What equipment do singers and songwriters need? Are you a singer and songwriter and looking for a set-up that will help you in your creativity? If yes, then you are at the right place. Singers and songwriters, need to have some essential equipment that will help to create, record and render their creation. Equipment to help singers and songwriters journey to make their production more appealing.
Let’s get started.
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Computer
The first thing which you need is a computer with sufficient speed and capacity to run music software. Thankfully you do not need a major investment here and probably the laptop which you already use is good for recording.
The recommended basic specs for a laptop to be used for home music production is i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 and above. The higher the cores the better performance. In addition to this, the laptop should have at least 8 GB of RAM. Of course, the higher the specs the smoother will be the experience. The other factor which you should also consider is storage and Solid State Drives or SSD are preferred as they are faster.
Speaking from a perspective of investment vs performance, the windows laptops score better here. Apples are great options and if you have one then you probably have a headstart. They come with a pre-installed Garageband, which could be your DAW. Essential equipment for singers and songwriters.
If you are looking to purchase a laptop then we recommend going for either an ACER ASPIRE 4 A515-56T-574E or ASUS VivoBook 15.6” Laptop with Ryzen 7 3700. Both of these laptops have a sufficiently fast CPU with 8 GB and above RAM, SSD card, and USB 3 type C connectivity for speedy data transfer.
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Audio Interface
Audio Interface is at the heart of a home set up for a singer and songwriter. These are a piece of equipment by which singers and songwriters are able to record their creation and store on the computer. An Audio interface essentially does two works. First, they convert the analog signals of the guitar and microphone to a digital one to be processed via the music software (also called DAW). Second, they convert the digital signal to an analog one for playback.
If you are a singer or a songwriter, you will need an Audio Interface to which your microphone will be connected to record your vocals and acoustic guitars. The Audio Interface also connects the studio monitors for playback, editing, and mixing purposes. Audio Interfaces also have zero-latency output jacks for headphones.
Most of the audio interfaces in the market can handle 24-bit depth and up to 96 kHz sampling rate. The human ear can hear from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, so 96 kHz is more than enough. Fortunately for us, the Audio Interface space has become extremely competitive, and as result manufacturers are offering great specs at very competitive prices along with basic level professional DAWs bundled in.
Two such extremely good Audio Interfaces are Presonus Audiobox USB 96 and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen. Both of these provide 24-bit depth with 96 kHz sampling rate (in Presounus) and 192 kHz sampling rate (in Focusrite Scarlett). Both of these equipment come with Phantom Power option (48v) which singers and songwriters will require to use a condenser microphone. These Audio Interfaces have an excellent and clean preamp and come with DAW bundled in the package.
The only place where Focusrite 2i2 scores more than the Presonus AudioBox is with the AIR Mode. The AIR mode emulates the famous ISA preamp of Focusrite’s AIR studio. This mode gives a wonderful uplift of the mid-high frequencies and is great for voice.
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DAW
DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. It is the software that will sit on the laptop and will help singers and songwriters to run their production, record, edit, mix, and render the production. DAWs are excellent and comes with additional instruments and effects which you can apply to your creation.
DAWs have several tracks where you can record different instruments or vocals. These tracks are individually editable, meaning you can change the sound color of a guitar track or the vocals individually. It offers great flexibility to the artist.
If you are a beginner, then the best is to start with the DAW you get as a bundle when you buy an Audio Interface. Most of the Audio Interfaces bundle basic versions of professional DAWs. It offers a great start and then as you become more experienced can move to more complex ones.
Apple products come preinstalled with Garageband, which is a very effective basic DAW. Normally Apple users upgrade to Logic Pro afterward. Other good DAWs are FL Studio, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Reaper, Cubase, Reason, Cakewalk, etc. PreSonus Audiobox comes with Presonus Studio which is also a good option.
If you are a beginner then it is recommended not to invest in a DAW separately and use what comes bundled with the audio interfaces. Honestly, these are great for any beginner to the intermediary. For a singer and songwriter, the basic DAWs should be enough as they might not require many tracks and the high-end features which are required for more complex recordings.
Otherwise the Ableton Live and FL Studios are some great options which you can buy from Amazon.
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Microphone
If you are a singer and songwriter you will need microphones. Let me correct that. You will surely need a few microphones. Microphones are essentially of three types and come with certain inherent directionality to capture sound. You can get detailed information on Microphones and how to choose here.
Dynamic microphones are great options for live performances and handling loud sounds. They are less sensitive to the surrounding sound and are thus best used in home studios. These microphones can reject most background noise and capture sounds that are close to the diaphragm.
Condenser microphones are more sensitive and can capture background noises. These microphones best perform in an acoustic treated room. They come as Large Diaphragm Condenser, which are great for vocals, and Small Diaphragm Condensers which are good for brighter instruments, like acoustic guitar.
Ribbon microphones are the most sensitive of these three and are generally used for warm vintage sounding vocals. These are most expensive and fragile as well.
Microphones also have Polar Patterns which are the inherent directionality of microphones. The most common polar pattern is cardioid. In this pattern, the microphone rejects any sound which is not coming from the front thus making it great for vocals. The other polar patterns are Figure of 8 where it captures sound from both front and back and not from the sides. And omnidirectional, where the microphone captures sound from all around.
For Singers and Songwriters’ home set up, the best equipment of choice will be a Cardioid Dynamic Microphone or a Cardioid Large Diaphragm Condenser. Shure SM7B is a fantastic choice for a Dynamic and Audio Technical AT 2020 for Condenser. MXL 770 is also a brilliant choice for an LDC microphone and times I rate it above AT 2020.
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Monitors
After having the Audio Interface, DAW, and the microphone, you require Sound Monitors next. These are to provide you with a true and accurate sound. These are called Studio Monitors.
The Studio Monitors are different from the home audio hi-fi systems. The role of a studio monitor is to produce an accurate sound without coloring the original. This equipment is the ears of singers and songwriters. If something is not right, you should be able to identify that and correct it.
A good studio monitor will have a flat frequency response. The ones used for home use are called Near Field Two Way Monitors. The Two way comes from the two drivers in these monitors – the high-frequency drivers also called Tweeters and Low-Frequency Drivers, also called Woofers. Most of the new studio monitors are active in nature, meaning they have a preamp built-in. Otherwise, you will have to find a compatible preamp to drive the monitors.
A few things to remember while choosing a studio monitor, keep the size of the room, budget and placement in mind. There is no point getting a $1000 apiece monitor in a small room that is not treated well and placing the monitors near the wall on a desk.
Keeping in mind a home set up, new generation monitors are front ported in case the monitors are placed near the walls so that bass do not build up, and have controls by which you can adapt the sound for space.
Two such wonderful monitors are Presonus E5 XT and Kali Audio LP6. Both of these are front ported and made specifically keeping in mind a home set up. They come with additional controls and easy reference guides to adapt these monitors to your room.
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Headphones
These are the next important piece of equipment which singers and songwriters need to have. But choosing the right headphones is not easy. There are different headphones for specific functions.
Headphones are of two types – Closed Back and Open Back headphones.
Closed-back headphones are the ones where the ear cup is completely sealed. As a result, no air or sound can escape from the cups. These headphones are great for isolation and they make the best noise cancellation headphones. But due to the closed-back nature, these headphones can be tiring to the ears. The closed-back nature of these headphones makes them warm when used for a long duration and not very comfortable.
The open-back headphones on the other hand are made such that the ear cups are not completely sealed. This allows air and sound to move in and out of the cups. Due to this, these headphones feel more expansive and the sound seems to have more dimension than a closed back. You are able to put and identify instruments in the stereo image accurately. They offer better depth and are more natural sounding. The open back nature of these headphones allows air to pass and makes them wearable for longer durations.
The drawback of the open back is that people around you can also hear what you are listening. This also impacts recording where sound can bleed into the recording. These are best used for intimate listening or during mixing while the closed backs are best used for monitoring while singing. Check this link out on Closed Back and Open Back headphones.
AKG K240 Studio provides great value being a semi-open headphone. It offers all the benefits of an open back headphone at a great budget price. Audio Technica ATH M50 is a good sounding closed-back headphone.
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Guitar
If you are a singer and songwriter then probably you already have an acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars are amazing companions for musicians and especially singers and songwriters. A good solid wood acoustic guitar can sound wonderful and help you to transcend from your current surrounding to an intimate one – you and your guitar.
There are different shapes and sizes of acoustic guitars. The Dreadnought is perhaps the most common shape and a bit of an all-rounder. You have the Jumbo which is large, loud, and boomy and on the other hand, you have the Grand Auditorium ones which are slightly different in shape with a narrower waist than a Dreadnought.
But a perfect guitar for a singer and songwriter is the Grand Concert or Parlor. These are smaller guitars, lightweight, and easy to carry. These guitars are less heavy on the bass and shine on their mids and highs. Perfect for fingerstyle players and singers and songwriters. These are the perfect instruments with which you would want to escape from the city to somewhere quiet and create your music. Bob Dylan played a Martin 00-17 for some time. John Mayer Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift all play Grand Concerts and Parlor models.
Taylor makes some great grand concerts and the Academy 12e is a great option. Another great choice is Fender PM 2.
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Camera
There are some singers and songwriters who need some different equipment. Especially those who might also want to video record while they create and here the Camera plays a very important role. The new generation phones with high-end camera in them, have made the still camera redundant in many cases. But when it comes to a video camera, depth of the field while video shooting, and the classic bokeh (blurred background), you will have to fall back on a good digital camera.
There are many choices among cameras. You can have a DSLR or you can have a mirrorless camera, or you can have a straight forward movie camera (which I think is overkill). Good mirrorless or DSLR options are great. Both Sony and Canon make some great ones which can be useful for still photography as well as video.
Among DSLRs, Canon 90D is a great option and if going for mirrorless then Sony A6600 serves the purpose very well. This is considered one of the best cameras for running a Youtube set up and you can never go wrong. You will also have to invest in light and lenses to make your production more professional.
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Accessories
Lastly coming to the section of accessories. All the equipment which we have discussed above would need some accessories. We will cover the most important ones here.
You will need good quality microphones stands. TAMA Microphone stands are extremely good and will last a lifetime. If you want to have a swivel boom arm attached to your desk, then RODE PSA1 is the best option.
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It is best to place studio monitors on a stand rather than placing them on the desk. The desk can resonate and bring unwanted sounds to the mix. On Stage SMS6000-P is a great choice among free standing ones. For desktop studio monitor stands with tilt adjustment, you cannot beat the Iso Acoustics ISO-155 stands.
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You will also require a Tripod for the camera to be stationed when shooting. Vanguard Alta Pro + 263 AB 100 is a solid option. Gorilla Pod is also a great option among smaller tripods.
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Lastly, your guitar will need a stand to keep them safe when you are not playing them. Hercules makes some best guitar stands their ShockSafe stand is a great option. Otherwise, OnStage Push Down and Spring up GS 7141 acoustic stand is a very convenient one. You can deep dive into Guitar Stands here.
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Summing Up
Being a singer and songwriter, you need to have your space. I hope this article provides you with a good understanding of where to start and how to go about the equipment for singers and songwriters. You can get more information on how to set up a home studio in this article here.
Go slow on buying and do evaluate the options. The objective of setting all this equipment is to make your creative juices flow more smoothly rather than creating obstacles in that flow. Higher-end and expensive equipment might not necessarily be the best. The simpler the set-up, the easier to create and manage. Go simple.
Last update on 2024-12-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
