The

Home Studio Assassin

“The Basics of Setting

Up a Home Studio”
A MIDI Lifestyle Guide
Written by Doug
 Short copyright notice

Please note that I work very hard

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Please do not upload this
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This guide is free ONLY to people
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If you have any questions about
this, email me via the address at
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 What you’ll learn from this guide:
Thank you for downloading my book,
‘The Home Studio Assassin’!

We will go over the bare minimal gear

your studio needs, what computer specs
to look out for, what to look for in a
DAW, information on
headphones/monitors, and if you should
buy an interface.

Make sure to keep a

look out for my emails!
Tomorrow, I will send you the second
edition of ‘Home Studio Assassin’ with
plenty of more elaboration!

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The Bare Minimal: What an Average Studio Needs
This section is designed for the beginning producer
who doesn’t have the biggest budget. This section
is all about purchasing the essentials and saving
the shiny toys for later.

What you need:

● Computer with reasonable specs
● DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
● Decent pair of studio monitors (or headphones)
● Audio interface (if you’re recording real
instruments)

That’s all you need! Of course, that’s not the

perfect studio setup, but if you’re just starting
out, this is all you need.

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All About Computers
If you want to be an electronic musician, you need
a computer. There’s no real way around it.

The first spec of a PC to look at is the RAM.

If your computer has anything less than 4GB, you’re

going to have major performance issues when
producing music.

Another PC spec that is known to slow down your

computer is the hard drive.

A slow hard drive will take much longer to load

files on programs. This causes your DAW to take a
much longer time to load. It is recommended to use
a solid state hard drive.

They are faster, but can be a lot more expensive.

Some PCs have 2 hard drives built in: A small
solid-state(4GB-100GB drive), and a large normal
hard drive(1000GB+).

CPU?

To be honest, the CPU is important obviously, but

you should consider the above factors we mentioned
more. I’d recommend Intel processors, but AMD are
just fine. As long as the CPU is better than an
5
Intel i3, you’ll be golden.
All About DAWs
If you’re creative enough, you can produce awesome
tracks in just about any DAW.

It’s not about what tool you use, it’s what you do
with the tool that matters.

Factors that make certain DAWs better than others

are speed, workflow, and intuitiveness. Workflow
tends to go along with the design of the software.
Make sure to get a piece of software that’s
designed professionally and is easy to navigate.

Most importantly, you should use what you are most

comfortable with. If you’re producing with a DAW
you hate for the sole reason that a pro uses it,
chances are, you’ll be miserable.

I’d also advise to try demos of software before you

buy. Even if you have done plenty of research and
have watched a ton of videos, trying out a DAW will
make you even more confident about purchasing the
software.

My favorite DAW to use: Bitwig Studio

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All About Studio Monitors & Headphones
A big question for beginning producers is, “What
should I get? Studio Monitors or Headphones?” I
believe that there is not an end-all, be-all answer
to this question. Ideally, you should have both.

Studio monitors provide a more accurate sound, but

headphones don’t have to deal with room acoustics.
You should also consider your budget.

It’s cheaper to get a good pair of studio

headphones rather than a good pair of studio
monitors. Headphones are also good for producing if
you have roommates you don’t want to bother.

Studio monitors are designed to supply a flat

sound. You are not looking for an enhanced, or
bass-boosted, sound. You want to hear a very close
representation of what your mix sounds like.

Having a flat sound will give you a much better

idea of what your final track will translate to
different sound systems.

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All About Audio Interfaces
It’s good practice to have an audio interface even
if you aren’t recording real instruments.

They will provide a more amplified signal to go out

to your studio monitors. It will also lift some
strain from your computer and will result in a
lower latency.

You can, however, connect your studio monitors

directly into your laptop/ desktop. I didn’t buy an
audio interface right away and I don’t think you
should either.

BTW, the audio interface on the top of this page is

the Scarlett 2i2. I love Scarlett’s interfaces and
the 2i2 is a very affordable option.

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 Enjoy this book?

It would mean a lot if

you can share your
feedback with me.
Send an email over to
Doug@MIDILifestyle.com.
Thank you!
-Doug

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