How To Make a $1000 Recording Studio

The Amazing $1000 Recording Studio

We’re constantly looking out for new recording equipment and are regularly impressed by how advancements in the industry are making it possible to create great recordings for less money.

In the past, recording your own music meant owning expensive analog gear and tape, but if you’re interested in recording your own music today, you can put together a pretty good recording studio with your Mac computer for less than a thousand bucks. If you don’t have a Mac, you can pick up a Mac Mini with more than enough recording power for $600.

Because a good mix starts in the recording process, we recommend this gear to get you off the ground.

DAW Software:

Logic Pro X - $200

Every Mac comes with GarageBand, an easy to use recording software designed for simplicity and accessibility. For a free program, GarageBand is actually pretty good, but if you are serious about controlling your mix, you’ll need a professional software.

For $199, Logic Pro X might be the best deal in recording software. It offers a perfect balance of high-quality audio processing functionality and an excellent virtual instrument programming interface. It easily competes with $600 programs like Cubase and Pro Tools, and has the advantage of almost seamless software/hardware integration from being made by Apple.

The real kicker, however, is that it ships with an entire library of virtual instrument samples and plugins. Many of which sound very good. And, if you’re familiar with GarageBand, you’ll be able to pick up Logic Pro’s interface pretty quickly.

Microphones:

MXL 2003a Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic - $180

You’re going to need a decent microphone that can handle multiple sources and deliver a clean, detailed sound. A large diaphragm condenser (LDC) mic is good direction to go.

As LDC mics go, the MXL 2003a might give the most bang for your buck as it’s competes with mics three times its price.

Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone - $100

For a backup mic, a Shure SM57 is nice to have. It’s versatile, durable and entire albums have been recorded using it. It’s an industry standard for a reason.

Boom Mic Stand ≈ $50

A sturdier boom mic stand is worth paying extra for. Get one that has a tripod base.

MIDI Controller:

M-Audio Oxygen 49 MIDI Controller - $150

With all of your new samples with Logic Pro you’ll need a decent MIDI controller to program them. The M-Audio Oxygen 49 can easily fit on your desk, but still has 49 piano keys and several assignable knobs and sliders for mixing and automation.

Recording Interface:

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Recording Interface - $150

For a simple A/D converter, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 gives you two phantom powered microphone/line inputs and can handle up to 96k/24bit recording quality. As a bonus, it also ships with EQ, compression, gate and reverb plug-ins.

Monitors:

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO - $167

Instead of traditional pair of cheap monitors you can keep your cost down by mixing with headphones. The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PROs give an excellent, flat response and isolate very well. You can also wear them while you track and not worry about their sound bleeding into your recording.

With all of these items, you'll be set up to record vocals, guitar and other instruments, you'll be able to program and edit piano, string pads and drums and mix everything with nice EQ, compression and reverb plugins. All for under $1000. Have it professionally mastered and you'll be amazed at what can be done!

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So, Why A Membership?

Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.

That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.

The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"

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There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.

Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.

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1. Sage Audio University

SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.

Yes, I want to join the membership now >

2. Private 1-on-1 Mentorship

The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.

Yes, I want to join the membership now >

3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback

Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.

Yes, I want to join the membership now >

4. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year

50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
Unlimited revisions with your dedicated mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.

Yes, I want to join the membership now >

5. Community

The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.

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6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content

36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.

Yes, I want to join the membership now >

7. 800+ Video Catalog

Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.

Yes, I want to join the membership now >