Making Music at Home: Home Guitar Studio Ideas

Building a beautiful and functional home studio is a dream for many amateur and professional musicians alike. While building a home studio can seem like a major project, the right home studio equipment, and a solid plan can make achieving this dream much easier and more affordable than you might realize.

To help you build a professional studio that is on par with industry standards, we will explore everything you need to know about home studio setups - including how to fashion a recording studio in a small space, the equipment you will need, and how high-quality products from String Swing can help optimize instrument storage space in your home music studio.

Where a Home Studio Might Work

Where you plan to build your music space is the most impactful factor to consider when it comes to planning out what your studio will look like. A home studio that is going in a studio apartment, for example, is naturally going to end up much different than a studio that is being built in a large spare room with plenty of square footage and a high ceiling.

Everyone is working with different options, but while choosing the best room for your studio, consider the following:

• Size: Ideally, you'll want a room large enough to facilitate your equipment and growing collection.
• Noise: Choosing a quiet room is vital, so be sure to avoid spaces where you can consistently hear traffic, neighbors, or family members.
• Soundproofing: If noise is a big issue you might want to take steps to keep outside sounds from interfering with your recordings. Consider adding acoustic treatment.
• Lighting: If you're recording videos or using your space for any sort of live streaming, you'll want to consider rooms with natural light or add studio lights to rooms without it.

Here are the different areas where a home recording studio might work and the key considerations to keep in mind for each one:

Bedroom

Ideally, a bedroom studio would be built in a spare bedroom with plenty of available studio space. However, most of us don't have that luxury, and your own personal bedroom will work just fine. As long as you have enough space for a studio desk, equipment, and instruments, we can make it work.

Of course, whether or not a bedroom offers enough space also depends on the type of home studio that you are envisioning. If you just want a small studio for recording vocals along with one or two acoustic guitars, then a bedroom will likely offer plenty of space. On the other hand, an industry-standard studio capable of accommodating a complete band will be better suited for a large space.

Home Office

A home office is another popular choice for the location of a recording studio, especially if music is a part of your career. Maybe you've just moved into a new place and now have the perk of an office, or you've finally gotten around to transforming a spare bedroom into your personal office space, either way, having a designated room for your craft leaves you with some pretty great opportunities.

Basement

Arguably the most ideal location for a studio, building your music space in a basement (if that's an option) offers several advantages. For one, basements tend to provide a lot more available space than bedrooms and home offices. They also receive a lot less foot traffic so that your equipment and instruments won't be at risk of being knocked over. Lastly, putting your home studio in your basement will help isolate the sound from the rest of your home, enabling you to make music without disturbing others or having others disturb you.

The only real downside to building a home studio in your basement is that it probably isn't going to get much natural light, potentially making the space a little gloomy and uninviting. With proper lighting and a little interior design pizzazz, however, it shouldn't be too hard to make the space aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.

Of course, there are other areas in your home where you might wish to build a home studio such as your living room or dining room. However, these spaces tend to be a less popular choice since they are more out in the open, exposed to a lot of foot traffic, and frequently used for other purposes.

Customizing Your Space

No matter where you choose to build your music studio, personalization is key. Adding design elements to your space can inspire creativity, create a comfortable and productive environment, and can help you stay motivated while practicing your craft. What you use to decorate your studio is completely up to you, but here are a few ideas:

• Artwork & decor: Choose pieces that are meaningful and relevant to your work. These can be posters, knick-knacks, paintings, motivational quotes, and whatever else makes the space feel like your own.
• Plants: Plants can add color, life, and a natural element to your workspace.
• Mood lighting: Good lighting can make a big difference in the atmosphere of your home studio. Consider adding task lighting, ambient lighting, and accent lighting to create a well-lit and comfortable space.
• Instruments: Displaying your instruments is arguably the best way to customize your space. Not only does this decorate your room, but it also provides safe, accessible storage of your frequently used equipment. We'll talk more about the benefits and opportunities for displaying your instruments in a little bit.

The Essentials of a Home Studio

The exact equipment that you need to build your home studio will obviously vary from project to project. However, there are a few essentials that you are sure to need no matter what type of studio you are building or where it is going to be located. This includes essential studio equipment such as:

Computer(s)

The days of making music with just sticks and strings have long passed us by. Today, a good computer is a necessity for recording artists. While it is possible to do a lot with just an average PC, you are likely going to need to purchase a high-performance computer that is designed for intensive tasks such as music editing if you plan to produce complex productions and use large sample libraries.

Digital Audio Workstation

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is a software application used to record, edit, and produce audio. They come equipped with features such as virtual instruments and MIDI controllers along with audio effects and pro tools for mixing and mastering audio. In the past, digital audio workstations were sold as hardware devices. Today, though, they are primarily sold as software applications that are downloaded to your computer. Once again, though, you are going to need a high-performance PC to run anything more than the most basic digital audio workstation software.

Audio Interface

An audio interface serves as the intermediary between your instruments and the digital realm of your computer and digital audio workstation, allowing you to convert analog sounds into a digital audio signal. This makes a good audio interface a vital part of the recording process if you plan to use any physical instruments.

Microphones, Headphones, and Monitors

A versatile microphone is an essential item to have if you want to record vocals or audio from acoustic instruments that cannot be connected to an audio interface. Along with recording music, you also need the ability to listen to the music you record in a way that is the most accurate representation possible of the audio you've produced. For this purpose, you will want to purchase high-quality studio monitors and/or a high-end pair of headphones.

Instruments

The instruments you will need for your home studio ultimately depends on the type of music that you are recording. Some genres of electronic music might not require any instruments at all besides the virtual instruments and audio effects included with your digital audio workstation. Other genres, meanwhile, might require keyboards, guitars, percussion sets, and a range of other instruments.

Storage: A Major Part of Home Studios

One of the top considerations when building a studio is storage for your gear and instruments, and there are several reasons why storage is such an important factor to take into account. For one, proper storage helps you maximize the space that you have available.

If you are building a music studio in a small space such as your bedroom or home office, bulky instruments, and expensive equipment can take up valuable square footage.

The right storage equipment will make the most of the space you have available, no matter how big or small. By maximizing wall space, any musician can create an open-concept home studio.

Proper storage is also vital for keeping your instruments and equipment safe from damage. With high-quality storage equipment, you won't have to worry about an accidental bump sending your expensive instruments and recording equipment tumbling to the ground.

Lastly, storage devices can help improve the aesthetic of your home studio, turning an unorganized mess of equipment and instruments into a space that is as attractive as it is functional. If you would like to make your own personal studio an appealing part of your home decor that is sure to impress your guests, you will want to put some thought and effort into how your equipment/instruments are stored and displayed.

String Swing: The Key to Home Studio Storage

At String Swing, there's nothing we love more than helping passionate musicians build the home studios they've always dreamed of owning! Once you've chosen the equipment and instruments that you would like to include in your music space, you can count on String Swing for the high-quality storage equipment you need to keep them properly stored and displayed.

Guitar Racks & Displays for Your Home Studio

Known for the best guitar storage solutions in the music industry, String Swing offers a wide range of storage options for acoustic, electric, bass, and classical guitars.

Whether you're looking to mount multiple guitars or a single guitar on the wall, we offer a variety of high-quality racks. Our protective padding will securely cradle your most expensive pieces and avoid any damage or scratches.

With the same level of accessibility, we also offer floor guitar stands to optimize the space around your setup. These stands and racks come in simplistic yet stylish designs, including our popular CC34 Floor Rack and the sturdy BZ-Stand.

Mounting a Variety of Instruments

String Swing expands beyond just guitar storage with a variety of products that help store every instrument you can imagine from ukuleles to tubas to keyboards.

No matter what instruments you utilize in your home studio, String Swing can offer personalized storage solutions that make the most of the space you have available and keep your instruments and equipment safe from harm.

Check Out String Swing Today!

To kickstart your inspiration for home studio ideas, be sure to browse through String Swing's catalog of industry-leading instrument storage solutions. Or, if you have any questions about choosing the perfect storage equipment for your home studio, feel free to contact us today!