It's possible to make high quality (possibly even "professional quality") music at a home music studio because of the amazing improvements in "prosumer" audio gear. A studio that might have cost $50,000 to build 20 years ago can be put together for about $2,500 these days.
The most essential element of a good home studio in the 2000s is a good quality PC (or a Mac, I don't want to get into that debate) with lots of hard drive space and lots of RAM. Thankfully quality computers are becoming less and less costly. I recently bought a computer with 6GB of memory for less than $850.
Once you order your quality computer (and the one you're using now may be good enough) you need DAW software (DAW stands for "Digital Audio Workstation") that you will be doing all of your recording and mixing with. By the way, if you're a Mac person, I recommend Logic Studio.
What you get after that initial purchase of a computer and a DAW depends on what kind of music you want to create. If you want to make entirely electronic music without any sort of live instrumentation or vocals then there's a good chance you will want to considering ordering various software programs like Celemony Melodyne Editor but most folks (even those doing electronic based music) will want to be able to record vocals and instruments and will need some sort of audio interface.
If you're one of those that is going to need an audio interface you should be aware that many of them actually come with free DAW software.
To give a simple answer to the question "What is an audio interface?" I'll just say it's how your recorded sound (whether it be from a microphone or a direct input) gets into your computer.. I use the E-MU 1616M and it's highly recommended for those on a PC who don't need a whole lot of inputs. There's a wide selection of audio interfaces available, it is really too large of a subject to cover in detail here. Pro Tools is the so called "industry standard" when it comes to interfaces but that doesn't mean it's the best choice for you.
Another "must have" for most people is a microphone. A good mic will allow you to record vocals and all sorts of acoustic instruments. A good mic will likely be an essential part of your recording studio. The Shure KSM44 is an excellent choice if you can afford to buy it. - 32518
The most essential element of a good home studio in the 2000s is a good quality PC (or a Mac, I don't want to get into that debate) with lots of hard drive space and lots of RAM. Thankfully quality computers are becoming less and less costly. I recently bought a computer with 6GB of memory for less than $850.
Once you order your quality computer (and the one you're using now may be good enough) you need DAW software (DAW stands for "Digital Audio Workstation") that you will be doing all of your recording and mixing with. By the way, if you're a Mac person, I recommend Logic Studio.
What you get after that initial purchase of a computer and a DAW depends on what kind of music you want to create. If you want to make entirely electronic music without any sort of live instrumentation or vocals then there's a good chance you will want to considering ordering various software programs like Celemony Melodyne Editor but most folks (even those doing electronic based music) will want to be able to record vocals and instruments and will need some sort of audio interface.
If you're one of those that is going to need an audio interface you should be aware that many of them actually come with free DAW software.
To give a simple answer to the question "What is an audio interface?" I'll just say it's how your recorded sound (whether it be from a microphone or a direct input) gets into your computer.. I use the E-MU 1616M and it's highly recommended for those on a PC who don't need a whole lot of inputs. There's a wide selection of audio interfaces available, it is really too large of a subject to cover in detail here. Pro Tools is the so called "industry standard" when it comes to interfaces but that doesn't mean it's the best choice for you.
Another "must have" for most people is a microphone. A good mic will allow you to record vocals and all sorts of acoustic instruments. A good mic will likely be an essential part of your recording studio. The Shure KSM44 is an excellent choice if you can afford to buy it. - 32518
About the Author:
Reason 4 Software is extremely popular among those making electronic music. Reason 4 includes everything you need to make great purely electronic music on your computer.
