Technology is everywhere, and whether it’s optimizing landscaping services or monitoring your health 24/7, there’s probably a gadget for every little thing you want to do. And, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the entire 21st century, then you know exactly how huge of an impact technology has had on the world, such as efficiency to novel breakthroughs that have become a part of our life.
With that said, the industry of creativity and digital creation clearly benefitted the most from the leaps technology has made, and from the simple films we’ve had before, we can now experience action-packed movies that are filled with hyper-realism and stretch our perceptions of reality. And today, we want to give all our aspiring music producers a headstart in their career as we cover the essential music production equipment they’re probably forgetting.
But, Can’t I Stick With My Phone & Laptop?
Of course, we won’t deny that many artists and music producers did start from scratch on their phones and laptops, and there’s so much you can do with just those two devices alone. However, let’s not forget that a lot of the gadgets available today are readily accessible, ordered online, and come at super affordable prices. So, choosing not to get at least one of the essentials is consciously holding you back!
- A Professional Standard: Firstly, if you ever plan on going through with music production as a career and turning your hobby into an on-demand side hustle, your phone and laptop just won’t make the cut. If you want to meet certain criteria and professional standards, it is imperative to your success that you’re equipped with the necessary equipment to give your best.
- Lack Of Customization: Secondly, while music production and mixing software have come a very long way since they were first introduced, lack of hardware can be a knee-breaking limitation. You won’t be able to express yourself fully, and there’s a severe lack of customization if you don’t have the right equipment on standby and ready to go.
Here’s What You Should Look For
So, with all those reasons considered, it’s time we touch base with all the equipment that should be on your watchlist. Also, feel free to add more specific gadgets and instruments that best suit your style, genre, and taste of music production.
#1 Build A Music Production PC
Number one, you’re going to need to build a music production PC to meet your needs. Sure, a laptop can work in the meantime, but as you introduce a bigger workload that needs some extra elbow grease, your workstation needs more than just what a laptop can provide. Of course, you don’t need the best specifications in the world; something mid-range will do just fine so as long you don’t cheap out on certain components.
- Fast And Reliable Storage: Firstly, you’ll need fast and reliable storage to keep all those music libraries, effects, and customized presets. We recommend getting a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD) as this will cover most of your needs, and you’ll still have extra space for your movies and games if you choose to do so. Plus, when you match this up with a workstation processor like the Ryzen Threadripper, then you’ll experience zero trouble in exporting all your music.
- You Need RAM: Secondly, if you handle a lot of tracks at the same time, reworking samples as you go, and dragging and dropping multiple files in a music production session, you’re RAM is going to take a beating. So, we strongly suggest that you load on with at least 16GB of RAM and upwards to 64GB because this will prevent you from experiencing all those stuttering and lag issues.
#2 MIDI Controllers And Audio Interface
Number two, while the PC forms the foundation, you won’t be getting anywhere far without your MIDI controllers and audio interface. These cover all the bases and let you experiment with more intermediate work, music sampling, layering, and mixing. Plus, if you ever land bigger gigs and handle more serious events, these pieces of equipment go with you everywhere and never fail to save you every time.
- The DAW Needs It: If you’re into music production, then you’re undoubtedly using at least a digital audio workstation application to record and mix all your music. And the MIDI controllers let you directly customize and configure everything at your fingertips and more. Plus, a quality audio interface will let you seamlessly connect instruments like guitars, keyboards, and more to your PC.
#3 Quality Stereo Headphones And Microphone
Last but not least, all of this will be for naught if you don’t invest in some quality stereo headphones and microphones to do your music work. You want something that’s geared toward professional music production and give you a crisp and clean sound every single time. The same thing goes for the microphone, too, if you’ll be doing all the singing and lyrics for your songs. So, be sure to save up some money and don’t splurge on the first two pieces of equipment.
Creating The Best Music Production Experience
Overall, we think that any aspiring music producer deserves to have the best music production experience. So, don’t hold yourself back and use this list the next time you go out shopping for music production equipment!
