5 Essentials for a Home Studio Under EUR 120
If you're at least a little interested in recording audio, you'll come across articles about expensive studio equipment everywhere on the internet. To tell the truth, it's pretty safe to praise a microphone costing tens of hundreds, even without personal experience, because it's very likely that the customer will be happy with it in the end. For that kind of money, it has to sound great! Let's look at it from the opposite end this time. In this article, we'll focus on studio equipment that is not expensive at all.
I'll be writing about things that we often take for granted but they deserve our attention. I will share with you five inexpensive items I have been using in the studio on every recording, and they have served me well for years. They are my workhorses 😊.
1. Shure SM57 microphone – EUR 105
It would be a sad list if it didn't include the SM57 microphone. You'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile microphone on the market for so little money. It's no coincidence that you'll find one in almost every recording studio. It's a time-tested studio standard, so it's simply good to have it in the studio. You can record acoustic guitar, snare, hi-hat, kick drum, toms, guitars and even vocals. I've even heard some very interesting piano recorded on it. With its rugged construction, the SM57 is known for its resistance to shock and damage, making it an ideal choice for live performances. Its ability to withstand harsh treatment is legendary. It is considered one of the best-selling microphones in the world.
The Shure SM57 is simply a demonstration that even at a very reasonable price, you can buy a piece of studio equipment that will probably last forever. You can find a whole host of great sounding recordings on YouTube that were made with this microphone and this microphone alone.
2. Quality tuner – EUR 73
What kind of recording session would it be if the musicians weren't properly tuned before their performance? I have seen a big shift in this area over the last few years. Nowadays, almost every musician comes to the studio with a smile on their face and also with their own tuner. These are usually clip-on tuners that are placed directly on the instrument. But beware, not every tuner is the same. Where some clip-on tuners give you the green light, others are far from satisfied.
The Korg OT-120 chromatic tuner is often met with dissatisfaction, yet it is a remarkably accurate device. It boasts a wide detection range of 8 octaves, allowing you to tune virtually any instrument. You can connect an instrument, like an electric guitar, directly via a line, or tune acoustically thanks to the built-in microphone. The package includes a high-quality soft case that provides reliable protection for the tuner. My Korg OT-120 has served me well for several years, and you won't hear a bad word about it from me. When I want to be absolutely certain, I ensure that all the instruments in my band are tuned with it.
3. Music stand – EUR 42
No studio (even a home studio) can do without a music or lyrics stand. But there is one problem. Have you also noticed that most classic music stands are terribly low? Even when fully extended, they reach a height of 130 to 140 cm. I've wondered about this for a long time, it's good enough for seated players in an orchestra, but what if a musician wants to stand up? Especially when recording vocals, I need the lyrics to be at the eye level of the singer. Because if the performer's head is tilted down while singing, their voice colour will change significantly in the recording, and we don't want that. The solution to this problem is the K&M 118/4 stand, which you simply screw onto any conventional microphone stand and the problem is solved. Now you can place the music stand as high as you need it.
4. Gel mouse pad – EUR 8
Do you know how many times you click your mouse before you do all the editing and mixing for a single music album? I once did the math using a special app and it came out to 16,084 left button clicks and 850 right button clicks. I drove my mouse a total of 16 km on the table. Do those numbers make your tendons ache, too? One of the things that protects me from carpal tunnel syndrom is a gel mouse pad. It reduces wrist fatigue, promotes natural hand position and reduces pressure on the wrist. I use a combination of a gel pad and mouse pad. You can get it for a song and it is an invaluable tool to protect my health.
5. Gaffa tape – EUR 9
Oh yeah, this list wouldn't be complete without the so-called ductape or gaffa tape. It used to be called a duck tape because it's waterproof, just like ducks. You can read on the internet that "gaffa was not invented by an expert, but by an ordinary woman, Vesta Stoudt." And I'm like, Really? This woman gave the world a fabric tape that holds together broken suitcases, torn tents, broken shoes, broken bumpers, and if you look hard enough, maybe even some relationships! Gaffa helped save the Apollo 13 mission and was used on the moon to repair the lunar rover!
And how did we repay Vesta? Just by the fact that few people know her name today, and yet it is still written that she was a "common woman". So the next time you can't find the microphone socket and are using a gaffa to attach the microphone to the stand, stop for a second and pay a well-deserved tribute to the extraordinary Vesta Stoudt.
And which essentials, with a purchase price of up to EUR 120, would you buy? Let us know in the comments below the article on Facebook.
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