
Audio interface, if you plan on recording real instruments.Check out our list of the best vocal mics here. While you can use the in-built mic on your laptop or smartphone, we really don’t recommend it. Microphones, if you’re a vocalist or rapper.

If you do go down the mobile route, we recommend the Apple iPhone 13 for its processing power and in-built limiter, which prevents your field recordings from clipping.īesides the computer/smartphone, these are the bare essential hardware devices you’ll need: Our advice for buying a budget music-making Windows laptop: look at second-hand IBM Thinkpads, find something with many USB 3.0 ports, and make sure that the screen isn’t too tiny. Just remember that there are many, many producers that choose to work on old systems you might have to get a bit creative with the types of software you use, but it’s definitely doable. Putting all this together, things start getting pricey very quickly. As for CPUs, look at picking up an Intel i5, but definitely shop around for the Ryzen equivalents that usually come at a lower price.Īdditionally, 32-bit plug-ins are slowly being phased out, which makes the case for a 64-bit system if staying up to speed is in your interests. As a rule of thumb, 16GB of RAM is a good number to shoot for in a machine, but if you absolutely have to go cheap, you could probably still get away with 8GB. Generally speaking, RAM will help you run virtual instruments better, while better CPUs will improve plug-in performance. The most recent MacBook Pro (2021) would probably be the best fit in terms of processing power and connections – Apple’s decision to reinstate ports and remove the Touch Bar has been seen as a welcome change.


Mac users will probably have less to worry about in this regard, simply because there aren’t many models to begin with.
