This Simple Home Recording Studio Gets TV Placements
So far, my biggest sync placements have come from music completely created on a laptop.
Goal Line Gladiators, my best performing track, is a perfect example. It took about 8 hours total to make from start to finish.
My co-writer Avery Berman and I worked on it together during several Zoom sessions. In 2025 alone it has been broadcast hundreds of times on CBS Sports, Fox, and The Food Network.
The truth is you don’t need a million-dollar setup to do professional work. It is completely possible to write and produce high-quality music with a laptop and some essential gear.
In this post I’ll share my current home music studio setup. It allows me to quickly write and produce music that regularly gets placed on TV.
My Core Home Studio Setup
My studio is built around 4 core items; a laptop, DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), a MIDI controller and a pair of good quality headphones. This is literally all you need to get started producing music.
I’ve accumulated the rest over many years as time and budget allow. I also update things periodically as my workflow or gear needs change.
For example, I have a beefier laptop now since my last one died in the middle of a project a couple years ago. Tech devices do not last forever, so buy the best you can afford but understand everything will eventually wear out.
Computer
My studio computer is a 2023 MacBook Pro M2 Max with 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. You can definitely get away with less RAM and storage, but if you’re going to be running dozens of plugins across hundreds of tracks, get as much computing power as you can afford.
I went with a laptop so that I could easily make music away from the studio. It gives me the freedom to work from anywhere.
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
I use Logic Pro mostly because I’m on a Mac. I started on GarageBand ages ago and it was the logical next step (see what I did there?). As a former UX designer I also like the interface much more than other DAWs such as Cubase and Ableton Live.
Headphones
My headphones are Sennheiser HD 660s. High quality headphones are non-negotiable for mixing, especially if your room isn’t acoustically treated.
I’ve also got a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M50x which are very good. Whatever you go with, over time you will get to know the response curve of your particular set of headphones with every mix.
MIDI Controller Keyboard
I’ve owned several MIDI controllers over the years. My current favorite is the Novation Launchkey MK4 Mini 25.
It has a small footprint and sits comfortably on my desk next to my computer keyboard. I can easily sketch out simple melodies and harmonies without too much fuss.
Its big brother, the Launchkey MK4 61, sits just under my desk in a pull-out drawer. I use it when it’s time to get serious about my compositions or when I want to play piano and take advantage of its semi-weighted keys.
The Nice To Haves
Monitors
My husband bought a set of Tannoy near field monitors at an auction about 20 years ago for a couple hundred bucks. They are not powered and run through an old Marantz amplifier and an ancient Mackie 402VLZ3 mixer.
Audio Interface
If you are going to record live instruments or vocals you will need an audio interface to convert raw audio to a digital signal.
I have an old UAD Arrow, which is now the UAD Solo. I love it because it has two mic inputs as well as a direct in for my electric guitars. But where it really shines is monitoring. I can easily flip between my studio monitors and headphones at the touch of a button, and the AD converters are top notch.
I don’t use many of the included plugins, but the Neve 1084 is my go-to for excellent acoustic guitar recordings and vocals using the UAD Console software. You could spend far less on a Focusrite 2i2, but I’m very happy with my setup since it speeds up my workflow and helps me record high quality tracks faster.
Microphones
These are my long-time go-to mics. One is a large diaphragm condenser for close, intimate recordings and the other is a dynamic that can take a bit more heat. It’s good to have one of each if you can swing it.
Portable Vocal Booth
The SE Portable Vocal Booth, combined with my UAD interface and Neve 1084 plugin allows me to capture great acoustic recordings in a relatively untreated room.
There’s a lot of online debate as to whether or not these types of filters actually work. But in my experience it does, and it works great.
Loupedeck Live
I wrote about this in my Travel Studio post. The Loupedeck Live has improved my studio productivity more than anything else on this list. My husband gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago, and it has greatly simplified my workflow.
The big advantage of the Loupedeck is its small form factor and knobs. They're very similar to the endless encoders on the Native Instruments M32 MIDI Keyboard so I can navigate my Logic project timeline quickly and easily zoom in and out to my heart’s content.
This is definitely a nice to have. The Launchkey mini has a lot of similar features, but I love having this tiny device within easy reach so I don’t have to memorize hotkeys.
MIDI Fader Controller
I write a lot of orchestral music, and the Nuances Controller is a dream for programming more realistic expression and dynamics.
It has three 60mm faders and an LED display that shows each MIDI channel and its associated setting.
Peripherals
This is all the stuff that connects everything together and keeps my workspace functional.
Apple Magic Keyboard
I’ve had this for years and it is still my workhorse for daily computing. I much prefer using it with a large monitor (see below) vs. the laptop on its own.
Apple Magic Trackpad
This works much better for me than a mouse. It’s also much more streamlined on my desk.
Plugable USB Dock
Everything gets connected through this little technological marvel. It has hubs for everything - USB-A, USB-C and HDMI for my monitor. I like that I can discreetly tuck it behind the monitor so it doesn’t crowd my desk or clutter cables everywhere.
Computer Monitor
I have a used 27-inch LG monitor so that my eyeballs won’t fall out after long studio sessions. It is so much better than being hunched over a laptop.
Aeron Chair
Ya gotta sit somewhere to do all of this composing stuff. I highly recommend getting a good quality chair to save your back from hours of strain.
The Acoustic Treatment Reality
My studio is a spare bedroom in our home that measures about 10x12 feet. My husband built several acoustic panels using plywood and rockwool, so there is a bit of acoustic treatment. This definitely makes recording live instruments easier and gives good results.
But my room is terrible for mixing. It’s really awful. My desk is setup in a corner and bass frequencies collect in the opposite corners so I mix mostly on headphones to compensate. But it’s a great space for creating and that is what is most important to me.
Workflow Matters More Than Gear
At the end of the day, how you create matters more than what you create it on. Most professional composers have very similar setups, so sounding unique comes down to individual creativity, organization and execution.
I use genre-specific Logic templates and a custom Notion database to track every project from brief to delivery. It helps me stay organized and sane when I’m on a tight client deadline. It’s impossible to keep everything in my head, so I write down as much detail as possible and listen to lots of reference tracks before starting any project. That allows me to just sit down and get to work when it’s time to create.
File Management and Backup Strategy
I run all my Logic sessions through a dedicated SSD drive so that it is faster and safe from any computer glitches. All of my sample libraries are also on their own dedicated SSD.
This means doing daily backups with Backblaze and another physical backup SSD. That way I have sessions backed up in the cloud and separate from my computer.
Software and Virtual Instruments
Like many beginning composers, I way over-bought software when I started. Almost every email from a plugin or sample library company convinced me that their product was exactly what I needed to make better music. I should have been more focused on improving my craft instead.
In my first year of composing, I loaded up on “sales” until I cleared out my savings. Today I have dozens of plugins and libraries that I never use. It was a huge waste of time and money. Don’t let that happen to you.
For example, you don’t need multiple orchestral libraries. Yet. You just need one good one that does the job.
If I were starting out again I would definitely get Native Instruments Komplete and Audio Imperia’s Nucleus as my starter VSTs and that’s it. These two libraries alone will cover an enormous amount of styles and genres.
The Bottom Line
If you’re building (or re-building) a home music studio, focus on craft, not gear acquisition. Think about making a space that will help you create quickly and efficiently, and in a way that works for your style.
And realize that your setup will evolve. Start with the essentials and grow strategically as your skills improve.
But having the best studio in the world won’t matter if you can’t finish tracks quickly. Want to know more? Get my 5-step system for finishing projects faster and with less stress.