The 'Must Haves' For a Home Studio?

to be honest, you can have alot of sick gear and still make shit tracks. as long as you have a daw you know how to use, a midi controller that lets play in melodies and speakers or headphones that let you hear what you're actually doing you're pretty much golden
 
In my opinion all you need is a laptop/desktop/iphone/ipad, decent daw software/app, headphones, and an internet connection. As you progress you will probably want to acquire vsti's /sample library's/ vinyl + usb turntable, keyboard/drumpad midi controller, audio interface, studio headphones/powered studio monitors/hell.....run it out the good ol' boombox (ahem.....magnetically shielded speakers), and a condenser mic.

I started out forking out big money for a Triton Studio 88 and built of that. Bought drum machines, samplers, and finally found FL Studio 6. I've been with that, lifetime updates, and and an internet connection ever since. I have some hardware lying around collecting dust now. I personally am good now with a PC, internet connection, headphones, and my USB mic.....that's the bare essentials I like to have available for making instrumentals and recording vocals. Your own journey will guide you through and to what you truly MUST have.
 
I would say that "must haves" are only dependant on what you need to produce. For me when producing electro or dub, all I need is a laptop or computer and headphones. If I am producing hip hop or some type of "real-ish" tune, Then I need my machine and midi keyboard. But in general, I think if you have a solid computer, some monitoring speakers (with an interface) or headphones, and maybe a midi controller, then your set.
 
I agree with what people have said.
and in this day and age, really you should prioritize your funds to these things to start:

-fast computer with as much RAM as possible
-Fully featured DAW (Ableton, Logic etc...)
-a decent audio interface
-quality pair of headphones and/OR monitors
-whatever money you can afford to spend on vst synths/ sample libraries, packs or processors.

with that setup alone... you have a lot of potential work cut out for you....
 
Metronome, tuner, cable/headphone adapters, extra cables 1/4/xlr, depends on how you run things blank CDs could be of use, flashdrives, external HDs, comfortable chair, a tool kit...
 
You really don't need much, I only have a computer, some monitors, an interface, microphone, keyboard, vst plugins and some experience.
 
Creativity.

It really depends on what musical style you want to produce, but a computer, studio monitors, midi controller, a DAW and (a little) room acoustics treatment is a good start.
 
A home ;) A good computer is a must as it's the core to your studio. Beyond that it's really all preference as to your taste and style.
 
Air Conditioner! Just make sure it doesn't blow into the mic! that was a problem I had that almost caused me to jump out the studio window!!!!
 
As has been said in another recent thread about domestic whitegoods and your studio (refrigerator in the other thread), make sure the air-con is on it's own circuit and that when it switches on and off that it does not cause brown-outs or surges (some domestic systems will do exactly that and are even more scary than hearing it over the cans when it blows into a mic accidentally).

it is in your interest to get a qualified electrician to check out your wiring and make sure that it meets current code/standards and that you get your earthing system reconfigured as a a single starred earth - the electrician will know what that means - instead of individual runs to ground.
 
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