Part 1 in a series of quasi-weekly articles for aspiring producers and gear lovers.

Building a studio can be a time consuming process while on a limited budget. I’ve had some experience with putting a home studio together in the past and have come to terms with the fact that there is a balance between what you want and what you need.

For example, I love synthesizers. I have quite a few. I appreciate their flexibility and their limitations. I like the way they look and enjoy the satisfaction I get from actually reaching out and touching one. But taking them in can get expensive fast.

Let’s start with where you put them. Keyboards take up a lot of space. If you have one keyboard, you can most likely just put it down on your desk or a tabletop or a single stand. If you have 2 or more keyboards, you’ll find yourself looking into multi-tier stands. This can start getting pricey depending on how you want to use your stand. A good quality or road-worthy stand can cost a good amount of money. If you need to gig with the synth and this is the stand that you need to use on stage, you’ll probably need a bag or case for it, too. Obviously a good case for the keyboard is a must if it’s going to leave home. If it isn’t going to leave your house or studio you’d be a fool to not have a dust cover on it when it’s not in use. The reality is, depending on the type of stand and case you want or need, you could be spending just as much or even more than your keyboard’s value on a stand and case, and we haven’t even gotten to cables yet.

Let me explain. I got a good deal on a very new Roland SH-201 that had a broken key. The synth worked as it was, but since I’m fairly handy with a screwdriver, I decided I’d bring it back to 100%. I ended up paying $300 for the board and under $8 (with shipping) for the replacement key. It took me about 10 minutes to replace the key and by the time I had it back together it was as good as new. Since the SH-201 is ultra-light and (in my opinion) super-versatile, I decided I would start using this board exclusively for Paper Eagles shows. (Plus, if for any reason it breaks down while on the road, it will be easy and relatively cheap to replace. It comes to our shows in an SKB 4214W flight case and sits on a Roland-branded Ultimate Support V-Stand. The case will cost you at least $299 new, the stand $179, with an additional $30+ for the Roland-branded carrying case. That’s a lot to think about then you’re sitting around dreaming about the gear you want. You could go with a cheaper case or stand, but I value the equipment these products are made to protect, I’d prefer to not worry about my livelihood falling off a poorly built X-frame when the locking mechanism fails (once is enough). So to sum this all up: a little over $300 for the board, roughly $600 to transport and store it. And we still haven’t gotten to cabling.

Cables are important.

Let’s take a look at audio cables first. I’ve used a lot of different cables for a lot of different things and so far, and this is what I found. Cheap audio cables are just going to let you down. Over the years, I’ve tried to be thrifty and go with a cheap instrument cable. This is really not the way to do it. Super budget cables are almost always shit, and it’s not really worth the gamble to find out if the one you just bought is an exception. Spend the extra couple of bucks to buy something with some sort of guarantee. I have Monster Cable StudioLink TRS cables that are almost 10 years old. They sound great and they last. I gig with Monster Standard 100 Instrument Cables and also use products from their DJ line. Having a lifetime warranty on your cables goes a long way. When you have to spend your hard-earned money on accessories for your gear, you need to think about your purchases as an investment in your own future and not a temporary solution. I prefer to spend $25 on a cable once, rather than $25 over and over again to correct my purchasing mistakes.

When it comes to MIDI cables I sing a slightly different tune. Now, I’m normally not a fan of Hosa cables, but I initially bought their MIDI cables because they were cheap (and at the time, colorful). If you take care of them and keep them wound nicely they will last. Mine have. There is less to go wrong in a MIDI cable, so take care of them and buy a few extras when you can and you should be good.

No matter what brand of cables you decide to go with, be sure to get a length that is flexible enough for you to actually use it. Short cables might be cheaper, but if you decide to move that synth off your desk and onto your new 3-tier stand across the room, you’ll be making another trip to your local music store.

Also, make sure you get yourself a big bag of cable ties and keep your cables neat. They’re a cheap and easy way to help protect your investment. I get mine from wolfyenterprises1 on eBay.