he biggest problem with the studio we just set up…

Is that it only offers a limited number of input channels.

What this means is…it will be very difficult to record more than one person at a time…

And you certainly can’t record acoustic drums, which can easily require 8 or more mics depending on the size of the kit.

A studio of this caliber is fine for yourself and maybe one other person, but anything more and you’ll need some new gear.

The other issue with our current studio is speed/efficiency…

If you’re recording a lot, or you expect to charge clients by the hour…you should be able to work a relatively time-efficient manner. Which is harder to do without certain tools.

So if you’re ready…let’s begin with this new round of equipment:

Rack Mount
Power Conditioner
Microphone Preamp
Headphone Amp
Monitor Management
Virtual Instruments
MIDI Controller
Electronic Drum Kit
Control Surface
Software/Plugins
Snake Cable
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Direct Box

Now let’s look at each one in more detail…

1. Studio Rack Mounts

The final “BIG milestone” in the evolution of your home studio…

Is the inevitable addition of your first rack-mounted setup.

Because prior to this step, the simple desktop gear you’ve been using can only record a small number of simultaneous tracks.

And if you want to record bands (which most people eventually do) you need more channels.

The beauty of the “rack system” is…it allows you to mix-n-match your equipment, so you can customize your routing and signal flow however you like.

That way it can always do exactly what you need it to.

Of course, the first step in building any rack to buy the case itself. So check out this article to see which ones I recommend:

The Beginner’s Guide to Studio Rack Mounts for Home Recording

Classic Example: Raxxess Economy Rack

2. Power Conditioner

While every person’s rack setup will be entirely unique…

The one item common to virtually every rack is a power conditioner.

Because rather than having a half-dozen power cables sticking out the back of your rack from each unit…

A power conditioner consolidates power for the entire rack down to a single cable.

And as a HUGE side-benefit, it also filters the power using various technologies such as:

surge protection
voltage regulation
noise filtration

Which extends the life of your gear, and allows it to always perform at its best.

To see which ones I recommend, check out this post:

The 7 Best Power Conditioners to Safeguard Your Equipment

Classic Example:

Furman M-8×2 – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF)

3. Microphone Preamp

Now that the rack and the power is taken care of…

You’re finally ready for those extra input channels we’ve been talking about…

Which you will get by adding a multi-channel microphone preamp to your setup.

Another common variety of this device is the high-end single-channel mic preamp, which studios often use on vocals or any other particularly important track in a mix.

To see which models I recommend for both single and multi-channel preamps, check out this article:

The 9 Best Microphone Preamps for Home Recording

Classic Example:

Presonus Digimax D8 – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF)

NOTE: Whenever buying a multi-channel preamp, you must also make sure that you audio interface has enough line inputs to accommodate the extra channels.

If yours doesn’t…check out the audio interface post again to find one that does.

4. Headphone Amp

Once you have plenty of input channels to work with…

The next thing you’ll need is a few more OUTPUT channels.

First, so that when you work with multiple musicians…

Each person can monitor themselves as they perform.

Since most audio interfaces have only 1-2 headphone outputs…you’ll need a headphone amp if you want more.

Typical headphone amps offer stereo outs for anywhere from 4-8 sets of headphones.

Advanced headphone amps…can send multiple tracks of audio to personal mixers for each musician, allowing them to individually control exactly what they want to hear, without affecting what is heard by everyone else.

And in studios that can afford one, this added functionality can make the entire recording process much easier for everyone involved.

To see which ones I recommend, check out this article:

The 7 Best Headphone Amps for Home Recording

Classic Example:

Presonus HP4 – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

5. Monitor Management

Now that you’ve got plenty of output channels for headphones…

The next thing you may want to add is some extra outputs for multiple studio monitors.

And here’s why:

Sometimes in advanced studios, engineers need to compare how their mixes sound over a variety of playback devices.

That way, when their work is heard through cheaper “consumer” speakers…

They can be confident that it sounds just as awesome as it does in the studio.

To accomplish this task, a tool known as a monitor management system is used…

Which allows engineers to switch back and forth between different speakers with the push of a button.

If and when you ever need this in your studio, check out this article to see which ones I recommend:

The 6 Best Monitor Management Systems for Home Recording

Classic Example:

Mackie Big Knob – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

6. Virtual Instruments

If you record mainly by yourself…

Then you already know how difficult it can be to play the part of “multi-instrumentalist“.

Not only do you have to be at least semi-proficient at a bunch of different instruments…

You need to actually OWN each of those instruments as well.

Which for many of us, is simply not possible. Home recording is expensive enough without having to buy a dozens of instruments as well.

The solution to this common problem is of course…virtual instruments.

With a single software bundle, you get access to hundreds of instrument sounds for less than the price of a single “real” instrument.

And while they can’t replicate every instrument (like guitar), they can sound surprisingly realistic on certain instruments (such as piano and drums).

Which is why for most people, what I recommend for starters is:

one good drum program, and…
one good keyboard/synth program.

And using just those two, you can accomplish a hell-of-a-lot.

Classic Example for Drums: Toontrack EZ Drummer
Classic Example for Keyboards: Spectrasonics Omnisphere

7. MIDI Controller

The biggest problem with virtual instruments is…

It SUCKS to play them on a computer keyboard and mouse. Not only is it no-fun…

it takes forever to program even a simple rhythm/melody, and…
the level of “feel” you can inject into a performance is minimal.

Because to truly add your own expressive touch, you need an actual “physical” instrument to control your “virtual” instrument.

And that’s where MIDI controllers come in…

While they aren’t perfect, they allow for at least some degree of expression, by giving you something real to touch with your hands.

To see which ones I recommend, check out this article:

The 8 Best MIDI Controllers for Home Recording

Classic Example:

M-Audio Axiom AIR mini – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

8. Electronic Drum Kit

While virtual instrument drums might be good enough for some…

For drummers, probably not.

The problem is…while acoustic drums might be ideal, they simply aren’t practical for 99% of home studios.

But there’s good news…

Because electronic drum kits provide an excellent compromise between the “real” and the “virtual“.

Now if you haven’t played one in a few years, you may have a negative opinion of them based off the ones you might remember back in the 80’s.

However, in the 20-30 years since, they’ve gotten MUCH better.

Today, they can sound almost as good, and in some cases even better than a real acoustic kit. And for the home recording musician, that’s wonderful news.

If you’re interested, check out this article to see which ones I recommend:

The 8 Best Electronic Drum Kits of 2017

Classic Example:

Roland TD11 KV – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

9. Control Surface

The stereotypical fantasy which initially sucks us into the world of recording is…

that vision of you…
in the control room…

Crafting your latest masterpiece on the massive analog mixing board of your million dollar studio.

Of course, it doesn’t take long to discover that the actual world of home recording is far less glamourous.

Because in this reality, mixing is usually done on a computer keyboard and mouse. Which to be honest…kinda sucks.

And not only does it look lame…

More importantly, it slows down your workflow, and makes it much harder to perform some of the more advanced mixing techniques, such as automation.

The solution to this problem is of course, a control surface, which is essentially a MIDI controller designed to mimic the look and feel of the analog boards from decades-past.

Only…in a much smaller package.

And while they aren’t a must-have item, they’re still pretty awesome. To see which ones I recommend, check out this post:

The 7 Best Control Surfaces for Home Recording

10. Software/Plugins

These days, virtually all DAW’s offer a bundle of free software plugins as part of their package.

And most of them aren’t half bad.

However, the fact is that top engineers will spend thousands of dollars on premium plugins…

Which are somehow better than the free ones.

And while beginners often make the mistake of believing that these premium plugins are a “magic pill” that will solve all their problems…

The truth is…that if your skills aren’t up to par, then no plugin in the world is gonna help.

However…

If you do have some skills, they can make a BIG difference. And I won’t even have to explain how…

Because you will hear it yourself.

To learn more about the different categories of software plugins available, check out this post:

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Music Production Software

Classic Example:

Waves Gold Bundle – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

11. Snake Cables

At this stage in the game, with the gear you now own…

It’s quite likely that your studio is looking pretty cluttered.

Cables everywhere…right?

Well once you reach this point, the standard solution to turn to is a snake cable like the one shown in the picture.

By combining several individual cables into one, snake cables allow you to dramatically clean up the look of your studio, and more importantly…

They keep your cables permanently organized, so never-again will you need to trace-back an entire length of cable through a tangled web just to find out where it leads.

The only problem is…most snakes are designed for much larger rigs than a typical home studio, and it can be difficult for beginners to find the right one for their purpose.

So for more info on this topic, check out this article:

The Beginner’s Guide to Snake Cables for Home Recording

Classic Example: Hosa Little Bro

12. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Do you know what can happen during a recording session when the power goes out?

If your studio uses a desktop computer (instead of a laptop, which has batteries), and the computer SHUTS OFF improperly…

All of your work can potentially be LOST.

Which is why anytime a computer holds important data, it makes sense to use an uninturruptible power supply (UPS).

Essentially functioning as a back-up battery, a UPS gives you several minutes of power to shut down your computer safely in the event of a blackout.

Now unlike every other item on this list, which should be added in sequence…a UPS is one of those items you can add at virtually any time.

Some people get them early-on. Others never get them at all.

But here’s when I suggest you get one:

Once you’re at a point where you’re creating work you’re actually proud of, and that you’d be devastated if you’d lost…

It makes sense to buy a little “insurance” so you’re protected.

To learn more about UPS’s, check out this post:

The Average Joe’s Guide to Uninterruptible Power Supplies

Classic Example: APC BR700G

13. Direct Boxes

In the studio, where cables sometimes extend as long as a hundred feet to reach their destinations…

Guitar cables are especially susceptible to excessive signal noise.

And direct boxes solve this problem by taking an (unbalanced) instrument level signal, and converting it to a (balanced) mic level signal…

Which can then be sent for several hundreds of feet if necessary, while gathering virtually no noise at all.

Because of the fact that most audio interfaces and microphone preamps have at least 1 or 2 direct box channels built-in…

It’s possible you may never need a direct box.

However, if you need more DI inputs, or…if would like to add a guitar jack to a new location in your room…a stand-alone DI box could be exactly what you’re looking for.

To see which ones I recommend and why, check out this post:

The Ultimate Guide to Direct Boxes for Stage and Studio

Classic Example:

Radial J48 – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF/Thomann)

So we’ve finally reached the end of STAGE 3. At this point with the new additions we just covered, your studio should be good enough to record bands and possibly even charge clients for your services.

However…

If you aspire to actually turn your hobby into something resembling a full-time career, there’s still one more set of upgrades that remain…

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