6 Products You’ll Need to Build a Perfect Home Studio

Moog Audio breaks down the bare essentials

As I’m sure you’ve already figured out, the art of producing music in this day and age inherently requires a boatload of tools and gadgets. You know you’ll need some of them… but there’s just so many! Well, here at Audio Academy, we understand that trying to build your first studio can be an extremely overwhelming task, which is why we thought we’d give you some guidance to get you moving in the right direction.

We stopped into MOOG AUDIO, a very popular Toronto retailer for top of the line audio/visual technology, to get the low down on the products that will work together to help you build your very own studio masterpiece. Tried, tested and true, we’re about to reveal which SIX items out of the hundreds available are the ones you need to get your hands on if you want your home studio to work for YOU.

1. Computer

If you’re serious about producing, it’s a good idea to invest in a computer that’s specifically designated for music creation and storage. Consider getting a Mac -ideally one with 7200RPM. It’s also important not to cheap out on RAM: the more the better. This will allow you to run more plug-ins and support more samples. Make sure to keep your computer as clean and organized as possible so that it’s able to run at its optimum speed; doing so ensures that you can run multiple tracks at the same time (an extremely important thing in your particular line of business).

2. Software

Our friends at Moog Audio suggest sticking with ABLETON LIVE as your main production software. It’s the fastest and most efficient one on the market and it adapts easily to each producer’s style of composing. If you’ve already got ABLETON LIVE and you’re looking for some add-ons to spice up your life, both ARTURIA SOFTSYNTH and NATIVE INSTRUMENTS are reputable brands for additional instrument sounds.

3. Controller

Once you’re comfortable with your computer and you feel like you’ve mastered ABLETON LIVE, you should consider purchasing a controller. This is going to make your life easier when it comes to controlling chords, bass lines and drums. When shopping for this highly popular addition, consider getting an AKAI MPK KEYBOARD or an APC 40 PAD CONTROLLER. Both of these units are fully integrated with ABLETON LIVE.

4. Audio Interface (a.k.a. Sound Card)

This gadget is a favourite among music producers because it improves sound quality (both going in and coming out), therefore helping you mix and master your own tracks. Brands to look for are RME and APOGEE (MAC only). It’s important to remember that when shopping for sound cards, you need to concentrate on quality over quantity: if 8 in and 8 out isn’t necessary for your set-up, just go for a high-quality 2 in and 2 out interface.

5. Monitors

When you’re making music that’s meant to blast out of speaker stacks, it only makes sense to hear it loud and clear as you create it. Our friends over at Moog Audio raved about ADAM speakers, but they also added that for good quality at a reasonable price, nothing beats KRKs. Have a noise-sensitive neighbor or a parent who thinks techno is just a bunch of noise? Get the next best thing: professional studio monitor headphones. AUDIO TECHNIA ATH-M50s are a great investment as far as headphones go – and so are the SONY MDR 7506s.

6. Synth

Now that you’ve got a solid foundation for a smoothly functioning home-studio, you can add some fun bells and whistles. Synths are great for increasing sound quality and allowing you more physical access to controlling and modifying your sound – plus they look really cool. If this is something that sparks your interest, look for the analog synthesizers made by DAVE SMITH INSTRUMENTS.

So there you have it, the top 6 items that will help you to create your very own efficient and attractive home studio. It’s important to remember, however, that you should look at this task as both an investment and an on-going process, so make sure that you have a sturdy foundation upon which you can continue to build. Cutting corners won’t do you any good, so don’t rush out to get everything at once – your studio should mature right along with your musicality.

What do you think? What are the most important pieces of equipment in your studio? Tell us why!

Nikita Stanley, May 25, 2010

**For prices on any of the products mentioned in this article, please visit www.moogaudio.com or visit one of their 2 locations:

Toronto 442 Queen Street West 416.599.MOOG

Montreal 3832 St. Laurent 514.284.6150

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