What's up guys you see a lot of fun music gear on my channel but you don't
need a lot to get started with music production. If you're putting together a
home studio you can begin with just a few items. Here's my list of the
essentials - everything you need to start making music. I'm also going to reveal the
one piece of music gear that has made the biggest impact in my studio setup.
First you'll need a computer I use a 2018
MacBook Pro. It's got a 2.7 gigahertz i7 processor, 16 gigabytes of memory and 2
terabytes solid-state drive. But you really don't need the latest and
greatest. If you get a computer with an i5 processor and 8 gigabytes of memory
you're off to a really great start. If you spend more money on upgrading the
specs I suggest adding more RAM. Next is a digital audio workstation or DAW like
Ableton or Logic. A DAW lets you record multiple tracks, instruments, and then mix
and arrange them into a song. It's going to be the center of your music workstation.
I use Logic sometimes but mostly Ableton. They basically do the same thing but
there are lots of inexpensive options out there like Reaper if you're using
Windows and some free ones for Mac like GarageBand. Most DAWs come with a bunch
of different sounds built-in so you can get started making music right away.
Everyone wants to spend their next pile of cash on speakers also called studio
monitors, but honestly you can wait. A good set of headphones goes a long way I
use the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro headphones. They cost about $150
and sound incredible. More importantly whatever headphones you get
once you learn how to adjust your mix with them you can get pretty good
results even without expensive speakers. Whatever you get it's always good to
check your song on different speakers, headphones, earbuds, and even computer
speakers. Whatever you have laying around. I start creating a lot of songs on the
train during my commute and actually begin a lot of them by using the
computer keyboard like a piano. You can do this in most DAWs.
But a MIDI keyboard is going to make things easier and more expressive. Now I get
this question a lot so let me clarify. Most MIDI keyboards are controllers only,
meaning they don't make any sounds on their own. You connect them by USB to
your computer and they send signals to your software which then generates the
sounds which you hear through your speakers. This is actually a good thing
because you'll be able to add more sounds through software instruments
later. And there are some amazing software instruments out there.
There are so many options for MIDI keyboards but if you're looking for
something small to get started with, I recently posted a video reviewing some
of the best choices available right now. So check it out over here. Now let's
pause here for a second. You can get a lot done with the stuff I've just
mentioned. And if you're just getting started this is really a good place to
begin. But there are more things you can add so keep watching. If you're finding
this helpful hit the like button and don't forget to subscribe to my channel
for more reviews, tutorials, music production tips, and gear. All right, up
next if you are a vocalist or guitarist or you just need to get some
external sound into your computer, you're going to need an audio interface. I use the
Focusrite 2i4. It lets me connect a microphone, electric guitar, or
hardware synthesizer and works with my DAW to get those sounds into my computer.
The way you do this is by connecting your audio interface to your computer.
Next, in your DAW, select the audio interface as the input and output
device. To connect a microphone, plug it into the audio interface. Once you've
done that, you can start recording directly into your DAW. Now if you want
to go higher end, I like the UAD Apollo interfaces. If
you're interested in how the UAD compares with a Focusrite, check out my
video here. Now I use the Shure SM7B mic with my audio interface. Audio Technica
makes some great affordable condenser microphones as well. There are a few USB
microphones out there which allow you to record sounds without an audio interface.
I reviewed the Rode NT USB in a video here. I know I keep sending you to other
videos but it really depends on what you need more details on, so go check them
out. Once you've got your audio interface, you're really going to want
speakers. Let's talk about studio monitors. I'm using the Presonus Eris
4.5, which are small monitors for a really great price. If you're on a budget
I highly recommend this setup. I paired them with the Presonus subwoofer. The
Temblor T8. Studio monitors let you hear your sound with as little coloration as
possible. This means you're getting a more neutral sound that will sound
pretty good on different speakers. That's really the purpose of studio monitors.
Now there's always more gear you could add depending
on your needs. Software plugins which add more instrument sounds or effects to
your arsenal or drum pads like the Maschine Mikro MK3, if you like
finger drumming. And even external synths for hands-on control. So what have you added
to your studio that's made all the difference?
Leave a comment below to share your studio recommendations. So which of these
pieces of gear has made the biggest impact in my studio? If you'd recommended
this to me a few years ago I probably wouldn't have put my money into it. I
probably would have spent it on plugins or something else. But this has improved
my sound immensely! It's my Beyerdynamic headphones. Now
Beyerdynamic is not paying me to say this. I bought these myself and I would
buy them again. An excellent set of studio headphones lets you hear your mix
differently. There's so much I don't hear from my studio monitors. Little
imperfections in the sound, the tone of the bassline, and the stereo width of
individual sounds. They sound different on headphones and I'm able to tweak my
mix a lot faster when I'm using headphones in addition to the monitors.
Not to mention that I'm also improving the sound for people who are listening
with their headphones. A few months ago my dog actually chewed up the cable and
I begged my cousin to repair them because I don't want any other
headphones. And I'm certainly not cheaping out on them. If you're really
interested in these Beyerdynamic headphones I have links to purchase
these as well as all my other music gear in the description of the video. I hope
you found that information useful. Whatever your studio setup is, remember
to make the music that you love and share it. That's the best way to keep
improving your craft. I'll see you guys later.