These come in a variety of different sizes and models with affordable prices ranging from £250 and up. Our picks for entry-level speakers are KRK Rokits. As mentioned before, the perfect triangle between each speaker and yourself is desired and leaving some space between the back wall and your speakers will help counter any muddy bass congestion. Studio monitors come in all shapes, sizes and designs and dependent on the size of your home studio it’s always important to consider the size and placement of your speaker set up. The Universal Audio Apollo Twin MK II is our top pick for the mid-range spectrum. If you have a mid-budget you’re looking at £500 – £1000. It’s the best quality, easy to use and is sturdily built for the price you pay. Although there are lots of interfaces to choose from, our top pick for a beginner is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
Is it just listening to your track? Is it recording? If so – what are you recording? Do you need to connect a microphone, synth or another piece of hardware and do you want more than one connected simultaneously? Make sure to do some research into your interface before you purchase and look into the sample rate – a better sample rate will have better sound definition. Think about what you actually want to use the interface for. When choosing an audio interface/soundcard it’s always good to note how many inputs/outputs you have or want to work with.
On an entry-level budget, you can still get solid equipment that will give you a professional sound. Monitoring your sound is extremely important when producing music. GarageBand also comes free with a MacBook Pro. Prices vary but you won’t find yourself spending more than £150 – £250 on Logic with Ableton, our DAW of choice, coming in at £319 or £539. Despite what you choose, they all come bundled with lots of soft-synths, drum hits and plugin tools (reverbs, EQs, Delays etc.) to get you started.
Your DAW of choice will vary depending on what works best for you. There is a variety of fantastic DAW’s on the market for you to take your pick from including Ableton, Logic, GarageBand, Pro Tools, FL Studio, Cubase, Reason, and more but keep in mind depending on your computer some of these will only be accessible to Mac users (ie Logic and Garageband). If you’re new to music production, a DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation and will serve as your main computer program to build beats, chop samples, record audio and MIDI. There is a variety of fantastic DAW’s on the market for you to take your pick from. Having a laptop will allow you to make beats on the go and take your tracks to other studios as well as DJ with various software. iMac’s are great for home studios and are priced at £1200 however we’d suggest going with a MacBook Pro for circa £1250.
A PC Laptop with good specs is around £800 – £1200 with a desktop equivalent coming in at about £700 – £1300.
Considering the processor speed and RAM of your computer is important, whether you’re using a PC or Mac you’ll also need a good amount of hardware space. This is the brain of your studio and can be used to record MIDI, audio, mix your tracks and more.
Nowadays, a computer loaded with software and plugins is the central point of a home studio set up. Bass traps are handy, but if you’re not in the position to buy and mount these fixtures, a sofa or shelves with books behind you can work as a handy substitute. An equilateral triangle between you and the speakers is the perfect shape for your gear as it puts you in the prime position for playback. When setting up your desk it’s always good to keep space between your speakers and the walls. This is cost-effective and handy for creating music in a comfortable and familiar space. Like many producers, you will probably begin creating your first set-up in your bedroom. The Roomįirst things first, you’ll need a good space to set up your studio in.
Plus, we’re currently offering 10% off our popular online diplomas until 30th November using the code DIP10 – so there’s no better time to sign up than now.
If you’re passionate about working in the studio why not enrol on a Point Blank course? We offer programmes in Music Production & Sound Engineering, Mixing & Mastering as well as DJing. This includes the basics from a step by step guide to a roundup of some key, affordable pieces of equipment every producer should have in their studio’s armory. Below, to help you along with this process, we’ve created a handy guide to setting up your home studio. But, If you’re a bit stuck on how to get started, that’s fine – we were all there at some stage. Building beats is great fun and setting up a creative studio space to call your own can be just as rewarding. You’re probably here because you’re keen to start channelling your creative skills into the world of music production and beyond.