College is a time of creative experimentation for many musicians. What better way to capture and record those ideas than in the comfort of your own recording studio?
You'll need to invest a few hundred dollars in equipment, but then again, that beats paying thousands of dollars worth of studio time.
You will need:
1. A computer
2. Recording software (Logic and ProTools are better but more expensive than standard software like GarageBand).
3. An audio Interface (firewire or USB) to be able to digitalize the signal of your instruments.
4. Cables
5. Microphones and stands
6. High quality monitor speakers or headphones
Don't forget about your instruments as well. Since you'll probably be living in a dorm or in a house that is poorly sound reinforced, don't worry about mixing and recording with headphones. Just make sure they're high quality, and also make sure to rest your ears every 15 minutes.
To make the small room more acoustically friendly, place furniture about six to eight inches away from the walls. If you're like me, plug your guitar or bass direct so that you don't have to worry about noise leakage. This works well for recording distorted guitars especially with the hundreds of digital plug-ins available in Logic.
You can't replace high-end studios, but you can always start slow in places like these.
Never fear to record in poor sounding places. It's about applying your ears. Springsteen's "Nebraska" was recorded on a 4-track machine in a room at home, the same way Paul McCartney recorded his first solo album "McCartney I", or the german band Can recorded their acclaimed "Ege Bamyasi" inside a garage with doors wide open.
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