Building a Small Modern Home Recording Studio – Part 4: Monitoring

The following article contains affiliate links from which I may receive compensation at no cost to you. Audiomunk only recommends quality products from reputable retailers.

Here we are — the fourth and final pillar of the home recording studio. Previously, we covered the rest of the essentials: the computer and DAW; and the audio interface and microphone. In the final part of the series, we look at monitoring. Because if you can’t hear what you’re doing, why do it at all?

The Speakers

Obviously to produce music, you need to hear what you’re doing. Specifically, you need to hear how your music actually sounds.

Conventional consumer-level speakers have a built-in EQ curve so they sound “nice” to the average person. As a music producer, you do not want this in your speakers. You want a speaker with a flat response across the frequency spectrum. This is why we have reference monitors. This class of speaker is engineered to respond evenly across the audio spectrum. Consequently, they are more expensive than your average media center speakers. Top-shelf reference monitors demand a monstrous price, but fortunately there are more affordable options available.

 Mackie CR3 – These are Mackie’s bottom tier monitors. They’re reference monitors, but they’re geared toward a consumer level market – dabblers and the like. That said, this is a good starting point because they go for about $100 for a pair. You may be trading up sooner rather than later if you get into it, but they’re perfect on a budget. Throw in an extra $50 and you get a 4” woofer (CR-4) rather than a 3”.

M-Audio BX4BT – Roughly twice the price as the Mackie CR series, these monitors are a step up in terms of quality. The linked model also features an option for Bluetooth connectivity. There are several models of this speaker — some are available at retailers, some are available on the used market. Either way, I suggest this as a better starting point than the Mackies listed above. I had a pair of older models (BX5’s), and they weren’t bad at all.

KRK Rockit Series (Discontinued) – If you want to drop $300 on a pair of monitors, you may want to also check out the Rockits from KRK. I use a pair of old KRK monitors (V6s – before Rockits were around) and they still – in 2024 – work phenomenally well for me. These have response adjustment and XLR connections, and the Rockit 6s have 6” woofers. The cheapest in this line are a little pricier than BX5’s, but these are good sounding speakers that reach out of the amateur price range and into the realm of real quality pro gear.

The Headphones

But if I already have speakers, why do I need headphones?

Aside from obviously needing them if you plan on working late into the night, headphones are necessary for recording with your microphone. If you push that record button with your speakers on… well, you’ll make that mistake eventually. The feedback loop between the speakers and the microphone will hurt – a lot. And possibly damage your equipment if you’re not careful.

That said, you don’t need the priciest headphones to get started. What you’re looking for is a nice, affordable pair of closed-back, full-ear headphones. You can get a decent pair for under $100.

Musicians Gear MG900 (Discontinued) – You really can’t beat this price. $20 gets you exactly what I just described; closed-back, full-ear headphones. There are many better headphones out there, but these are great for starting out, as they will get the job done.

AKG K92 – These are similar to the MG900, but of much higher quality. It’s safe to say they would likely sound better, although I have never A/B’ed them. But you get what you pay for in the pro audio world, and these will run you about $60.

Sennheiser HD280 Pro – I can speak to the quality of these headphones because I own a pair. I use these in the studio as well as on sound and DJ gigs, and they always deliver. They’re comfortable on your ears and while they are not the most portable headphones, I don’t find them so cumbersome in a studio setting.

A Note on Cabling…

Okay – so you have all the pieces: the computer with a DAW, the interface, the microphone and the speakers. But they don’t work yet.

Why?
Because you need to connect them to each other!

This section is brief because if you are just starting off, you will likely need three types of cables: XLR, TRS and USB. Count the number of connections you will be using and buy cables for each connection.

Example:
For the basic setup we have conceived, which is geared toward a solo singer/songwriter, you will need a grand total of three XLR cables (assuming your monitors have XLR jacks), and one USB cable (which should be in the box with your interface).

For more on essential cables in the studio, check out my previous article on audio cable types.

Conclusion

And with that, we conclude our series on building a small home recording studio. With this four part series, you are equipped with the fundamental knowledge needed to effectively purchase and put together your own private recording studio!

Remember that audio production is an art in and of itself – a very technical art that has been honed by the brightest minds in audio for a century. That said, don’t be discouraged if your first recordings don’t sound like the stuff you hear on the radio — you will get there with practice and determination.

You are taking your first step into a larger world; have faith in yourself and your abilities. Take pride in your accomplishments. Press onward and create something worth hearing.

Good luck!

-AudioMunk

Here are links to the remaining parts of this series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: The Computer and the DAW
Part 3: Audio Interfaces and Microphones