If a Musician Were to Build Their DTM Equipment Set for 50,000 Yen

Hello everyone! I am Yuki Kito, and I work as a guitar instructor.
This time, I would like to talk about what it would be like to buy DTM equipment on a budget.

I think this applies to almost everyone, but there is always a budget, right?
Of course, if I also didn’t need to worry about a budget, I would also want the top-of-the-line Antelope model, but...
Unfortunately, there are always conditions on the money that can be spent on equipment.

This time, for the sake of convenience, I will explain how much equipment you can get with a budget of "50,000 yen." I will also talk about recommended equipment by type♪

1. An all-in-one pack including a DAW

First, here is recommended equipment for those of you who only have a computer.
It's recommended for those who know that you can't start without a DAW, but also want to gather an interface, headphones, and various other things, yet don't know what to get.

PRESONUS / AudioBox Studio Ultimate Bundle 25th Anniversary

This bundle from Presonus is quite ideal, and it's no exaggeration to say that almost every item you need is included.

■ PRESONUS Item List

• Interface worth 13,000 yen
• Studio One 5 Artist worth 12,000 yen
• Monitors worth 13,000 yen
• Condenser microphone
• Headphones worth 7,000 yen

If you add up the prices, it costs an estimated 45,000 yen plus the price of the condenser microphone, so it’s quite a good deal.
Rather than gathering equipment individually, these kinds of bundled packs are actually more cost-effective.

The AudioBox interface itself is not a "latest version" interface like a Scarlett, but for a beginner, it is equipped with sufficient features.

As of September 2021, this product costs well under 30,000 yen, so wouldn't it be perfect to use your remaining budget money to buy a MIDI keyboard?

M-AUDIO / Keystation 61 MK3 MIDI Keyboard

Also, it is simply great that Studio One, which is gaining market share year by year, is included. I have been experiencing freezes in Logic lately, so I would like to get Studio One myself...

FOCUSRITE / Scarlett 2i2 All-in-One Pack: 47,800 yen (at the time of article publication)

Next, I would like to introduce an all-in-one pack from FOCUSRITE, a company highly popular for its audio interfaces.

■ FOCUSRITE Item List

• Interface worth 20,000 yen
• Condenser microphone worth 8,000 yen
• Monitors worth 16,000 yen
• Headphones worth 4,000 yen

With a price difference of nearly 10,000 yen compared to the Presonus pack, the quality of the audio interface is quite high. I believe that at around the 20,000 yen mark, the "Big Three" are likely Scarlett, MOTU, and SSL.

Therefore, being able to get a high-quality interface that you can use for a long time is a significant advantage. Additionally, since it comes with a microphone stand in addition to the condenser microphone and monitors, it is also recommended for those who want to record vocals.

2. Specialized for LINE Recording

Next, I will introduce equipment specialized for guitarists and bassists who want to perform LINE recording!
If you think only about "recording" and not DTM, you can pour a considerable amount of your budget into an interface.
The remaining money can be spent on headphones or in-ear monitors to make it perfect.

SSL (Solid State Logic) / SSL2+ USB Audio Interface

This is an SSL interface that is rumored to be the best in its peripheral price range.
Of course, if you have the budget, I recommend an Apollo or similar device that can use UAD plugins, but...
I think UAD plugins are a swamp...

Amidst all that, what SSL has put forward is a challenge with high-quality preamps and the bare minimum of features.
I recommend the MIDI-compatible "SSL2+" because it allows you to connect MIDI keyboards and such.

I think you can understand just how amazing SSL is by watching this video.

I have explained how much equipment you can gather for what purpose within a budget of 50,000 yen!

Personally, I think if you are a guitarist, SSL is the only choice.
If you are a DTMer or a Vocaloid producer, a PRESONUS pack + Hatsune Miku will let you gather a wide range of equipment for right around 50,000 yen, which is great.

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