Although talent is a huge chunk of what the audience hears, to produce quality sound, you need quality gears for music producers. We’ve picked out our favorites here. They are not necessarily the most expensive gears, but are definitely great value-for-money options!
The best audio interface
Audiobox USB 96 is one of the most convenient interfaces out there - it works with iOS and with Windows. You don’t even need to download any program because it's USB class-compliant. Expect to produce anything on the go, from podcasts to rock and electronic, with convenience.
Durable packaging
2 combination inputs with Class-A mic preamps
iOS and Windows compatible
Comes with Studio One, award-winning software
Motu is not the most well-known company out there, but the M4 is quickly becoming the interface of choice for many music producers. It has a solid build quality with a steel body, metal knobs, and has a good hefty weight. Featuring a top-end Sabre DAC and ultra-low 2.5 ms latency, the Motu M4 gives you great audio quality and also allows you to perform live monitoring with ease. As one of the essential gears for music producers, the M4 offers versatility and high performance. Since it is a relatively new product, it would be interesting to see how it holds up with live performance over time. You can also use the M4 for live streaming or podcasting.
Everyone’s favorite is no doubt Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, which has launched its 3rd generation. It has a solid build and little to no noise for something that is so compact. It’s amazing to see the improvements on its clarity even with the latest generation.
The best MIDI controller
This versatile amp can be used for both keyboards and acoustic guitar, and has a channel with XLT input. Each Akai Professional MPK Mini MK III is two octaves with 8 pads, 8 controls, and 8 unique X/Y axis thumbsticks for controlling pitch. It might take some time to learn how to navigate around it, but it's definitely one of the most fun and cheapest options to get into music production. Be gentle when using its plastic keys, though!
Main purpose: Sequencing music with ease through a physical instrument. Makes creating music a really fun experience!
Another MIDI controller we would opt for is the Nektar SE25 MIDI Keyboard; as one of the essential gears for music producers, it has 25 mini keys with which you can set 3 velocity curves: default, soft, or hard. It has PB1 and PB2 buttons assignable to pitch bend, transpose, volume, pan, track, or patch change.
The best DAW
Ableton live is the way to go if you want a clean and super-efficient workflow; excellent for music production with endless choices for effects. A sound creation that offers a vast array of effects, sounds, and instruments.
It has a strong community of musicians, so whenever there is a problem in the system, you can expect everyone to be on Ableton’s case - it is a workstation that is created by musicians for musicians!
Main purpose: If you want professional-sounding music, you need to be able to slice and layer music up. The ability to multitrack, record, cut-and-paste audio is offered by a great DAW.
If Ableton live is simply too expensive, there are several options that are just as effective; Apple’s system Logic Pro, although it can be selective for Apple products.
The best free VST
This one is the perfect treat for gears for music producers, with 24 legendary instruments, 15 top-of-the-line software. Massive X is one of the most powerful synths with a lot of character - it’s got stunning oscillators and filters, with awesome effects and unison morph. Unfortunately, there is not enough to pack in the effects - with no wavetable and sample importer.
Another favorite for music producers is Native instrument FM8 - 960 presets with sharp, crystal-clear FM sounds.
Main purpose: With an audio plug-in software interface, you’ll be able to be more creative with software synthesizers and effects units in digital audio workstations.
The best sample library
It can get tiring to blow out your ears with headphones when producing music. One of our personal favorites for gears for music producers is Hollywood Strings. Spitfire's Chamber strings are one of the most extensive, in-depth string libraries. Musique Box 2.0 by Soundiron features 11 music boxes in different environments, 32 Ambience patches, and 20 custom sound-designed elements - even a full FX rack.
Main purpose: Create and blend different instruments instantly in real-time, with full control over every aspect.
Another favorite of ours is Native instruments: Komplete 12 ultimate, it comes with a hefty price of $1,199, which is very reasonable for 600GB of library content. You can definitely get creative with this one and the sound is limitless.
The best headphones
Depending on what you’re looking for, there are top dogs in each type of headphone category. For overall music production use, however, we recommend the Focal Listen Professional Studio Headphones. Enriched with plenty of sound details, and it's very lightweight and comfortable.
Main purpose: If you do a lot of clipping and chopping, you’ll need headphones to really get into the detail of the tracks. From sound panning and figuring out different frequencies - a good chunky headphone will do the job.
The best microphone
Our team favorite is obviously the Shure SM57, which can be used both on the stage and in the studio. As one of the essential gears for music producers, it’s versatile whether you are recording for voice or for instruments. Mic up a snare drum, a guitar amp, or even a horn. Ease of use is amazing, and its sound quality is excellent. Finally, its durable ruggedness is why we would pick this product over and over again.
Main purpose: You want mics that are rugged and can be used for as many purposes as possible.
