Home Studio Music Production

The so-called Home (or Project) Studio is ubiquitous in the music industry, and for many songwriters, performers and music teachers, it is the epicentre of their professional and creative practice. More than just music-making spaces, home studios are now also used for producing video content, streaming online, working with clients, and collaborating with other musicians around the globe. Therefore, a well-designed home studio can foster creativity, productivity and professionalism for self-employed and gig-economy practitioners. This unit contextualises the socio-economic impact of home studios on the recording industry, and their position in the technological hierarchy of music production from top-tier professionals in large-scale studios through to amateur enthusiasts. This unit enables you to plan and design a typical home studio that is fit for purpose in a range of occupational settings, with good acoustic qualities and ergonomics. It also facilitates your producing your own professional or creative output in a small-scale studio environment.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Diagnose and troubleshoot basic room acoustics issues in domestic home studio environment, including noise level control, reflection control, safe loudness levels, and loudspeaker placement;
2. Manage and troubleshoot the connectivity, signal flow and electrical safety of specialist audiovisual equipment, electronic musical instruments and computer peripherals;
3. Experiment with recording and mixing techniques in a small studio using a range of microphones and input devices;
4. Design creative and ergonomically functional spaces in which to work effectively across a range of occupations and disciplines;
5. Assess the socio-economic role of home studios in the hierarchies of professional practice and business operations in the music industry.