Home Studio Tour & New Serum Presets: A Deep Dive with Karra 🎤

Taylor Crouse

— 4 min read
Share
Karra's home studio with synths and microphones.

Hey everyone! This week has been a "Carathon" of live streams, and while yesterday was a much-needed break for yoga and recording new Serum presets, today we're back in the upstairs studio for a special home studio tour. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at the gear, the process, and some exciting new music tools!

Key Takeaways

  • New Serum Presets Incoming: Karra is developing a new Serum preset pack using Serum 2's multi-sampling feature, allowing users to play her voice directly on their keyboards.
  • Home Studio Tour: Get an in-depth look at Karra's recording booth, gear, and studio setup, including her favorite microphones, speakers, and vocal chain.
  • Sync Licensing Success: Learn about the lucrative world of sync licensing, with a notable $40,000 placement in a Walmart commercial.
  • Music Monetization Challenges: Karra discusses the difficulties of monetizing music on streaming platforms and her decision to focus on YouTube and product sales.
  • 50% Off Sale: Don't miss the final day of Karra's birthday sale with 50% off all products on iamkarra.com.

A Look Inside The Studio

Welcome to the upstairs studio! It's a bit warmer up here, so the air conditioning is a must. Today, we're doing a home studio tour, something I haven't done before. You guys can ask me anything about the gear or the setup.

We've got a lot of gear, and there's always something new to look forward to. For those tuning in from Brazil, thank you for the support! And yes, Reed, my collaborator, is quite the unicorn – he can do anything, even fly!

Gear Spotlight: Keyboards and Microphones

Let's start with the keyboard on my desk. It's the iRig Keys MIDI keyboard. It's great because it has weighted keys and a good range. Downstairs, I have the Roli Lumi M, which has lighter keys. If you prefer a more traditional keyboard feel, the iRig Keys is a solid choice.

My go-to microphone for female vocals is the Telefunken 251. It just sounds incredible. For the vocal chain, we're using the Tube Tech compressor, the BAE 1073 preamp, and the Apollo X8 interface. This setup is fantastic for professional sound quality. Remember, tube mics like the Telefunken need about 15-20 minutes to warm up for optimal sound.

Studio Monitors: Hearing the Difference

We have two sets of speakers here: the ATC25s and the Adam A7Vs. You can switch between them with a button. The ATC25s are precision speakers, great for mixing, but they come with a hefty price tag – around $8,000. The Adam A7Vs are a more budget-friendly option, around $150, and still sound amazing. Reed even has a pair in his man cave.

The Vocal Booth and Recording Process

This is my vocal recording booth, where I lay down final vocals. Downstairs is more for video production because this room can get a bit cramped. We used to film a lot in here, but now it's primarily for vocal recording, production, and mixing. If I feel a vocal needs improvement after a studio session, I'll re-record it up here where the sound quality is top-notch, thanks to the extensive acoustic treatment on the walls and ceiling.

Sync Licensing: Making Money with Music

Sync licensing, placing music in commercials, TV shows, or video games, can be very profitable. My song "Confidence" landed in a Walmart commercial and earned $40,000! It’s wild how simple ideas can sometimes bring in the most money. While fees might be changing in the industry, sync opportunities are still out there.

The New Serum Preset Pack

I'm incredibly excited about the new Serum preset pack I'm working on. Thanks to the Serum 2 update, I can now create presets using multi-samples. This means I'm recording my voice for every single note, exploring different syllables, opera, and airy vocals. You'll literally be able to play my voice on your keyboard! It’s a dream come true, and it would have been impossible without Serum's new features.

We're aiming to release this pack by the end of August. In the meantime, you can grab my existing Serum preset bundles (Volume 1 & 2) for 50% off during the final day of the sale.

The Business of Music: Monetization and YouTube

Monetizing music is a complex topic. Releasing music on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music often doesn't yield significant income, especially for independent artists. This is why I've decided to focus on releasing my music primarily through my YouTube channel. It allows for better monetization and more control over my work.

It's a tough decision, and I understand the desire for my music on streaming services, but I need to build a sustainable career. My focus is on creating valuable content, products, and tutorials for you all. Building my YouTube channel and offering products that help you hone your signature sound is where my passion lies right now.

A Look at the Downstairs Studio

Moving downstairs, we have a larger space that’s ideal for filming. Reed, my collaborator, is a genius with camera setups, capturing various angles to make our videos dynamic. We’ve added acoustic treatment to the walls and ceiling to manage reflections in this open space.

We also have a collection of colored paper backgrounds that we use to change the vibe of our videos. Whether it's a bright neon or a soft pastel, the color really impacts the feel of the content. We also have our Splice plaques on the wall, celebrating millions of downloads and streams – a testament to the success of our sample packs.

The Power of Collaboration

Reed and I have been working together for years, and this year we officially formed a company. Having a solid partner and a unified business has been instrumental in building our empire. We both come from diverse backgrounds in music production, DJing, and engineering, and combining our skills has been incredibly rewarding.

Final Thoughts and The Sale

This has been a fun, albeit long, live stream! I hope you enjoyed the studio tour and the sneak peek at the new Serum presets. Remember, today is the last day of our 50% off sale on iamkarra.com and holoops.com. If you've been eyeing any of my sample packs, templates, courses, or Reed's drum kits and tutorials, now is the time to grab them!

Thank you all for your incredible support. It means the world to me and allows me to keep creating. I'll see you tomorrow for a songwriting session!

Read more