It’s easy to create music while traveling these days. Everything you need fits in a small backpack or under an airplane seat.
If you don’t mind checking bags with gear, you can take everything you need. This post, however, focuses on the ‘Carry-On’ approach.
Before diving into examples, you might wonder: why even consider bringing a recording studio on a plane?
There are reasons to carry extra music gear beyond your cell phone when traveling. For example, you might collaborate and polish your ideas at your hotel before meeting others the next day.
Perhaps you’re making music for television (or other similar type gig) and have been given a very short deadline. Your day job (or family, or whoever) has you traveling at the same time. In order to stay in good relations with that entity that needs the music, you will probably want to continue working on it while you’re away from your home studio.
You might also like: Home Recording Without a Computer
Examples of a portable music studio
Just below, I’ll give you a few examples of what you will need to be able to create music while on the go – one completely geared up and with a guitar, and one with the absolute minimum requirements. Keep in mind that when taking a guitar by air (if you’re traveling by air) you have to consider the potential challenges you may face along the way. For example, will my guitar fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat? If not, is there a storage compartment up front where I can store it? Traveling by air with a guitar (especially a travel-size guitar) isn’t all that bad. My trips have been positive so far. It’s just that, for each flight I took on a particular trip, there was never a “guaranteed” storage option. I always feared, from plane to plane, that it might get valet-checked at some point, but it never happened.
Let’s get into the specific examples of setups you can use while traveling:
Example #1: “Fully-Loaded with a ‘Taylor Travel Guitar’ at your side.”
- Travel Guitar and case
- Laptop (favorite DAW / Other instruments installed)
- audio interface with all necessary cables
- 25-Key MIDI keyboard with USB cable
- Microphone(s) with cable(s) and desktop stand
- Headphones
- USB speaker(s)
- external hard drive with USB cable (if you need the space, or if that’s where your favorite instruments are located)
NOTE: (This may be a given for most of you reading this, but…)… When packing these items for airline travel, I generally DO NOT pack them in their original boxes; instead, I wrap them in a t-shirt if I think I need extra cushioning. It would be nice to keep some of these items (like the audio interface) in their original box with all the Styrofoam, but it will probably not work for a small or medium-sized backpack, unless you sacrifice a few other items, or you decide to check another bag, or two…
Example #2: “Bare-Bones+.”
- Laptop (favorite DAW / Other instruments installed)
- 25-Key MIDI keyboard with USB cable
I called this one “Bare-Bones+” because all you really need is a laptop loaded with all your favorite software. You can program MIDI via the piano roll, or play it on the “qwerty keyboard,” but I DO NOT prefer either method, so a keyboard of some sort is a must for me… The reason for the, “+.”…
Example #3: “No computer, No Problem.”
Although this one “might be” a little harder to fit in a small backpack… But you can still spread the items out over a couple of bags if you don’t mind checking one or two. …
- 8-16x digital multi-track recorder with power cord (some hand-held recorders have multi-track features – example, the ZOOM H4N.
- Microphone(s) and cable(s) and desktop stand
- Drum machine of your choice with power cord
- 25-Key keyboard with built-in sound and USB cable
- Travel Guitar and case (if you prefer)?
With any of the above options, you will have more than enough gear to create great music. You may also consider filling any extra space left over with some of the following accessories:
- Pad and pencil
- Extra guitar picks
- Another external hard drive with a cable
- Another mic or instrument cable
- Pop filter for a microphone
- Hand-held digital recorder
- CD/DVD burner with CDs / DVDs
- Capo for guitar
- Extra towel, or t-shirt(s) for padding
- Instrument tool kit, or multi-tool
Ultimately, your options for portable setups are wide open—you’re only limited by your own creativity.
Of course, the above options for creating music on the go are centered on either a laptop or a multi-track recorder; however, your options are only limited by your creativity. I’m sure there are at least half a dozen, or a dozen, or more ways to create your music without needing to have access to a desktop computer or a 24+ track analog mixing board. New recording gear seems to be created almost monthly.
You can, at least, capture ideas while on the road.
Maybe you’re not in need of creating a full, “broadcast quality” track while traveling and only need to capture a few ideas here and there. All you need to do this is your cell phone, but if you want to see the full potential of that idea(s), having a few more pieces of gear with you might come in handy. It might save you some time upon returning home because you will have explored a few different approaches to your music.
Just find something else productive to do
OK, I wasn’t going to throw this part in here at first, but then I thought, “You can just leave everything at home until you get back.”… Creating music on the go may seem cool or fun, but if it isn’t that necessary for you at the moment, just wait until you’re back in the confines of your home studio.
Personally, I think it would be good to take a break (if you can) and come back with a whole new attitude toward your music. But, if you still want to work on some aspect of your music while traveling, then do just that…. Work on some other aspect other than actually recording or playing music…
Try one of the following while traveling instead of actually trying to take your studio with you:
- Read a book on one of your favorite artists (reading, in general, will help to possibly strengthen your lyric writing abilities…. Who knows…)…
- Read a book on improving your home recording skills.
- Create video, or photo footage for an upcoming YouTube video (if you have a YouTube presence – I’m trying myself, or will be…), or for bio pics when, or if, they become necessary…
- Write a blog post (hmmmm…..)….
- Email management (save it for when you’re on the road if you know you’re not taking any music gear)…
- Etc., etc., etc. ……
In conclusion
Taking a home music studio with you on a play these days is not that difficult. And it can all “fit in the overhead compartment, or underneath the seat in-front of you” on a plane. Your travel options are limited only by your creativity. Just arrange everything you “think” you might need on your bed at home and start carefully packing those items into a carry-on size backpack and see what you get… You might have to sacrifice a few items for the trip, but I think you will find you can take more than you realized…
Until Next Time,
Featured Image: My Baby Taylor BT2. Photo taken when I was “TDY” (Temp. Duty) to Fort Stewart, GA, but as a Federal GS (General Service) Civilian (retired from the Army)… View on My Flikr Account.
