Setting up a home studio can be a serious challenge, setting one up on a tight budget can be more of a challenge. Here we have started collecting some helpful info from experienced recording engineers who have successfully setup their own working studios at home.

Making a one time investment like a big funded and financed studio project may not be a reality for the average working musician or producer. Many of us have collected our favorite instruments, outboard gear, microphones, headphones and comfy chair. There is always something great about utilizing equipment we are familiar with. But when you are in need of additional gear, sometimes “New” doesn’t have to be the answer. Finding used gear online can be a great way to build your studio’s arsonal.

There are affordable solutions like Ebay.com for the savvy bidder, check out the Home Recording Studio and Pro Audio Sections for th latest deals.

Amazon has new and used equipment available as well as complete packages in the “Home Studio Recording Packages” sections

Reverb.com is another valuable resource and was setup “by musician, for musicians” for those who were tired of dealing with Ebay and similar online services.

Here are a few ideas for some good standard choices in home recording gear at different budgets levels.

Many of today’s top voice over professionals work from home and produce in their home-based studios.

In this modern age of computer based editing and production, equipment that use to take up large rooms is now available in small but powerful packages. Equipment has become more compact and some out board gear is now software based.

But it’s still important to cover the basics and as we always say “It’s not the instrument, but the artist behind it”.

This infographic provides a great overview of a few important elements, layouts and things to think about when planning a home based Voice Over Studio.

Did you know that Thomas Edison was the first person to record the human voice, and that the recording could only be played back once?

Or did you know that the first “Record Player” was called a “Gramophone”?

What about the fact that it wasn’t until 1948 that the first Vinyl LP was introduced by Columbia?

Want to learn more interesting facts about the Evolution of Home Audio?  Read On…

1910 – Nataniel Baldwin invented the headphones in his kitchen and later sold them to the United States Navy.

1949 – AKG introduces a comfortable Space Age Design as they release the classic K120’s.

1968 – Koss introduces the st U.S. manufactured Electrostatic headphones, the ESP-6.

2000 – Bose releases the noise cancelling earphones.

There are several types of microphones, to give your voice the best quality of microphone that’s going to work out really well for you.

This infograph reviews some basics like durability, frequency, polar pattern and testing.

It might be obvious that I have a fascination with Headphones, probably because I’ve been using them since I was a kid and my discovery or tape recorders to listening to my favorite albums. I realized how handy they were for quietly practicing my guitar and my midnight experimental recording sessions.

In later years I appreciated more studio quality headphones both in the recording studio and for video production in the field and during editing.

I find the history of this technology extremely interesting and I enjoy sharing these great graphic visuals.

A Set Of Illustrations Demonstrating The Science Of Speaker Technology

Technology has advanced over the years but “Sound Waves” still work the same way they have for thousands of years… probably since the creation of air and the evolution of the ear to perceive it.

Speakers may have not been around for thousands of years but they basically work the same as when they were invented. In fact not much has really changed in their basic design. Sure, new materials and manufacturing processes have been introduced along with tighter tolerances but for the most part they still function the same way.

Being a geeky kid that loved audio, music, equipment, electronics… and Rock n Roll, I was very lucky growing up. Our family owned a speaker manufacturing company and the Gregsons were involved in the success of Tandy and Radio Shack, my Dad and Uncles worked for Charles Tandy and were personal friends. So you can guess as a kid I had some interesting Christmas mornings not to mention that my off time was spent hanging around Radio Shack storerooms and warehouses. Later I spent a lot of time at our speaker factory and around a very interesting team of individuals, from audio engineers and musicians to electronic experts and wood craftsmen.

It was standard procedure to “Check out the inerts” of a new driver series and it was a great thrill to get to surgically use a razor knife to cut open a speaker and explore its construction. Also when we fried them it was fun to rip them open to check out the damage. I quickly learned how a speaker worked from the inside out and took it upon myself to do my own tests to push them to the limits… including testing my theory of AC outlets at 60hz. Never connect an extension cord to speaker terminals, plug it into the wall and hit the light switch. But that’s how we learn right?

Or you can explore these fantastic animated graphics that do an incredible job of demonstrating how speakers work and create sound waves. Plus there is less smoke and fire and no need for extinguishers.

In 1877 Thomas Edison changes history when he plays “Mary’s Little Lamb” with tinfoil wrapped around a rotating cylinder. It was the birth of the Phonograph. 10 years later Emile Berliner patents the gramophone, a flat-disc invention making multiple duplication possible.

Gramophone, Kinetophone, Vitaphone, Blattnerphone may be names you’ve never heard of, but these were technological breakthroughs and of course industry buzzwords / trademarks of the times. They were all advances that led to what we know of today as modern Audio Engineering.

It’s been a very interesting journey…

Anatomy Of A Turntable

Vinyl has made a comeback and my LP collection is cool again. Now if only beer can collections can come full circle.

LPs and Vinyl are cool for a number of reasons. One of my theories is also because of the tactile qualities and manual interaction with a player and album. You don’t just push buttons, there is a delicate art and a science to a turntable.

First off it is important to understand the anatomy of a turntable, how it works and what the controls actually do. You need to know what a cartridge is, how to control speed or “Pitch” and a whole host of other pieces, parts, buttons and doodads. See illustration below.

Wiring a Turntable is fairly straight forward (watch that ground wire)

Below you will also see the differences between a “Direct Drive” and “Belt Drive” technologies

If you purchase an old turntable or used turntable be sure you can find a “cartridge” for that model. We will supply some links in the future as we research and experiment with some older turntables ourselves. Other things to look for are obviously make sure the motor works but on belt drive units be sure that the belt has not dry rotted, if it has make sure you can find a replacement belt which is a good idea anyway.

There are some new interesting technologies available and we have even seen some cool new retro all in one designs that would be great for the youngsters.. And those of us who are still young at heart. There are also USB turntables that allow you to play your vinyl and record them to digital audio formats when hooked up to a computer, with the correct software running. We will post some links to these as well, once we check them out.

1877 Invented by Thomas Edison the “Phonograph Cylinder” was the earliest commercial solution for recording sound.

1892 Gramophone or the “Disc Record Gramophone” was invented by Emile Berliner. It is technically described as a flat polyvinyl chloride disc featuring an inscribed , modulated spiral groove.

1948 The Long Play Vinyl LP was introduced by Columbia Records. It became the standard in the record industry and was improved with the addition of “stereophonic Sound”.

1954 Transistor Radio that becomes the most popular electronic communication device in history.

Learn more below.