Home Recording Studios? They’re Cheaper Than You Think!

One of the most important investments you can make as a rapper or music producer is a home studio. Having a home studio setup at your disposal is good for cutting your costs and being able to record at any given moment.

If you are willing to invest a little bit now, the rewards will definitely pay off. Remember this, home recording studios are investments.

Many rappers don’t have a full blown home studio setup at their disposal, and for a rapper having a place to record at any given time is the best asset you can imagine. When you feel like it, you can record a song.

Home recording studios can be a little pricey, but if you shop smart you can get deals on products and find brands that have quality without paying for a brand name. Just focus on purchasing the equipment piece by piece and before you know it, you will have an entire home studio. Owning a home recording studio is not impossible if you follow this basic recording studio design:

1. Microphone
2. Pop Filter
3. Mic Stand
4. Head Phones
5. Personal Computer
6. MBOX
7. DAW or Beat Software (optional)

1. Grab the Mic – A Rapper’s Weapon
Time to grab the mic and let your flow take over. The microphone is probably a rappers most important tool – you can’t make a rap song without it. A producer can live without this if their main focus is beat making. When purchasing a mic you want to get one that’s good quality, so do your research. Most mics are a couple hundred dollars, but I think that is a little steep for a home recording studio when you can purchase a mic that produces professional sound quality for only $99. I own this mic and can personally vouch for it that it is an AMAZING piece of equipment for a home studio. And it fit in my budget.

Check out the Audio Technica AT2020 Studio Microphone at zZounds.com – $99.99

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2. Pop Filter – Stop The “Pop”
The word “pop” just has a harsh sound to it. So does, bop, mop, top, and pretty much any other word with a syllables similar to the “b” and “p” sounds. These letters can create an undesirable sound for your music, and that is where a pop filter comes in handy. This filter will eliminate the choppiness and clean up your vocals immensely. They range from $40-$100, but I once again have found a better priced alternative. This pop filter works perfectly for my home music studio, and it will do the same for yours.

Check out the RaXXess Stoppit Pop Filter with Goose Neck at zZounds.com – $24.95

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3. Mic Stand
Mic stand holds your mic and pop filter. Kind of self explanatory.

Check out the On-Stage MS7201QRB Quick-Release Microphone Stand at zZounds.com – $26.95

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4. Headphones
Headphones are needed to catch the fine details of your music. And come on, how many studios have you seen operate without them?

Check out the Audio Technica ATHM40fs Precision Extended-Response Headphones at zZounds.com – $69.95

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5. Personal Computer
Your personal computer is the backbone of this whole operation. You want to get something that has decent RAM to process your programs, as well as hard drive space for storing all your media. Many people say to get a MAC for home studio, but honestly it does not matter. I use a PC, and it works perfectly. I actually found a really good deal on a computer online and I’m gonna share it with you. This computer has it all, from 4 gigs of RAM (you will never get bogged down) 320 gigs of storage space on the newest model hard drive, dual core processing speeds, and a 22″ LCD flat panel monitor. All of this for $549. These computer specs usually run about $800.00, no lie. Check the PC out for yourself, but take it from me, this is the perfect pc for a home studio, on a budget or not.

Check out the Acer AX1200-B1792A Complete Desktop PC at TigerDirect.com – $549.00

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6. MBOX (Or Other Audio Control Interface
The MBOX is the last major thing you need for your studio, and can be pricey. Luckily I have gathered a list of some of the most well known and used MBOX by Digidesign. Not to mention, they are waaaay more affordable than what you might think. MBOX is a hardware/software bundle, using Pro Tools for the recording software. Basically, you run your cables into the MBOX then to your workstation computer, and use the MBOX to record your vocals with top notch professional quality!

Here are a few recommendations:
Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini USB Audio Interface – $295.00
Digidesign Mbox 2 Audio Interface (great product) – $449.00
Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro FireWire Audio/MIDI Interface – $699.99
Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 Interface (great product, lowest priced) – $249.99

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7. DAW or Online Beat Maker
This is optional, and is only required if you want to make your own beats to throw your raps to. If you want to do both beat making and rapping, then you need to check out my other article, Set Up Production Studio to see what you will need to begin producing beats as well as read the Best Beat Making Software reviews.

That basically sums up a budgeted home studio that has the ability to produce professional recordings for personal or business purposes. Your total spending amount: $475.00 (assuming you already have a computer)

Home recording studios are a must have, and for under $500.00, you can’t get any better than this!

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