My Minimalist Recording Studio
I need these 5 Tools at a minimum to create music. These are the tools I use that give me the ability to create music anywhere and usually everyday.
Read 5 Principles to work on your art everyday
My 5 Tools
At a minimum, these are the tools I need to create music
Laptop
SSD With Samples
Mini Midi Keyboard
Headphones
Charger
Laptop
Laptops are great for mobility. I use Logic Pro X which is exclusive to Apple so I use a MacBook Pro to handle most of my music needs without overloading. I used to have a desktop Mac but would have to be in my home studio to work. Now I can work in rehearsal studios, coffee shops, hotel rooms and even airplanes.
SSD with Samples
I use a Solid State Drive to store projects and instrument samples. This is so I keep as much space off my Laptop so it can run faster (I think. idk I’m not too computer savvy).
Samples I am currently using (Not Sponsored)
LABS - Free
Logic Pro X Instrument Samples
Mini Midi Keyboard
Midi Keyboard is a must for me because I like the feel of playing a keyboard vs. using the Laptop keyboard. What I like about this keyboard is that it is powered by my computer which means I don’t have to carry a power adapter. Also, I can quickly change which part of the keyboard I want, transpose the keys and can bend notes and control velocities of my instrument samples with the bendy knobs.
I do have a small sustain pedal for when I want to add a piano track but don’t consider it as part of my minimum studio setup. I’ve gotten pretty good at adding sustain after recording by hand. But if I know if I’m going to be working on a song that has piano, I’ll bring along the sustain pedal.
Headphones
I do have nice studio headphones and studio speakers but normally I just use the old iphone chord headphones. I have used bluetooth headphones but there is a bit of a delay sometimes. I’m not to worried about mixing when starting on a track because at some point I will sit in front of studio speakers and make adjustments then. The simple headphones are nice because they don’t take up much space vs. Studio headphones. Plus, I mostly listen to music in these type of headphones so I can mostly tell what I will need to mix later on.
Charger
Now I don’t think this needs mentioning because you would assume that I always carry a charger with my laptop. However the hi powered charger apple provides is very bulky and I am looking to save space and weight when traveling with my mobile studio. I found this Anker USB C Charger (Not sponsored) that can charge my laptop and my phone at the same time and is a lot smaller than my MacBook Pro Charger.
How I got to these tools
As an elder millennial, (I’m 37 as of 2023) I’ve seen the progression from renting recording studios, from building home studios to having mobile studios. I’ve been working as a music composer since 2008. I used to record all instruments live and would add stock midi instrument sounds provided by logic. I didn’t like using midi instrument sounds that much because they never sounded that great to me and I couldn’t afford the big sample libraries at the time. Plus there’s nothing better to me than tracking your own instruments live through microphones and amps.
But the reality of the music composing industry especially when it comes to commercial and films is that you have to move fast and make changes quickly. It’s difficult to make changes to a live guitar track or drum track without it being noticeable. Usually there’s no time to re-record. So I dove into the world of instrument samples and this was at a time when quality samples were becoming more affordable.
Now I don’t think instrument samples are for everybody , it’s just another tool to realize your ideas. I do prefer recording my own instruments and when I have a budget, I like to hire musicians and record them because I can communicate to a human about what I want. But part of my pursuit in music is also being able to use my talent as a trade for money. I am fully aware that there’s a business side to art and there’s art for arts sake and I’ve been lucky to do both. You may have different opinions on what art is to you and that’s fine. But for me, I am an artist and an artist by trade and when I am trading music for money, there are limitations that must be worked under to deliver a great product. Also I must have the ability to quickly update that product with ease to satisfy my clients.
So over the years, I’ve created this simple setup that helps me start on most music projects. Also this setup allows me to make music anywhere. I do love traveling but like having tools nearby in case inspiration strikes or a client needs an update on a track.
Conclusion
Over the years, I learned that making music doesn’t have to be in a big fancy studio. It doesn’t matter which tool you use, as long as you are creating, the tools will serve your vision. I believe that the act of creating is what is the most important and I should always find a way to make something no matter what tools that I have. If I sit around waiting to create because I don’t have a certain piece of studio gear then that is just time wasted. Time is our most valuable asset so I will use it to create music with whatever I have.
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Thank you,
