I got a question from a Youtube subscriber on our Long Wait Youtube channel last week.

It was regarding my recent video where I went over the recording of both acoustic and electric guitars.

I happened to do the recordings downtown at a professional studio instead of at home, so I got this question from a viewer:

How is you using a bunch of hardware in a professional studio beneficial to those of us in home recording environments?

That's actually a pretty fair question, and one I'd love to answer because sometimes I think there's this disconnect between what people think goes on in home studios compared to professional ones.

Focus

First of all, I went downtown to record because I needed a change of pace. I wanted a different environment where I could disconnect from everything and just focus on the music.

I stay connected to email, Facebook, Twitter and all that jazz while I'm at home. It's obviously my fault and I should be able to just close my browser and focus on recording, but I don't.

Going to a professional studio and paying for the day allows me to focus on just the recordings at hand and nothing else. I'm paying for the studio so I won't waste my time checking emails.

Lesson: Paying for time often results in a more productive work environment. The same goes for daily things like a gym membership. You'll buckle down and become productive when you're paying for it.

Your Skills

I didn't go to a studio and work with another engineer or producer.

I can work my way around the studio so it's not really out of reach for anyone who has engineering skills to use a professional studios as long as they're familiar with the software (I installed Logic down there for faster workflow) and know how the cables are routed.

The rest is just your engineering skills of using microphones and listening to the instruments in the environment you put them in. That's identical regardless of whether you're in a home studio or a commercial facility.

Lesson: Pro studios can't make you a better engineer. They might make it easier to get good sounds because of a better microphone collection or well treated rooms but the rest is still up to you.

Experimentation

I went to a professional studio because of their microphone selection and ability to experiment with different techniques.

I probably wouldn't have come up with my method of tracking both the acoustic guitar with a microphone in one room while simultaneously tracking the acoustic guitar amp in the control room.

Lesson: Checking out of your normal work environment allows you to think differently and not get stuck doing the same things over and over again. You can still do this in your home studio by renting microphones, giving yourself limitations or forcing yourself to try new things.

It's not confined to the professional studio because it's all about the work mentality you have in your head.

Outboard Gear

I assume this is the biggest point in the person's question. I understand that not everyone has outboard gear to use while they're tracking but you can still use the same concept in your home studio.

For instance, I tracked through a compressor. I could've easily tracked through a compressor in my home studio using the digital console in my Apollo Twin. The interface allows me to put insert on the recording chain on the way in if I want to commit to a sound. That's exactly the same as running your signal through an outboard compressor.

Even if you don't have a fancy digital console included with your interface you can still do the same thing through your DAW.

One way would be to route your armed track to a record-ready bus that has a channel strip or a compressor on it. That way you're technically recording on the way in.

Lesson: Professional studios, although they might have better gear, don't have exclusivity over "committing to tape." You can easily do the same thing in your home studio.

And finally, who ever said outboard gear was exclusive to professional studios? Last time I checked you could get a decent outboard compressor or channel strip online for only a few hundred dollars. That shouldn't be out of reach for a home studio.

So to recap why the difference between professional studios and home studios is negligible in this particular situation:

• Disconnecting to focus on your art is important, even so important you'd pay for it.
• Skills matter more than professional gear.
• Getting out of your comfort zone and into a different mindset helps you experiment with new techniques.
• The methods of using "professional gear" can easily be replicated in the home studio, whether inside your DAW or by buying cheaper outboard processing.

What do you think?

Agree? Disagree?

I'd like to know although I know I'm right and won't be persuaded otherwise ;)

It's easy to walk into a pro studio and get to work when you know your way around everything. That's what I teach you in the Recording & Mixing Strategies bundle. Just a ton of tips on getting your studio up and running, getting your recordings sounding GREAT at the source and then walking you through my approach to mixing.

Pick it up here and you'll be competing with the pros in no time:

www.audio-issues.com/strategies