Creating a Hip Hop Studio

Most people just think that you just need a microphone and a computer to plug it in to. This is very far from the truth. There are microphones that plug straight into your computer but do not have the sound quality that you will want. You will need many different products to be able to produce great sounding music.

1. Microphone

Of course you will need a microphone. I would recommend a large studio condenser microphone. Keep in mind that you will need microphone accessories as well such as: a stand, popper stopper, case(maybe), etc. Also keep in mind that most condenser mics require phantom power to operate. I will get to what that means in the next section. A microphone is one of the most important parts of a hip hop studio so do not get a cheap one thinking it will sound great. Do your research and look at all of the frequency responses from the microphones. Some mics are very bright and sound good on some singers but sound terrible on others and vice versa for duller mics.

2. Microphone Pre-amplifier

This is pretty much what will limit or make your music sound great. Mic preamps boost the sound level that came through the microphone. If you did decide to get a condenser mic, you will need to get a preamp that gives out Phantom Power to power the circuits in the microphone. Mic preamps are a very important product so make sure you do some major research about the preamps and if they sound good with hip hop and the mic of your choice. Do not expect to save money on this product as it will probably be one of the most expensive products that you buy if you want good quality.

3. Compressor

This isn't a 100% necessary product like a mic or preamp but if you don't want to worry about your verses clipping and ruining the sound of the recording, you will need to get a compressor. The normal brand that most hip hop artists and producers will recommend is dbx. These are tried and tested but that doesn't mean that this brand is the best for you. Once again research is key. Some compressors sound great on guitar or drums but do not sound good at all on vocals.

4. Sound Card or Audio Interface

This is another important product that you will need to get great sound. A stock sound card usually isn't meant for producing music which will limit the quality of your recordings. This is usually a highly overlooked product in a hip hop studio but it definately shouldn't be. Get one that has enough inputs/outputs that you will need. Make sure you have the right connection for it as well. They come is Firewire, PCI, and USB usually. I would recommend staying away from usb sound cards/audio interfaces as they have a tendency to have high latency.

5. Recording/Audio Processing Software

Of course I have to mention you need a computer as well to have the software but I figured that was pretty obvious. Audacity is a free program that will work for you if you decide you can't spend more money on anything else after buying the previous products. I will recommend using Adobe Audition if you can afford it. This is my favorite recording software because it is fairly user friendly and comes with many good audio processing tools as well for mixing and/or mastering.

6. Studio Monitors

If you are putting together a home studio then, chances are, you are probably going to mix and master your own music as well. That means you will need to invest in some studio quality monitors. If you aren't mixing your music then a normal stereo with decent speakers will work good enough.

7. Room Treatment

This is the most important thing that you will have in your home studio. However, this is not a part of a hip hop studio so I saved it for last. Is it totally necessary? Only if you want to produce great sounding music. So to get the best sound that you can in a home studio you will have to get acoustical treatment to make a "dead-room". But I am no expert on acoustics so I recommend buying a room kit from GIK acoustics or even making your own treatment panels as this is a very cheaper process that buying it all pre-made.

Conclusion

So, in the end you will need: a microphone, microphone preamplifier, compressor, sound card/audio interface, studio monitors, as well as acoustical treatment. If you cannot afford all of these products then there is always the usb microphones that go straight to the computer but they suffer in sound quality compared to this hip hop studio that I introduced in this article.