Sphere 04 · Recording

Get great takes at home.

Mic placement, tracking, editing and making your room work for you. Everything I would read and watch before hitting record at home.

15resources3sectionsUpdated Sep 2026

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only list things I would hand a friend.

01Start here

One textbook, three YouTube channels, a blog and a magazine. The best place to start recording yourself at home.

6 resources
Cover of Modern Recording Techniques, 9th Edition, by David Miles Huber
  • Book

Modern Recording Techniques

The standard textbook on recording: acoustics, mic placement, running a session and how the gear works.

Why I like it

It has been through many editions, so you know it has been around for a while. This covers the tools and day-to-day practices of music recording and production. You will learn the ins and outs of room acoustics and designing a studio. Gain techniques for mic placement and running a session. Get a solid grounding in both theory and industry practice. If you want a more in-depth understanding of the topics covered in the YouTube channels here, this is a good place to start.

Resources for Musicians - Best podcast
  • YouTube

The Recording Revolution

Graham Cochrane has been teaching home recording online for years. Most beginner questions are already answered here.

Why I like it

One of the first people to bring audio education online, Graham Cochrane is the man behind one of the largest YouTube channels devoted to home recording. If you are just starting your journey into recording, he has years of material to dive in on. He has covered many of the topics anyone getting into recording will ask.

Produce Like a Pro logo on a black background
  • YouTube

Produce Like A Pro

Producer and engineer Warren Huart shares studio sessions, tips and a lot of free resources.

Why I like it

This is another great YouTube channel for producers and musicians alike. It was created by producer and engineer, Warren Huart. He has a genuine want to help musicians make excellent music. He creates a lot of exceptional content on his YouTube channel and has a bunch of free resources on his website.

Musician on a Mission podcast logo over a desk with an audio interface and keyboard
  • YouTube
  • Website

Mastering.com (formerly Musician on a Mission)

Beginner-friendly recording and mixing videos for DIY musicians who record themselves.

Why I like it

This is another channel similar to The Recording Revolution, now called Mastering.com. The content is targeted to people starting their journey into recording and audio. If you are a DIY musician and looking into self-recording, the content here is another good option.

Audio Issues audio production tips logo
  • Website
  • Podcast

Audio Issues

Practical home recording tips and tutorials from Björgvin Benediktsson.

Why I like it

This is a great resource for musicians that are looking to start recording themselves at home. He gives practical advice and tutorials for any... audio issues you may have. I recommend this article:

The ultimate guide to getting great home recordings

Cover of Tape Op magazine issue 49 with a list of interviews and vintage level meters
  • Magazine

Tape Op

A free magazine full of in-depth interviews with artists and engineers about how records really get made.

Why I like it

I subscribed to this magazine many years ago and got a lot of value out of the great interviews with artists and the recording process. There is an interview with Sufjan Stevens that I would recommend everyone to read which covers how he created his beautiful debut albums with horrible gear and even worse recording technique. Check out Sufjan Stevens' Tape Op interview.

02Tracking & Editing

Getting the sound right at the source, then tightening drums and guitars in the edit.

4 resources
Unstoppable Recording Machine logo with a reel-to-reel tape machine icon
  • Course
  • Community

URM Academy

Tutorials, courses and a community for engineers and producers, especially in rock and metal. Home of Nail the Mix.

Why I like it

The Unstoppable Recording Machine is one of the best communities and resources for all engineers and producers, especially in rock and metal. They have a ton of great tutorials that cover most of the topics you could ever have a question about. The Nail the Mix program has helped me a lot to see the decisions top engineers make to create professional mixes.

Pro Tools edit window with colored audio tracks and an editing dialog open
  • Video

How To Edit Drums With Beat Detective

Warren Huart walks through drum editing in Pro Tools. The principles carry over to any DAW.

Why I like it

If you are new to editing audio and drums in particular, Warren goes into detail how to edit with Pro Tools Beat Detective, but the principles will be the same for other methods and DAWs as well.

Video thumbnail "Advanced Pro Tools Drum Editing" showing an instructor at a desk
  • Video

How to Edit Drums in Pro Tools: Advanced

URM goes deep on editing heavy drums with Beat Detective and Elastic Audio. The shortcuts alone are worth it.

Why I like it

John Douglas goes in-depth with editing some heavy drums in one of URM's fast tracks. He covers using Beat Detective and Elastic Audio in Pro Tools. Learning the keyboard shortcuts he mentions alone makes the video worth it.

Gear Gods video thumbnail "How I Edit Guitars" showing a DAW with guitar waveforms
  • Video

How to Edit Guitars (Trey Xavier)

Trey Xavier shows his techniques for editing guitar DI tracks.

03Home Studio & Acoustics

Make your room work for you, from DIY panels to building a studio from scratch.

5 resources
Professional recording studio control room with a large mixing console and wood-paneled walls
  • YouTube
  • Website

John Brandt

A Nashville studio acoustician sharing practical videos and free DIY acoustic panel plans.

Why I like it

He is a very knowledgeable acoustician that has worked with some big names and did many installations for studios in Nashville. He provides a wealth of knowledge on his YouTube channel and has free DIY acoustic panel build plans on the resource page of his website.

Jesco Lohan of Acoustics Insider smiling in a cap and glasses, seated on a couch
  • Website

Acoustics Insider

Jesco Lohan cuts through acoustics myths with a practical approach to making your room sound its best.

Why I like it

The field of acoustics is filled with a lot of bullshit and just plain false information. Jesco Lohan takes a practical approach to helping you get your room sounding its best. He isn't going to sell you the latest foam or activated charcoal.

Recording studio live room with acoustic panels, a drum kit and an electric guitar
  • Video

DIY Bass Traps (Jason Baliban)

The lightweight panel design I used for my own room. Easy to build and it works.

Why I like it

This is the design of the acoustic panel that I made. I followed this design because it is much lighter and allows sound to enter from the sides. I highly recommend it and I am happy with the results I have gotten from the 6 I have built.

Cover of Home Recording Studio: Build It Like the Pros, 2nd Edition, by Rod Gervais
  • Book

Home Recording Studio: Build It Like the Pros

How to build or renovate a studio room, explained with a get-it-done approach instead of heavy theory.

Why I like it

Interested in building a studio room from the ground up or totally renovating an existing room? This book goes over in detail how to build a studio with a get-it-done approach without being overly technical. There is a thread on Gearspace where people asked the author questions directly: Questions for the author thread

Cover of Master Handbook of Acoustics, Sixth Edition, by F. Alton Everest and Ken C. Pohlmann
  • Book

Master Handbook of Acoustics

The deep, nerdy reference on how sound behaves in rooms, physically and psychoacoustically.

Why I like it

This is for people that really want to take a deep dive into how sound works physically and psychoacoustically. I recommend it if you want to get nerdy on the topic of acoustics.

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