW. Lots of value for very little money. Reaper is an often overlooked and underestimated DAW. I used Cubase before and Reaper just felt most intuitive to navigate in terms of alternatives. It's very versatile, customizable, and has low latency. Admittedly, there are easier to use interfaces if you are a beginner and new to DAWs.
One dumb question. How do you make the effects of the guitar? Do you record the guitar with a microphone from the guitar amp, or do you do the distortion for example on the pc? I was wondering how that is done usually..
@@davidzahnd2891That's not a dumb question at all. It's actually a fantastic and intelligent question. In short, you can do both.
If you plug your guitar in directly through your audio interface/external sound card, you can download amplifier simulators (amp sims for short), plenty of which are free with or without limitations depending on what you choose. Look up free amp sims here on RUclips and find one that tickles your fancy. I am a fan of Amplitube 5's demo myself. Also, when you look up amp sims, you'll hear about Impulse Responses a lot. Those are just speaker cabinet simulators. Not all amp sims have cabinet sims with them, so looking into those as well will help a great deal.
As far as micing your amplifier, you will need to experiment with microphone placement against the speaker to get the sound you want. You will also need to have your amp's volume loud enough to get the speaker moving or you won't get the clarity of your amp.
Finally, if you like the sound of your amp but can't record it because of the volume requirement, plugging your amp in directly will work but you'll need an impulse response (cab sim) to clean up the direct signal.
If you do record with your amplifier, I would suggest looking into something called a DI Box. This will let you record both your amplifier and direct guitar on two separate tracks. This is so you can do what's called "Re-Amping" which is exactly how it sounds. With a DI Box setup, you can hear what your guitar sounds like with and without your amp without doing multiple takes. I find this to be the preferred way of recording when recording with a real amp, especially if you're sending files off to a producer who will, if they know what they're doing, always ask for a DI (or direct input) take of your guitar so they can clean up your take if the amp's take is unusable for any reason, or if you want to switch up the sound in general.
I've used Protools, Ableton, Cubase, Logic, Garageband (and a little bit of Reason) - and Reaper is awesome. It finds any plugins on your computer, it never glitches (this is at you, Protools), and it is really intuitive.
I think people talk it down out of snobbery.
@@rivervaughanmusicstuff5771 absolute legend right here thank you for the info!!
@@nicholasrichardson5431 if I'm able to provide some value to my fellow musicians and save them time, I'm more than happy to do it. But don't thank me. Thank Glenn Fricker from Spectre Sound Studios for this information. I'm just summarizing what I learned from watching hours of his lessons on recording.
Keep doing what you love to do!
I am 100% sure Paul reads my mind to come up with his video ideas, the timing is always impeccable :D
Behringer U-Phoria is an incredible interface, it's lasted me years and is very affordable.
The best lighting on RUclips hands down. Matches the soothing voice. Good content as well.
Paul is the best. The first video I saw of his, he was playing "Brothers in arms" by Dire Straits. Gave me shivers, what a great song and sensitive performance.
Presonus and Focusrite have awesome kits for a reasonable price. I started with that, after some time I moved to UAD. Bdw headphones from that kit are incredibly good, I'm still using them.
Yeah those Focusrite kits go for as little as €250,- (depending on where you're looking) and include an audio interface, a pair of over-ear headphones, a microphone and an XLR cable. Basically everything you need to get started. Great stuff.
Cakewalk by Bandlab is a fully functional DAW that is completely free as of 2020, before then it was a paid for DAW(Sonar). It's pretty good also, especially since Bandlab started updating/fixing it.
What do you mean by kits?
@@leaveitorsinkit242 I think they mean like a bundle, like mic interface heaphones etc all in purchase.
I have the Focusrite 2i2 and it's working fine and didn't cost a fortune.
I would recommend the Tascam X8 new 32 bit portable recorder. For the musician that is just starting out, it's the perfect choice. It provides the audio interface with your computer and four XLR mic inputs. It is an amazing tool.
When I started my little home studio, I used Garageband ( already installed )on my old Mac PowerBook, a Line6 Tone port ux2 and as a monitor a very nice stereo tube radio by Graetz from 1964. It still sounds great and every thing is working now about 15 years, no problems at all ! Thank you for this well made channel, by the way.
Great video - may I ask you a few questions please? 1. How do I record bass guitar - straight into interface, through an amp or what? 2. how record electric guitar - what is difference from going straight into interface vs. mic up amp vs direct out of amp vs. use guitar plugin? 3. how record vocals 4. how record keyboard all to make a radio ready quality recording at home? Please advise - thank you John
Excellent video, Paul! This communicates the need for a home studio with absolute grace.
Thanks for this very general introduction Paul. Perhaps consider turning this into a series where each episode focuses on one aspect of the 10 things that you covered in this video
Drummer here.. this is really helpful for any starting (recording) musician, not just guitarists! Great video Paul!
I agree, I am still searching for a mixer that will plug into the computer easily and has enough inputs to record 4 to 6 drum microphones. An affordable one that is. :-)
@@SteveGovern I have gotten a second hand Behringer UMC1820, I got it for 100 or 150 euros. Pretty affordable to me with 8 inputs and many options out. I've actually used it for the first time in my latest video, consider checking it out, but its not an unboxing or anything, just for a little cover.
@@TJDrumsRHCP thanks!
Very nicely done. I've built up my home studio over the past year building on instruments and gear I've been collecting over the years. It does all come together, toughest part is learning the DAW (I jumped into Bitwig Studio). All this is hopefully an investment for years to come. You've covered all the bases. Thanks!
Good and affordable gear: I am a super late comer to the home recording setup. I've been playing since my teens and I am now in my fifties. Have alway's had formidable PC's (hobby gamer) and decided to start the journy down the home studio route. I went with Presonus hardware and software. Studio One combined with HD5 Monitors and their equivelent headphones combined with the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. I have a friend further down this path than I and his advice and instruction was super helpful. But the learning curve was not as dramatic as I assumed that it would be. I was surprised how quickly I was able to layer guitar tracks and add some goodies. My amp of choice is a Fender Machete and it has the added bonus of XLR out and Cab simulation with the ability to mute the in-cab speaker. The microphones that I use are Sienhiesers. Great video Paul. Don't be afraid folks
I have been working on my setup for 8 years. I finally have everything on this list 1 year ago. I finally feel comfortable with getting everything into the computer. I even use this same setup live.
I just ordered a Focusrite 2i2! Really looking forward to putting it to work!
Cool run-down of starting a home studio. I think if you are just starting out and don't want to break the bank: audio interfaces by Scarlett (solo is the smallest one) are very durable, affordable and come with Ableton Live Lite. Also for a Midi keyboard I think the Novation Launchkey mini Mk.3 is a nice option, giving a small size keyboard combined with some launch-/drumpads for a nice low price (and again Ableton Live Lite included). I think with that you have a nice base for around € 200 (not counting the laptop yet, because there's too many different options there). Great video man! Greetings from Rotterdam. :)
I use an SM58 (€100) and an Rode NT1 (~€255) as microphones. Both work great. I'm very pleased with the Yamaha AG06 interface(€146) although it's 2 Channel recording only and only one Phantom powered channel.
Edit 17.05.2021: I Mixed up the Price of one of the total shippments with the Price of the microphone in the original post. so i looked it up again and corrected it.
The Rhode nta1 is 159€ as a bundle with shock mount and pop filter and xlr cable at Thomann. In Germany at least
@@nikolaisoerensen it's sonical a real tiny bit of a difference between the nta1 and the nt1.
Oh didn't actually know the nt1 existed, apologies :)
My setup:
USB Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 2nd Gen (170€)
DAW: REAPER (60€)
MIDI Keyboard: Swissonic EasyKey 49 (70€)
Microphone: AKG C3000 (150€, I bought it used for 60€)
Mic Stand: Millenium MA-2050 (40€)
Closed Over-Ear Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M40 X (90€)
Miscellaneous: Thomann Kazoo (3€)
Overall less than 500€ for a small studio satisfying all my needs. There are great USB interfaces for ~100€, including some cheaper Focusrite Scarlett products and the Steinberg UR12, but they usually come without MIDI. I don't actually use my MIDI inputs, the keyboard works perfectly fine via USB. And honestly, 49 keys are a bit overkill for some MIDI programming. Studio monitors are missing though. Another investment not considered here are VST plugins, but that's a story for another day...
Awesome setup!
Paul what a magic person you are! listening to you i re-started to play my old guitar, thanks to your passion. That's great. Thanks a lot
Paul I've been following you for a few weeks now learning guitar techniques as I start my guitar journey and now setting up a small studio, I find this on your channel. Thank you so much for this tutorial and guidance, VERY helpful indeed.(Dank je wel en vriendelijke groeten) Mike (UK)
Thank you Paul for this video! I'm diving into this home studio world. Got the Presonus Audiobox USB96, Studio One Artist, an okay mic and lots of ideas. I started the home studio because I wanted to let my idea fly, flourish, and evolve. It's also helped me see where I need to improve in my playing (along with videos like yours and some of the other RUclips instructors. Seriously, thank you). I'm looking to get a key board next. But first, I need to build a dedicated studio space. lol. Anyway, all that to say, thank you for this video and all the other video's you've put out showing people like me different ways to unlock the fret board.
Do you have any songs yet that we can hear ?
I’ve got the simplest and cheapest setup and having a blast. Using Linux, I run the opensource Ardour as DAW. A cheap Behringer interface, using a HB American sound pedal as guitar amp straight into the interface and I put a few own pedals in front. As microphone an SM57. Works great for simple things.
Focusrite 2i2 Gen 3 Interface
Yamaha HS5 Monitors (Pair)
SM57 for Cabinets, Rode NT1A for Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Also all of this stuff can be bought used, just make sure you have a good return policy in case something does not work.
Record vocals in the closet since that provides natural audio treatment.
My 2 Cents.
Keep making awesome content man!
I think one of the best starter audio interfaces out there are the Presonus AudioBox USB. Very inexpensive and built like a tank. Rock solid drivers. We've used it live for our midi keyboard setup too.
Hard disagree on the build. I bought the Presonus Audiobox 96 bundle and Presonus monitor speakers. The volume pots on both started scratching after a month. The headphone input started crapping out after 2 weeks. The Presonus mic cable gave out after 2 months. In my experience Presonus is poorly built junk. I wish I had decided to wait a bit, research a bit more, and shelled out for a higher quality audio interface.
I already have all of this.. I guess I'm missing a new guitar.
Hahaha
Yep......dito
@@roosterball69 you might want to exchange some of those guitars for different instruments to broaden your range & style :D btw I wish my country's economic situation wasn't as shit because I really wish to buy one of those roli seaboard rise keyboard-y instruments (they're damn cool and expressive lol that squishy touch & pressure sensitive interaction surface is as as expressive as a digital instrument goes). Could almost replace a guitar and any sorts of other instruments if you're feeling creative enough.
@@roosterball69 actually yeah, if I can find an old but workable string instrument like a cello for cheap/free I wouldn't mind fixing it up myself as I'm not that shy when it comes to diy-ing my way around such stuff :D
Indeed
You forgot one thing, you need a spare room, where kids and wife don't enter... Not always available not in my case anyway 😭😄
Thanks!
Things to organize your workflow and equipment are very important as well, whether it be shelving (I prefer metal wire shelves that allow you to hang certain cables and whatnot from while stacking stuff on top), totes of all kinds, a fishing tackle box actually works great for any hardware like screws, nuts, bolts, etc., and anything with wheels or casters (I use furniture dollies for everything) makes things like amps, speakers/monitors, or a drunken band mate incredibly easy to maneuver!
Thanks again Paul for another great video!
I really wanted to hear the final version of the song you were recording!
I agree with all of this and I think it's important to keep in mind that you can always upgrade later. I had a little M-Audio Oxygen8 V2 midi keyboard for a long time and it did the job well. Even the super entry level interfaces have decent pre-amps now... there's really no excuse: make music!!
There's a mistake at 05:27. The name for that type of microphone is: condenser.
thank you. i’m using this for a project i’m making and was confused there 😂
My recommendation: Room treatment. Bass traps, and first reflection panels and a ceiling cloud to start. These are the most important parts of a home studio over expensive gear. I also wouldn't hang acoustic instruments on the wall in a studio, as the the hollow bodies will create problems when mixing and recording instruments when not using DI.
You have a great sense of humor! Like how you explain the usages of all the items. I am a novice with all that equipment, but I have purchased most of it and different musical instruments. Plan to make my own music. I am 62yrs of age. Peace and Blessings.
Check this out: I also bought myself a $100 Gazebo / Pergola (200cm x 200cm) and placed it in my basement on a noise absorbing rug. I left the outside "walls" off and placed moving blankets on all five sides. Got myself a 10M led strip for the inside and some bass traps in the corners and foam on the inside off the blankets. Super easy set-up for recording with my D18 and singing at the same time straight into my iPhone using the Roland Go Pro mix. Call me cheap but I just love my little "tent" inside my basement. Nice and cozy. Love your channel man!!
Hi Paul, thanks for yet another very well thought out video lesson. As a retired professional singer, I now concentrate mostly on composing my own songs. I often collaborate with a Band Buddy Muso back in South Africa. I thought one thing you may add (maybe under miscellaneous) to your DAW desk is a set of layered shelves. Eg; so that Instrumental Keyboard and typing keyboard are not in the way etc. Also, an armless comfortable swivel chair. Thanks again!!
"BEGINNER HOME STUDIO SETUP"
Paul: Recommends $1600 audio interface
Me: *shocked pikachu face*
the "cheaper" babyface pro from RME is awesome though ;-)
Same.
@@thunderbable That interface is still $1000. What’s out there for… $200?
@@Nursemedic97 audient id14mk ii
@@Nursemedic97 Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
I would love to see a video about that beautiful PRS!
This is what i would add. Band in a Box. This is an accompaniment program. I use it every day for practice, can also be used fro recordings. Just type in a few chords (or load a song), tehn choose waht type of backing you want, how many choruses, tempo, off you go, live high quality musicians accompanying you - a full band. Choose from Blues, Jazz, Rock, Country, Bluegrass, World, Latin and so many more styles (thousands), choose your vibe, record if you want. Loop any section or even a single bar, slow it down if you want, change a chord voicing. Use it for scales and cycles too. It's my most GOTO software. Paul you should review this. It IS pricey, but it is much better than any other accompaniment software, uses live musicians and is very comprehensive. It gives you the opportunity to practice your chops with any genre of music, just like with a live band
I didn't think I'd ever get to this point in my guitar journey (being ready to record something). I am now on year 5 and this is my breakout year!!!! I'm excited. I feel like a real musician....I need more toys!!!!
Hey Paul can you please make a tutorial on Ableton live, it would be very helpful...
I spent the whole video waiting for “Here is my magic UberZTool that does all 10 in one”. Great video! One addition might be a Zoom H2n type portable condenser for those field recordings.
Dude. Literally starting to set one up this weekend. My desk is being delivered Sunday. Crazy you post this now!
I'm just getting going with my home recording setup and bought a pre-loved Behringer UMC22 interface for under £30. This video has shown me what else I need without all the BS and advertising. Thanks!
Had a Really nice triple monitor pc tower gaming setup, stopped gaming and turned it into a home studio. Such a fantastic Descision
Could you make a tutorial how to record the guitar in ableton live and get the best sound?