Home Recording Studios

So you want to build a home studio? Many people have been in your shoes, as one can tell from the endless sites dedicated to the does and don'ts of home studies. Page after page of people who have spent a fortune setting up their basement studios to find out that their needs could have been met at a fraction of the price. So where does one start? Well first things first, do you plan on developing an income with your studio? It is very possible depending on the work you plan on specializing in that a home studio will be perfect for your needs. If you plan on doing voice-over work or any dialogue for film/t.v than a small home studio would be perfect. All you'll really need is a small isolation booth for dialogue, a DAW and a few different mics. But if you plan on recording an eight piece band, chances are you'll want a dedicated space for your studio separate from your home, neighbors might not appreciate a rugged looking punk band coming and going at all hours of the night.

I've made a list of things to take into consideration before you make an investment. This list is more of a guideline for deciding if your goals can be met by a home studio or not.

1. Will you be exclusively recording your own music/audio, or will you be renting the space out?

2. What will your studio specialize in? (demos, genre, ADR, electronic music..ect)

3. How large a space do you need for the studio? (1-2 iso booths? 1 control rooom, storage?)

4.How many inputs will you require? (if 96 inputs are required, do you have the space?)

5. Are there zoning bylaws preventing you from running a business, or creating too much noise?

6. Is the power in your home capable of handling your requirements?

7. How much will the isolation of your space cost? (is it a detached home?)

8. Is there adequate parking for clients?

9. Is the space accessible for bringing gear in and out of? (basement, stairs ect)

10. Are you close to your target demographic? (rural, suburb, city)

11. Do you own or rent your home?

I hope these questions will help you in your decision, there is a long list of things to take into consideration before investing time and money. These questions merely scratch the surface of what you should be asking yourself when looking into creating a home studio. I recommend you take the time and do the research, honestly answering questions like these. If you do the preparation you can save yourself a big headache in the future. As I mentioned earlier, there are hundreds of sites dedicated to home recording, not all of them are reliable, but its a good place to see where others ran into problems along the way.