PHOTO : JURA VOCANEC
The gear , DIY tricks , and overlooked things you should know to create your own top-notch recording space
By Dajaun Martineau
The world of professional sound recording has decidedly changed . An industry once dominated by large-format , multi-million-dollar facilities has been usurped by bedrooms , offices , and garages worldwide . From Billboard hits to feature films , soundtracks are being worked on by composers , engineers , and producers in their homes . Remote collaboration is quickly coming to the forefront , and the technology improves workflows daily . Not so long ago , home studios were a laughable idea that summoned images of egg cartons stapled to the wall of your parents ’ basement ( yes , I once bothered a local restaurant for their finest square egg cartons ). Twenty years later , I picked up a few techniques after working as a senior staff engineer at the largest studio in Canada . I implemented those tricks in my home studio that I ’ ve been working exclusively out of for five years . So , what does it take to make a functioning and profitable home studio ?
Acoustic Treatments Let ’ s start with the most important thing that I think gets overlooked . Not because people aren ’ t aware of it , but because they believe it has to be an expensive endeavor that only significant companies or wealthy individuals can pursue : room design and proper treatment . The first thing is to accept that no matter how hard you try ; your room will still have problems . While working at the old Phase One Studios in Toronto , two of our multi-million-dollar rooms had many issues left unresolved . Even with the sonic imperfections , all of the engineers who worked in those studios regularly knew what the deficiencies were and , in being aware , were able to compensate . When designing your room , remember that perfection is impossible , but as long as you ’ re aware of the issues , you can work around them .
There are a lot of excellent prefabricated options for room treatments . One of the most popular brands is Primacoustic . They sell packaged sets for walls and clouds that are incredibly easy to install and will get you up and running in an afternoon . The biggest downside with the prefabricated panels is that they ’ re not specifically designed for your room , so while they will help , they ’ ll only ever go so far and look so good . Cost-wise , I find
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