7 Essential Gifts Under $100 for a Home Recording Studio

by Brian Casel | December 10, 2008 | One Comment

Holiday shopping season is upon us and with the state of the economy, this year’s theme is save cash wherever you can. That means getting more bang for your buck.

For songwriters and producers who run a home studio, the wish list of hot gear items seems to last all year long. While many of you may be dreaming of a shiny new pro tools rig, a smooth condenser vocal mic, or a trusted name-brand piece of vintage outboard gear, I’m here to tell you that this is the year to think on a smaller scale.

But that’s OK, because there are several key pieces that are both essential to any recording studio and also cost under $100. If your song lab is missing any of the items on this list, I highly suggest picking these up before investing in that Neumann U87. These are items that any home recordists will certainly appreciate and use on a day-to-day basis for a long time to come.

The prices listed here indicate the average going rate as of this post (the future is quite uncertain these days…)

Boom Mic Stands - $25
You always need a few mic stands ready to throw a mic on an instrument, vocal, or guitar amp. Stands with a boom are definitely the way to go as they offer much more versatility - especially when you’re using your shoe closet as a vocal booth!

MIDI Keyboard - $75
Used in conjunction with production software such as Reason, you will need a physical way to put that human touch behind sampled sounds. My suggestion is to go for at least a 49-key as this provides enough room for several octaves of playing. Most of them are connected via USB these days.

Shure SM57 - $85
The go-to mic for so many situations. Use it on guitar amps, vocals, horns, really anything. Extremely durable - you can drop it off your roof and still it still sounds great. Vocals may benefit from a more expensive condenser, but this one will get you through a session when you’re on a budget and it’s a huge step up from a radioshack microphone.

Headphones - $99
The price tag will vary a lot here. The most important thing when shopping for studio headphones is how isolated the noise is. The main purpose of using headphones in the studio is for listening while playing into a recording microphone. You don’t want the mic to pick up any noise coming from the headphones.

DI Box - $40
A DI box can make a big improvement for recording instruments direct. Usually you would use it for bass or keys. DI boxes can get expensive, and audio professionals might argue in favor of high priced options, however many do-it-yourselfer’s don’t use DI boxes at all. By adding it to your set up, you will greatly reduce unwanted buzzing and humming.

Vocal Pop Filter - $25
This is a must have for recording vocals. All of those “P”, “S”, and “T” sounds create bursts of air that absolutely kill a vocal recording (and there is little you can do to fix them later!). Go for one with a metal clamp and not a cheaper plastic clip-on. The cheaper ones will wear out quickly.

Tuner - $75
A great recording begins with a great performance. A great performance begins with great sounding instrument. A great sounding instrument begins with proper tuning. You get the picture. For you gigging guitarists out there, I would also highly suggest a stomp-box tuner, which works great for both the stage and the studio.