Setting up a home studio these days is easier than ever. In fact, for under $400 you can have your own recording studio right in your bedroom. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on hi-end equipment just because the industry has changed significantly in the past 15 years. The expensive gear that produced the top-hits 20 years ago is nowhere as good as today’s rigs that come at very reasonable prices.

Ok, to get things going I will outline all the necessary equipment you need to record your tracks straight away.

Audio Interface

Perhaps the one thing you should never ever skip is the audio interface. The audio interface is a device that plugs into the USB port of your computer and put simply it transforms the analog sounds into digital. Nowadays most audio interfaces have built-in preamps so you don’t have to spend on additional gear. What you have to do is plug in your mic, guitar, synth or whatever other instruments you like to your audio interface and hit the REC button your recording software. As simple as that. What is even better is that some interfaces come with recording programs, which can save you some bucks. A good option for just under $100 is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. It has one XLR and one LINE IN plugin along with a headphones output. Of course, there are many alternatives available on the market but if you are just starting out the Scarlett Solo would do just great.

Microphone

Obviously, if you want to record good quality tracks, you would need a proper mic. Since I know you are on a budget, I recommend you get yourself a condenser microphone because it captures the sounds beautifully. Want to record an acoustic guitar? Just put it in front of your six-string. Drums? Yep, set your condenser mic above your drums and start jamming? Electric guitar? No, problem. Your condenser microphone will capture your sound when you put in front of your amp. I assume that you would like to do some singing so I have to inform you that a proper condenser mic would do the trick with class. There is one microphone you will fall in love it. Samson C01 is rock solid, top-quality mic that is just below $80 bucks. Go for it, you won’t regret it. For comfort, you would like a mic stand, so you would have your mic standing wherever you need it. Also, consider getting a pop-filter. It may sound unnecessary but without it, your voice will sound unprofessional with all these popping sounds.

Headphones

Many of you might want to go straight for professional studio monitors but well, what happens when inspiration strikes you at midnight? Your neighbors would most likely hate you for playing the same chorus over and over again. This is why you can screw them and just have a good pair of headphones. Plus, headphones are much cheaper and they produce the same sound quality. Perhaps one of the most preferred headphones among home studio performers is the KRK KNS6400. If you think they are not good enough for you, go for their bigger brother the KRK KNS8400. Trust me, you don’t need fancy monitors. Period.

Midi keyboard (optional)

In case you’d like to record drum or synth or whatever samples, it’s not a bad idea to invest in a midi controller. The AKAI LPK 25 is super useful and super cheap. It has a software, which you can use to explore and lay different sounds and it connects straight to your PC via USB. Moreover, it is quite handy and simple. You can just slide it into your bag and go to your friends to jam over. And my favorite thing about this Midi keyboard is that it doesn’t require power cables. The USB takes care of that.

Basically, that’s it, folks. If you have have any recomendations share them in the comments.