Back when I had zero experience and no clue what I was doing, I had to learn the art of recording and producing one day at a time.
As a drummer, I already knew how to play music, but producing layers of tracks into a finished and polished product to share with the world was a completely different skill set.
These are my top 5 pieces of gear that made my home studio life easier and helped me put my best foot forward in the competitive music industry, ultimately leading to the GRAMMYs Red Carpet.
1. Universal Audio Apollo
“Owning any UAD-equipped Universal Audio recording interface is like having the keys to an entire recording studio.”
When the Apollo first arrived at my door, I knew it was something special. Not only are the preamps extremely high quality, but the real secret sauce of the Apollo is in the UAD-2 plugins, ranging from the legendary LA-2A compressor to the Neve 88RS channel strip, K-Stereo Ambience Recovery and much more.
Owning any UAD-equipped Universal Audio recording interface (including the Apollo Twin, Apollo Twin X, Apollo 8, Apollo 8P, and my original unit, the silverface Apollo Quad) is like having the keys to an entire recording studio. The fidelity of the equalizer plugins, limiters, reverb, and mastering tools is industry-leading.
In short, with Universal Audio plugins at your disposal, you have no excuse not to create your best work that sounds as good as any major release coming from Hollywood. The only thing left to do is to master these incredible tools available to you.
2. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Closed Over-Ear Studio Headphones
“If I had a budget triple the price of these headphones, I would still pick them.”
Out of the overwhelming variety of headphones available to the public, the Beyerdynamics stand out as the clear winner in the bang-for-buck category. Although I also owned the DT 880 semi-open headphones, I would opt for the closed DT770 more often than not for their more pronounced bass response. This acoustics advantage becomes especially apparent while mixing EDM and other bass-heavy genres of music.
For the price, these headphones are pretty unbeatable. Their reference capabilities are thoroughly researched, well-balanced, and confidently implemented. The cans provide enough separation to mix to your heart’s content without fatigue. If I had a budget triple the price of these headphones, I would still pick them. And in case you’re wondering, the 80ohm is better for consumer devices (cell phones, laptops and entry-level interfaces). The 250ohm model will sound quieter than the 80ohm when plugged into the same amp and is reserved for dedicated amplifiers in more niche use cases. Overall, the DT 770s are battle-tested and deliver the sound you need to produce, mix, and master like the pros.
3. Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitors with Subwoofer
Just like the Beyerdynamic Headphones, the Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors are my favorite bang-for-the-buck speakers for tracking, mixing, and mastering in your home studio. Admittedly, the 5 inch woofers leave a little to be desired if not paired with a subwoofer to compensate for the lack of bottom-end, but luckily Yamaha makes a fantastic product for the price that pairs wonderfully with these monitors: the Yamaha HS8S 8-inch Powered Studio Subwoofer.
I used this combination for years (HS5 with HS8S sub) and recommend it to anyone for the value it provides at an affordable price. If you absolutely cannot have a subwoofer in your space, then I would consider getting the larger HS7 monitors or go with an entirely different brand in the 7”+ woofer size category. But, the balance between the small drivers of the HS5 monitors coupled with a subwoofer to deliver that low-end punch yields a fantastic result.
I eventually upgraded to an Adam 8 sub, which definitely extends into lower frequencies than the Yamaha HS8S. Unfortunately, the mid-sub bass range doesn’t hit as hard on the Adam as it did on the Yamaha. There are many trap and hip-hop beats that simply don’t hit the same on the Adam as they did on the Yamaha, but the Adam does provide a bit more accuracy and unlocks lower Hz than the Yamaha. So, it wasn’t an upgrade in all respects, plus it cost twice as much, but it did prove to be the better unit for mixing live audio which was an integral part of my workflow.
4. Homemade PVC Vocal Booth for Recording
Before Snap Studio was the company it is today, I found myself in a similar situation to countless other artists: I desperately needed my room to sound good. After spending thousands of dollars to set up my home studio with Mogami Gold cables, Apollo Interface, and a slew of microphones, the time had finally come to record my first drum takes in my newly set-up recording space. I thought I had everything perfect, quality gear, high-end drums, and a talented drummer.
So I recorded my first few takes and listened back. The takes sounded like absolute TRASH! The clangy cymbals and boomy toms etched pain into my ears so bad that I wanted to give up right then and there. I could basically see the layout of the room by the way the drums sounded… sliding closet doors, windows with blinds, textured ceiling, Pergo floors. The result was pure overwhelming room reflections and reverb… aka unusable garbage.
I felt like such an idiot! Here I am, having spent thousands of dollars on good quality gear only to ruin the entire setup by choosing the wrong space. “Dang it!” I thought, “Now I know why people pay to go to recording studios”.
Looking back I feel ridiculous for having been so naive. The acoustics industry exists for a reason. I needed to plaster soundproof acoustic foam all over the walls and ceiling or basically give up and pay a studio after all that progress.
Rather than admit defeat, I came up with an idea that many had done before: put together a little booth out of PVC pipe from the hardware store and hang moving blankets to dampen the sound bouncing off the walls. After a lot of trial and error and several trips to the hardware store, our homemade PVC booth was up open for business.
This solid little rectangular booth was covered with additional blankets, comforters and foam. After it was all set up, we used it and loved it for years! A lot of professional artists came through that studio and recorded in it, and everyone loved it. It was fully a DIY-style booth and had no resemblance to the Snap Studio booth that exists today, but that little custom PVC pipe booth served our studio’s recording needs extremely well and marked an important step in my musical journey.
5. KSM32 Large-diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Having owned and operated about three dozen microphones, the KSM 32 stands out as a gem that excels at versatility and undeniable quality for the price. This condenser microphone delivers warmth while also offering a compelling range of sensitivity depending on how you dial in your signal chain.
This sturdy and well-built mic shines on vocals and stands out as a drum overhead mic. It shares a few of the basic characteristics of the more expensive and famous Neumann U87 Ai, which we also own and love. For a fraction of the price, the KSM32 can take you very far. Consider buying one used because it’s built like a tank. Tip: if your vocals are coming in too direct, try singing into it slightly off-axis to tame the extreme high frequencies and leverage the microphone’s cardioid pickup pattern to your advantage.