What It Takes To Record Metal At Home

So if you were looking at hip hop, pop, or something like that... I am sorry. I am sure it's very different for those genres. I play metal. I record my music. I mix my music... and I freeze at releasing it. Once I do, I'll make a post and you can hear it, but in the meantime, I've spent YEARS learning of how I need to set up everything, and I've got a case of ADHD working against me as well.

With that in mind, here's what I learned, in a semi-organized fashion of what you need to create your own metal music at home.

NOTE: I am not monetized, I have no links. It's just an article. Maybe later one I'll make a shopping list or something.

Okay so hear me out - there's going to be two sides of this coin; the "everything has to be real" crowd, and the "well I can use free plugins and AI. Don't even need a mic" crowd. Much like anything else my friend, the answer is in between. Hence the title of the section.

Personally, I think it's got to be the guitar. Most metal is guitar driven music. It handles rhythm, melody, drive, and is often riff-heavy. If you have AI or using some sort of midi plugin for guitar, you'll probably lose a ton of feel of the song. Now here's the thing though; the more instruments you have that are performed and not programmed, the more human and enjoyable your music will sound. That doesn't mean you can't make good music without it though. The other big thing is vocals. You probably need a mic, or you hire someone else to do them.

You could... theoretically... use a bunch of plugins free or paid, and put together a metal song with a keyboard. However, let's be real here; half or more of the sound of a guitarists, drummer, bass player, or vocalist... is in their body. You could give 5 people the exact same riff, same guitar, same amp, and it's going to sound just a tad different from each person. When you do everything digitally, you do remove a lot of human from it.

However, I get it. Learning a whole bunch of different instruments isn't easy. It isn't cheap either. Especially drums, even electric (as far as metal goes, there's a lot of cheap options if you're not metal).

Regardless, my suggestion is learn one instrument - guitar preferred. Or get someone to play something that you write. If you want the full band experience, you'll need the following -

• Guitar
• Bass
• Drums (electric is easier honestly)
• Condenser mic (vocals and other stuff)
• A Midi keyboard or keyboard with sound
• Plus all the little accessories that come with these things

This will be a short section, but I learned a few things the hard way, so there's a little bit of advice here too.

First off - whatever DAW you decide to go with, the more instruments/tracks you add, the more your processor will get hammered. Yes, there are ways to reduce it... but are you trying to mess with your computer and stuff, or record a song? So when you decide to pull the plug and finally buy something, let's get something with processing power.

Note: You do NOT need the 3,000$ fancy "recording" laptop. The laptop I am using now is an ROG with a great processor and okay graphics, and it costs me a whopping 700$. My CPU doesn't even hit 60% on a full mix with all the plugins and stuff. However, if you got that kind of cash to drop... buy a good Mac. Those machines are BUILT for stuff like this. Get a good one with a great chip, and that thing will be a beast forever.

Okay and one piece of advice here - buy either a docking station with a bunch of USB inputs, or buy a USB extender. Most laptops nowadays only come with 1, maybe two USB ports if you're lucky. My preference - anything from Anker is good. I've bought a few other cheap things off Amazon that fail out miserably. My Anker stuff is still going very strong. It's pretty cheap too. 5-7 extra ports for like 15$.

Before I get into other hardware, I want to bring up the midi controller (aka keyboard). If you are a piano player and can really shred on a keyboard, by all means, go buy the big thing. For me, I couldn't do it if my life depended on it. What I have is an Akai MPK Mini. It's the size of a large book, bunch of little buttons, and works with all the synth and noise plugins you could think of. It costs me 60$ used, it's only like 80-100$ new. If you want to look for something similar, they are called midi controllers.

List of random things you don't think about - long cables, xlr cables, gain boxes, headphones, extenders, picks, monitors (aka speakers), and a backup drive. So you don't lose your stuff if you lose your computer or it breaks. Also, a secondary monitor helps. You don't necessarily need all these things, but depending on what you're doing, know that the need for something will arise. Be prepared for the nickel and dimes over time.

The main piece of hardware you'll want to put the extra cash into is the interface. Trust me. I went through 3 different things before I bit the bullet and bought what I have today. I first thought I could "direct USB" record... however, there's a severe delay. I bought a few different ones and they all had this problem. I had a Behringer 40$ interface, and to get that thing to work with any of the DAW's, having to download random crap to correct delay, and it not working well with my electronic kit drivers... ugh. I also had a Yamaha board. It was fine, but it was old, so drivers weren't working well, it was bulky and hard to set up.

My suggestion; anything from Scarlett. I have a Solo, and it is killer. One XLR and one instrument + a headphone jack. It doesn't require external power, it comes from USB, and it has direct monitor. The drivers are downloaded from the site and they work without issue. No delay, no compatibility issues, and to top off, it's smaller than a mac and cheese box. What did it cost? On sale, I've seen it as low as 80$. I bought it regular price, brand new, at 125$.

Don't be like me. Spend it. Buy the Scarlett.

The subtitle is important here; wait until the next section. Obviously first thing is a DAW. It's what you record, mix, and edit into. Yes, there are free ones out there but OMG did I have a ton of issues with them. Personally, I needed quick and easy. I ended up with Reaper.

Now obviously there's a ton in all different price ranges. It's really up to personal preference. Most of them come with free trials. I tried Cubase, Fruity Loops, and a few others... Reaper was just easier for me, and it's only 60$.

Second thing I suggest, and it might be a spicy take; but don't buy the amps, buy the sims. Don't buy the pedals. You'll freaking go broke. Also, don't buy stupid cheap stuff or only use free stuff (unless you want to sound generic or spend a TON of time tone hunting). I've seen pretty good stuff with Bias FX, however I could not get a good tone out of that thing for the life of me. I ended up every year during their sales, buying Neural DSP plugins (on sale like 75$ a pop). Each sim you buy comes with a TON of options, and there's all these presets that make it sound absolutely amazing out of the box with little to no effort to get to recording (I have Petrucci, Rabea, Gojira, and Parallax for bass). In addition, each one comes with a couple of EQ'ing settings, so you can perfect your guitar tone before you ever hit record.

That being said honestly... if you don't have the cash, I totally get it. Just be prepared to do a lot of upfront work to get a good tone with free and cheap stuff. That's totally okay. There's no judgement coming from me... I just suck at it.

The only other software you'll want is something that makes the cool effects for your midi controller/keyboard. I actually pay monthly for Slate, and I get Ana 2, which fits what I need it for. If you want orchestral stuff, or things like that, good luck. I am sure there's good stuff out there. By the time I wanted to do this, I was so burnt out searching for crap, I just used what I had.

Optional: Find a decent drum sampler. I have SSD 5.5, and while the internet tells you it'll make you sound generic and blah blah blah, look... it works like a charm out the box and the drums are practically mix ready. There's a reason everyone uses it, don't let the internet bully you out of using what you prefer or what makes your life easier. You're not a pro. You're some random person trying to make heavy music. It doesn't matter.

Yay! Now the fun rabbit hole I went down and all the money I spent is so you don't have to. It isn't dirt cheap though. If you already had the computer, instrument, and interface, all the rest of your cash will end up here. Trust me though, it makes your life easier. You can mix with free plugins though. I won't actually make any direct suggestions, but rather just tell you the basic tools you'll need to make it sound decent.

1. EQ - And preferably an EQ tool that has more than like 5 bands... or whatever they're called, and that can show you real time what's up.
2. Compressor - You're going to blow the crap out of the mix. It's heavy music, which is a wall of sound. You'll need a good compressor with some options on it to shape the sound.
3. Saturation - Something like Gain Reduction from JST. It will immensely make your awful attempts and screaming and growling sound halfway decent.
4. Basic Effects - What's basic you ask? Delay and reverb. You really don't need anything else to basic mix something.
5. Mastering Tool - If you plan on releasing anything, you'll want the FGX-2 or something that can show you the LUFS (no, I am not sure what that is, but it's loudness). It will translate better to streaming services and what not.

Many will preach Waves and all that jazz... okay, but I can't drop 200$ per little tiny plugin. Again, I ain't a pro. So what do I use (trust me you don't want to know what I have)? I use a bunch because I have it, but for a basic mix, I use a lot of basic EQ and compressors from JST, and I have a monthly sub to Slate Digital, which gives you practically anything you need. JST Heat is one of my favorites. It literally brings things to LIFE.

I mean... I could sit here and be a mental advice coach and tell you it's all in your head. While some of that may be true, I am not going to do that. I'll just give you a couple of practical pieces of advice.

Good Performance Saves Time - I've been there where you always say "I'll fix it later." The problem is, especially if you're doing it alone, changing one little section in a part of a song is more difficult than just making the performance better. In addition, fixing timing issues, or your guitar being tuned even slightly different, you end up risking the whole song.

Set Up For Easy Mixing - My mixing journey started off rough. 15 different plugins, a virtual rack, and all the things to make things sound good. You do NOT need it. One of the reason I love amp and drum sims is that you can carve the tone out before you mix. By the time you get to mixing, it should already sound at least "alright."

Do It In Chunks - I mean anything. Don't keep telling yourself "do the whole song" or "I need to perform from front to back." Record a guitar track by section. Intro, verse, transition, pre chorus, chorus, bridge, etc. - they're all separate sections. Record each track at a different time.

Give Room To Reset - Sometimes you'll get so dang caught up in recording, mixing, performing, etc. that you're going to be a little warped on the main question you need to ask - "is it good?" There are times where I've dumped 20 hours into a song, only to move to a different song for a month, and then come back to the song and realize... it's garbage. Same thing with a good song, but a bad mix. Obviously a month is a long time, but give your tracks a day or two to sit.

Make Starting Easy - You are not a professional studio. You are a person in a home likely, or some random space trying to do things. Let me tell you, that cleanliness part of you needs to chill. Make firing up that recording session as simple as possible. For example, if I am recording say my classical guitar or vocals, I already have the mic plugged in, a 25 ft cable so I have room to move, and the mic is within arms reach. If I want to record guitar, I press two buttons (open the DAW and a USB power button), plug in the guitar and I am ready to go. My drums are always plugged up. I have the midi controller on my desk at all times. Make templates in your DAW to save time.

• Point being is nothing will defeat you faster than having to take 15 mins to setup to record for 30, and then have to tear it all down.

Lastly - Mix Simply - Again and again, remember that you're not a pro. You likely don't know how to use a lot of things effectively and efficiently. If you set up for an easy mix, EQ should turn it from "alright" to "not half bad." Adding delay, saturation, compressors, and reverb should get it to "it sounds listenable." Okay stop there. Make sure nothing sounds awful and stop. BEFORE you do the "car test" or whatever, export your mix, put the single file back into your DAW, then add JST Heat, FGX-2, or some mastering tool, and make sure LUFS are between 10-14 (there may be other options, ignore them, only focus on LUFS). Anything higher will sound like everything is fighting for each other. Anything lower will have you max out your volume in the car.

I just spent a lot of words here telling you how to do it at home. It sounds difficult, and honestly, that's because it is. Metal isn't an easy genre of music to make or produce. It's a lot of talent, knowledge, and a wall of noise with little space to breathe. All of that makes every part of the journey a learning experience.

For the mixing piece, I oppose it to say the mixing I do at church. Those songs have more instruments, but it's not a wall of noise, it's a lot of focus shifts with vocals being the main focus. When I mix metal at home, I start with a barrage of sound that I need to carve out. At church, I am starting with an already carved sound, so I am focused on making each instrument sound good and sit well.

For the gear and software... I have a lot of software, not much gear though. I don't even own a guitar amp. Why? So I can please some 50 year who missed his chance to be a rockstar? Nah. We live in 2025, I don't need physical gear beyond the instrument itself. However plugins range from free to not free to expensive. I typically do research on each, focusing on how it makes it easier for me. I am not a pro. I am just a dude at home, trying to make music.

It's feasible to make metal at home, but give yourself grace and especially give yourself time. Most of us don't have like 5k to drop on everything you need, and 8 hours a day to record and perfect things. That price however eats down with what you already have. If you have a laptop that works, you already own some instruments, then that price tag starts dropping. If you are willing to learn and use free plugins, it can even more drop the price... most of what I honestly paid for was convenience.

One last piece of advice before we leave for the day; find your personal barriers and focus your time on reducing those. For me, it was money and convenience. If it costs too much, I won't ever get it. I'll maybe buy something expensive once a year, and I realized over time, I'd be 93 before I get everything I needed. Instead I did research, tested things, and really tried to understand what I needed. Second was convenience; not because of laziness, but because of motivation. Nothing kills my drive faster than having to take 10-15 mins to setup something, screw with it to make it work, or have to configure 30 things before I begin.

Those might not be your problems. It may be perfectionism, tone hunting, etc. - just find what soaks up your time and work to reduce it. It may be knowledge, research, compromise, mindset, just about anything, but it's entirely on you to recognize and reduce it. Trust me, the more barriers you remove, the more you ACTUALLY record, mix, and write. You don't have a giant raincloud hovering over you of all the crap later on.

And again, and again, and again please remember - you are NOT a pro. You're some random person in a random house on the random internet with a random name. No one knows who you are, and no one really cares about the mistakes and stuff you care about. Start somewhere, even if that somewhere sucks. You suck and then you get better and suck less, until you don't suck at all.

Have fun! Make music!