subject: Music Gear Recommended For Your Home Recording Studio [print this page] Like many other guys that record music at home, I am totally addicted to purchasing music gear. I know GAS ("Gear Acquisition Syndrome" is a bit of a problem because I should be spending more time learning to use the gear I already own properly instead of looking for the latest and greatest thing but at the same time buying new gear is fun!
In this article I'm going to share 4 of my favorite pieces of gear that I have bought over the years. I definitely recommend buying these things too because they are all awesome.
Pianoteq Virtual Instrument - The best piano software I've ever heard. And it also takes up a lot less space too! The reason that Pianoteq is so small in comparison with traditional sampled pianos is because it's not a sampler at all, instead it is a "piano modeler." It's the fact that it is a modeler rather than a sampler that makes it's playability so "natural sounding." You really have to hear this software to believe how real it sounds.
Celemony Melodyne Editor with Direct Note Access - This incredible software takes the kind of pitch correction made famous by AutoTune to the next level since it allows the user to "reach into" a chord in order to move around the notes one by one. The easiest way to explain what it is like to work with Melodyne Editor is to say that it's a lot like dealing with MIDI except with actual recorded audio. The possibilities for how this software can be used both for correction of mistakes and experimentation are truly endless.
Shure KSM44 Condenser Microphone - Every music studio needs a quality condenser microphone and the Shure KSM44 will definitely be sufficient if you are able to afford the mic. It's $800 when bought new but it is a true investment. I have been using my KSM44 for 6 or 7 years now and I've dropped it a few times and I haven't treated it very well generally speaking, but it hasn't lost any of it's ability as a great microphone.
Shure SM7 - This is a truly great vocal microphone, even though it can be bought for less than $400 Michael Jackson's vocals on Thriller were recorded with this dynamic microphone.
