A recording device or software program is integral to a working studio. Many devices exist, from reel-to-reel analog tape recorders to ProTools digital recording software. Despite their various incarnations, recording devices and software programs do the same exact thing: record music into tape or digital form. A device enables you to plug in an instrument or a microphone and record sound in real time. The device transfers the sound to an analog format (such as tape) or turns it into a digital file (such as ProTools software).
An analog recording device typically includes a sound mixer, which allows you to manipulate various sounds as they are being recorded. Similarly, a digital device like ProTools utilizes that same mixer capability on a computer desktop.
A microphone captures the sound of a voice or instrument and sends the sound into the recording device. Many different microphones exist for specific purposes. Some are better suited for recording the human voice, while others are more appropriately designed for capturing a drum kit, for instance. Similarly, instrument cables also send sound from an instrument or amplifier into the recording device. All recording devices feature special microphone and cable inputs.
Preamplifiers are special amps that receive recorded sounds before they go on to the recording device. A preamp is most often used to boost low signals into line-level signals (essentially raising their volume) before they are sent to tape or digital form. Preamps also enable you to control tone and equalization before the signal reaches the recording device. Typically, an instrument or mic cable is connected to a preamp's input; a second cable is routed from the preamp's output to the recording device's input, creating a simple signal chain.
An amplifier is any device that amplifies sound. Typically, it consists of a speaker or series of speakers encased in a box, with multiple volume and tone controls. Amplifiers are used most often to conduct sound coming from an electric guitar, electric bass or keyboards. An instrument is connected to an amplifier via a cable. Sound from the amplifier is then captured by a microphone or cable that is connected to the recording device.
No recording studio is complete without instruments. The most basic instruments needed for making a contemporary recording are drums, bass and guitars. Keyboards, stringed instruments, brass and percussion also feature heavily in many studios. Instruments should be well-maintained and tuned regularly to ensure they are ready to go when it is time to record.
Many studios have hard drives used for the sole purpose of saving songs once they are recorded. For studio owners, they are an extra form of insurance. Hard drives are a convenient way for recording artists to store a copy of a recording session in digital format. If the original recording is lost or accidentally deleted or recorded over, you can quickly and safely access a copy from the hard drive. For instance, a 500-gigabyte hard drive can easily store all the tracks recorded for a 10-song album.
Monitors, or speakers, enable playback of the sounds you record. The typical studio features two monitors that flank either side of the recording device. Monitors present the recording as it will sound when it plays in a listener's headphones, or in a car stereo system, for instance.