1. Room & Soundproofing
☐ Measure room dimensions (L × W × H)
☐ Check wall material (drywall/concrete/wood)
☐ Identify noise leakage points (door, window, vents)
☐ Seal door gaps (weatherstripping, door sweep)
☐ Use solid-core door if possible
☐ Double-layer drywall + damping compound
☐ Install bass traps in corners
☐ Acoustic panels at first reflection points
☐ Ceiling cloud panels
☐ Rug/carpet for floor reflections
☐ Window plugs or acoustic curtains
☐ HVAC noise assessment
2. Recording Equipment
☐ Audio interface
☐ Studio monitors
☐ Headphones (closed-back for recording)
☐ Condenser microphone
☐ Dynamic microphone
☐ Mic stand
☐ Pop filter
☐ Shock mount
☐ XLR cables
☐ Instrument cables
☐ MIDI keyboard
3. Computer & Software
☐ Computer (adequate RAM/CPU)
☐ DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) Pro Tools / Logic Pro / Ableton Live
☐ Plugins (EQ, compression, reverb)
☐ Backup drive
☐ Cloud backup
☐ Sample libraries
4. Power & Connectivity
☐ Surge protector
☐ Power conditioner
☐ Cable management
☐ Extension backup
☐ Reliable internet
5. Furniture & Ergonomics
☐ Studio desk
☐ Comfortable chair
☐ Monitor stands
☐ Mic storage
☐ Rack shelf
☐ Lighting
6. Acoustic Testing
☐ Clap test for echo
☐ Speaker positioning (equilateral triangle)
☐ Monitor isolation pads
☐ Measure frequency response
☐ Test recording noise floor
7. Workflow & Organization
☐ Session templates
☐ Folder structure
☐ Naming convention
☐ External backups
☐ Notebook for ideas
8. Safety & Comfort
☐ Ventilation
☐ Temperature control
☐ Fire extinguisher
☐ Clean cable paths
☐ Emergency lighting
Pro Tip:
Prioritize in this order:
Soundproofing → Acoustic treatment → Monitoring → Recording gear → Software
A mediocre mic in a treated room often sounds better than an expensive mic in an untreated room.