A few of the artists I work with have inquired about what gear they should get to record their own music at a professional level. The internet harbors endless information on the subject, and the infuriating fact is - there is no “right” answer to questions about gear. In fact, there are no correct answers to anything in creative fields. Its difficult to know what information to listen to when the next thing you read is a conflicting opinion. I experience this frustration every time I want to invest in more gear for my studio, and I have bought gear that I inevitably sold because it was not what I needed. This post is not to debate the quality of gear, or argue that this gear is the answer to your problems. The following list is gear that will remain in your studio forever. My intent is to provide a direction that will move the needle in the right direction, and provide insight that will help you avoid spending money on things that don’t actually benefit you. I will also mention that this is not a list of cheap gear that functions, but will inevitably need replaced. This list is for the artist that is trying to invest in themselves, and bring higher quality to their home recordings.
No amount of gear will create a great song. Gear is merely a tool to facilitate the presentation of a great song.
List in order of importance
Apollo Twin X - $900
Your interface is the most important piece in you studio. It is how your audio will be translated from the analog realm to the digital realm. The Apollos converters are incredible, and out of all the gear I have ever purchased, conversion was the most noticeable quality difference. A 50,000 dollar microphone is worthless without great conversion and preamps. Not only is the conversion of what you are recording amazing, but the conversion from your computer to your speakers is a massive upgrade. Apollos also have “real time” processing and the best emulation plugins in the game. This piece essentially gives you the resources of a million dollar studio. Gear you’d never be able to afford, you can utilize in your own space. The emulations are so well done they are indiscernible from the real thing. Any difference an audiophile may bring up would only be noticeable if you were comparing the actual gear to the software, and I assure you - few could actually pick out the difference accurately on a blindfold randomized test. The plugins are so good, some of the best engineers in the world have sold the actual pieces of gear and began using the plugins for their mixes. UAD (the makers of the Apollo) have also created a DAW that is free when you have an Apollo.
SM7b - $400
Don’t be fooled by the price tag. As far as microphones go this mic is a workhorse. This was the mic Michael Jackson’s vocals went through. Countless hits have seen this microphone. It takes EQ well, and is as good as it gets if you’re not wanting to spend fifteen hundred dollars. The best thing about this mic, it will help mitigate the problems in your room. My next post will be about room acoustics, but your room is the single most important thing when it comes to making great records.
The most expensive gear in the world is worthless in a shitty room.
You’d understand if you’ve been to a professionally treated studio. Things sound completely different in a treated room. You could do everything the pros do when it comes to engineering, but if your room is not treated it wont matter.
If I had ten grand to build a studio most of that is being spent on room acoustics.
We’ll talk more about your room, but this list is to get you started recording. Any additional purchases are not going to help you until you get your room addressed.
Headphones - $200 ish
I personally love the Beyer Dynamic headphones. You’ll need a good pair of headphones for recording. Any headphones at this price point will suffice. I also highly recommend mixing in your headphones until your room is addressed. Beyer Dynamic also makes “open back” headphones that are meant for mixing because open back headphones help with bass response. I do suggest closed back for recording for a little more isolation from everything around you, and they will also do fine for mixing at this point. Monitors are next on my list but can be forgone in the beginning for budget constraints, but quality headphones are a necessity.
monitors - $300 ish
At this stage monitors are not important. I suggest the KRK Rokit 5’s, but anything at this price point will be fine. They will help for vibe and playing your music when you are writing. Nothing is better than bumpin’ your tracks as you’re writing. They are not important because your room will ruin even the most expensive monitors. I will continue to drive this point home. Its not sexy talking about investing in room acoustics, but I am beating the dead horse because it took me years to accept this fact. The most common pair of monitors in recording history are Yamaha NS10’s - $300 monitors. It doesn’t matter how expensive the gear is. Your ears are the most important tool you have, and your room is their biggest downfall. These monitors will do for a long time until your room and ears have graduated with a masters degree in production from the school of producing a thousand songs and mixing all of those songs. Another lesson I have had to learn the hard way. Monitors will not be the reason a mix sucks - I can guarantee that.
SM57 - $100
This is a mic found in every studio by the dozens. It is a workhorse and can be used on any source. Its most common uses are on guitar cabs and snare drums . Between these two mics you’ll get away with recording anything. Yes there are plenty of options that will do better on different sources, but these mics will get you going and you can develop your ear from there and buy more mics when you feel limited by what these mics do. When you are learning a limited amount of tools will benefit you . Learn them inside and out. Again - better mics wont matter in a shitty room.
midi controller - $200 ish
Another tool that quality is not important. It has no influence on the quality of the sound. It is a tool for controlling your virtual instruments. I will have a future post about software, but a midi controller makes writing easier and familiar. I also do my drum programming on the keys. Its like a mouse and keyboard in the music world.
I have made a Sweetwater wishlist for the gear discussed in this post. You can find that here - gear list
The total is around $2,200. Getting quality results requires a bit of an investment. I get endless questions about “getting professional recordings from entry level gear”. This list is for the purpose of starting that journey into quality recordings. I wish I had this list when I began recording. There is so much information out there and every engineer will argue a different list, or argue one piece of gear over another. The gear doesnt make a great song - you do. These tools will absolutely move the needle in the right direction, and will not hinder your development. Hits have been made on less. The gear is not a solution to your problems, but a tool to facilitate audio quality. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any further questions, and Id love to hear your creations!
Happy creating.