I wish the technology was this advanced and inexpensive back when I first started producing hip hop in 1993. Wow! We’ve come a long way, There’s no excuse now. You can build a studio for under a thousand with the following recommended gear.
First you’ll need a capable laptop. Get the Asus Vivobook on Amazon for $399. Make sure to get the one with 12GB of RAM and SSD drive. Buy it here: Asus Vivobook. This laptop has plenty of power to make beats, capture recordings, mix, and master.
Next, buy the Akai Mini Plus for keys and pads. This is the best value anywhere. Not only do you get an incredible little keyboard that even has an onboard sequencer, but you get MPC Beats DAW (digital audio workstation) that is as good as any beat making DAW out there. Not only that, you get incredible instruments such as Hybrid and Velvet AND the best rap and hip drum kits ever produced. I’m not exaggerating. And you get a six month trial run of Reason 12. For $150 this is a total steal. MPC Beats, the samples, and instruments alone are worth at least $500. Get it here before they revoke all the freebies that come with it: Akai Mini Plus
Next, get a USB sound card here: Focusrite 2i2 interface. This is a very high quality interface that is also great for podcasting because it has loopback feature.
Next, get this USB microphone for $99 here: Yeti USB microphone. This microphone is awesome. Make sure to pick up a pop filter for it too.
That’s it. With that setup I guarantee you could make hit records in your bedroom–if you learn how to use these tools, stay at it, keep learning, and build a network and promote yourself. You CAN and you WILL. I believe in you! Go for it!
