Is My Studio Too Small?

If you are thinking about starting a home studio, there are a few things to think about.  Working in a confined space can be difficult, but not impossible.  Just because a space is small does not mean you can’t make it work for you.  Sure, you won’t be able to record a full band all at once and setting up a drum kit maybe be a challenge.  One way to get around that is to get an e-kit.  They may not be the “best” option, however, most of them can be used with midi, and you can record the triggers, and shape the sound using a virtual instrument.  This also removes the “room” sound from the track, which can be good or bad, BUT you can always add some room to the track with a touch of reverb but let’s not go slapping plugins on everything right away.  

The point I am getting at is that with the birth of DI, and virtual instruments, the need for LARGE recording spaces is not as important in order to get your tracks recorded.  You will need to overdub (add tracks) to your recording to get all the parts in.  If you are only used to playing in a band setting it can be a little strange at first to overdub the tracks. 

Getting a song structure can also be a little tricky.  Instead of sitting together and all playing, you are all playing one at a time, which has advantages, however when it comes to laying down the first few tracks, it is important to KNOW the song.  And in my experience what helps me is having a guide track.  I will take a guitar and a mic and sing an “unplugged” version of the song as the guide track, so that the drums will know where they are going, and the bass will know, and so on. 

So don’t be discouraged by a small space.  The focus should be about getting your ideas out! 

God Bless!