So, you want to rent a cabin in the woods with your friends and lay down some tracks with MJ, the famous but sometimes lethargic producer who inspired famous hits, like “Whatsay Mcallit” and “42 Peace Chicken Wingits.” Or maybe you want to make tunes in the park while soaking up some rays. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, we’ve got some great portable studio ideas and recommendations that’ll help you produce magic with minimal effort and build a recording setup that you can easily carry on your travels.
What You Need for Your Portable Recording Studio
For those just starting out, setting up a portable recording studio is super easy and usually only requires a few things:
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Mini Midi Controller or Keyboard Workstation (if you plan on going beyond the simple guitar-and-mic singer-songwriter setup)
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Portable Audio Interface
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Laptop or iPad (or even iPhone) with DAW
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Microphone (And optional stand depending on the type of mic you have)
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Headphones or IEMs (In-Ear Monitors)
If this sounds like the home studio setup you already have, don’t worry: our goal is to make it even more streamlined and portable.
Mini MIDI Controllers and Synths
Starting with the instrument, there are a bunch of tools that let you record music on the go such as mini midi controllers, synthesizers or workstations. The options we’ll name drop below can be USB-powered from either a laptop or iPad, or run on their own batteries—you won’t have to worry about being plugged into the wall with virtually any of these. They vary from traditional keyboard controllers to more creative and less conventional keyboards, synthesizers and pads.
USB Powered Options
For those on a budget, there are quite a few wallet-friendly mini keyboard controllers that give you the flexibility to take your music on the road without sacrificing too much creative control. M-Audio offers solid, affordable keyboard controllers, like the M-Audio Keystation Mini 32 MK3, with 32 velocity sensitive mini sized keys, octave control, as well as pitch bend, modulation and sustain functions.
If you don’t plan on recording vocals, you won’t even need an interface. Just plug it straight into your laptop and make full use of your library of virtual instruments on your DAW. For around 50 bucks, it certainly gets the job done.
If you want to go even smaller, you can opt for a 25-key controller, like the Akai Professional MPK Mini MK3, which comes packed with features, especially given its size. You can make use of its 8 bankable pads and 8 assignable rotary knobs. And unlike with the cheaper example above, you can hook up an external sustain pedal. It even comes with a built-in arpeggiator, which facilitates greater creativity in your songwriting.
If you’re trying to get more creative or just need a little help fleshing out an idea, the Kiviak Instruments WoFI Portable Sampler Keyboard is a super fun Wi-Fi enabled synthesizer and sampler that allows you to create music, even when you’re not connected to a laptop. Given that it has its own speaker, you don’t necessarily need headphones. And it’s got a built-in mic that allows you to sample vocals and other external sounds. You can either just noodle around and download samples or hook up the keyboard through your interface to lay down some tracks. Finally, the Kiviak WoFI can run on batteries too. It really is the ultimate toy for musicians and producers on-the-go.
But sometimes you just want to make some beats and create a bottom line for melodies you’ll write further down the road. A super affordable option is the Korg nanoPAD2 Slimline USB MIDI Controller, which is a darling little 16-pad controller powered via USB from your laptop or iPad. You can also download the Korg Kontrol Editor software to specify note numbers, assign chords and control change messages and save your settings. For under 70 bucks, it’s the perfect pad controller to take on the road.
Battery Powered Options
We love this little keyboard. The Korg microKey Air 25 is a velocity mini-key controller with Bluetooth capability and 30 hours of battery life, making it the ultimate choice for a wire free on-the-go controller. With tap tempo, arpeggiator and sustain functions in addition to a pitch bend and modulation joystick, the microKey Air 25 provides impressive on-board control for such a little unit. It’s a great bang for your buck.
A fun on-the-go device definitely worth mentioning is the teenage engineering OP-1 Field Portable Synthesizer Workstation. It has been used by musicians such as Bon Iver, Childish Gambino and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke to inspire ideas that were used in their albums. It’s a best seller and especially suitable for those who like to take a less traditional approach to their songwriting. Use it as a synth, sampler, vocoder or controller to create arrangements, melodies and drumlines in a highly intuitive and creative way. It’s perfect for field use thanks to a built-in speaker and 24-hour battery life with Bluetooth capability. It may be too much to detail the incredible capabilities of this workstation, but once you play around with it, you’ll find that it’s a smart and incredibly fun way to sketch out your ideas and create unique tunes.
If you want to go full-on synthesizer mode, consider the Korg MicroKorg XL+ Synthesizer/Vocoder with 37 velocity-sensitive mini keys. It combines analogue modeling with a vocoder to produce a wide range of styles and sounds. If you don’t want to rely on your virtual instruments, you can make use of the 128 onboard sounds to access classic Korg pianos, organs, electric pianos and more. Two large dials act as a sound selector to let you choose your preferred musical genre and instrument category. With two oscillators, a gooseneck microphone and a bunch of effects, this battery-powered keyboard can also double as a MIDI controller via a MIDI cable.
Workstation Alternatives
Sometimes you just want to get your idea from thought to creation in the fastest and purest way possible. The Akai Professional MPC Key 37 Workstation skillfully combines comprehensive functionality with portability. In fact, it’s one of the most impressive all-in-one solutions for music recording currently hitting the market. You can forgo your laptop and conduct a good chunk of your songwriting process on this machine. A huge selection of sounds, sample and drumkits are included to get you started too.
32GB of storage, along with SD card and USB slots, can let you expand your library to your heart’s content. At the same time, it has a ton of connectivity options, allowing you to integrate your outboard gear and computer when the time comes. Whether you need a sampling engine, sequencer, plug-in synths and onboard effects, or you just want seamless control over your beat-making workflow, this highly intuitive workstation can be your creative workhorse. The only shortcoming for on-the-go musicians is that it can’t be battery powered and needs to be plugged in.
Audio Interfaces
USB Powered Interfaces
The Apogee Electronics Duet 3 is an ultracompact audio interface that also has a fantastic sounding DAC. It can be bus powered via USB-C and comes with a breakout cable that provides two balanced mic/line inputs, two unbalanced ¼” HI-Z inputs and two balanced ¼” outputs. When you return home from your travels, you can turn it into a more permanent desktop interface by connecting it to a docking station, which you can buy separately or in combination with the interface.
Another good-looking interface that’s great for on-the-road use is the Universal Audio Volt 176. It has tube emulation circuitry and a built-in analog 1176-style compressor. The interface comes with a bunch of music production software as well. If you like a vintage sound, you can press the Vintage switch which lends a retro tube preamp flavor to your vocals or instrument. And if you’re wondering, it can be bus powered via USB and you can even connect it to your iPad or iPhone to record ideas and create beats on the road.
Battery Powered Interfaces
If you want a solid, true-blue audio interface that’s battery powered but just as capable as your desktop interface, you should consider the Zoom U-44. The travel-sized U-44 allows you to record four sources at a time to your computer, iPad or iPhone. You’ll get two microphone preamps with optional phantom power and XLR/1/4” combo jacks that can handle mic or line inputs. It also provides a Hi-Z switch if you need to record an electric guitar or bass, and it can integrate your MIDI devices. In addition, you can expect ¼”, RCA and S/PDIF, allowing you to connect to mixers and speakers. Finally, if you’re recording on the field, you can make use of the 10-pin Zoom connector, which is compatible with Zoom’s wide range of input capsules.
The teenage engineering TX-6 Ultraportable Pro Mixer, Audio Interface and Recorder is a tiny and adorable battery-powered 6-channel mixer and recorder that also functions as an audio interface. It features a BLE host mode to wirelessly connect to BLE midi devices and is compatible with iOS devices. If you’re recording instruments with friends on the road and don’t have a laptop handy, the recorder allows to you record to a USB stick or external drive. Given its limited capabilities in respect to recording serious vocals, we wouldn’t call it an all-in-one powerhouse but more a fun tool for sketching out ideas.
On-The-Go Microphones
Condenser Mic or Dynamic Mic?
Although it would be great to have a large diaphragm condenser mic like you would in a professional studio, they are not always the most practical option for taking on the road. Considering that almost every condenser mic needs an external shockmount, pop filter and stand to get a clean sound, you’ll have a lot of stuff to pack on your trip. There are many arguments online about whether, in practice, condenser mics actually pick up that much more room noise than dynamic mics (once the gain is turned up). But on a general level, dynamic mics tend to pick up less noise from far distances—which is mostly why they’re used onstage instead of condenser mics. That said, every microphone is different. So, you should carefully consider your options before diving in.
One dynamic mic that’s particularly forgiving to movement is the Shure SM57. It integrates a “shockmount” within its design so it’s a great option if you don’t have conventional studio space or equipment on hand. You’re less likely to need a mic stand and it’s a great option if you plan to pass your mic around. Although it’s most well-known for recording instruments, it can also record a solid vocal. More exciting is the fact that it’s only 100 bucks.
Also worth mentioning is a new little field condenser microphone called the teenage engineering CM-15. Yes, we’ve mentioned the brand few times in this article, but only because they make such unique field gear. Although a tad pricey, the CM-15 irresistibly cute, phantom-power compatible, and has a 10-hour rechargeable battery. And it comes with a cutesy-putesy stand. More impressive, it’s also a pretty decent audio interface, so you can plug it straight into your laptop with zero fuss.
Mini Mic Stands?
If you’re willing to sit down at a desk when recording your vocals, a tabletop microphone stand like the Auray TT-ISO is a creative option for on-the-road use. It’s very sturdy with a weighted round base and high-density acoustic foam for minimizing vibrations. Height can be easily adjusted, and though it’s not the most obvious choice for recording vocals on a music track, it gets the job done.
Have Fun
Whatever setup you decide to choose, be sure to enjoy the creative process. It’s okay if you can’t fully produce a song to master quality when you’re traveling. Making music away from home is all about striking while the iron is hot. You can dot the T’s and cross the I’s once you’re back in your home studio. At the end of the day, some of the greatest songs ever written were created on the road.
For more information about the products listed, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
