Build a Basic Home Radio Studio
Do you want your own home studio, but don’t have tonnes of cash lying around? You now can with this how to guide on what you need to build your very own basic home radio studio.
Here’s what you will learn:
-
Location: Good places to setup that are right for you so you won’t be disturbed.
-
Equipment: Essentials you need to record your shows.
Here’s how to set up your own basic home radio studio with just the essentials.
Home Setup
The easiest and most affordable way to begin your dream Radio station broadcasting live from 5 Equipment - you can't beat our price.
Mini Studio
Everything you need at a Budget Price and expense to get your station up and running in no time. Hardware Equipements and Software all provided at a reasonable price.
Pro Studio
A Complete Professional Station Equipment Setup for either Online, FM or DAD Radio Airtime.
Location
Noise
You can sometimes forget just how noisy everyday life can be, from car doors closing outside your home, noisy next door neighbours, or even a rainy afternoon – All of these could potentially ruin your recordings!
When choosing a place to broadcast pay close attention to which rooms are the worst noise offenders and pick the quietest (think thin or adjoining walls), preferably one where you can make as much noise as you want.
Size
You often hear that “bigger is better“, but that’s not always the case when it comes to picking a space.
Large rooms, especially with high ceilings tend to echo audio, so you even need to absorb the sound or find a smaller room.
Choose a size that fits your needs, so you have a place for your equipment whilst still having some free space in case you need it – Just be sure to test out the acoustics before you make a decision.
Acoustics
Ideally, the room that you choose is acoustically perfect, that means that when you talk or clap there isn’t an echo.
If that’s not the case then there are a few workarounds you can use – Carpeted rooms with small windows are great as they minimise reverberations, this means you don’t get a tin-y sounding background noise on your recordings. You can also hang up dense blankets to reduce this effect.
When it comes down to it you’re going to record wherever you can as you might not have a whole lot of choice, so try and have these points in mind when choosing a location:
-
A room that’s a right fit for you and your equipment.
-
Use carpets to minimise reverberations.
-
The less windows the better.
-
Hang up dense blankets.
Don’t expect perfection with your first setup! The idea is to get up and running with just a few resources.
Now that we have a space to record in, let’s find the right equipment.
Equipment
Equipment has never been more powerful, whilst still being affordable, so you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot.
Minimise your costs whilst still getting a decent performance with just the following essentials.
Computer
The hub of your studio is either your computer or laptop.
Most will do the job as long as they have spare USB ports and a headphone jack for your equipment, plus it doesn’t hurt to have a good internet connection.
Microphone
The Samson C01U is a good beginners microphone for your home studio as it picks up professionally clear audio and it’s USB plug and play.
You can simply connect it up to your computer and record, plus the price tag isn’t bad either as it goes for around $60 / £40.
Stand & Shockmount
Microphones can be extremely sensitive, picking up footsteps or weight shifting across the floor. With a stand and shock mount in place you reduce vibrations for overall better sounding audio, however, you don’t need an extravagant stand and shock mount, just simple ones that go for around $10 each.
Headphones
Overall the Sony MDR-ZX100 headphones are perfect for listening to recordings, not to mention they are quite reasonably priced as they go for around $15 / £10.
Alternatively, you can just use a pair of ordinary earphones.
That’s it, you now have your very own basic home radio studio up, running, and ready to go!
The team at Radio.co can help you get started in no time as our in-house experts are on standby to lend a helping hand.
Hardware Gears
Software
I’m New to Live Broadcasting (Simple)
If you’re just starting your internet radio station, are in a trial period, or just want to get up and running in a couple of minutes then these are the best radio broadcasting software solutions for you.
BUTT
BUTT stands for Broadcast Using This Tool, which pretty much sums up its simplicity. Free and easy to use
Nicecast
Nicecast is the simplest way to broadcast live audio or music from your Mac. Initially free for 60 minutes, Nicecast is a paid software broadcaster so you need a license to use it.
Download: Nicecast
Install: Nicecast
Winamp
Probably the most well-known media player, Winamp was and still is to this day a free and simple broadcaster for Windows users. Coupled with the SHOUTcast DSP plugin, it allows you to manage your tracks into playlists, control stream output with fades, and add effects whilst broadcasting directly to your radio station. Broadcast either music or live talk with an external source like a microphone or mixer.
Download: Winamp & SHOUTcast DSP
Install: Winamp & SHOUTcast DSP
Altacast (Edcast)
You may never have heard of Altacast, that’s because it was branded under the name Edcast, but nevertheless, it’s a fantastic piece of free Windows broadcasting software you should check out.
I Know What I’m Doing (Professional)
If you’re a well experienced professional radio broadcaster looking for a better alternative, want to know what’s on offer, or you’re just looking for more advanced and powerful features then these solutions are what you’re after.
Virtual DJ Pro
Virtual DJ Pro is an audio mixing software solution that DJ’s use in place of old school vinyl or CD based mixing decks. Supported by both Windows and Mac, Virtual DJ Pro excels in beat mixing and media management cueing, it also allows just about anyone to start mixing in audio without the need to buy a bunch of expensive equipment, essentially it has everything you need to sound professional.
Download: Virtual DJ Pro
Install: Virtual DJ Pro
NextKast Pro
Designed for professional broadcasters, NextKast is a quality piece of broadcasting software that focuses on advanced features.
Crammed with plenty of bells and whistles, NextKast allows you to broadcast live audio online to SHOUTcast v1, v2, Icecast v1, v2, or Radio.co – Alternatively automate shows with rotations and playlists throughout the week and use progressive features like adjusting track crossfade times, automatically trim dead air, and managing all your media within the program.
NextKast is Windows only and requires purchasing, but offers a trial version so you can try before you buy to see if it’s worth investing your time and effort.
Download: NextKast Pro
Install: NextKast Pro
SAM Broadcaster Pro
SAM Broadcaster Pro is one of the most advanced pieces of broadcasting software with media management, mixers, relays, and statistics.
Power and control are at the forefront of SAM Broadcaster Pro with multiple mixing desks for audio synchronization and mixing controls like the FX voice feature to manage how you sound when broadcasting your voice online.
Standout features include playlist creation and high set rotations, scheduled shows, real-time listener info, and the ability to mix two shows for voice overs and fade in and out segues.
Although this broadcasting software is Windows only and carries a commercial license, meaning you have to pay to unlock the full version, it offers a free trial so you can see if it’s right for you.
Download: SAM Broadcaster Pro
Install: SAM Broadcaster Pro