Tour of My Home Studio – Part 1

It’s been six months since I started Home Studio Corner, and it’s about time I showed you MY home studio! I love seeing other people’s setups, and I bet you do too, so enjoy!

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by Joe Gilder in Video • 36 Comments - Leave a comment!

Brent

Joe – love the site. Very helpful and informative. Especially the videos. Here is my home studio tour.
http://homestudiodog.com/2011/05/home-studio-tour/
GaryDiekow

Hey Joe,

I am aslo running everything of my mac book pro.
How do you handle overheating or the battery draining so fast? I noticed in your video you mentioned the furman power conditioner, is that a solution? Thanks for your help, your site is great!

G.

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

I haven’t had any overheating issues, and I would never record without the charger plugged in, so I don’t have to worry about the battery at all.

The Furman doesn’t help with either of those, but you should something like it. Click here to find out more about power conditioners.

GaryDiekow

Hey…Thanks for the quick response.

I dont know that I’m overheating. My laptop just seem to get pretty hot to the touch. More so with the external monitor, etc…hooked up.
Is that normal? I hope I’m just being nervous.

Thanks Joe!

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

Yep. Everyone I’ve ever talked to who owns one complains that it gets hot. Just do what you can to keep it well-ventilated.

Darrin

I like it…we did go a different direction on how we set things up…Im lucky to have a basement with plenty of room…and some experience as a carpenter so I built mine…and Ive been noticing how since plug-ins are all the rage that the hardware is becoming incredibly inexpensive…so the computer here is basically only used like a tape deck…and Im not running any plug-ins.
jimmyjam

really liked the tour,,i have a basic m audio setup,firewire,guitar rig,bx5a,ez drummer,,i got some good ideas on the way you had your stuff set up,,really enjoying the videos

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

Very cool. Thanks Jimmy!

banj

hey Joe,
Thanks for the posts.
I’ve bookmarked your web and it’s been really interesting, for me.
Am a novice to start with and i don’t play any instruments – But I love good music.
I’m trying to get into home recording (thanks to owning macbook pro), i strongly believe it will make a good hobby so I’ve bought myself Logic Studio 9 recently. your videos on EQ n Compressor was really practical and educative.
i do hope i get the weekend time to dedicate to HR and/or study the Logic 9 but i guess there is still a lot to learn, for me.
Thanks for the good works

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

Thanks Banj! It’s great to have you here.

Jeff Steeg

So I definitely have those roland speakers as well. They were part of my first recording rig which included a Boss 4 track digital mixer. I like the studio…nice setup.
Alaric Hildreth

Thank You Joe, and what a wonderful studio you have!
Also nice job on the tour, I just love seeing other guys & gals studio setup.
http://www.BonEchoStudios.com Dean Wolfe

just setting up my own studio in my new house’s basement– was trying to think: imac or mac book, but the extra monitor means the best of both worlds- i’ll try that too. what size monitor is that?
you’re on the same scale i’m trying to set up with. Cool- the sound treatment is good to see. I use to ignore all that, but i’m realizing it’s important as i get more serious (i.e. recording other people, not just myself anymore)
cheers
dean

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

It’s a 17″ monitor I believe. Love my dual monitor setup.

http://kremstudios.com kRemstudios

Hello Joe,

Your video is FAR from being a show off presentation. You are truly inspiring for a few reasons. I have also “made it” with just a few things but I’m talking about my computer repair and website design business. What matters the most is 2 basic things: what you know about something and that you truly have a gift to make huge things using little space, etc. I actually read on the current book I’m reading (Robert Kiyosaki and Donal Trumps’ “Why We Want You to be Rich,” (talks A LOT MORE about other stuff than making just money by the way) that these 2 tycoons make everything with little business space and resources. I think you are doing awesome! Honestly you have inspired me a lot more because I’m working on learning as much as I can. My new band and I record on a setup pretty much like yours and in a room pretty much like yours. If you could give us some feedback on our music, that would be great (demo stage for now): http://soundcloud.com/kremstudios.

Thanks a lot Joe!
Chad Wilson

I think I’ve edited in that room! MPPT to be exact.
http://www.chargers.com Scott Bradley

I’ll chime in re: the BX8′s – I have a pair and have to agree with previous poster Jon. I’d save a little or go another direction. The BX8′s will be retired from my setup soon…they are just too big and flabby for my situation. They sound nice for, say, a secondary home theatre setup I am sure. I am also thinking about using them for a semi-permanent live install as keyboard/backing track personal monitors.

Great stuff as always, Joe
http://www.rpimusic.com Ryan

Nice work Joe. It’s always cool to see other people’s set ups, thanks for letting us in!
WILLIAM JONES

Nice clean set-up Joe. I’m impressed.
http://www.keyofgrey.com KeyOfGrey

Nice set up Joe! Clean and uncomplicated. In fact, it’s pretty similar to mine except I’m more set up for Logic than Protools.

How are those monitors? I was looking at the M-Audio BX8 series since the EX66 is a little out of my price range right now and wanted to know how they compared. Seems like they would be able to go a lot lower in the bottom end. How’s the detail in the high end?

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

I think the EX66s are a step up from the BX8′s. They sound a bit tighter in the bottom end. The highs are still good. They’re not sparkling or anything, but they’re not dull either.

They do have a bit of noise in them. It doesn’t bother me when music is playing through them, but some folks would make a big deal about it.

http://www.singers.org.nz Steve

What sort of noise?
I am also thinking of getting the EX66.. I read a few nice reports about them. But at the price here in New Zealand (about NZ$1200 each) I need to be very sure before splashing out. There are so many options and in the end if they are not “that good” I will get something else more “traditional”.

BTW..
Did you spend time and “tune” them when you installed them?
Are you running them digital or analog?

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

It’s just a slightly noticeable hiss. coming out of the tweeters. It’s noticeable…that’s the best way I can describe it, but as soon as I play music through them, I don’t hear the noise.

I think I set them to the QTR setting, and I’m running analog cables from the 003 analog outs directly to the analog inputs.

http://audiogeekzine.com Jon

My Yamaha HS50s have a bit of hiss too. My friend’s Mackie 624s do as well.
Steve

So Joe. Are you happy with EX66 or would you do something different next time?
What are the issues.?

S.

Steve

Interesting.. Just reading September 2009 Sound on Sound Magazine (a great read as always) (soundonsound.com) and in their they review the M-Audio Studiophile DSM1 Monitors.

Same comment made of re the hiss. They put it down to some digital related circuitry in the devices.

http://audiogeekzine.com Jon

I’m really not a fan of the BX8As. They easily overpower a room and they have no room correction options.

They’re kinda like cool party speakers, but I really don’t feel like they have enough detail. At work we’ve got 2 pairs set up, 1 of the sets have Recoil Stabilizers under and I can’t I particularly LIKE either set.

I much prefer a 5 – 6.5″ speaker for monitors to an 8.

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

Yeah, I’ve found 8″ tend to give you a scoop in the mids. Whereas a 6.5″ *can* have more detail.

David S

you give us common folk hope, my brotha. thanks a bunch joe for this site and taking your time to help us all out.
Wayne

Joe
Great video it means my setup has a chance. Looking forward to your reviews on the looper. I picked up some MoPads for KRK passive monitors, big difference in the lower mids and low end is much cleaner.
Acoustic treatment is next, also a power conditioner. Keep up the good work.I have a suggestion to let your members post mixes and let other members make comments or suggestions on them. It’s just a thought.
Thanks Wayne

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

Hey Wayne. That’s a cool idea. I’m not sure the best way to implement it, but I’ll put it in the idea folder!

http://whatadaythatwas.blogspot.com Matt

Very cool, thanks for sharing.
http://www.bradsucks.net Brad

Very cool! Nice tour, I’ve been thinking about doing something like this for my setup but I’d have to clean first.
http://www.singers.org.nz Steve

Thanks for showing us the studio. Keep these video’ etc coming.. Love the site.

My son likes/needs the 003 desk.. He uses Protools v8 LE.
(on a PC – wanna convert him to MAC ha ha ha).
Actually he is a little like you.. Plays Guitar and does a little recording and stuff (although at the moment his is mainly for fun..). Just started out really and seems to be really enjoying it..

I have Logic Pro.. I write music & orchestrate (Composer) with Sibelius and am slowly setting up my studio to enable recording/mixing etc as well. I have AKG Mics and M_Audio Axiom Pro49 keyboard. Motu Traveler Mk3 audio unit (got the Traveler because of it’s highly portability nature) and a 24″ iMAC
(Love the newly released 27″ iMAC and am tempted by that however)

I have been considering getting the M-audio monitors like you have. Hmm maybe you might like to give us a write up about that as a real user. Actually a write up about each piece of your gear would be fun to read.

Thanks and see you on Twitter
BC Fortenberry

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Line 6 looper. They look pretty cool and I love their DL4.
http://www.mydigitalpathos.com Julian

Cool tour Joe! Thanks for sharing your setup. When I see this and listen to your stuff, it illustrates that you don’t need to blow 20-grand on gear to get a great recordings at home.
Gives me some gear ideas too, I think my next purchase will be some Auralex pads too. I need to deaden the room I’m in a bit. I’d definitely like to hear what you think about that JM4 Looper as well.