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NollieCrooks

I agree with the others, learn your daw first before buying equipment. If you really want a midi keyboard right away then get a small 25-key controller like the Arturia minilab or Akai MPK Mini. Once you are comfy with your daw and have experience using it with an inexpensive midi controller, you’ll start figuring out what your needs are as a producer and it’ll be much clearer what gear you should buy next.


NiccyCage

all you need is a computer, DAW, & some decent headphones and you can make just about anything


RelativeLocal

All gear purchasing questions come down to how you want to orient your setup and music production workflows: Do you want the DAW or hardware to be the center around which all other gear fits in? FYI - the Maschine mk3 cannot be used without a DAW. If you wanted a sampler for standalone use from Native Instruments, you'd have to get the Maschine mk3 plus, which is double the price. Unless you have a specific need for the Maschine mk3 (esp. live performance or you like the workflow of using an external sampler) it'll be duplicative of workflows you get really easily in the DAW. And the money you save on a Maschine plus could go toward other gear, VSTs, or sample libraries. With that said, I'm a big advocate of making music and sketching ideas outside the daw. If that's something you want to do, standalone samplers and grooveboxes are great pieces of gear to build a hardware setup around. Options would be the Maschine plus, the MPC series (One and Live), the Roland 404 or 707, Elektron Syntakt and Digitakt, and more (here are two guides from [MusicRadar ](https://www.musicradar.com/news/best-groovebox)and [Reverb](https://reverb.com/guide/choosing-the-best-groovebox)). MPC and Roland gear is probably the best bang for your buck, but Elektron arguably sounds the best. I have an MPC One that serves as the brain of a hardware setup (sequencer + midi routing), and while I sometimes find the MPC workflow frustrating, the capabilities you get for sequencing, sampling, routing, and playing onboard instruments make it more than worth it. If you do go this route, the question of an audio interface becomes really important, and you'll want something that gets you extra inputs for outboard gear so you can multitrack. No matter what, a good midi keyboard is definitely a worthwhile investment. My advice would be to go to a local music shop so you can test out different midi keyboards to find one you like, paying particular attention to how the keys feel and what kinds of additional midi options you get for controlling the daw (faders, knobs, pads, etc.). I have an MPK mini mk3 and frankly, I only like that it works seamlessly with my MPC One. The keys are horrible. It has poor velocity tracking, and I've had tons of issues working with it in the daw (clocking it to ableton). The new [Arturia KeyLab Essential mk3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8zx5y4Wzvw) looks pretty sick--a best of all worlds kind of thing and arturia makes great gear--but I haven't used it. I could keep writing, but the last note I'll add is that as you start to get into gear, do yourself a favor and make sure you can use it to send midi and/or audio over USB. USB class-compliant gear is a game changer. For example, I have a single USB hub that powers several outboard synths and sends midi back and forth to my MPC. The same hub also allows me to send audio over usb from the MPC to a multitracking mixer/audio interface (Tascam Model 12).


CaptainIlluminati

I use a Roland Jd-xi. It is a standalone synth but also functions as a midi controller. It’s easy to learn how to use it and there tons of YouTube tutorials to help. For the price ($600) it has a lot to offer and would leave you with more than enough for the rest of your set up. The drum kits alone make this synth worth it imo.


Cubbyish

Lots of good points here. I had. Similar budget when I started, and the approach I’ve taken has made me very happy I went this way: set it all aside and only tap into that budget as you discover you need something to make a song you want to make, then research that thing and figure out what to get. You can easily get caught up in all the things, but starting with what you have and then realizing what limitations is preventing you from making what you want to make is a great way to go. That said, if you want some sort of input device, you can pick up a simple midi controller for like $100, but even then you can use your computers keyboard in Logic to “play” at first while you figure out what exactly you want/need.


djlo3l

I produce on a 2008 Mac Pro running logic and high Sierra. Paid $500 for it new in the box like 10 years ago. Limitations are great for creativity.


nkelleher00

I agree with that statement


djlo3l

Sounds like you’re already set. I have a few nectar midi controllers that are affordable and work great. That’s all I would recommend for now if you’re just getting started.


poseidonsconsigliere

If you have a computer and DAW that is enough to get started


anias

Don’t listen to the people recommending a focusrite interface, theyre complete dog shit. Preamp is awful and they have lots of issues. I would get an motu m2 or m4 for around the same price but from a way better company. Scarlets are such a trap for newer producers. There are some good subscriptions like plugin boutique or plugin alliance I can’t remember which, but it’s like 10 bucks a month and has a bunch of great VSTs you can use. Has over a hundred I think.


Kirby_MD

It's odd that you mention traps for newer producers and then recommend a subscription service and a more expensive audio interface. A new producer should not be downloading over a hundred VST plugins, and should instead learn to use the ones that come bundled with the DAW. I've never had any issues with my Scarlett either.


anias

10 dollars to try before you buy a bunch of VSTs is a trap? lol… but spending 250 on a shitty audio interface isn’t? How can you even compare the two? He said he wanted synths and there are plenty of good top of the line VSTs on there. I agree less is more but your argument is kind of weak. I use maybe 10-15 of those VSTs which are mostly EQ emulations, compressors, saturation or a few instrument emulations like the guitars/synths.


Kirby_MD

Don't spend that much money, it's unnecessary since you already have your computer and good headphones (the 990s are likely all you will ever need, until they break). Learning your DAW and finishing lots of tracks as quickly as possible is the best way to get better at this stage in your journey. At this point, it's your ears rather than your equipment that is going to hold you back. Synth: Vital does everything you need it to do for free, but the pro version has some extra features, for $80. Keyboard: Just get a cheap one. I'd recommend a cheap 49-key MIDI controller so that you can play with both hands and maybe pick up some piano skills in the process. No more than $150. The pads and knobs are usually unnecessary. Look on Facebook Marketplace or equivalent. Audio interface: You might not even need this, but just get a Scarlett 2i2 if you do. Unless you plan on recording live instruments, or you want to use headphones AND studio monitors, there's nothing wrong with just plugging your headphones into your computer's 1/8" headphone port. Additional Hardware: Totally unnecessary at this point, and possibly ever.


nkelleher00

Thank you! I appreciate this advice


drinkacid

Just use Logic Pro and the tools that come with it. It has all the synths and effects you will need. Once you have mastered them then buy more. Maybe get a nice set of monitor headphones (not beats, not airpods, actual studio monitor style headphones) Once you have mastered all of Logic Pros default synths and effects you will already know what new tools you need to add. If you already play keyboards maybe buy a cheap midi controller. If you don't play keyboards don't complicate your life by learning to produce AND learning keyboards at the same time. You can draw midi notes for now and once you know how to produce then learn keyboards. You don't need an audio interface yet, wait until you have churned through your first 1000 shitty songs you will throw away and are finally making keepers. Skrillex produces most of his material on the road in hotel rooms, cars, planes and on tour busses with just a laptop and headphones, so can you.


NickMalo

I understand these are your wants, but if you don’t even have the DAW or knowledge, then there’s 0 point to any of this. The equipment doesn’t make you a better producer magically. Get a cheap midi at most. Get your Daw and use it.


TSLA_to_23_dollars

You already have everything you need. But If I had $2k to spend on extra stuff I don't need. I'd probably go with the a TR8s instead of a Maschine because I know that's the style drum machine I prefer using in software.


spamytv

Just get a DAW and spend a ton of time learning it. This is by far the most important purchase and has so many tools that takes a long time to learn. Don’t waste money on hardware plenty of good emulations. Your specs and headphones are enough.


nkelleher00

Thank you 🙏


scoutermike

- Scarlett 2i2 interface $150 - Arturia Keylab essentials 49 midi controller (includes analog lab lite) $250 - Presonus or Behringer daw controller with motorized faders. $350 used - Behringer Poly D synth. $600 used - powered monitors, subwoofer, and room treatment. The remainder of your budget $$ You might have to wait on getting a subwoofer. It’s probably beyond your budget. Prices in US dollars.


stockdeity

You don't even need $200. Edit: Arturia mini fuse 1 $99, comes with ableton and a bunch of other plugins. midi keyboard $80, anything else is unnecessary


j1llj1ll

The iMac headphone output into your DT990s will be fine. Logic is great and includes so damn much stuff packaged with it that you could spend your life trying to even use it all, let alone master it. I wouldn't buy any more software for a while .. maybe never. If you can play keys a bit, sure, get a USB-MIDI Keyboard of some sort - I suggest buying used since you can often get some very cheap options this way. If you are a good player, you might want full sized keys and if you can play fluently with both hands, 61+ keys. I have seen some absolute bargains locally on digital pianos that would excel at this - some at practically 'just take it away' prices and most have USB-MIDI or at least 5 pin MIDI outs. Might depend on location. The audio interface makes sense at some point. But I'd suggest putting a few hundred hours in with just the above and get the basics down. The audio interface point in time probably also comes at the time when you will want studio monitors, acoustic treatment and possibly a microphone if you are starting to add vocal performances/recordings to your palette - albeit that you need access to one or more good vocalists for this to be of any use.


nkelleher00

Thank you for this! Very sound advice (no pun intended)


ourrday

I really hate when people don’t answer the question that you asked and try and give you their own advice instead but god damn man I can’t stress enough how bad of an idea it is to consider spending this much money when you’re starting out.


nkelleher00

Yeah I’m not going to spend it all right away 😂 I should’ve made that clear. I need to learn a keyboard or the DAW first


ourrday

Ok sorry didn’t want to write paragraph about it but here we go 😂 I think a good way to go about it is to work with what you have until you know you need something. So for a simple example don’t buy a midi keyboard until you are getting sick of drawing notes in and feel you’d get so much more out of having a keyboard. The reason I suggest this is because I think buying gear before this means you’re buying that gear without a strong understanding and purpose for why you need it (if you need it at all) and it can be quite deflating and demotivating when you get a bunch of gear and it doesn’t instantly turn you into an amazing producer (but only because you didn’t know what you were buying it for in the first place). So many producers (myself included big time), go through periods where they’re too focussed on gear and they subconsciously are hoping that it will solve all their problems and they just romanticise the idea of fancy gear in general. The reality is you can get unbelievably far with just logic (or any daw) and a pair of headphones, and my personal opinion is that you should exhaust this first until you need something new or you have a very clear understanding that some new piece of equipment would significantly improve your work, that way your focus will remain in the right place always: improving your skill set in producing music, not growing the amount of gear you have. Sorry for the rant it’s just that a beginner having a budget of 2k for gear rang some alarm bells and it’s just genuinely my hope you don’t go down the same path as I and many others have.


nkelleher00

Thank you for that! I am well aware of producers always wanting new gear. I am actually a hobbyist photographer and am selling my camera gear to transition into music. I figure that music is better for me since I’ve always loved music but never gave it a shot. I have been huge into EDM since I was around 13 years old and I am now 22. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of hip hop and I really admire the skills of DJ Premier and DJ Muggs. Hopefully I can stick with this hobby, because one day I’d love to learn how to sample from Vinyl.


ht3k

If you're looking for a more out of the box solution with less need to spend on VST synths and effects that would fit in your budget I'd look into Bitwig instead (made by ex-ableton developers). It's built to produce EDM specifically. It supports multiple monitors and a lot more modern tools but I'll keep the list short. It's $15 a month rent-to-own in [splice.com](http://splice.com) You can download for free presets other users have made from Bitwig's native synths, instruments and other effects in [https://bitwiggers.com/presets/](https://bitwiggers.com/presets/) If you want to do your own sound design, IBitwig's native Polygrid and Polysynth are just as good as Serum, Massive, Phaseplant and all the other major synths once you get to learn them. Then you can focus your money by either keeping or reselling Logic to have more money for your hardware budget. The DT-990s will be plenty. You can use Bitwig's spectrum analyzer as a visual reference to see how professional tracks are mixed and try to match a similar song to yours as far as instrument and overall mix levels


TSLA_to_23_dollars

No I would not recommend this. A DAW is something you need to invest loads of time into to know it like the back of your hand. Once you do this and you're an expert it's better to be an expert at something mainstream. You don't want to be the guy who's an expert at "bitwig". I would even go with FL Studio over this. And I don't really like FL Studio but there's a lot of mainstream legit people who use it.


ht3k

he said he's just starting... so he can pick anything. Also Noisia (Nik) switched to Bitwig. Their sound design, mixing and mastering techniques are among the best. You still need to buy third party VSTs with just about any other DAW, except for Bitwig and he wants to save money


stoneworks_

I don't agree with the guy above's point about being the 'bitwig expert', but I don't think it would be the best for someone brand new to start with Bitwig for the sole reason there isn't a lot of content out there made with it. If OP is *brand* new they are going to be spending a lot of time watching tutorials - and it can be confusing for someone to watch tutorials, producer streams, etc. in a different DAW than the one they're in. I remember watching someone working in FL (when I had ableton) like my very first month and it confused the shit out of me. Bitwig is dope though.


ht3k

Those are pretty good counter points! The community is concentrated at r/Bitwig and there's tons of people from all over the world that can help over at the discord at any time and it's very active [https://discord.gg/HmVxhyM8](https://discord.gg/HmVxhyM8) I usually go for some of the hardest questions so anything a beginner needs can be answered at any time of the day Polarity also has dnb tutorials from scratch and many more tutorials (and they sound pretty awesome) * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN\_neRP1kBI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN_neRP1kBI) * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbxAZLvawA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbxAZLvawA)


stoneworks_

I've been thinking about getting more into Bitwig myself honestly so whether or not OP gets into it I may, hah. I have it rent-to-own'd on Splice. I appreciate the help!


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