Home recording has made remarkable changes over the last twenty-five years or so. Prior to the digital age, most home recording was done on multitrack cassette decks. Tascam's Portastudio was especially popular in the early 1980s. These machines allowed people to record up to eight tracks, but the sound quality could not compete with the two-inch tape, reel-to-reel, and console setups found in professional studios.

By the mid 1980s, digital audio tape (DAT) recorders became a feasible home-recording option, but this was limited to recording live to two tracks. In 1991, the Alesis digital audio tape (ADAT) was introduced, which allowed aficionados to record up to eight tracks onto Super VHS magnetic tape. Despite the promise of this technology, home-recording engineers still needed to bounce tracks down or synchronize machines together if they wanted to record more than eight tracks.

Today, home computers are used to create recordings that sound topnotch. Also, there are virtually no limits to the amount of tracks you can use. If you have good ears, reasonable computer skills, ample workspace, and a lot of patience, you can record your tunes at home. To get started, all you need is a Mac or PC and a digital audio workstation (DAW) such as Pro Tools, Nuendo, Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer, or Sonar. Next, you need an audio/midi interface. You might also consider an array of quality plug-ins (reverbs, compressors, and equalizers). If you plan on recording acoustic or live instruments, you will also need some microphones. Once you know how to use this technology, you can engineer and produce your own music.