KANISHK JOSHIPURA
Home Studio Essentials : Everything You Need For a Pro Level Setup At Home
Since the start of the pandemic , and the lockdown and isolation that accompanied it , people have been getting into music production more than ever . If you ’ re someone who wants to get into making music right away but is under a budget , don ’ t worry , we ’ ve got you covered . Without further ado , let ’ s get started with the essentials for a killer home studio :
Headphones Headphones are a great alternative to reference monitors for mixing . Moreover , you need them for tracking your vocals as well . Here are our recommendations for quality headphones under a budget .
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro ( 6699 rupees on Amazon )
Industry Standard - tried and tested by professionals
Flat sound signature ensures an honest mix
Extremely sturdy build - will last you a long time
Known to be generally very comfortable for most users .
Audio Interface Your laptop doesn ’ t have a good enough sound card to record and process high-quality recording . So , an audio interface is basically a sound card that can record highquality audio files . You ’ ll also need an audio interface to power up your condenser microphone .
ATH M40X ( 8459 rupees on Amazon )
The younger , lesser known brother of the fan favourite ATH M50X
Perfect pair for casual listening apart from mixing
Bass heavy , but can capture details extremely well
Sturdy build
Known to be generally very comfortable
Detachable cable for added convenience ; perfect for you if you ’ re bad with wires and constantly break your headphones .
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro ( 14,000 rupees on amazon )
Can give a strong competition to headphones way beyond their price range .
With a neutral sound signature , their accuracy remains unparalleled .
Great upgrade over the M40Xs , if you ’ re willing to spend a little bit more .
Dome-like ear cup shape gives them a much wider soundstage than the rest .
Perform very well in the build category with their hard plastic form factor .
Extremely comfortable ; most people will be able to use this in their home studio for hours on end .
M-Audio M-Track Solo ( 4699 Rupees on Amazon )
Perfect for a starter and if you do not want to get into intense and heavy production right away
Sample Rate - 24-bit / 48Khz , more than enough for a beginner .
It has one combo XLR ( Mic )/ Line input and one Instrument input , combined with two line outputs for connecting reference monitors / speakers .
Easy to set-up Very portable
Also comes with bundled software like ProTools First , which is a DAW , and other interesting programs like MPC Beats and guitar amp plugins .
Steinberg UR-12 ( 8610 Rupees on Amazon )
If you feel like you need more than the standard 24-bit / 48Khz that the M-Track offers , the Steinberg UR-12 is something you should definitely consider .
Sample Rate - 24bit / 192Khz , the highest quality out there .
Just like the M-Track Solo , it has one Dual XLR / Line input and an instrument input , combined with two line outputs for speakers .
Bundled with it comes Cubase LE , which is the starter version of Steinberg ’ s very own DAW .
If your aim is serious production , this is the one to start from .
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