How to Build a Great Home Studio on a Budget

If you are looking to build a home music studio then you probably know just how confusing it can be to find out exactly what you need. There can be a lot of information to take in about which pieces of gear are best or how much gear you need to have. 

You should start by establishing exactly what you plan to do in your studio. If you know what you want your outcome to be, then you can have a more realistic idea as to what gear you need. This list will be designed around the absolute basics that you’ll want to start recording music from your home studio!

Start with an audio interface

An audio interface is the absolute center of a modern studio or home studio setup. All audio runs to and from the interface so it is extremely important to have in your studio. 

Luckily, there are plenty of great budget options on the market today when it comes to audio interfaces, so you won’t have to worry about breaking the bank just to get started. 

However, If you are looking to make professional recordings right off the bat, we would suggest purchasing a higher budget interface or simply get in touch with one of our expert sound engineers. Doing so will ensure that you get a clean and professional recording on the first try.  

Add quality headphones and/or monitors  

The right set of studio monitors and studio headphones can make or break a home set-up, afterall, you will be listening to your music every time you work in the studio, so it is important to get a solid pair. 

But how do you know what to look for? What you need is a stereo pair of hi-fidelity near-field speakers, or to say it in english, a pair of small, individually powered speakers. 

There are a lot of quality options on the market right now for studio monitors and thankfully, they are often inexpensive. If you want to know more check out or list of the Top 5 best Studio Monitors Under $500!

Set up basic acoustic treatment

Acoustic treatment is one of the more overlooked elements of a music studio. Often, musicians choose to focus on the gear inside their studio rather than the space itself! 

However, the way your room sounds can have just as big of an impact on your recordings as the sound of the instrument or microphone you use to record. 

We don’t suggest that you cover every square inch of your room, however, you should at least put up some basic acoustic treatment to better the overall sound quality of the space. 

Use quality recording cables

One of the key things to remember about recording audio is the idea of signal flow, in other words, the path an audio signal follows from start to finish. As you start to picture that path, you will find that most of its length is taken up by audio cables. 

It makes sense that you might be inclined to purchase a high quality cable for your high quality signal to run through and prevent any unwanted noise or distorted-ness to the sound of your recording. 

While it’s true that there are higher grade cables than others, most applications simply require a functional audio cable to do the trick. You can go with the highest grade cable on the market and you will probably notice a difference in sound quality, but so long as the audio cable you have is of decent quality and is well taken care of, you will still produce a great recording.   

Purchase a strong vocal microphone

Choosing the right vocal microphone is like choosing the right topping for your ice cream. Your favorite can change from day to day, and you may want a variety. 

But microphones are expensive! So how can you choose the right one? Well at the end of the day, it’s up to your personal preference. Look for one that is well-made and sounds great according to your taste!

However you go about creating your studio, remember that with the right amount of motivation and passion, you can produce a great track!

Don’t stress too hard about what gear you need for your studio, because at the end of the day, the most important factor in your studio is you! 

Need help setting up your home studio? Talk with one of our experts and schedule a free consultation today!