How To Set Up a Home Recording Studio in 7 Days Flat - Day 2

As we mentioned in the previous section, having your own home recording studio is one of the biggest advantages you can provide for yourself as a musician. For this second installment of the series, we will discuss another vital component of your recording equipment, the sound card.
The Bad News

If you elected to go with an off the shelf laptop computer, you may not have been given a great deal of choice in the selection of your sound card. While it is possible to upgrade the sound card of most laptops, it can be a difficult job that should usually be left to a computer repair tech. That said, the sound cards in most modern laptops will work to record your music even if you are somewhat limited in features.

The Good News

If you chose a desktop system for use in your home recording studio, you now have a world of possibilities opened to you. While you may choose to use the factory shipped sound card already in your machine, especially if you are working on a budget or the computer is a recent purchase with updated equipment, there are many options for sound card upgrades that will make your recording experience much better if you are willing to spend a little extra.

When purchasing a new sound card, there are a few considerations that will help you determine what option will work best for you.

How many inputs do you need? If you want to record several different instruments or singers at the same time, having multiple inputs on your sound card will allow you more flexibility when you get ready to edit the recordings as the various inputs will record to different channels. If you are a solo artist or you are working on a tight budget, the factory shipped sound card may be all you really need.

Is power an issue? Some modern sound cards also have the ability to supply phantom power to microphones, eliminating the need for an amplifier. If space is an issue in your home recording studio, eliminating bulky equipment by using these sound cards may justify the expense.

What is your budget? Sound cards are like most things in life. You get what you pay for. If you are serious about your recordings, buy professional grade sound cards rather than consumer grade.

No matter how great the sound card you purchase is, it's capabilities will still be limited by your other recording equipment. If you try to record music with a cheap toy microphone, even the best sound card isn't going to eliminate that cheap toy sound. The sound card is an important component of your home recording studio equipment but don't spend so much on it that you have to cut corners on your other equipment.

Keep watching for the next segment, Day 3, where we will discuss microphones and how to choose the right one for your home recording studio.