Other software options If you choose not to go the Pro Tools route, there are many additional options you can consider, well within any budget. Apple's built-in GarageBand software is fully capable of multitrack recording, although the mixdown options are somewhat limited. If you have a recent Mac with OS X, GarageBand is many times included for free. Apple's Logic software is quickly gaining a reputation for great quality multitrack work as well. Other software packages include Cakewalk and Cubase. One thing to remember is that it's very easy to over-buy when getting started. Stick to something that's intuitive when you're just starting out and that will have the ability to expand as you do over time. The other gear Once you've selected your interface and software, it's time to procure the other things you'll need. How "fancy" your equipment is depends on your budget and needs. At the very least, you need a microphone and monitoring speakers. Which microphone you select, again, depends on your needs and what interface you're using. If you're not using an external interface which includes a microphone connection, you'll want a microphone that's either self-powered or USB powered. Mics like the Samson C01U ($299) simply plug in to your USB port. A good starter microphone like the Audio-Technica AT2020 ($99) or the Shure SM57 ($99). Both are perfect for instruments and vocals. From there, it's up to you what you want and what you can afford. I use the Blue Mic Spark, great microphone, I pre-amp it with a Presonus Studio Channel. Monitoring speakers serve a very important purpose: allowing you to hear well and mix your project to the very best. Choose something within your budget that sounds the best to your ears; your local music store should be able to help you audition the speakers in a controlled environment before purchase. From the Sony MDR-7506 monitor headphones ($99), M-Audio BX5a ($299/pair) to the JBL Nearfield Monitors ($2400/pair), there should be something that works perfectly for you in every price range. My current speaker configuration consist of 2 KRK Rok-it 5’s Active. I will soon be adding a pair of 8’s and a single 10 to complete my frequency analysis.

The Interface The first two things to consider are your software and your interface options. Your recording interface is, simply, the piece of hardware you connect your computer to in order to record. There's a lot of options, and all of them are better than using your internal microphone! I use the Focusrite Sapphire Pro 24 DSP as my INTERFACE. Pro Tools vs. everything else Digidesign's Pro Tools software suite is the standard of almost every major commercial and project studio in the world, and with good reason. Pro Tools is highly stable, offers limitless expansion, and the industry-standard compatibility means you can start a project in your home studio and quickly take it to almost any studio in the world for completion. For most of the tutorials here, I'll be referencing Pro Tools because of its widespread use. Pro Tools comes in three versions: M-Powered, for use with lower-cost M-Audio interfaces; LE, which is designed for use with the MBox and Digi 003 products; and HD, which is meant for use with higher-end systems. When using Pro Tools, it's necessary to work with a compatible interface. Pro Tools M-Powered is a fantastic version of Pro Tools that's designed to work with many of M-Audio's less expensive interfaces; the software alone will run you close to $250, but it's well worth it. You can use M-Powered Pro Tools with interfaces such as the M-Audio Fast Track Pro ($349). Pro Tools LE requires the purchase of either the Digidesign MBox 2 ($450 new, less if purchased used) or the Digi 003 ($2195)/Digi 003-Rack ($1369). Pro Tools 9 was just released and it doesn’t require you to use any of their proprietary gear anymore. So that means you don’t have to have a digi 003 or a HD System, or even a mbox. I actually use Steinberg Cubase 5 for my recording

Choose your medium The first thing to figure out when setting up your home studio is what you wish to record to. Do you plan on recording with a computer, or with a stand-alone recording device like a digital multitrack? Each way has it's advantages and disadvantages; however, the most bang-for-the-buck today is computer recording, especially if your computer was made anytime in the last few years. If you aren't computer-savvy, consider a product like the Fostex MR-16HD ($399), an all-in-one digital recorder capable of recording four tracks simultaneously, and mixing up to sixteen tracks per session. If you're going for a computer-based interface, the options are limitless. The most popular interfaces are FireWire interfaces by manufacturers like M-Audio and Presonus. The things to look for when selecting an interface are pretty basic: at least two microphone inputs with preamps (which allow you to plug in high-quality microphones and use them without a mixer), speaker and headphone outputs, and of course, compatibility with your current system. From there, choose whichever software you wish to use. I record on a Quad Core Pentium 4 with 500 GBs internal and 1TB external and I also have 2 monitors (screens) setup. 36 inch and 22 inch

Select your space The Basics... Large commercial studios are not only expensive to build, but they're expensive to use. A lot of the difference between large studios and home studios isn't the basic equipment. In fact, the gap between home and commercial studio equipment is closing in every day; it's the acoustic space. Some studios are world-famous not for their equipment or engineers, but for their acoustic space. With some exceptions, most studios aren't famous for their console of which version of Pro Tools they run, since most studios use standard equipment. Any good engineer will tell you, a great space allows the engineer to utilize the space itself in making the recording sound good. Creating a great space is harder in the home studio; chances are, your bedroom or basement wasn't designed with a recording studio environment in mind. In this article, you'll learn the basics of acoustics and how you can have your studio sound as good as possible. Choosing Your Space When selecting and setting up a room for your home studio, your goal should be to use a room that's as neutral as possible. When recording, you want what you record to be the best representation of what is being played. That being said, you also want a room that's accurate when you're mixing and listening. A room that's neutral is very important. You want to minimize recording the room itself, and when you're mixing, you don't want to be mixing to compensate for the room. Many times, with poor acoustics, you'll get a lot of reflections in your recording that distract from the material at hand. This isn't always a bad thing; sometimes, when recording drums or other "large" sounding instruments, adding a little bit of "air" is a good thing. However, it's not always preferable -- especially with vocals and acoustic instruments. A room with carpeting is your best bet; if you have hardwood floors, you'll want to add rugs or carpeting to your recording space to help even out the sound. The goal is to minimize reflections of the soundwaves while recording, and to keep the room from favoring a certain frequency range. Treating your walls If you're dedicated to recording in a specific room, it's probably time to add some acoustic treatment to your walls to help with your sound quality. Typically, you'll want to focus on two types of acoustic treatment: absorbers and bass traps. Absorption treatment minimizes reflections by absorbing them, thus not reflecting back at you, and into your recording microphone. This is necessary because as the first reflection hits the wall, the second reflection will come back and cause noise in your recording that's not desirable. Minimizing reflections into your recording is the name of the game, and foam treatments are usually the best course of action; larger studios and performance spaces can install larger fiberglass panels. For the home user, companies like Auralex offer one-box solutions for absorption. You'll find that affixing acoustically-rated foam in the areas where first reflections typically strike will help clean up your acoustics a great deal. One thing to remember: not all foam treatments will absorb. Some cheaper foams, like typical "egg crate" foam, can sometimes actually increase your reflective area. Also, you can't paint acoustic foam -- painting creates a surface that can reflect just as badly as a solid wall. Also, any foam you select should be fireproof and rated as such; other, less expensive foams, can light up like a candle given the right situation. Bass traps are a more complicated subject; however, in their basic design, bass traps kill both standing waves and low frequency buildup. Standing waves are waves that cause a resonating sound in the room, and it's important to kill them before they become a problem. Bass buildup in corners of a room can also be a huge

It's seriously never been cheaper to start your own home recording studio. Having a limited budget for your home studio doesn't have to mean inferior recordings! In fact, believe it or not, there's some really amazing recordings that were made on a strict budget and without the "latest and greatest" in recording technology. Simple is sometimes better Before agonizing over not being able to afford the latest multitrack recording or highest-input Pro Tools system, consider this: some of music's most amazing recordings were made on systems with limited options. Consider one recording that I use when teaching multi-track recording: Marvin Gaye's epic hit, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This recording was made in a recording studio on only a four-track recorder; in total, four tracks were recorded to make this epic song, and it was good instruments, good microphones, and even better musicians that came together to make this recording -- no Pro Tools editing, no Auto Tune, and no 24-bit sampling. My point is this: if you're confident about what you're recording, and you've got great chops on your instrument, it doesn't matter how you record; you'll still have a product you'll be happy with. And if you take some time to put together the perfect recording rig for your budget, you can offer the best representation of your talents, even with limited spending.