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!


The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

Once you have a microphone, mic stand, a way to change the signal from Analog to Digital, and the right cables, you have almost everything you need to begin recording. You’re going to need the right program to record into.

A big note here: Every DAW is extensive and comes with a learning curve of varying complexity. There are some very broad shared concepts like audio engines, tracks, solos, mutes, inputs, outputs, inserts/plugins, etc, etc...but each DAW will have a different look or placement. It’s advised to start with basic guides on youtube or tutorial sites. Once you start making sense of things, you’ll be able to ask more specific questions in online searches, or know more specific places to look for answers.

These days, DAWs can be Free/Cheap, subscription based, or perpetual (based on the version number). This is the only realm where “more expensive = better” isn’t completely true as there are some really great DAWs in the lower price brackets. 

DAW’s to look at:


Reaper - Wonderful DAW, can be as complex as the expensive DAWs (Very Cheap/Free)

Cubase - A good DAW, (reasonably priced/monthly)

Studio One - Decent DAW (reasonably priced)

Audacity - No. (Free)

GarageBand - comes free with Macs and is proficient at simple tasks

Logic - Mac only, Good for MIDI and song creators, acceptable for recording audio

Reason - Good for scoring and MIDI, acceptable for recording 

Ableton - Good for song creators/EDM, acceptable for recording

Pro Tools - Industry standard for recording, reasonable monthly plans

Pro Tools First - Get a taste of Pro Tools, but limitations make it useless for recording. Just announce to be discontinued.


There are other smaller DAWs that carry various weights of depth and will do basic recording and editing functions just fine, so keep an open mind.

Remember to take your time while setting up your DAW. Expect to spend a couple hours setting up and learning to navigate your workstation, but once you find something you like, stick with it!  Q and A are both level 210M Pro Tools Certified Instructors and have experience with many DAWs, so if you have any questions about your setup, set up a consultation with us!


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