Purchase supplies based on your budget. The recording equipment you need for even the most basic studio consists of at least one microphone; an XLR cable for each microphone; an audio interface or soundcard and preamp; a computer with an audio recording program, such as Logic or Reason; multiple 1/4-inch cables; sound-absorbing material, such as foam, thick curtains, carpet or even blankets; and studio monitors or headphones, although both would be preferable. You also need stands, chairs and a desk to hold yourself and the equipment.
Purchase additional supplies as necessary for a studio of higher quality that is easier to use. A MIDI controller is a must if you plan on recording any sounds that come from your computer, and a mixing board, any instruments you wish to record live and the corresponding amplifiers and cables for each are also great assets to have.
Purchase any remaining equipment you desire to add to your inventory. The majority of this equipment includes different types of hardware, which are also available as part of your digital audio workstation, and software programs for your computer. Upgrade your gear as needed. The first upgrade you do should be to your computer. If it does not have at least four processing cores and you plan on recording and editing many tracks, get a new one as soon as possible.
Develop a basic plan for how you want your studio to be designed. If you are using a single room with no closet for all recording, you may need to buy materials to build a makeshift sound booth. Hang curtains or put a moveable wooden wall in one corner of the room for your makeshift booth. Pad the wood to absorb sound.
Designate one room, if possible, for your computer and recording equipment. Place the gear near a walk-in closet or a wall with the second room on the other side. This way, you can run cables into a second area that was previously designed as a separate room and do not have to build a makeshift sound booth.
Designate the second room for recording all sound recorded into a microphone. This is the only room in which you need to hang your foam or carpet the walls. Anything being recorded directly into the computer does not need to be done in a separate room.
Run your microphone cables from the interface or mixer to the second room. If you want to run them directly through a wall, get an experienced carpenter to create a small hole near the floor for you.
Set up your mixing room in a central location if you are using a suite with multiple rooms. Having many rooms is common in top professional studios. The purpose of multiple rooms is to design them to get the best sound out of specific instruments, such as drums and guitars and vocals, and to record several tracks at the same time.
Set up your mixing board and computer in the back of the room if you are temporarily using a large suite, such as a conference room, to record. Recording of this style has to all be done at once, and all instrumentalists and vocalists should be set up the same way you would set up for a live performance. This is great for bands that wish to preserve their authentic, live sound in a recording, but it is difficult for all of the members to perform perfectly at once.