Studio equipment: how to build a home studio at a good price
What a home studio consists of
The minimum for recording is an audio interface, a microphone, headphones, studio monitors and cables. Add a mic stand, a pop filter, acoustic treatment for the room, a MIDI keyboard, a mixer and external preamps. You don't have to buy everything at once: the main thing is not to buy extras and not to get the basics wrong.
The audio interface is the heart of the system
It turns sound into digital data. Look at the number of inputs, 48 V phantom power for condenser microphones, the output for headphones and monitors, and the connection type (USB, Thunderbolt). For recording vocals at home two inputs are often enough, for example a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. If you want to record several instruments at once, you need more channels, as in models with 4 inputs or more.
Microphones and monitors
A condenser microphone is more sensitive and better for vocals and acoustic instruments, but it needs phantom power and a quiet room. A dynamic microphone is less sensitive but tougher and picks up less room noise, so it is used for loud sources and live shows. Choose monitors by room size: a small space does not need big 8 inch monitors, and 5 inch ones are often better. They are sold as a pair, so write “a pair of monitors” in your request.
Room acoustics matter more than the gear
Even expensive monitors sound bad in an empty room with bare walls. Simple acoustic panels, a blanket or a wardrobe full of clothes behind the vocalist already reduce echo. Closed-back headphones help you record without the microphone picking up the sound leaking from them. XLR cables must be balanced and long enough. So think ahead about how to split your budget between the gear and treating the room.
What to put in your request
- what exactly — audio interface, microphone, monitors, headphones;
- model, for example Focusrite Scarlett 2i2;
- specifications — number of inputs, phantom power, connection type;
- purpose — vocal recording, podcasts, streaming;
- condition — new or used;
- quantity — for example, a pair of monitors;
- budget and delivery city.
Example: “I need a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface or similar, with phantom power, for recording vocals at home, new. Kowloon, courier delivery, budget up to HK$1,900.”
How BlaBlaPrice helps
Write a request on the home page and sellers of studio equipment send offers in the chat: what exactly, price, warranty, delivery. They can see where they stand among the others and compete for your request. It is free for buyers and your phone number stays hidden. Details are on the “How it works” page.
For live sound, see combo amplifiers, and for creativity, synthesisers. Look for cables, stands and other small items among musical instrument accessories.
