How I built my studio for less than $5,000

I can remember the first time I set foot in a DIY music studio. It was filled with all types of equipment that, at the time I was ignorant to. Equipment that gave could give you vast opportunities to create wonderful music, if you allowed yourself the time and learning curve. Upon leaving, a sense of longing to record more stayed with me. The longing to have access to this technology. It would be many years before I could build my own.

Years later, I got a small taste of having recording capabilities in my living space when I lived in Oakland. A friend of mine, who was also a musician, let me borrow her 4 track recorder. This is when another shift occurred in me regarding arrangement, harmony, and some basic recording elements. It also put in me the desire to want to record my music in a more polished way.

I currently have what I consider a modest home recording studio. But it serves its purpose. A place where I can record, mix, work out concepts and ultimately share my music with the world, for the fraction of the cost that it will cost me at a professional studio. At the end of the day, it is not about how fancy your studio space is, but what you're bringing forth. Technology is Technology, period. It is what we do with it that matters. I am so grateful for it. No doubt I would continue to record whether I used GarageBand or a small handheld tape recorder (which I still use from time to time).

Here is the ingredients that make up my studio:
Shure PG58 Microphone

M-Audio StudioPro3 Monitors
M-Audio 61-Key MIDI Keyboard
M-Audio Fasttrack Pro Inteface
Apple iMAC

This does not include all the instruments that I have, nor the 300 GB external hard drive that I purchase (which I highly recommend as music files are BIG.) But even still, it came to less than $5,000. This is good start for those of you who need something that can give you a good sound for a small price. I plan to upgrade at some point. I would like another interface, a workstation, more monitors and more instruments, but as I let my ego go on and on, I give thanks for what I have.

A great site that helped me figure out the things i needed is www.tweakheadz.com.

More later,

GaBrilla