Home Recording, as opposed to studio recording, has become something of a trend following COVID, with more and more self-engineered artists becoming big in their respective genres.

Zero time constraints and unlimited customisability sound pretty neat in retrospect. 

So why is it that a majority of Sydney artists always end up turning to professional studios? 

Aside from the professional expertise and more technical equipment, the commitment to a professional studio can be quite costly.

With dry rates usually based on the hour, hiring a professional studio for even a day can put a large dent in a band or artist’s funding.

The Sydney market in particular is quite high depending on where you want to record.

So let’s have a look at the pros and cons of Home and studio recording in Sydney. 

The Home Recording Setup 

The Home recording setup can be quite challenging to master, the initial investment into quality equipment can make it quite difficult to succeed in the industry. 

With acoustic challenges of recording spaces and limited technical expertise are also a major limitation when recording from home.

Of course, if you’re a technical whizz and have the skills of Pharrell Williams this may not overly be of concern to you.

However, home recordings have always been notoriously worse in recording quality, with the quality ceiling of the recording equipment and environment usually being quite low. 

There are however some positives when recording from home. 

The creative freedom of the home recording environment is fairly limitless, mostly being dependent on your own creative thinking. 

Not to mention the unlimited practice time and overall convenience and flexibility that recording from home allows.

Professional Studio Experience

Now for the studio experience, the state-of-the-art equipment is pretty much a no-brainer, and its acoustically optimised spaces are a necessity for any quality recording.

Along with expert sound engineering support, studio recording is a must for any up-and-coming artist looking to boost the quality of their tracks.

Studio experience also encourages bands and artists to network with audio professionals outside of their realm of experience. 

A benefit of this is opening doors to further opportunities within an already difficult industry.

Moving on to the constraints and concerns of studio recording, a major one of course is the cost.

I’m sure if you are reading this you are either aware of the industry costs or are within that sector, either way, it doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom. 

In Sydney alone, there are plenty of options available for those on a budget.

Whilst the amount you spend is usually indicative of the quality, take some time beforehand to discover what options work best for you.

What to Consider

There are some things you should consider before booking a professional recording studio, however. 

A major one that is often overlooked is the genre, if you or your band have a specific genre which you play, it is important to find a studio and engineer that suits that sound.

Networking with similar bands and artists to find what works for them is a great way to get started. 

One thing that goes hand in hand with this is understanding your influences and what you would like to take from their sound. 

For example, a Hip-Hop artist using Mumford & Sons as an influence is quite odd in retrospect.

However, if you knew exactly what you wanted to take from the genre or artist, the recording process would be much easier.

And instead of having a mumble of confusion, you could have a folk-rock Hip-Hop fusion which could actually end up being quite cool.

Digressing no further, the understanding you have of both your own unique sound and the music you love will help you get as close to the final product that you envision. 

To try and summarise, you get out exactly what you put in. 

Taking time to research your best options and speaking with other industry professionals is your best bet at finding the right match.

A keen understanding of your genre will also help you go a long way. 

For further info on recording studios in Sydney, check out Noise Machines options here.