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This article originally appeared on Performer Magazine.
I've been involved in the music industry for 10 years, and it all started with the dangerous combination of being in an indie band and going to a recording school at the same time. I knew just enough to get my band famously terrible independent recordings that eventually led to better recordings that led to incredible recordings once we finally got a proper record contract and budget. I've learned a lot along that journey, and producing out of the comfort of a spare bedroom has never been more enjoyable and creative for me.
Be mobile
I've recorded so many bits and pieces on site while traveling and winging it. Half of these sessions make it on the final recording. With a budget. Why? The take beats the space. The first lesson is that being mobile is more important than that tricked-out Trash Can Mac Tower. I know multiple Grammy award-winning producers who are tracking in the back of tour buses with killer bands because that's the availability of the working musician today. I know multiple guys who have a travel kit that contains an API Lunchbox and a MacBook. My three-year-old MacBook has upgraded everything, and I'm nowhere near running out of DSP. Being portable creates more possibilities. And who doesn't like multiple revenue streams?
Function over form
Do not spend money on looks to make your space better until you have all the gear to sound incredible. I've tracked vocals in functional closets that ended up charting on the radio. It's not about aesthetics; it's about how good it sounds when you push play. The chain in that particular closet was a Reflexion filter to kill the closet, a tube condenser, a BAE 1073 clone, and UAD plugins. The closet was the least important piece of that chain. The song was number one, the producer number two, the singer number three, the gear number four, the space dead last.
Less is more
In terms of inputs. I don't know a single producer in Nashville who tracks drums in-house. They might track some auxiliary percussion or use a couple extra inputs here and there, but I don't know anyone who really uses much more than two killer inputs at a time. Put your money where you track most and focus on one (maybe two, tops) great musical mic chains. Rent a space for your drums. The reason you can't get killer drum tones is because you're competing with studios that have invested $500K+ into their gear and space and work in that environment every day tweaking their tones. Why in the world would you want to try and replicate that? Rent the space. And find a killer studio drummer to have on call if the one in the band sucks.
Don't do too much
The best recordings you're trying to compete with are done by multiple people who are all better than you, so why are you trying to be a Swiss Army Knife? As a guy who's a natural control freak, I have to limit myself on each project. If I'm producing, I will not mix/master. If I'm the mix guy, I will not do any production work until my mix is money, and only if the song really needs it. I will not be involved in mastering unless I'm getting a two-mix, etc. If the best guys in the industry won't touch multiple parts of the process, why do you think you can? I know it's all related to budget, but you aren't getting better gigs because your beauty reel sounds one-dimensional. Suck it up, and make pennies on a few projects to be able to afford proper mix/master. The quality will start to show up, and the quality of clients will start to show up! And who here wants a better vocalist to track on their next project? This guy.
Final home-studio purchase hierarchy
Here's the order in which I've purchased my gear over the years. It's not perfect, it certainly had humble beginnings, and please don't do it all the same way, but it'll give you an idea of where to start/where the priorities should go. Keep in mind I had no money; I was in an indie band! And I'm a producer, so I lean more towards having toys vs. having mics.
- PC laptop
- Pro Tools LE and Mbox
- Focusrite pres! Woo!
- Sony-Pro headphones
- Cheap condenser mic (mine was an AT4040)
- Waves Diamond Bundle
- Melodyne (critical for any serious pop production)
- External hard drive for backup
- More cheap mics – small diaphragm condenser, dynamic, FET
- Reflexion Filter (my space sucks, this helps)
- Waves CLA Vocals plugin
This is where I essentially started over
- UAD Apollo
- MacBook Pro
- Studio Speakers (Tannoy Reveals)
- Latest Pro Tools
- Native Instruments (not ultimate!)
- 3rd party unique instrument packs
- Upgrade RAM
- Nicer mics – ribbon, tube condenser vocal mic
- Acoustic paneling (bought most of these third party)
- Third-party plugins – UAD plugs (Unison NEVE!), Plugin Alliance, Addictive Drums
Next on the wish list
- Upgrade Native Instruments
- Solid state hard drive
- More third-party plugins
- Possibly an analog mic pre, but I do love the UAD Unison. Just want something crazy warm…
There it is. If I had to do it all over, I'd start with the UAD Apollo, MacBook, and Sony Pros. Then again, UAD didn’t exist when I started. Some trial and error here, but I'm getting to a good place creatively. I have a couple great inputs, a bunch of toys and candy that keep me fresh and musical, and definitely last, a fairly dead space that is appealing and inviting to clients. Happy creating!
Up next:
- How to Set Up Your Recording Studio Environment for Creativity
- 7 Must-Haves for Session Musicians Recording at Home
- Your Home Recording Studio: How to Keep Your Sessions on Track
- How to Create Your Own DIY Recording Studio
Jon Lewis is the lead singer/songwriter for the Minneapolis band Hyland and now produces projects out of his home in Nashville. Follow him on Twitter at @HylandJon.
