Q & A
Make Better Music

A Guide to Beginner Audio

By Consult QnA

Ready to build that studio but don’t know where to start? And how much is this going to cost anyway?

We created a guide for you!

This guide provides a list of factors to consider to get you started recording better audio. We didn't include any pricing because prices of equipment are constantly changing. Instead, we decided to focus on factors to consider to help you decide what gear will best fit your budget. Along the way, we’ll mention some brands to give you an idea of what to be on the lookout for.

There are two important things to understand when it comes to spending money on audio equipment:

There is literally no limit to how much you can spend on audio equipment.

And

Generally speaking, increased price means increased quality in construction, increased quality in signal output or both.

Let’s get started!


First and Most Important

What are you building your studio for?


Are you streaming?

Are you doing a podcast?

Are you recording vocals for music/film?


If you want to build a multi-purpose studio, equipment goals will overlap but there are specific things to look for in every type of setup. For example, in streaming and podcasting, you could look at using a dynamic microphone. But if you're recording vocals in your studio, you'll want to use a condenser microphone for a studio quality sound that could also work for streaming and podcasting, in the right conditions. Be mindful of the connection types between computers and interfaces when choosing equipment for your studio. The possibility exists that some brands of motherboards are incompatible with other brands of interfaces.


Your basic setups could look something like this:


Dynamic microphone:

Microphone → XLR (cable) → Cloudlifter → XLR (cable) → Interface → Computer (DAW)


Condenser microphone:

Microphone with pop filter → XLR (cable) → Interface (with +48v) → Computer (DAW)


Through the interface you will also be outputting your audio to headphones or speakers.

What does this all mean? Let’s break it down.


Scene ORL