Given how cheap recording equipment has become over the years, you may wonder whether it is economically viable to book a studio for recording. There are many reasons why doing it at home would seem like a better idea when compared to professional workshops. The same case applies to the advantages of professional studios over recording from the comfort of your house or a friend’s place.

The real question, therefore, becomes about the time when either of the options is appropriate. Though a home recording studio may not be viable for one person based on a variety of factors, it could work for another person. What you must consider before making such a decision are factors such as your experience, costs you are willing to incur as well as the marketability of the end product.

Home recording studio

The costs associated with home studio equipment have significantly dropped. With an estimated $2000 in your pocket, you can go ahead and start your studio with ease. This cost covers all the essential equipment required to set up a decent studio. If you wish to have more quality equipment, you will need to dish out a substantial amount of money as this cost covers a computer, a decent replacement sound card as well as recording software. Nevertheless, this combination is an investment that can serve your needs for years to come.

Advantages

• No hourly rate
  

  With a professional studio, you are charged per the hour which can be quite frustrating if you are unable to get the right note. The hurried nature of professional workshops does not give you the much needed time for experimentation.

• Learning experience
  

  Handling your time and equipment molds you to be better at recording. This experience paves the way for other careers that you can venture into in future. The more time spent recording, the better you become at it.

• No scheduling
  

  Booking studios mean that you cannot just pop in whenever you wish, and this can be restrictive to your creative capabilities.

• Relaxed environment
  

  With nobody on your neck about the time spent recording, you get to nurture your talent in a comfortable surrounding, which makes you better at what you are doing.

• Great investment
  

  You get to use the equipment purchased for years, recording thousands of songs. In the end, you get to break even, and you can also rent out your studio now and then.

Challenges

• Poor acoustics
  

  Unless you purchase top-notch equipment of similar standards to those of professional workshops, this is a problem that you will come across.

• Hard to master
  

  It will take you years to figure out the best way to go about recording songs, time that could have been spent practicing your songs. It also costs a lot to set up.

• Robs you time
  

  Handling two roles takes away the time required to nurture your talent, which makes you record songs of lower quality.

Professional studios

Though you are likely to pay the studio an hourly rate, it saves you money in the end. The time taken to record in a professional studio is short, and this allows you to move from one project to another with ease. You also get to use the latest equipment which provides excellent acoustics.

Advantages of a professional studio

• Speed
  

  The people in charge of recording are professionals, and they spend more time on making tapes than on reading the manuals.

• Quality
  

  Compared to what you can get out of a home studio, the quality of acoustics produced is higher.

• Time allocation
  

  Your time will be entirely devoted to performance as you will delegate the recording part to professionals. In this way, you get to produce high-quality music.

• Less costly
  

  You only pay an hourly rate as the equipment is already there.

What you need to start a home studio

For a basic workshop, you will require the following: computer, audio interface, cables, microphones, DAW, pop filter, headphones, microphone stands and studio monitors. The number of things that you require will depend on the level of quality that you need. However, for a first-level start-up, this should be adequate.

Whether you go the professional studio route or set up a home studio should depend on your experience and ability to cover the expenses. If you are an entrant in the music industry, the professional route is a much better option as compared to the former. Happy recording!