Starting a recording studio - Bonus Lesson - The Billie Eilish Legacy and The System Core
In today's industry, we do not have to blow our bank account to be able to build our first recording studio. With the technological advancements on music and sound of the past decade, anybody can make a record from the comfort of their bed. Today, the recording revolution is at its peak, and the big recording studios are starting to fade away. The heavy and expensive equipment are becoming some type of nostalgia that is just a cool thing to have. Vintage recording equipment reminds me of buying vintage cars. I love my original 1960s LA2A compressor as much as I love the 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Vintage is just the new cool, but what is cool maybe also expensive.
There is a vast world of recording and music equipment out there, and it could be very overwhelming to decide what is the right gear for you, especially if you are just starting. Probably, you are asking questions like, Do I need a compressor? What's a compressor? Can I use my gaming headset as a microphone? How much money do I need? all of these questions are fair, and I am here to help you decide.
During the 2020 Grammys, Billie Eilish swept the 2020 Grammys taking all four major awards. Her bedroom studio where those hits were created cost less than $3,000 to put together. Eilish’s success proves you don’t need access to a top-notch studio to create today’s biggest hits. Instead, Eilish works with her brother Finneas O’Connell from a small bedroom studio in their parent's home. This new home studio trend is inspiring many to venture into the music creation world.
The list below shows the equipment that Finneas used to create Billie's hits.
If you look at Finneas setup, he is following what I call the "the system core" of a recording studio. The system core is made of 4 parts. A input transducer, a bridge, a recording and processing stage, and an output transduser. Every recording studio no mater how big or small follows this rule.
An input transducer will be any device that transforms Acoustical energy into electrical energy, in our case any microphone will be our IT. A "RP"(Recording/Processing) stage is basically our computer, but it could be any device that has the capability to record, store, and process information. In our case, the computer does all of that in one package. Back in the day, studios had tape machines and long rack systems to process all the audio information. Technology has made our lives so much easier, so we have a full RP power in just a small package. An output transducer is basically the opposite of a input transducer, it turns electrical energy into acoustical energy. In our case the output transducer will be our speakers or headphones. Lastly, a bridge is a device that shares audio information between all of our devices, and that job is done by our Audio Interface.
So what do we need?
Finneas O' Connell has a very simple setup, he follows the rule of the systems core. This proves that we don't need to break our bank to get our recording studio started. There are a vast amount of different options out there. Focusrite makes a 2 Channel audio interface for $99US, and if you are lucky you can find it for much less. I know of people that started with a budget as low as $150US and covered everything in the list. Keep in mind that they already own a computer and GarageBand is free. Also, there are recording bundles that come with everything you need, some even have a brand sticker. You must do your research and make a list of the things you need that fit your budget.
Use the list below as a template to see what you need to build your recording studio.
Finneas O' Connell Studio List.
Your List
In this video I show you some of the gear I recommend to get your recording studio started.
Here is a bundle that I feel is a good start for anyway getting into the recording world.
FOCUSRITE RECORDING BUNDLE (LINK)
There is a vast world of recording and music equipment out there, and it could be very overwhelming to decide what is the right gear for you, especially if you are just starting. Probably, you are asking questions like, Do I need a compressor? What's a compressor? Can I use my gaming headset as a microphone? How much money do I need? all of these questions are fair, and I am here to help you decide.
"The Eilish legacy"
During the 2020 Grammys, Billie Eilish swept the 2020 Grammys taking all four major awards. Her bedroom studio where those hits were created cost less than $3,000 to put together. Eilish’s success proves you don’t need access to a top-notch studio to create today’s biggest hits. Instead, Eilish works with her brother Finneas O’Connell from a small bedroom studio in their parent's home. This new home studio trend is inspiring many to venture into the music creation world.
The list below shows the equipment that Finneas used to create Billie's hits.
- Yamaha HS5 Nearfield Monitors — $200
- Yamaha H8S Subwoofer — $450
- Universal Audio Apollo 8 — $1,000-$2,000 (depending on if used or new)
- Apple Logic Pro X — $199
- Audio Technica AT2020 Mic — $99
SO...
What equipment do you need to start your home recording studio?
"The System Core"
If you look at Finneas setup, he is following what I call the "the system core" of a recording studio. The system core is made of 4 parts. A input transducer, a bridge, a recording and processing stage, and an output transduser. Every recording studio no mater how big or small follows this rule.
An input transducer will be any device that transforms Acoustical energy into electrical energy, in our case any microphone will be our IT. A "RP"(Recording/Processing) stage is basically our computer, but it could be any device that has the capability to record, store, and process information. In our case, the computer does all of that in one package. Back in the day, studios had tape machines and long rack systems to process all the audio information. Technology has made our lives so much easier, so we have a full RP power in just a small package. An output transducer is basically the opposite of a input transducer, it turns electrical energy into acoustical energy. In our case the output transducer will be our speakers or headphones. Lastly, a bridge is a device that shares audio information between all of our devices, and that job is done by our Audio Interface.
So what do we need?
Finneas O' Connell has a very simple setup, he follows the rule of the systems core. This proves that we don't need to break our bank to get our recording studio started. There are a vast amount of different options out there. Focusrite makes a 2 Channel audio interface for $99US, and if you are lucky you can find it for much less. I know of people that started with a budget as low as $150US and covered everything in the list. Keep in mind that they already own a computer and GarageBand is free. Also, there are recording bundles that come with everything you need, some even have a brand sticker. You must do your research and make a list of the things you need that fit your budget.
Use the list below as a template to see what you need to build your recording studio.
Finneas O' Connell Studio List.
- Input transducer: Audio Technica AT2020.
- Output transducer: Yamaha HS5 pair and H8S sub.
- Bridge: Universal Audio Apollo 8.
- Recording and Processing stage: Logic Pro X running on a Mac.
Your List
- Input transducer: Microphone
- Output transducer: Speakers or Headphones
- Bridge: Audio Interface
- Recording and Processing stage : Computer with DAW
In this video I show you some of the gear I recommend to get your recording studio started.
I hope you enjoy.
Angel De Luna.
Here is a bundle that I feel is a good start for anyway getting into the recording world.
FOCUSRITE RECORDING BUNDLE (LINK)
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