The $5,000 Home Studio Pt. 2
It no longer costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce an excellent sounding mix and master. Thanks to breakthroughs in recording technology, we wanted to show that you can build a professional sounding studio for $5,000.
In our previous post, we made recommendations for an interface, hard drive and DAW. Here, we’ll recommend monitors, mics, room treatments and a MIDI controller.
JBL Pro SLR308 Monitors - $475 / pair
You’re going to need a pair of reference monitors to do your mixing and mastering. The JBL Pro Active SLR308s are a great option. They feature new "waveguide" technology for optimal stereo imaging and can be purchased as a pair for under $500.
AKG C214 Matched Pair Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones - $750 / stereo pair
While it’s best to have a variety of mics to choose from when recording, starting out with a matched pair of large diaphragm condenser mics can suffice for a wide range of recording necessities. You can record most any instrument, including drums in stereo when needed.
The AKG C214 is an excellent all around microphone that’s been long trusted by producers. Whether you’re recording vocals or acoustic guitar, it will give you a clear, rich print of your signal.
M-Audio Axiom 49 - $300
With the countless high-quality virtual instruments available today, having a proper MIDI controller is essential. Many virtual instruments can be purchased for much less than their real counterpart, while still providing a studio quality tone.
The M-Audio Axiom 49 is a solid choice for MIDI controllers. The 49 keys, along with faders, knobs and pads, coupled with a sturdy construction, makes it everything you’ll need to start programming and mixing MIDI tracks.
Prime Acoustics London 8 - $200
Almost certainly, you’ll want to do some sort of acoustic treatment in your studio. Every recording and mixing space has its own sonic signature that can interfere with your ability to hear and mix the way your music truly sounds. The answer is to create as frequency-neutral of a space as possible.
The London 8 kit from Primacoustics is a good starting point for treating your room. It gives you four large sound absorption panels and eight small ones. The material is a much higher quality than foam, too, which is prone to deaden upper frequencies and harmonics while not affecting bass.
With top monitors, mics, room treatments to go along with your interface and DAW, you’ll have everything you need to create great sounding mixes, all for $4,835. You can even use your leftover cash to pick up a few high-quality virtual instruments.
Sage Audio Membership Letter
If you’re looking for budget audio services, this is not what we offer.
There are countless cut-rate studios, AI services, and generic audio memberships desperately offering “wiz-bang audio-magic services” — we do not offer these services.
We are not AI mastering. We are not SaaS (Software as a Service).
We are a long-standing niche audio engineering company staffed with seasoned professionals and have been providing audio engineering services for over two decades.
We listen to each client’s specific needs and then execute them with professional acumen.
We’re acutely focused on creating personalized results for each client’s specific needs, which can only be achieved with customized audio engineering services via personal working relationships.
If you’re not familiar with our company, review our studio and public history on Google here.
If you want to hear the quality of our work, review our portfolio here.
If you want to read certified reviews from customers who use our services, go here.
In short, we’re a small niche audio engineering company that has stood the test of time, consistently providing personalized audio engineering services every day for over two decades.
If you’ve made it to this point in this letter and are looking for customized audio engineering services with personalized customer service specific to your needs, then you’ve come to the right place — so let’s get started.
We offer four distinct service options so you can customize your membership to match your specific needs.
After reading through each service option, if you have questions, email us directly at [email protected], and we'll personally answer them.Mastering$150 / 3 months
- 10 Mastering Credits / 3 months. (Unused mastering credits accrue in your account every 3 months as long as your membership remains active and is not canceled)
- Your dedicated mastering engineer will create personalized masters specific to your needs.
- Unlimited Revisions — we’re not happy until you’re 100% happy with every master.
1-on-1 Mixing Feedback$150 / 3 months
- 20 Mixing Feedback Credits / 3 months (Unused mixing feedback credits accrue in your account every 3 months as long as your membership remains active and is not canceled)
- Receive Personalized 1-on-1 mixing feedback directly from us tailored to your specific mixing goals.
Education$150 / 3 months
- Mixing Course (23-video course, including 8 genre-specific walkthrough sessions)
- Mastering Course (19-video course, including 8 genre-specific walkthrough sessions)
Community
- All service options include exclusive access to the thriving Sage Audio Community.
All-in-One Membership$300 / 3 months (Discount notice)
- The ‘All-in-One’ membership option includes all services listed above.
- Discount Notice: Currently, you can join the ‘All-in-One’ membership for the discounted price of $150 / 3 months. Reserve your discounted ‘All-in-One’ membership here.
VIP Service$1,500 / year (Email us to apply: [email protected])
- Bump yourself, your studio, or production management team to the front of the line and get all your service needs attended to first.
- Receive a VIP badge next to your name in community posts and comments.
14-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- If you don’t get value from your membership, send us an email to [email protected] letting us know why it didn’t work for you before 14 days have passed, and we’ll refund your money.
