PMT's Home Recording Buying Guide For Beginners

A condenser microphone is a studio essential and the first thing you need when putting together a home recording studio kit. 

There are different kinds of microphones, which may be suitable for different things (vocals, guitar, drums etc) and even two mics of the same kind may sound very different between each other - good quality mics often have "characters" all of their own - one may sound brighter, darker, warmer, and so on.

That's why professional studios always have a large assortment of different microphones, and many record producers have their own particular preferences, their own favourite mics. Having a few different mics to choose from is essential for any project or professional studio.

The Neumann U87 AI Condenser Microphone (pictured) is the absolute top of the line. Very expensive but worth it!

We think Microphone packages are great for beginners because they come with accessories you'll need if you use a condenser microphone: especially a pop filter which is essential because condensers are so sensitive that your "P" and "SH" sounds, when you sing, may cause slight distortion!

A Reflexion Filter is also a very useful accessory, and you may need a mic boom stand, too. 

We love the Rode NT1-A Condenser Microphone Package as it includes the awesome Rode NT1-A condenser mic, an XLR, shock mount and pop filter. This is essentially everything you need (minus audio interface) to record high-quality vocals. Whether you're singing or recording spoken word vocals, this excellent package is ideal. 

The sE Electronics X1 S Studio Microphone Bundle is a budget-friendly option that allows you to not only get hold of an incredible quality condenser mic, but the all-important pop shield, cradle and reflexion filter. 

This is essentially a portable vocal booth that heavily reduces any unwanted background noise via the reflexion filter. 

The pop shield reduces plosive noises and the -10 dB and -20 dB pad switches provide an extended dynamic range, which allows you to record vocals as well as musical instruments and guitar cabinets.

This means you can scream and shout as loud as you want and the mic will capture everything beautifully. 

Ribbon mics can be quite costly, as you're paying fro the quality and feel that a ribbon mic provides. However, the Marantz MPM-3500R Ribbon Microphone is actually quite budget-friendly at just £129.99. 

The low-mass ribbon pick-up diaphragm picks up the subtle details and nuances that condenser mic can often miss out, whilst the figure 8 pickup pattern means you can record a lush room sound too!

The SE Electronics Voodoo VR2 Active Ribbon Microphone is one of the best ribbon mics available today in terms of price and overall sound.

The hand tensioned aluminium ribbon provides a warm, detailed sound that really brings your recording s to life whilst the frequency range of 20 Hz - 18 kHz ensures you can record a variety of different instruments in high quality.

Marking a new era for ribbon microphone technology, the VR1 achieves a full frequency response using a specially-designed mechanical device, researched by sE.

Featuring a timeless aesthetic and high-quality studio sound, this is one of the only ribbon microphones in the world to perform across 20Hz-20kHz.

You'll benefit from it's incredibly detailed and naturally open characteristics, making it the perfect choice to capture the nuance of a wide range of acoustic instruments as well as the crisp details from guitar cabs.

Not only is this mic virtually indestructible, but the durable all-metal chassis also protects the components inside from electrical interference and unwanted noise.

Dynamic mics can handle louder sound sources like drums, guitar cabs and loud vocals. They can also be used on brass instruments too! 

Dynamic mics only record what is in front of them, so they have a great off-axis rejection, but less "life" which is fine if you just want to record an instrument with its own tone. 

You can see the SM57 being used on a Marshall cabinet (pictured). 

If you're just starting out in the world of live vocals, or you need a cheap microphone for band practice, then the TOURTECH VM50 Dynamic Microphone is ideal. 

At under £20, it's not going to break the bank, but it'll certainly stand up to a hefty rehearsal and live schedule. 

You have a supercardioid Pickup Pattern so the off -axis rejection ensures your voice is heard correctly. The high SPL capability and Max 135 dB ensure syou can record snare drums and mic cabinets with ease whilst the high performance capsule allows you to capture accurate sound that will transfer beautifully to recordings.

Never trust a best dynamic microphone list without the Shure SM58 Dynamic Microphone. This is an industry-standard live vocal microphone and a consistent choice for perfoming artists as it's so reliable and extremely robust. 

The pneumatic shock system inside not only reduces handling noise but protects the capsule from damage should you drop it - it happens! 

The Uniform cardioid pickup pattern isolates the main sound source, your voice for example,  and minimizes background noise so it can be used to record vocals as well as used live. A great all-rounder all vocalists should own. 

Should you want to upgrade from the SM58, you have the Shure Beta 58A and Shure Beta 87A at your disposal too! 

We actually created a complete comparison which you can watch here. 

The Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone is an absolute must-have microphone for any studio owner. We can't really stress this enough, but you can record almost ANYTHING with this and achieve incredibly accurate results.

You have a contoured frequency response that provides clean, accurate reproduction of your sound that retains all the tone you've worked so hard to hone - whether a drum snare or guitar amp.

You can also enjoy rich vocals that are incredibly detailed.

Best for mic'ing up drums, guitar cabinets, brass and vocals.

Next up we have the SE Electronics V7, which is slowly becoming a contender to take the 'industry standard' crown for pro level live vocal performance and vocal recording.

You have an internal windscreen so there's no need for a pop shield and the specialized voice coil ensures accurate, responsive and clean reproduction of sound whether you're using it for live or studio recording.

No matter what level of experience you are, Trumix Audio will blow you away with their selection of innovative and versatile audio interfaces.

Tuned in the UK and designed in collaboration with some of the most trusted audio manufacturers in the world, you get guaranteed quality and reliability on a budget.

Depending on your needs you can opt for the TM-10 model or the TM-12. Either way, they're super-easy to use, and you're certain to be inspired by the high-quality sound.

Check out more about the Trumix interface range here!

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface is one of the best audio interfaces for home recording as it allows you to record and mix at up to 24-bit/192kHz, which is studio quality.

Fortunately, it's very easy to use and simply connects to your PC or Mac via USB without teh need for external power. You even get the USB cable included!

You can use teh combi inputs to record microphones and line-level instruments (guitars, keys etc) and enjoy the fact you have 2 award-winning pre-amps fitted for incredible sound quality.

You have a host of included software to get you started and the unit is small enough to carry anywhere - a great choice for those who want high-quality recordings at home.

If you need an array of different inputs and outputs then the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 Mk2 Audio Interface is the ideal option. You actually have 6 inputs and 6 outputs at your disposal here as well as MIDI in/out connectivity making it the perfect option for home producers.

You also have 2 headphones outs so you can podcast with guests or record two musicians at the same time.

This is also great if you're just starting out as you get 1.6GB of MASCHINE Factory Selection collection of samples, one shoots, loops and instruments and so many sounds and effects that you'll barely need anything else!

VU meters allow you to keep track of levels, 48v phantom power ensures you can use condenser mics and the USB2.0 bus power makes it easy to transport.

If you can afford to step up your budget a little, this is totally worth it.

Another great buy is the Reason 11 audio workstation that has been one of the most intuitive, forward-thinking music production DAWs for the past decade.

The Reason 11 Digital Audio Workstation is an industry-standard!

This version costs around £300 and is actually a very powerful and versatile recording tool, providing everything you need to get started on music production. With everything you'll need contained within one piece of software, you can record, write and sequence music from scratch with a host of top quality samplers, synthesizers and drum machines. But Komplete 12 and Reason 11 are but two of the excellent recording software packages available today, so make sure to view what else we have on offer, for even more choices.

Most audio interfaces already come bundled with some software, that should be good enough to get you started, but if you buy something separately you'll get more, and better features.

The new Native Instruments Komplete 13 is very popular at the moment, giving you LOADS of great samples, in 39 bundled products. It's the industry standard.

This bundle from Trumix is designed specifically for beginners and provides home studio newbies with everything they need to get started with building their set-up.

Combining the AR5 monitors with the TM-10 interface, you also get a range of cables so that everything can be plugged-in and ready to go straight out of the box.

There's not much you won't be able to do with this rig. All of the sounds are studio-quality, and the innovative design means it's extra-easy to use for beginners.

Trumix is a guaranteed sign of high-quality when it comes to studio gear - check out the entire range (and their other awesome bundles) here.

Next up we have the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio 3rd Gen Recording Package. The interface alone offers two of the best performing Mic Preamps ever used in the Scarlett range whilst the two high headroom instrument inputs can handle the heaviest of humbuckers, smoothest of single coil sounds, drums, vocals and even active guitar and bass pickups.

You can also record and mix up to 24-bit/192kHz quality, which is studio level sound quality.

In the box you have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Generation USB Audio Interface, a large Diaphragm Condenser Mic, a set of
HP60 MkIII Headphones, 3-Metre XLR Microphone Cable and a USB Cable (Type C-A) to hook it up to your computer. It's basically everything you need to record your next masterpiece in one convenient recording package.

Using a stand-alone digital recorder can be an easy, more hands-on approach. Even though most people today make music on their DAWs, there are those who still prefer the more old-school multi-track recorder alternative.

These are good if you don't want to stare at a computer screen, or if you don't own a particularly good computer. But gone are the cassette tapes of the past - and, for the most part, the CDs and Hard-Drive recording of a more recent past, too!

The best of the most recent digital multi-track models, such as the QSC TouchMix range. These are extremely powerful digital mixers that can record straight to a standard SD memory card. This is a great improvement, because hardly anyone uses tapes now, of course, and having a built-in CD burner is not an advantage these days anymore, when most music is listened to online. And removing the HD recording means that today's modern multitracks work quieter and are less bulky.

The reason some people prefer digital multitrack recording is because they don't require a computer nor separate audio interfaces, and are therefore more straightforward to operate - just like in the "old days":

You plug a mic or instrument to the unit, and you record and mix a song!

We recommend the likes of the QSC TouchMix-30 Pro 32-Channel Digital Mixer. (Pictured)

The Akai MPK Mini 3 MIDI Keyboard is a budget-friendly MID keyboard that will help you create music quickly. It's also a lot of fun to use thanks to the 25 mini keys with dynamic expression and precise articulation. The 8 bankable MPC performance pads will come in handy when it comes to sampling and the built-in arpeggiator is alot of fun to use.

For way under £100, you get a lot of functionality!

Next up we have one of the industry standard MIDI keyboards - the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol M32 keyboard. Again, for under £100, you get an incredible amount of functionality including 32 note synth-action, custom NI keybed and the really cool Touch-Ribbon Pitch and Modulation Strips.

Preset browsing via the KOMPLETE KONTROL software and the onboard OLED parameter display are both really great additions for the live musician.

There are also 8 x touch-sensitive control knobs and 4 x directional push encoders so you can manipulate sounds easily.