Scroll to the bottom for my recommended starter set-up (only $113) for everything you need
I will make this as simple as I possibly can.
First I will tell you the Minimum of what you need, followed by a sentence explaining why.
Finally I will list the products I use so you can get an idea of what to look for.
I will make this as simple as I possibly can.
1)Computer
(you will run your Digital Audio Workstation on this so get a lot of RAM and an external hard drive)
*ADK makes great computers designed for audio production*
This is a link to build your own computer
2) Digital Audio Workstation
this is where you will record, mix and assemble your song. there are many different software programs available. The industry standard is call Pro Tools)
The DAW I use (free demo)
3) Studio Monitors (Speakers)
avoid using speakers that are designed to make the music sound better. you want monitors that have an accurate sound not an embellished sound.
4)Microphone
for a studio get a condenser microphone NOT a dynamic. Condensers capture all the audio while dynamics are made for live performances and cut a lot of the audio.
5) Pre-amplifier
a pre-amp is an easy way to connect all your hardware together. it will connect the microphone, guitar, keyboard piano, anything with a 1/4 inch instrument cable plugin. It will also connect your monitor speakers to the computer. *IT is essential that you get a pre-amp with PHANTOM POWER. condenser microphones need this power to run.*
The pre-amp I use
Extra tips:
-get acoustic foam to make a noisy room quieter. If you can afford it I highly suggest buying or building a vocal booth.
-MAKE SURE YOUR PRE-AMP HAS PHANTOM POWER
-It is a good idea to have multiple monitors (head phones, stereo monitors, mono monitor) this way you will be able to tell how the song will sound on different systems
-I highly recommend getting a computer with at least 4GB of RAM memory and two or three external hard drives (you will need these later when songs start filling up your on-board hard drive.)
-Try to use the on-board hard drive as little as possible. Save your files on the external hard drives. This will keep your computer running fast and will be less likely to loose your hard work.
-Back up your files
-save often
-start off strong with good organization. this will be a time-saver down the road.
The way I organize my files is in 4 folders:
1) sample folder. this folder contains all of my sound fonts.
2) raw data folder. This folder contains ideas or just a simple melody. ( I save these files like this:
today's date then raw data and maybe some characteristic that helps me remember what the song sounds like. Example: 5_20_13_RAW_ARP
3) Work in progress folder. This folder contains a a mostly finished song that still needs to be mixed, mastered and worked on a little more.
4) Finished good (or DEMO) folder. This is where I keep all of my final products. In the raw data folder and work in progress folder I save the DAW file. In this folder I render the song into an MP3 or WAV.
This is a great starter set for the price.
Hope this helped! feel free to email me with any question or comments I love to help.
