Building a Small Modern Home Recording Studio – Part 2: The Computer and DAW

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Last week, I introduced this series by laying out the four cornerstones of a small home recording studio; the computer (and the DAW it runs), the audio interface, the microphone, and the monitor speakers / headphones. So this week, let’s take a closer look at the first of these four components…

The Computer

Ideally, you already have one. You might not use it for making music yet, but it’s already very capable. Windows or Mac, any computer can process audio with the right software installed. If you don’t already have one, this is where the overwhelming majority of your money should go – simply because a decent computer is expensive. Don’t worry though, get a good one and it’ll last you a long time, with plenty of capacity for growth and expansion. If you’re looking for a good computer for audio, I highly recommend MacBook Pro. That machine won’t be crapping out under the stress of your software (media processing is an intensive operation), and it will last a long while with minimal maintenance.

MacBook Pro – Seriously, this is the way to go. Tremendous processing power, minimal maintenance, portability… I can’t see a very good reason not to go this route – unless you can’t swing the price tag. I highly recommend this machine because it won’t be buckling under the stress of your software (media processing is a resource-intensive operation) and it will keep up with technological advances for several years with minimal maintenance.

You could go the Windows route and manage a PC with comparable specs, but you’ll save a few hundred dollars at the cost of stability. Hate me if you want, but in my experience PC’s running Windows are incredibly finicky and unstable. Still, if you want to go this route, I suggest the following:

• Get the fastest processor you can afford. Quad-core processors are excellent.
• Get at least 16GB of RAM.
• Get as much memory as you can stuff into the box. Audio files are huge. You will be making tons of them. You need a place to put them.
• Make sure you have plenty of USB ports. You need them to plug in all your peripherals, as well as the audio interface.

The Mac vs. Windows debate is as old as silicon valley and there really is no objective right answer. It’s no secret that I land on the Mac side of the debate, but I have a good friend who swears by Windows. Either way, you’ll get to the same place — original recorded music.

The DAW

This is the program you will run in order to record and process your audio. The DAW is your workbench. It is your “tape recorder,” your mixing desk, and all of the processing tools you need to create a professional recording. This is where you’ll be spending all of your time, so try a few out and see which one feels most comfortable for you. Each DAW has its own strengths and weaknesses, but any of them can produce professional-grade records.

GarageBand — This has to be the best entry-level DAW for the simple facts that it is A. free, and B. pre-installed on all Mac products. If you have a Macbook, you have GarageBand. It’s limited in its abilities compared to many other DAWs out there, but that’s because it is actually the freeware version of Logic Pro X – a highly regarded DAW from Apple. And it’s completely free.

Audacity –This is a free daw available for PC and Mac. It works quite well, but the interface is clunky and difficult, and it’s the equivalent of reaching for a sword when you might be better served by just a knife. I use it for simple operations like merging and cropping audio files. However I wouldn’t recommend it as a primary DAW — there are many other more user-friendly programs out there. Still, it’s completely free – and for a PC user unwilling to spend any money in this department, this one’s for you.

Reaper – This DAW is largely thought of as “the free DAW,” but a license will still run you about $60. I personally don’t have much experience with it, but Kieran Krebs – an Austin-based producer and mix engineer I worked with recently – swears by it. And he’s not the only one; Reaper is hugely popular for a reason. It’s worth a look-see.

Logic Pro X — As I mentioned before, Logic Pro X is actually the full version of GarageBand. It comes fully loaded with high-quality stock plugins and excellent software instruments. One particularly neat trick this one has is called “Drummer,” which allows you to add a virtual drummer of various styles and intricacy to your tracks – a huge plus for solo singer/songwriter types. This one will run you about $200. That may sound like a lot, but it’s less than 1/8 the cost of other premium DAWs on the market today.

Ableton Live – Not for the faint of heart, Ableton Live is excellent software if you plan on tackling electronic and sample-heavy genres. It’ esoteric design make it less than ideal for the singer/songwriter, though the “Session View” is a great sketchpad for composition. This is what I use, and I love it – but it did take me a few months to get it to work for me. And I’m still learning every day. You can find a limited version of it bundled with many peripherals available — Novation’s Launch series and Akai’s MPK series to name a few — so give it a shot and see if you like the workflow.

There are several other DAWs available, but they are either highly priced or decidedly not user-friendly. There is no need to spring for Pro Tools yet, buddy. Practice your craft first.

Conclusion

This is but the first of the four pillars of a home recording studio. Next time, I’ll go over the second — the audio interface. Until then, do a little extra research and poke around with a few. You’ll thank yourself when you find one that works easily for you!

-AudioMunk

Here are links to the remaining parts of this series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 3: Audio Interfaces and Microphones
Part 4: Monitoring