How to build a recording studio for $1500

Right now is a better time then ever to join the music industry revolution. I think the music industry is on the verge of a revolution the more and more technologies like bitcoin and Ethereum evolve. I could see in the near future a platform that allows the consumer to pay the artist directly without ever having to have a third party service provider monster like Spotify. With that being said lets get you into a recording studio for $1500 or less and yes it will sound dope :) In reality you really only need to purchase 4 things to start making great sounding music and Im going to point you to them!

1. Computer $400 - $600 Macbook pro
   First off you need a computer and I think this is the most expensive part of it all. For myself I purchased a used 15 inch late 2011 mac book pro which ran be about $600 by this time the price is probably the same or a little less. But you can get a great second hand computer for $500 or less. The reason I stick with mac is because of the DAW I use. Please note that Logic X will only work on Mac so weather you buy a real mac or build a Hackintosh Heres a link to step by step instructions on how to build one. (https://www.tonymacx86.com) Which brings me to my second purchase. What I did was searched eBay for a week straight and snagged one on eBay for really cheap. (https://www.ebay.com) Heres a tip, bid on auctions late at night, less people are up and bidding and you can usually get things for super cheap.

2. DAW $200 Logic X
   Im just going to save you the time and energy of having to research all this. Just go buy Apple Logic. I can go on and on about why and how it is the best DAW. But just trust me, it is the best and nothing even comes close when using it. Its midi capabilities are far more advanced then any other DAW and its in-house plugins and synthesizers make it a must for anyone who wants to sound professional on a DIY budget. The logic compressor alone wouldn’t be worth close to $300 if waves or UAD was selling it. It comes with Alchemy synth which is one of the most powerful synthesizers on the market. Drummer x pretty much eliminates the need to ever hire and pay a drummer. And their drum sounds are incredible. Their EQ is top notch and is one of my go to EQ’s if im not using Neutron. Basically having logic is the equivalent of thousands of dollars worth of value for about $200. And Logic promises that all updates for logic are always free. So when an update does come out, im happier than a kid on Christmas :) So go buy it lol Note (Pro tools costs $600 and still isn’t as close to as versatile as logic) (https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/)

3. Microphone $200 Bluebird - Blue
   My personal favorite mic is Bluebird by Blue. This mic sounds far better then the price would have you believe. I’ve said time and time again that if I could own one mic, this would be it and you can get it for a steal!!! sounds great on anything guitar, amps, vocals you name it. Having a great mic for vocals takes so much work out of having to get it to sit right in the mix. You do 80% of the work when you track your vocals. If they don’t sound right when you record them, their not going to sound right when you mix them. So get a good mic and save yourself a headache. For this price point this mic is a must. (https://reverb.com)

4. Interface $500 - $600 Apollo Twin Duo
   And now to arguably the make or break part of a studio. The interface. Ok so I’ve owned many different interfaces throughout my life and I can say without a doubt that their are 2 choices you can make here. You can get a basic interface. Well lets back up, will you be recording full band? or just a vocalist and guitar? Honestly I never record full band so all I need are 2 preamps. If your looking to spend around $200 - $400 I would absolutely go with a focusrite interface you can get one on reverb for cheap (https://reverb.com) But if you really wanna get the best thing out there and buy a piece of gear that will impress. I highly encourage getting a UAD Twin Duo made by Universal Audio. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this. Their preamps are incredible, so much headroom and the onboard plugins that come with it sound almost identical to the real thing. The Neve channel strip is my favorite, that coupled with the Blue vocal mic is a beautiful combination. For the UAD you will spend a little more but you will not regret it, I promise you. You can find those on reverb for around $500 - $600 for the first gen grey ones.

So thats my gear list and I believe with that you will have some of the best gear that money can buy. It will last and it will provide you with the tools to get some of the most professional sound.