It's fair to say that as recording gear has become more affordable, more portable and more user-friendly, there has been a massive increase in the number of musicians recording themselves at home, instead of hitting up professional studios to track their band's demos, EPs or even full albums.
Tracking at home has genuinely never been easier. If you’re recording guitar on your own, you can do so with just a few select pieces of gear. You don’t need to spend loads either, and it's totally possible to get pro-sounding recordings without stepping foot in a legit studio.
However, there are a few things to consider if you want your home-recorded guitars to be taken seriously. When I'm not reviewing gear and writing buyer's guides for Guitar World, I run a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance. Based on that experience, I've put together a few tips to help you get better results when recording on your own.
Tips for recording at home
1. Practice before the session
I'm starting with an obvious one. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it really is key. You might think you know your part, but as soon as you see that little red ‘record’ light glow on your screen, you can bet your bottom dollar that your fingers will completely forget what they’re doing. Red light fever is real.
So my advice is not to practice the part until you get it right; instead, practice it until you can't play it wrong. That way you'll nail it take after take, and you can focus on things like phrasing and tone, not just getting the notes in the right order.
2. Consider your space before you set up
Before wiring up your recording gear, have a look around the space you’re setting up in. Do you have room for everything? Is everything you need within easy reach? Are you going to be sitting or standing whilst recording, and can you easily control your DAW in that position?
You want to be comfortable whilst recording; anything that puts that in jeopardy can starve your creativity and effectively make your tracks suffer.
3. Invest in a good cable
You don’t have to drop a ton of cash here, but spending as much as you can afford on a good, noise-free guitar cable is definitely worth it if you’re recording at home.
Even a slightly noisy cable, when doubled, tripled, or quadrupled up, will start to become a real problem. You’ll get unwanted hum and hiss layered up on your track, meaning you’ll have to spend time either chopping it up or trying to EQ it out.
A decent cable is the way to go. Plus it’ll likely last longer too, meaning that the investment pays off in the end.
4. Double tracking is your friend
A very common trick for making your guitars sound bigger in a mix is double tracking. It essentially means recording the same part twice. Try to get the second part as close to the first one as possible. The natural differences in time and attack will give it a slightly different feel, but if played tightly enough, it will lock in and help your guitars punch more in the mix.
If you then pan these left and right, you can achieve some really nice, wide tones that envelop the listener. Want to go even bigger? Then you should try quad tracking.
5. Give capo/chord inversions a whirl
Similar to double tracking, using a guitar capo or even just different inversions can help make chords sound much more interesting. Say your song has a C, F, G chord sequence – record that with open chords and then use a capo on the third fret and play A, D, E. They’re the same chords, but they’ll ring out differently, and you’ll get a more interesting texture when recorded.
If you don’t have a capo, then maybe play the second part using barre chords – it will give a similar effect.
Essentially, just play around the fretboard, and you might discover some new and interesting voicings of the same chords you’re already playing. Some of these could even inspire new vocal melodies or interesting harmonies.
6. Think differently for each part
If you’re tracking guitar music that would traditionally be played by a band, then try to act like another guitarist when recording multiple guitar parts.
By that, I mean try to think differently. One trick is to use the above point and try out different inversions. If your go-to is to play mostly open chords, then for the second part, don’t play any open chords; maybe try to play everything further up the neck.
Another thing is to alter your physical connection with the instrument. So if you normally record sat down, for the second part you could try and play stood up. Or, maybe use a different thickness of guitar pick or, if you can be bothered, try out a different set of electric guitar strings.
Anything that can be changed, try changing it, as it might make enough difference on the recording for it to sound like it’s not the same person tracking everything.
If you’ve got the luxury of a gear collection, it’s also definitely worth experimenting with different guitars, amps, or pedals.
7. Listen intentionally
Whether you’re making the music all on your own or you’re playing on top of other people’s tracks, make sure you listen properly.
What other instruments are playing? What frequency ranges are they occupying? Could I potentially clash with them? Where are the vocals sitting? Is guitar needed on all of it? Really listen to what’s going on in the track and make sure that what you’re playing complements it and doesn’t override anything.
Try to put yourself in the mindset of a music listener, not a music maker.
8. Don’t be dominated by the click
Using a click is a great way to keep yourself in time – I use one on 95% of the things I record. However, try not to let the click stiffen you up. If you fixate on the click too much, it’s easy for your parts to then lose all feel and any natural swing they might have. Whether you’re playing to drums or not, try and use the click as a guide rather than a shackle.
If you trust your timing, try and brave it without a click! After all, tempo is just as much a sense of expression as dynamics or anything else.
Pros of recording at home
1. You’re not on the clock
Studio time is expensive and, if you’re not used to recording, it’s easy for time to just disappear. If you’re recording at home on your own, the only thing you’re wasting is your time (though it’s not wasted if you’re learning!).
2. It’s great practice for a real studio
Recording at home is probably the best practice you can do if you’re thinking of one day recording in a professional studio. It helps you work alongside a click/other instruments; you get used to that little red light glowing up, and you know more about how to layer up guitar tracks.
3. You might get good at it!
If you start out experimenting with recording your own guitar parts at home, who knows where it might take you? If you get good at it, people might start to come to you, and you could edge towards being a producer.
4. Less pressure = more creativity
Some players thrive in a less pressured environment. Recording on your own, in the right space, can be a really chilled place to create, so you may well end up making the best music you possibly can.
Cons of recording at home
1. It's easier to not commit to an idea
Because you’re not on the clock, you constantly change your mind about particular guitar tones or parts. You can hyper-focus on things that don’t really matter in the bigger picture. If you’re recording in a studio, you have to commit a little more, which can lead to being more productive.
2. You may find better gear in studios
The gear that’s available for budget home studios now is great; there’s no denying it. However, tracking guitars through vintage tube amps, using quality microphones, preamps, and EQs will undoubtedly result in better guitar sounds.
3. You won't have a producer to work with
It’s great to have total control over what you’re recording, but sometimes the trained ear of a good producer can really set you on the right path. You might have thought your tricky, string-skipping riff was the perfect backdrop to verse two, but when it’s all said and done, the producer’s call to just try power chords instead was the right one.
Gear essentials
You don’t need to spend a lot to start recording, but as a starting point a decent audio interface is a must-have. You want something that offers low latency, because any noticeable latency will instantly kill the vibe.
There are a number of ways to get great guitar tones at home:
1. Guitar amp
The first is using a traditional guitar amp. You plug into your amp as normal. You plug a microphone into your interface, and you place that mic in front of your amp. If you’re new to recording guitar, you might be surprised at how much difference the position of the microphone affects the sound. Experiment with different mic placements and angles – how close it is to the center of the speaker cone, etc.
This way you can use an amp that you know well, and simply record that.
Some amps even have USB outputs so you can record direct to your computer without the need for an interface.
2. Plugins
Plugins are another way of recording guitar at home. In this instance, plugins are digital software emulations of many classic amps. Using these to track guitars on your own means you can record almost silently, plus you can make changes to your tone even after you’ve recorded the part.
Plug your guitar straight into your audio interface and load up your preferred plugin. There are lots of different ones available to download, many of which offer free trials before committing. See our list of the best plugins for guitar for more recommendations that we've tested.
3. Modeler
Using an amp modeler is another popular way of recording guitars on your own. Modern modelers can replicate the sound of lots of different sought-after tube amps. They’ll usually have a bunch of effects on board too.
Depending on the unit itself, you’ll probably take either an XLR, jack, or USB cable out of the modeler and into your interface or computer, and you’re set to record straight away.
Some will come loaded with plenty of Impulse Responses (IRs), though you can always download more should you want them. They are particularly good for recording, as they are snapshots of various speaker cabinets, mics, and rooms, so they can give you different options when it comes to finding the right sound.
Other essentials
You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got a good set of monitor speakers or monitor headphones. Ideally, you want something that offers a flat response; that way, when you hear your guitars back, you know that the gear isn’t adding any frequencies and what you’re hearing is just what you’ve laid down.
Finally, you’ll want either a DAW or some sort of multi-track recorder. A DAW (digital audio workstation) is a piece of software that enables you to record and edit audio, e.g. Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools, etc. Some you have to pay for, but there are some fantastic free options too. Apple offers GarageBand for free, which is certainly good enough to get started.
If you’d rather steer clear of computers, then worry not; the likes of Tascam, Boss, Behringer and more offer standalone units that allow you to record multiple tracks on top of one another.
