What Is a Recording Studio?

The recording studio is a space where musicians, vocalists, and other artists record music. It includes a room called the live room with microphones and mic stands where instrumentalists and singers perform; smaller rooms called isolation booths for loud guitar stacks and drums to keep their sounds from being audible to the microphones in the live room; and a control room where audio engineers, sometimes with record producers as well, operate professional audio mixing consoles, music equipment and computers running specialized software suites.

A studio can be built out of an existing home or in a commercial property that has been renovated for the purpose. Some recording studios specialize in particular genres of music, such as pop or rock. In this case, the studio may have a collection of large instruments and music equipment, such as a grand piano, Hammond organ or vintage electric guitars. The studio can also have a collection of microphones, including Neuman tube mics, AKG tube mics and RCA ribbon mics, to provide the best sound for each musical style.

The size and type of equipment a recording studio has depends on the genres of music they record, as well as their own artistic vision. For example, a studio that specializes in hard rock might have a large collection of Marshall Amplification amplifiers and speaker stacks. Conversely, a studio that specializes in funk might have a larger selection of smaller vintage combo amps. It’s important for studio owners to prioritize their needs and budget when deciding what equipment to invest in. It’s also a good idea to invest in quality over quantity; it’s better to have fewer pieces of high-quality equipment than a lot of cheap, low-quality equipment.