Missing the creative outlets of playing out, recording in a studio or jamming with friends? We’ve got you covered with these tips for cutting your next record while you’re stuck at home.
Stay-at-home orders got you unable to play out, record in studios or jam with friends? Yeah, us too. A lot of musicians are finding themselves deprived of a creative outlet right now, but there is an upside to self-isolation—the extra downtime might just be perfect for crafting your next album.
Luckily, the tools and knowledge required to make great recordings at home are more abundant and accessible than ever. With the right mindset, a couple of small investments and a little acoustical knowledge, you can record professional-sounding tracks without ever setting foot in a studio. Follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to your next release
Get Into a Rhythm
Many of the most prolific songwriters, authors, artists and other creators swear by making creativity a habit. This means sitting down to work on your craft at a consistent time each day or week, not just when you feel like it. Building music time into your routine like this can train your brain to enter creative mode much easier than trying to force it.
When scheduling your creative ritual, try to pick a time when inspiration is at a maximum and distractions are at a minimum. This could mean waiting until the kids are asleep to track your guitars (with headphones, of course), or making some beats with your morning coffee while your roommates sleep in.
After a few sessions, you’ll hopefully find yourself looking forward to your daily or weekly creative time and making the most of it. Stick to it, and you just might have an album in the can in time to make your triumphant return to the stage!
Set Yourself up for Success
Having a space to create is just as important as building a routine. If you don’t already have a home studio set up, find a place in your home to create a makeshift one. Bedrooms and offices are the obvious choices, but a basement or garage can also work (as long as it’s clean and protected from the elements). If you mostly work on a laptop, even the kitchen table can suffice.
If you sing or record acoustic instruments, try to find a space with flattering acoustical properties. Smaller rooms often exhibit problematic low-frequency buildups, and rooms with too many hard surfaces can cause harsh high-frequency reflections. An easy way to test a room’s acoustics is to clap your hands and listen closely to the character of the reverberation.
If none of the spaces available sound great, have no fear—a little DIY acoustic treatment can make most rooms suitable for basic recording. While the common tactic of taping egg cartons to the walls may do more to annoy your housemates than to improve your sound, surrounding yourself with sound-absorbing items like rugs, tapestries and furniture can be surprisingly effective.
Nothing kills a vibe faster than having to plug in a million cables, so keeping your space organized is key. Have your instruments, equipment and computer all connected and ready to go, and you’ll save yourself countless headaches. To save even more time when inspiration strikes, do some test recordings to find a setup that gives you great sound, then document it for next time.
Get the Right Tools for the Job
The Basics
If you don’t normally record at home, you’ll probably need to acquire a few basic tools to get started. Unless you’re old-school and working on a four-track cassette Portastudio, the first thing you’ll need is a computer with recording software or a mobile device like an iPad with a recording app. Then, download a recording software that fits your budget and skill level. There some great free options like GarageBand and Reaper, as well as premium software like Logic and Pro Tools.
Microphones
Unless you’re making 100% electronic music, you’ll need some type of microphone to record with. Your choice of microphone(s) will have a major impact on your sound, so be sure to do your research to find the right fit. The most streamlined way to capture your tracks is with a USB microphone, which plugs directly into your computer with minimal setup. Alternatively, professional XLR microphones offer more flexibility for multi-mic recording, but require an audio interface to connect to your computer.
Audio Interface
An audio interface takes analog signals from XLR microphones, guitars and other instruments and converts them into digital signals to be recorded by your computer. Most interfaces also feature headphone and speaker outputs for monitoring your performance and listening back to your recordings. The latest wave of desktop interfaces, like the MOTU M2 and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, pack some serious quality into streamlined, budget-friendly boxes.
Headphones
A good pair of headphones is indispensable for home recording. Not only will they let you hear your music in gorgeous detail, they’re also handy for blocking out noise from the rest of the house. And, in home studios with less-than-ideal acoustics, headphones are often more accurate and reliable than speakers for mixing your music. But not just any pair of earbuds will do—look for a pair of proper over-ear, closed-back cans for true full-range sound and excellent isolation (AKG and Blue make some of our favorites).
Don’t be Afraid to Accessorize
Many common home recording problems can be solved with a few basic accessories. For example, if your microphone keeps picking up footsteps from downstairs or the rumble of passing buses, get a shock mount to protect it from vibrations (and accidental bumps). If you’re recording vocals, be sure to grab a pop filter to keep those pesky “P” and “B” sounds from ruining your takes. And if you’re forced to sing in a poor-sounding space, invest in a reflection filter (also known as a vocal shield) like the Aston Halo.
Take the Pressure Off
Remember, music should be fun. The minute you start pressuring yourself to record your magnum opus, making music can become a chore, and you may find yourself burnt out on it. The more you have fun with it, the more that passion will come across in your music, so just focus on playing—in both senses of the word.
Try not to get too hung up on getting the perfect sound or the perfect take. After all, the only good albums are finished ones. Instead of obsessing, focus on getting ideas down as they come to you. You can always re-record a part if it’s not perfect, but you might actually find yourself learning to love those happy accidents.
When it comes time to wrap things up and get your record out the door, the final hurdles of mixing and mastering can become overwhelming. But these are critical steps to achieving a result you can be proud of, and you’ll kick yourself later if you skimp on them. If you have the funds, hiring a professional mixing and mastering engineer can get you stellar results and take a huge weight off your shoulders.
Follow these strategies, and you’ll be proudly clicking the “upload” button to send your work out into the world before you know it!
