The relationship between musician and recording studio has always been a little uneasy. Rock and roll music, especially, with its dark and vibrant energy, brash creativity, and cocky bravado seems at odds with the sedate, regimentally scheduled, and sanitary world of the recording studio. Until the 1990s, the equipment and expertise required for sound recording meant that aside from the fortunate few who could afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a professional home studio, most artists remained married to the commercial studio.
But in the last 10 years, everything has changed. With the digital revolution, recording became cheaper – computers cost less than $1,500 and versions of Pro Tools are available for under $500 – and easier, spurring the development of both indie bands and indie studios, sometimes so indie they were in the artists’ bedrooms or living rooms. And while the beginning years of the shift were a little rocky, home recording isn’t only for techies and teenagers messing around with drum loops anymore.
However, the most important question remains—is it for you?
Aside from the general satisfaction of doing something yourself, there is one major advantage to most things DIY—they’re cheap, or at least cheaper. Most musicians and record labels agree that this is one of home recording’s most attractive features.
“For just under $2,000 you can make recordings that sound really good,” said Alec Watson, a Canadian producer/engineer who has engineered over 1,000 demos for Sony and Ten Ten Music Group and recorded groups like Great Big Sea.
Although many indie artists manage to keep recording costs under $20,000, it’s not uncommon for studio-recorded albums to balloon to more than $200,000. Even established artists and industry professionals say that the money makes an enormous difference, as studio time comes with the pressure of constantly being on the clock.
“Doing it at home gave me the freedom to take as much time as I needed, to not feel pressure. It was easier and more laid back and I could concentrate on making the record without the clock ticking,” said Che Arthur, a singer/songwriter and sound recordist.
“For just under $2,000 you can make recordings that sound really good.”- Alec Watson
Money is, of course, only one of home recording’s benefits, and artists do it for a variety of other reasons.
“I’ve been spending more money than if I were renting professional studios and paying good engineers,” said Paride Lanciani, guitarist for Instrumental Quarter and Kash. “However, I love my machines. I really don’t think an artist chooses home recording just to save money, but because it can give him more opportunities to research his art and sound.”
“For any given song there’s going to be a million different ways you could arrange it—at home you can try each one,” said Watson.
For Lanciani, it was all about getting the right sounds — he explained them to engineers, but he was never satisfied by the results until he found out how to make them himself.
However, one of the major downsides of home recording is that virtuosic performances are not guaranteed to become virtuosic CDs. Though the quality and user-friendliness of today’s technologies don’t require a degree in sound engineering to make great recordings, musicians say that it takes time and a fair amount of trial and error before they sound relatively professional.
Even after you’ve mastered (or at least tamed) your gear, you still have to be a diligent engineer throughout the recording process.
“When you go to the studio, an engineer will make sure that all the equipment is perfect,” said Lanciani. “At home, many just don’t put the preparation in. When you have one instrument that’s not quite right, it will set the bar lower, but it’s no big deal. But when you have ten instruments with the bar set a little bit lower, the end product is going to be a lot worse.”
Lanciani also pointed out that even when musicians go professional all the way, they often use different engineers for recording and mixing.
“Setting up a simple home studio and learning how to run it is something that every up-and-coming musician should seriously consider.”
Even though the gear has improved, a major advantage of studio recording is the environment – it’s nearly impossible to duplicate the acoustics of a professional studio at home.
“I tell people not to worry about acoustics,” said Karl Coryat, author of Guerilla Home Recording (Backbeat Books). “Unless you’re going to spend $200,000 making your home acoustically sound, you’re not going to be able to get them.”
However, Coryat added that knowing how to manipulate technology can minimize the loss.
“My book is about ways to cheat that – to get acoustics back electronically.”
Though a decent home studio can be built for between $2,000 and $4,000, the bottom line is that the process is a lot more complicated than setting up a mic and pushing a button. Even devoted home recordists like to visit professional studios now and then.
So, should you become a home recordist? Well, even if you’re not interested in spending the next few years of your musical life becoming a self-taught sound engineer, setting up a simple home studio and learning how to run it is something that every up-and-coming musician should seriously consider. As an unsigned artist, it’s important to take full advantage of all self-promotion tools available, which means having recordings on hand when you perform at concerts and posting songs on your website and MySpace.
For under $5,000, you can make an album that will sound decent, and when it’s done, you’ll still have all the equipment. It will allow you to analyze and critique your playing and you’ll be savvy if and when you do visit a recording studio.
“Absolutely get it,” said Watson, “even if the intention is not to make a record at home. It’s really important to have the tools to critically listen to what you’re doing.”
“I think home recording is really a way for artists to explore more aspects of their art,” said Lanciani.
– Kim Velsey