This is the simplest form of home recording, but by no means is this, a professional recording practice. Soon came the so-called "all in one machines," which were machines that had more than one function. These machines four, eight and even sixteen tracks. Being able to do more than just record was a great stepping-stone for the home studio. These multi track recorders then entered the digital realm, which included a screen and a mixer function along with effects and the recorder. Now people recording from home were able to do a lot more, maybe add some reverb to the guitar so some space could be added to the mix, or equalization in the bass to better fit in the mix. Already technology has started to combine certain tools that could be found in a professional studio and put them into one machine. These digital "all in one machines" brought home recording one step closer to reaching that professional sound, yet there was still great lengths before the typical home recording would ever reach the professional level. .
Of course the "all in one machine" was not the only way to go if you were interested in recording at home, and reaching a professional level is not common. Another option would be to purchase the necessary equipment and turn your home into your own personal studio, to get professional results. This of course, is a lot more expensive than the "all in one" route. First you would want to start with a recorder, and for best results upgrading from the four track Portastudio would be the best idea. To get the best results you would probably want to buy a 16 track reel to reel, or a 24 track if you are lucky. After a recorder is established, next you will need to worry about microphones. Depending on what you will be recording will determine how many microphones you will need as well as what type of microphones you will need. Once the microphones are taken care of, its time to figure out how you will record your music from the microphones to the recorder.