Production Gear Recommendations
This list will be consistently growing and function as a place where I can send people my personal recommendations for gear to use for starting out and also getting the most out of their resources.
Don’t Forget To look Used!
I am a big fan of buying gear used, so be sure to do yourself the favor and check your around some used gear at these common places:
Your Local Music Stores
Facebook Marketplace
Craigs list
Guitar Center used sections
Gear For Independet Artist
Audio Interfaces
When it comes to audio interfaces there are lots of great places to start and if you don’t have an interface finding one that fits your budget is your best option. The options I have listed below are all great options for capturing your audio with enough Inputs and Outputs to facilitate what I would deem necessary for every person trying to seriously pursue a career in music.
Microphones
when it comes to microphones for independent Artist working from home I think there are a wide range of options that can all yield great results and over time you should experiment with what microphones fit your voice and the style of music you create the best. The options below are all mics I have used extensively and would recommend for various use cases, but there are many other great options outside of these.
Dynamic
Dynamic Microphones in short are great for their ability to reject a bit more noise and be more robustly sensitive to loud noise.
a great microphone that is very similar to the popular Shure SM58, but I find it has some modern improvements in how much noise it rejects and is a great option for a versatile microphone that could be used for both recordings and live shows.
This is a modern take on the Classic Sm7b with some updates to make recording vocals at home much easier this mic can be your catch-all for capturing great vocals and can grow with you in your career.
A classic Large Diaphragm Microphone that
With Cloud Lifter to help make sure there is enough gain ( signal Volume) when recording.
Condensor
Condensnor Microphones are well known for being more sensitive and able to pick up more nuance of what you are trying to record.
Budget
Intermediate
Cables
These are some basic suggestions for good affordable cables, while cables can effect the quality of sound it really isn't worth shelling out a ton of money on cables unless you have the money to burn or can make them yourself.
In Ear Monitors (IEMs)
In Ear Monitors are great for both live and studio use and are a great piece of gear to have as an Independent Artist.
Budget
Custom Molded IEMS
Monitors
these are the best budget monitors in my opinion and get the job done super well for the price and can last you unless you desire to get more into producing or engineering
Headphones
These are two of the most popular headphones for music and you can’t go wrong with either one of these. I have used the ATH M50x for 8 years with no issues.
Stands
having a pop filter is an affordable way to improve your baseline recordings.
Recording Software (Digital Audio Workstation [DAW])
All modern DAWs essentially function and accomplish goals with similar effectiveness. the main differences I see are based on their specific use cases and who they are optimized for. I have listed the DAWs that I use and how i tend to categorize them based on best use cases.
If you are a teacher or have access to a student discount there are discounts for all these software that are worth looking into.
Choosing The right DAW for you based on your needs and future use cases.
Remote Collaboration Plugins
At the end of the day don’t let gear become an obstacle that keeps you from creating. gear is just a tool to help us create and it can help make some of our jobs easier but there is usually a creative solution to work around not having all the top-of-the-line gear at the beginning.
