Our Recommended Gear

DAW Software

Steinberg Cubase 15 Pro

Audio/MIDI DAW with 90+ FX plug-ins and 8 virtual instruments. Al has been using Cubase for over 15 years — the most intuitive and powerful tool in his studio arsenal.

Al's PickHigh Budget

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Computer

Apple Mac Studio (M4 Max)

The heart of Al's studio that gives everything life and never misses a beat. Overkill? Maybe. 😎

Al's Pick

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Computer

Apple Mac Mini (M4)

What Al uses in his other project studio. Small but keeps up with everything he throws at it.

Al's Pick

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Audio Interface

Focusrite Clarett+ 8Pre USB

18-in/20-out. Focusrite builds some of the most affordable and capable audio interfaces in the business — the 8 mic pres sound amazing.

Al's PickHigh Budget

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Monitor Controller

Mackie Big Knob Studio

Feeds DAW audio to main monitors and headphones. Al also runs a record player, DAT machine, and other gear through it.

Al's Pick

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Headphones

Sennheiser HD 650

Al has collected over 30 pairs of headphones over the years, and these are the ones he keeps putting back on. Light, comfortable, and accurate. Also Tanner's most-used pair.

Al's PickTanner's Pick

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Headphones

Sennheiser HD 800 S

Al loves using these as an additional reference on his mixes. Huge but very comfortable for long listening — incredible sound and build quality.

Al's PickHigh Budget

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Studio Monitors

Adam Audio A77X

Al can't say enough about ADAM Audio's monitors. These near/mid-field monitors are a cornerstone of his main studio.

Al's Pick

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Studio Monitors

Adam Audio A7V

The A77X's little siblings — what Al uses in his other project studio. They sound incredible.

Al's Pick

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Studio Monitor

Avantone Pro MixCube 5.25"

A must-have for checking how your mixes sound in mono. If it sounds good on this monitor, it'll sound good on everything.

Al's Pick

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Subwoofer

Kali Audio WS-12

12" powered subwoofer. Al mixed for years without one — once he got it, game changer. If you don't have a sub, you're missing out on the low end.

Al's Pick

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Control Surface

PreSonus FaderPort 16

16-channel USB control surface that works flawlessly with Cubase (and other DAWs). Hands-on control of the features Al uses most.

Al's Pick

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Accessory

Editors Keys Cubase Keyboard

Fully backlit shortcut keyboard designed for Cubase on Mac. Al didn't know how much he needed this until he got it — hands-down the best Cubase-specific keyboard.

Al's Pick

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Control Surface

Steinberg CC121

Don't let this little guy fool you. A powerful surface control made by Steinberg, built to control many of Cubase's most-used features.

Al's Pick

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Sampler

Akai Professional MPC One+

Music production station with touchscreen. Al's favorite sampler — assign sounds to each pad and BAM! Drop it like it's hot. 🔥

Al's Pick

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MIDI Controller

NI Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2

88 weighted keys. Al uses this every day — always there when his creative juices are flowing or need to get jump-started. A must-have.

Al's PickHigh Budget

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Monitor

Samsung Odyssey G9 (49")

32:9 dual QHD curved display. Looks dope in the studio and dramatically increased Al's workflow thanks to the extra screen real estate.

Al's Pick

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Monitor

LG 27UK850-W 4K 27"

4K UHD IPS with HDR10 and USB-C. Al has a pair of these above his 49" UltraWide — workflow improvement by tenfold.

Al's Pick

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Preamp

Fosi Audio Phono Preamp

Great-sounding preamp that allows Al to feed his record player and Bluetooth audio through the studio.

Al's Pick

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Bluetooth Receiver

1Mii B06 Plus Bluetooth Receiver

HiFi wireless audio adapter with Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX Low Latency. No more cords when someone wants to play audio through their phone or laptop.

Al's Pick

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Sample Library

Native Instruments Komplete 15 Ultimate

Al & Tanner's favorite VST collection — used on almost every production.

Al's PickTanner's Pick

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Storage

Samsung T7 Portable SSD 2TB

Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2. An SSD is the only way to go if you have a lot of VST sound libraries — fast read/write speeds keep things from bogging down.

Al's Pick

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Microphone

Shure SM7B

Great mic for vocals, guitar, and pan flute.

Al's Pick

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Microphone

Rode NT1-A Anniversary Package

Solid mic for vocals, string instruments, and harmonica. Great bundle that comes with everything minus a mic stand.

Al's Pick

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Microphone

sE Electronics sE8 Matched Pair

Small-diaphragm condensers. Al has these mounted on his acoustic upright piano — they never move. Warm and natural sound.

Al's Pick

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Microphone

Neumann TLM 103

Love how this mic sounds on vocals and guitar. Also a great room mic for drums and piano.

Al's Pick

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Microphone

Shure SM57-LC

Cardioid instrument microphone. Can never go wrong with a pair of these — great on percussion, guitar amps, and even vocals.

Al's Pick

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Microphone

Shure SM58

Handheld dynamic vocal microphone. Another studio staple — mainly used as a vocal mic for live shows, but can be used for anything in the studio.

Al's PickLow Budget

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Mic Stands

Gator Frameworks Desktop Stands (Set of 2)

Clamp-on studio monitor and speaker stands. Great space-saving stands that are very durable.

Al's Pick

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Furniture

XUER Ergonomic Office Chair

Lumbar support, adjustable 3D armrest, mesh seat, high back. When you're sitting for long periods, you need good back and neck support.

Al's Pick

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Video

Logitech BRIO Ultra HD Webcam

For capturing video when creating production videos and weekly Zoom calls.

Al's Pick

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Power

Furman M-8x2 Power Conditioner

8-outlet merit series with two Hosa 18-gauge extension cables. Keeps all connected gear sounding its best and safe from power surges.

Al's Pick

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Power

Furman PST-6 Sound Power Station

Line conditioner. Al has a couple in the studio — you can never have enough outlets with solid surge protection.

Al's Pick

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Power

CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS

1500VA/1000W, 12 outlets, AVR. During a power outage, keeps the studio running for about 25 min — enough time to save everything and shut down cleanly.

Al's Pick

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Microphone Bundle

Shure SM7B + Cloudlifter CL-1 Bundle

SM7B with Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1 mic activator and extra 10' XLR cable. A classic combo for ultra-clean gain.

Al's Pick

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Audio Interface

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)

Our favorite audio interface at a great price. Tanner's interface — has everything most people will need.

Tanner's PickMedium Budget

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DAW Software

Logic Pro

Tanner's DAW of choice. Available on the Mac App Store.

Tanner's PickMedium Budget

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Headphones

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 Ohm)

With hard shell case. Tanner's favorite high-accuracy mixing headphones.

Tanner's PickMedium Budget

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Studio Monitors

Yamaha HS8 Monitor Pair Bundle

Two monitors, stands, TRS cables, and polishing cloth. Tanner's favorite studio monitors.

Tanner's Pick

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MIDI Controller

NI Komplete Kontrol S61 Mk2

61-key semi-weighted MIDI keyboard.

Tanner's Pick

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Microphone

Electro-Voice RE20 Dynamic Mic Kit

With shockmount, broadcast arm, and mic cable. Tanner's go-to vocal mic — after testing countless mics, this one by far sounds the best with his voice.

Tanner's Pick

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Cables

CableCreation XLR Mic Cable (6 ft)

XLR male to XLR female balanced 3-pin mic cable.

Tanner's Pick

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Mic Stand

GLEAM Tripod Boom Mic Stand

Microphone stand with carrying bag.

Tanner's Pick

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MIDI Controller

NI Komplete Kontrol M32

Compact 32-key controller keyboard.

Tanner's Pick

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Computer

Apple MacBook Air 13" (M4, 2025)

13.6" Liquid Retina, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, backlit keyboard, 1080p FaceTime camera. Apple Intelligence built-in.

Tanner's Pick

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Mic Activator

Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1

Mic activator for ultra-clean audio gain. Essential pairing for dynamic mics like the SM7B and RE20.

Tanner's Pick

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Headphones

Sennheiser HD 650

Audiophile Hi-Res open-back dynamic headphones. Tanner's most-used headphones.

Tanner's PickAl's Pick

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Cables

CableCreation USB B to USB C (6.6 ft)

USB-C to USB-B printer/MIDI cable for MacBook and digital keyboards.

Tanner's Pick

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Studio Bundle

Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio Bundle (4th Gen)

Interface, mic, headphones, XLR cable, and studio stand. For less than $300, this bundle includes everything you need to get started — just add a laptop.

Under $300

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MIDI Controller

MIDIPLUS AKM320 (32-key)

The cheapest MIDI controller on Amazon with great reviews.

Budget

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Studio Monitors

KRK Rokit 5 G4 (Pair)

Professional bi-amp 5" powered studio monitors — sold as a pair. Great bang for your buck.

Budget

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Laptop

Acer Aspire 5 (15.6", Intel Core)

Budget Windows laptop for light music production. Current models use Intel 13th/14th Gen Core — aim for 16GB RAM minimum.

Low Budget · ~$500

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Laptop

Apple MacBook Air 13" (M4)

13.6" Retina, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD. Handles Logic Pro sessions beautifully.

Medium Budget · ~$999

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Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Pro)

M4 Pro chip, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD. The sweet spot for serious music production in 2025/26.

High Budget · ~$2,500

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Storage

Samsung T7 Portable SSD 2TB

Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2. The only way to go if you have a lot of VST sound libraries — fast read/write speeds keep things from bogging down.

Al's Pick

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DAW

GarageBand for Mac

Comes free with Macs. The little brother to Logic Pro — a great starting point.

Free

Get on Apple

DAW

Steinberg Cubase Elements 14

The starter version of Cubase. Should be all you need as a beginner.

Medium · ~$100

Buy on Amazon

DAW

Logic Pro

Tanner's DAW.

Tanner's PickMid–High · $199

Get on Apple

DAW

Steinberg Cubase 15 Pro

Overkill for most. Al's DAW — he's been using Cubase for over 15 years, the most intuitive and powerful tool in his arsenal.

Al's PickHigh Budget

Buy on Amazon

Interface

Behringer UM2

Entry-level USB audio interface.

Under $50

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Interface

Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen)

Same as the 2i2 — just one mic input instead of two.

Medium · $119

Buy on Amazon

Interface

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen)

Tanner's interface — this has everything you'll need. Recommended for most people.

Tanner's PickMedium · $159

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Interface

Focusrite Clarett+ 8Pre USB

Al's interface. Focusrite builds some of the most affordable and capable interfaces in the business — the 8 mic pres sound amazing.

Al's PickHigh · $1000

Buy on Amazon

Condenser

Neumann TLM 103

Love how this mic sounds on vocals and guitar. Also a great room mic for drums and piano.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Dynamic

Shure SM58

A studio staple. Mainly used for live vocals, but can handle anything in the studio.

Al's PickLow · $99

Buy on Amazon

Condenser

Rode NT1-A Anniversary Package

Solid mic for vocals, string instruments, and harmonica. Great bundle — everything except a mic stand.

Al's Pick

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Condenser

Audio-Technica AT2020

Cardioid condenser with XLR cable, spider shockmount, and isolation shield.

Low–Medium

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Dynamic

Shure SM7B

Great mic for vocals, guitar, and pan flute.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Condenser Pair

sE Electronics sE8 Matched Pair

Small-diaphragm condensers with mounting and case, factory matched.

Al's Pick

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Dynamic

Electro-Voice RE20 Kit

With shockmount, broadcast arm, and mic cable. Tanner's go-to vocal mic.

Tanner's Pick

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Dynamic

Shure SM-57

Cardioid dynamic instrument microphone. A studio workhorse.

Low–Medium

Buy on Amazon

MIDI Keyboard

MIDIPLUS AKM320 (32-key)

Cheapest MIDI controller on Amazon with great reviews.

Low · $39

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MIDI Keyboard

NI Komplete Kontrol M32

Compact 32-key controller keyboard.

Medium · $139

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MIDI Keyboard

NI Komplete Kontrol S61 Mk2

61-key semi-weighted keyboard.

Tanner's PickHigh · $799

Buy on Amazon

MIDI Keyboard

NI Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2

88 weighted keys. Al uses this every day — a must-have.

Al's PickHigh · $1149

Buy on Amazon

Sampler / Pad Controller

Akai Professional MPC One+

Music production station with touchscreen. Al's favorite sampler — assign sounds to each pad and drop it like it's hot. 🔥

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-M20X

Professional studio monitor headphones. Awesome reviews at a great price.

Low · $49

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Headphones

Shure SRH440A

Professional studio headphones. Awesome, accurate headphones at about $100.

~$100

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Headphones

Sony MDR7506

Professional large-diaphragm headphones. Probably the most trusted and used headphones in the industry.

Low · $99

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Headphones

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 Ohm)

With hard shell case. Awesome, accurate headphones — used to be Tanner's go-to.

Medium · $139

Buy on Amazon

Headphones

Sennheiser HD 650

Al & Tanner's most-used headphones. Over 30 pairs tested, and these are the ones they keep coming back to.

Al's PickTanner's PickMedium · $317

Buy on Amazon

Headphones

Sennheiser HD 800 S

Reference headphone system. Al loves using these as an additional reference on his mixes.

Al's PickHigh · $1600

Buy on Amazon

Monitors

KRK Rokit 5 G4 (Pair)

Professional bi-amp 5" powered studio monitors — pair. Great bang for your buck.

Low · $330

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Monitors

Yamaha HS8 Monitor Pair Bundle

Two monitors, stands, TRS cables, and polishing cloth. Tanner's favorite studio monitors.

Tanner's Pick

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Monitors

KRK Rokit 8 G4 (Pair)

8" bi-amped active powered studio monitors — RP8-G4 pair.

Medium Budget

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Monitors

Adam Audio A77X

Al can't say enough about ADAM Audio — these near/mid-field monitors are a cornerstone of his main studio.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Monitors

Adam Audio A7V

The A77X's little siblings — what Al uses in his other project studio. They sound incredible.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Monitor

Avantone Pro MixCube 5.25"

Active powered studio monitor. A must-have for checking mixes in mono — if it sounds good here, it sounds good everywhere.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Subwoofer

Kali Audio WS-12

12" powered subwoofer. Al mixed for years without one — once he got it, game changer.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Sample Library

Native Instruments Komplete 15 Ultimate

The flagship bundle from Native Instruments. Al and Tanner's favorite VST collection, used on almost every production.

Al's PickTanner's Pick

Buy on Amazon

Plug-in Bundle

Waves Gold Bundle

A comprehensive mixing and mastering plug-in suite — industry standard for decades.

Buy on Sweetwater

Mastering

IK Multimedia T-RackS 5

All-in-one mastering software for Windows and Mac.

Buy on Sweetwater

Vocal Processing

iZotope Nectar 4

Professional vocal audio software — current generation of the Nectar line.

Buy on Sweetwater

Storage

Samsung T7 Portable SSD 2TB

Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2. An SSD is the only way to go if you have a lot of VST sound libraries — load them all here for fast read/write speeds.

Al's Pick

Buy on Amazon