I remember being in college, I thought a lot about making music and how I would record it. A lot of the things I do now in music are because I needed to be resourceful. I had songs written, but I didn't know any producers to make a beat for me. Even if I did, I didn't have the money to pay for it. So I became a beatmaker. Once I had songs, I needed to record them. I went to a studio a couple of times, and Those were great experiences. But if you don't get just what you want, or you want to change something later, it can be expensive. So I invested in my own equipment.
Eventually, I had a pretty nice setup. It started with my microphone. There is an ideal room or space for recording vocals. First, you don't want to have a room that's too empty. If there's nothing in a room to absorb sound. You can get echo and sound reflections from the walls, mirrors, or windows in the room. This usually doesn't sound great when recording and can make editing and mixing difficult. So, I built a box that would absorb noise and reflections and shield them from the microphone.
This was pretty easy and inexpensive. I used a cardboard box and lined it with cotton insulation and foam panels. I also cut a hole in the box for a pop filter and another for the cable. My microphone fits inside, only exposed at the front. With this, I can get a clean recording without any extra noise.
But I still had an issue. Some of the frequencies were uneven, there wasn't much base, and the top end sounded a little harsh. It's something that probably could've been fixed with some EQ, but I didn't know anything about EQ then, and even if I did, that's a lot of extra work. Also, it wasn't as clear as I would have liked it. It was like looking at a picture that's pixilated when you wanted high definition. Recording in and outside of the box gave me similar sounds I didn't want.
I didn't really know what was wrong with my microphone back then, but I figured a $25 USB mic going through my laptop's soundcard probably wasn't going to cut it. So I did some research and decided to buy the Focusrite bundle. This pack gave me a professional microphone, audio interface, headphones, a mic stand, and a pop filter. The sound from this setup was great! Nothing was missing from this!
Now, in my home studio, I have this microphone, audio interface, the insulated box I built, my keyboard, and a desk for my computer. I also have a 2nd monitor so I can multitask. There's lots more I could add, but an important piece I'm missing is a pair of studio monitors. These can be pricey, and I'd have to treat my room for listening, so I haven't gotten them yet.
For now, I'm using my headphones. And when I want a more acoustic studio sound, I can use the Abby Road Studio 3 plugin. I haven't used it much, but I've heard great things about it. The real Abbey Road Studios is in the UK. This plugin is supposed to mimic the sound that would come from their monitors in room 3.
I'm ecstatic with how my "office" is right now, and I love working in it. With all of this, I recorded my single "Human," which is coming out soon, and I can't wait to show all of you. Follow my socials below for updates!