When friends come to my house, they always ask where I got my recording equipment. My mom and dad made a deal with me. They said that if I paid half the price for a home recording studio, they would pay the other half. I had $200 from winning a voice contest this summer. So I used that money for the recording equipment.
I got the Mac computer as a hand-me-down from my mom when she got a laptop computer. Here is the rest of my set-up:
Mixer – Behringer XENYX 1202FX – $109.99 on Amazon
The mixer isn’t essential for recording. But it gives more flexibility by allowing me to add effects to the recordings.
Microphone – MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone – $78.99 on Amazon
This microphone is the secret to great sounding recordings. I am told that it performs similar to the much more expensive versions used in professional recording studios. This microphone also came with a shock mount, so I didn’t need to purchase that separately.
Pop Filter – Nady MPF6 – 6-inch Clamp-On Microphone Pop Filter – $15.49 on Amazon
The pop filter smooths out the sound of vocals and protects your condenser microphone from moisture.
Microphone Stand – On Stage Stands MS7701B Tripod Boom Microphone Stand – $24.95 on Amazon
Audio Interface – Behringer U-Control UCA222 – $29.99 on Amazon
You also need a few cables. A microphone cable costs around $10-$20. You will also need 2 sets of RCA male audio cables to connect the mixer to your audio interface. Those cost about $6 each.
Finally, you need a good set of studio headphones. I plug mine into the audio interface so I can listen to my voice as well as the background track. I borrow my mom’s Bose headphones for this. But you can get a set of inexpensive Behringer studio headphones on Amazon for $20.
We are getting ready to go to Mexico for four weeks in December / January. So I’m going to put together another post for setting up a portable recording option with an iPad. Stay tuned for that post!
