As a recording engineer who started out in very primitive studio environments, I know what it’s like to “patch” all kinds of equpment together. You can really struggle plugging and unplugging equipment from different manufacturers, different signal levels, etc. And then, you have to figure out how to get all the “noise” out of the system. Finally, you get around to recording, all the while holding your breath and biting your tongue. Ha!
If you’re starting from scratch, or starting over, I’m going to offer ideas and suggestions to help you get a quality studio set up that produces quality sound. We’ll build from the BASICS - NOT the “latest & greatest”.
The very first item to consider is the audio software. There are several packages that all work very well. The most common are
Sonar from Cakewalk
Logic Pro from Apple (for Macintosh only)
Cubase from Steinberg
Pro Tools LE for Digidesign
Digital Performer from MOTU (for Macintosh only)
By far, Pro Tools is the most popular - especially among professional engineers. Therefore, if you’re going to take your recordings to studios, you want to have recordings that are compatible with their software. That’s one of the main reasons I recommend Pro Tools. However, it depends on your particular goals, preferences, and demands. If you don’t already have a preference, you’ll want to check into each, and see for yourself which one meets your needs the best.
I’d like to mention also that Pro Tools has teamed up with M-Audio to put together several home studio “packages”. These are great because everything is designed to work together. No “patchwork” involved!
One of my favorite companies to buy equipment from, is Zzounds. Zzounds is great because they offer a huge selection of name-brand equipment at guaranteed lowest prices. Since their website is online 24/7, you can even buy things at 2:00 in the morning!
