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.
