If I Setup My First Beginner Home Studio In 2025, I'd Buy These 🧐

Setting up your beginner home studio doesn’t have to be overwhelming! In this video, we explore the best gear for 2025 to get you started with music production and recording at home. From affordable refurbished MacBooks to essential tools like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, we break down the must-have items for a professional yet budget-friendly setup. Learn about Ableton Live, the top DAW for beginners, and how the Akai MPK Mini MIDI controller can make producing beats and playing chords easy. We also discuss microphones, headphones, and why upgrading to the Shure SM7B and Sony MDR7506 headphones can elevate your sound quality. Whether you’re into electronic music, recording guitar, or simply creating in a home studio, this guide is packed with tips to make recording easy. Start building your dream home recording studio setup today!

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00:00 - Intro
00:58 - 💻 Which Computer?
02:27 - 👨‍💻 What Software?
03:26 - 🎚️ Which Audio Interface
05:06 - 🎤 Which Mic?
05:30 - Bonus 🎹
06:15 - 🎧 Which Headphones?
06:30 - 😉 Pro Setup
07:48 - 🧐 Conclusion

WHO AM I:

I’m Craig, a professional musician and music technology teacher working at universities online and across London, UK. I make videos that look at easy and fun ways to get started in music production.

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[AlexArt]

I bought the Arturia Essentials MK3 midi keyboard. I liked the 9 knobs and sliders. I assigned the sliders to the channel volume sliders in Ableton so i can mix the song quickly without using my mouse. And the 3 modes switch on the keyboard let me quickly switch between Ablteon assigned stuff to a softsynth for example. Im happy with it. Could have felt a bit more solid/quality but it was like 220 bucks.

[beneliyahu]

Amazing video!!! Glad to be the first to comment

[Drrolfski]

I would argue that you don't even need to start out with an audio interface if you just want to make beats without playing any instruments or doing vocals. Just get good headphones and buy a controller that comes with Ableton Lite and you're good to go.

[societybeatz]

i agree with most things but the microphone. I would not recommend to upgrade to a Sm7b as it’s not a condenser microphone. It’s not an industry standard mic at all, I would rather you get the Rode Nt1A at that point. but good video i love most of the recommendations.

[deor]

Great vid, and i'm going to be picking up that interface!
I appreciate this is what you would do, but you can get much better value for money going the windows route. Mac do NOT hold the crown on quality and reliability these days, if they ever did! A ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 from 2020, with a Ryzen 7 CPU and 16 Gb ram is less than half the price of that Mac, plus the CPU benchmarks better too.

[elpront]

if you already had the Laptop / Mic and wanted to push the budget for an interface especially meant for vocals with SM7B and to be able to go to mac what would you pick?

[ShadyCrackers]

Excellent video! A couple of questions, if I may. My plan is to get Ableton 12 Standard and the Focusrite audio interface. But I've already got a Tascam DP-03 SD. Could I use the 8-track alongside the Focusrite somehow? Would having the 8-track mean that I didn't need an audio interface?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for the video, which provided a lot of clarity for me. I really like the way you explain things.

[AlexArt]

What do you think about the "iRig Pro Duo I/O" as soundcard? I want it as small/portable as possible and i dont need the absolute best.

[kennethdarlington]

Replaced parts in a modern mac?
Sorry, but what exact parts can be replaced in a mac?
Case? Power cord?)