Home Studio Essentials
Producing music was my dream since childhood. Back then, I realised I could only become a “proper” music producer if I had a music studio. Fast forward to 2018, and with YouTube’s help, I realised you don’t need a music studio to become a music producer. A music studio can come later.
What makes you a music producer? It’s not about the expensive equipment, plugins, or the initial setup.
I researched my way through trying to understand how to go about it. I managed this without buying any expensive gear or plugins right away.
Okay, let’s get the obvious out of the way. You will still need a few things to get started initially, which I have discussed in this blog. Some gear is optional, while some is essential. I have described them below.
Understanding system requirements for a DAW:
You need to have a proper laptop or a PC/Mac. Be sure to check both the minimum and recommended system requirements before making your decision. Not all DAWs are designed to work on the same operating systems.
For example, Cakewalk Sonar runs only on Windows and does not have cross-platform support. LMMS is cross-platform supported and can run on Windows, Mac and Linux. Logic Pro runs only on Mac.
The second is memory. The more, the better. Plugins, VSTs and the complexity of your projects could demand more memory. I would suggest 16 GB of RAM should be enough to get you started. Next is the storage. 500 GB initially should be fine as a practical starting requirement. Consider upgrading to 1 TB and then a portable storage device in the near future.
My Story:
How I decided to become a music producer has an interesting beginning I love to share. Over ten years ago, I worked as an online marketer for a tech tutorial publishing company that focused on open-source software. I realised that there is something called open-source software.
My colleague was marketing a book on LMMS. It introduced me to the world of open-source software. I checked it out. That made me realise one thing: there are alternatives to paid ones.
However, despite that, I was not able to take it up diligently as my marriage talks were on and my priorities shifted. But I temporarily dropped the idea of producing music.
Moving on to 2018, when I was between jobs, I became serious about music production. I downloaded LMMS on my then cumbersome PC.
I checked out many YouTube videos and did not know where to start. I was also at a loss because I did not have the right guidance. I knew a few people who were already into it. I didn’t reach out to them because of my introverted nature, and I don’t regret that.
I learnt LMMS enough to produce 3 electronic songs on it. What kept me away from it was that the interface was not user-friendly. I could not adapt to using it consistently and that was my problem. LMMS is a good DAW.
I was serious about making music; I had to carefully consider my free options. That’s when I stumbled upon Cakewalk by BandLab. Now it is rebranded into two: Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Next. Cakewalk Next is Mac and Windows compatible. These two are sepearate products.
Cakewalk Sonar comes with a few instruments and some amazing stock plugins for mixing and mastering. But it has one major thing that kept me going with it: it got the job done, and it was sufficient for me. I’ve released over 14 songs since 2023. I was satisfied with the results.
Separating DAWs into the two categories:
DAWs come in two forms: free and paid. I would suggest you try the free ones first to get a head start on how things work. Free DAWs can help build a solid foundation. You can explore their functions, key features and limitations.
Some paid DAWs also offer free versions with limited features to get you started. Those limitations vary from company to company that make such software.
Would-be music producers always search for “The best music production software” or the Best DAW online. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as the Best DAW.
Instead, look for how you can bring out the best in that particular DAW. LMMS can work great, and so can other free DAWs on the market. Cakewalk Sonar worked very well for me.
The optional vs essential hardware requirements:
When I was researching and learning to produce music, I realised that there are a few studio essentials. I did not immediately rush to buy a pair of studio monitor headphones. I used whatever I had with me.
Before releasing music, I bought a pair of studio monitor headphones. A studio monitor headset works differently from the ones designed for entertainment. You can listen to the sounds without enhancements. Studio monitor headphones aim for a relatively neutral frequency response, but they aren’t perfectly flat or completely free of colouration. Different models have different sound signatures.
Studio monitor headsets should provide long-term comfort, which varies by brand. Consider closed-back or open-back headsets.
The next essential item I need but haven’t purchased is an audio interface and a good microphone. I had previously bought a USB dynamic microphone for my YouTube gaming channel. I continue to record my voice-overs for it as it serves that purpose well.
What is an audio interface for? An audio interface is generally used to connect microphones and instruments to a computer, particularly XLR microphones and instruments requiring dedicated inputs. But a USB microphone can connect directly to a computer without one.
Do you need an audio interface? I leave it to you. They don’t come cheap, and the market has plenty of options. An audio interface is on my buying list, and I will talk about it in future posts. Right now, I do not have the need for one.
A MIDI keyboard is the next piece of hardware you should optionally consider. The biggest pro of buying one is that it speeds up your workflow. You can do the same thing with it as you do on the piano roll. I haven’t got one yet, but yes, it is still on my buying list.
Not every instrument requires an audio interface. MIDI keyboards, for example, can connect through USB.
The two common types of microphones:
When purchasing a mic, there are two options to consider: a dynamic or a condenser mic. Choosing one of them will depend on what you are looking for. I use a dynamic mic for voice-over recordings, but most of my songs do not contain any recorded voice. I won’t get into the technical aspects of the mic because there are a lot of things to cover. So, I will reserve this topic for future posts when I learn more about them.
Practical advice:
1) You don’t have to grab everything on day one. Buy one item and get gradually comfortable with it.
2) Do not mimic artists or creators you see on YouTube. They have met their needs based on their requirements. Yours are different.
3) Buying gear appears to be tempting. It is. Resist the temptation of buying, lest you end up not using it or regret buying it.
4) Ask yourself what issue you’re trying to resolve by buying that gear and plugin.
Eventually, I will buy all the things I need with time, and as and when the need arises. I found a way to skip buying paid plugins even if I found them essential to my workflow. No, I did not use a single cracked version of any paid plugins or VSTs. I’ve replaced paid plugins with free and open-source alternatives. Free alternatives can sometimes be a better option.
Let me also emphasise: alternatives to paid ones already exist in the market. You must explore that option first before making any buying decisions. You should pay attention to announcements on social media and know where to look online. Where should you look? Plugin Boutique,
Plugins4free and Plugin-Alliance are good places to start. These websites offer both free and paid plugins.
I do not wish to compare the free with paid ones because I have not used the paid plugins to make a solid comparison.
However, not buying the paid plugin and gear mentioned above does not stop the music production workflow in any way. You can still use the piano roll in the DAW. You can still produce music without an audio interface and a mic.
Item Classification
Capable PC/laptop/Mac – Essential
A way to listen to your music – Essential
Studio monitor headphones – Recommended, not compulsory
Audio interface – Optional, depending on recording needs
Microphone – Optional, depending on recording needs
MIDI keyboard – Optional
You may not realise it now, but your future self will thank you for the decisions you make today. Wish you all the best.
