And if you have the space, it's not much more to upgrade to something like the Keylab Essential 49 ( $209) or Novation Launchkey 49 ( $199), which will give you a lot more controls to play with. It's just $109, punches well above its weight, and even the pros love this thing. But if you don't plan to make music on the go, I can't recommend the Arturia Minilab enough.
We've covered plenty of affordable and portable options before. It's the creative interface of music production, and you don't have to play the piano in order to harness its power." "It's not just for playing keyboard sounds," he explained, "it can be used to write drums and percussion, to control mixes and more. DeLay says this is a piece of gear often overlooked by beginners. Speaking of which, one of the first additions to your studio should be a MIDI controller. While picking up everything here new will set you back about $400, you could find it all for as little as $250 used if you're patient.īuy Focusrite Scarlett Solo at Amazon - $119 Buy Sony MDR-7506 at Amazon - $89 Buy Arturia Minilab at Amazon - $109 Buy Audio-Technica AT2020 at Amazon - $99 What to buy ExpandĪssuming you already have a computer and you just need the accessories to get recording here's a list of surprisingly capable gear at beginner-friendly price points.
And often, stripped down versions come free as part of a software bundle when you buy music-making hardware like MIDI controllers and audio interfaces. But honestly there are plenty of great options out there, like FL Studio, BitWig and Cubase all of which start at $99. If you're on Windows (or just don't like Logic), I often recommend Ableton Live (starting at $99).
And upgrading to Logic Pro X, the same DAW used to record When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, is only a $200 investment. If you're a Mac user, then you're lucky enough to have access to Garage Band, a surprisingly capable free option.
Which leads us to the next thing you'll need: a DAW, or digital audio workstation. And don't forget that Gorillaz recorded an entire album on an iPad. JDilla famously created many of his beats on a Roland SP303, and you can basically recreate that experience with an iPad and the $4 Koala Sampler for iOS. Joe Pecora, the engineer and producer at Red Room Studio, says your set up "could be as simple as an iPhone/iPad with Garage band." (I know someone who recorded an entire album this way.) While he agrees that the most important part is your computer, he argues it doesn't have to be super powerful. used or at reasonable price points."īut, truthfully, you can do quite a lot with whatever computer you have on hand. He suggests you "spend the money on a good computer and get other gear - such as audio interfaces, mics, headphones, etc. Justin DeLay, Director of Product and Category Marketing at Reverb, drives home just how important the computer is: "You can strip away everything else and as long as you have a computer you can still create music," he told me. But the first thing you'll need is probably staring you right in the face: a computer. Well, an audio interface, a good mic and a decent set of headphones will get you pretty far. And maybe, you're not quite sure where to start. Maybe you've even been inspired to build your own home recording studio. But this weekend, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas proved that the cultural institutions that have dominated popular music for so long can no longer ignore the bedroom producer or budding Soundcloud star. (The $2,000-ish audio interface being an obvious exception.) It's not news that the tools of creation or the avenues for distributing art are accessible to more people than ever.
Instead a brother and sister duo recorded them in a bedroom at their parents' house, primarily using tools available to the average hobbyist. By now, you've no doubt heard that the Grammy-winning song of the year and record of the year were not recorded in some giant studio loaded with over-priced, pro-grade gear.