Recording Studio Equipment: Stop Paying For Hype | 259

It’s simple to become enamored with recording studio equipment, but are you truly buying into the hype? There’s little question that if you enjoy making your own music, you’ve spent hours browsing Sweetwater or Gear Slutz in search of the newest gadget to elevate your sounds. But it appears that the choices gets more limited the deeper you go when it comes to professional recording studio gear. Have you ever seen a microphone locker at a professional recording studio? Most likely, it will resemble this:

I already know what you’re thinking.Yes indeed! There are two of everything, literally. There’s no way I can afford to have a professional microphone collection!” I can identify with it. Like you, I began from the bottom. In fact, I purchased my first microphone while enrolled in a recording arts school, and I used to continuously look for affordable recording studio equipment for my house. But I can guarantee you that saving expenses is the exact opposite of what I should’ve started out doing at my home recording studio after several hard drive crashes (some unrecoverable since I didn’t have a back up), two audio interface failures, and innumerable dead microphone and instrument cables.

Simply add a 1957 to it.

What does it leave us with then? Do not give up! I’m going to give you some Jedi Master recording studio advice so you can get started without making the mistake of purchasing subpar recording studio supplies. You must have learned (or at least heard) by now that the dependable Shure SM57 is one of the greatest microphones to have in a recording studio. Almost whatever you ask of it is possible! Others claim you can use it to drive a nail into a wall, but I’d leave the rigorous “field testing” to the R&D team at Shure. It can almost do everything, save for making you a lunch, and it just costs a few dollars. One Benjamin, or $100 in case you’re not familiar with your President’s flash cards.

The majority of your microphone purchases will probably be done in a similar way; after all, success speaks for itself. Many of these names have achieved “household” status for good cause. Although it could take you longer to save up for some of the more expensive microphones, there is a good reason why they are frequently utilized in sessions for genres ranging from Death Metal to Jewel and everything in between. Although many people consider the Sennheiser MD421 to be THE tom microphone, you may not be aware that it also captures guitars, kick drums, and bass guitar cabinets well. There are several benefits to researching microphones.

Almost generally, “Tried and true will do”

The remainder of the recording studio equipment, including the compressors, EQs, preamps, and recording consoles, also falls inside the narrow spectrum. In fact, every large recording studio in Nashville, one of the world’s recording meccas, is likely to include a recording console from one of the following four manufacturers: Neve, SSL, API, or Trident. Oh, there are lots more, I tell you, but these handful have continued to be the “industry standards” for a long time. The best piece of advise I can give you is to focus your attention on the “industry standard” music recording studio gear and make investments in that gear. Don’t misunderstand me; there are always gear and shortcuts available.

will astonish even the world’s most haughty audiophile (Ahem! You know who among you are the dark horses, gear makers). But when it comes to assembling your collection of recording studio gear, go with the tried and true!

If you’re searching for “equipment for home recording studio,” here is an excellent place to start. Remember, if you haven’t already, check out the recording arts curriculum at Dark Horse Institute. It is one of the quickest paths to success on earth and is jam-packed with fantastic training for the music business. Go out and create some fantastic music. Email me your queries as well! sean@darkhorseinstitute.com

Adaptive Mics

Shure 57 (purchase as many as possible; you’ll use them frequently)
Price on list: $99

Beta 52a for Shure (Whether you like it or not, it’s a classic mic for bass guitar and kick drum)
$189 List Price

(Toms, guitars, brass, and so forth) Sennheiser MD421
Price on list: $349

Shure SM7b (hey, if Michael Jackson used it, you should be able to use it, right?)
Price on list: $349

Condenser Mics

The Rode NT1A is an excellent entry-level microphone that can be used in a wide range of situations. It will significantly reduce background noise.
Retail Price $299

Drum overheads, voices, acoustic and electric guitars are all featured on Audio Technica 4033.This man is a powerhouse and a significant improvement to your mic locker.)
$399 list price

(Vocals, electric or acoustic guitars) Avantone C-12
Price on list: $499