Putting together a home recording studio? Aspiring producers and studio engineers have plenty of choices when it comes to audio gear, but it can be difficult to know which components work well together. We've put together a complete studio package to get you up and running right out of the box.

To keep the footprint small and lower the cost, this package is built around your home computer. PC users should have a P4 or Athlon processor of 1 GHz or higher, running Windows XP Service Pack 2. Mac users need a minimum G4 933 MHz processor running OSX 10.3.7 or later. Either system requires at least 384 MB RAM (the more the better) and a Firewire interface.

The heart of any recording rig is the mixer. We chose the M-Audio NRV-10 because it does double-duty as an analog mixer and digital audio interface. You get four mono- and two stereo-channels for a total of eight simultaneous inputs. Five high-quality XLR microphone preamps are available for both vocal and instrument tracks. You can record the whole band at once, or overdub, building the mix as you go. An onboard digital effects processor lets you tweak your sound without adding strain on your computer. If you have external effects processors, we've included a dual insert cable to rout them to the mixer's Aux channel. Once your music is flowing into the mixer, a Firewire interface sends up to ten tracks into your computer for recording. You can assign each individual input to a separate track for the ultimate mixing flexibility.… read more Ten digital output channels let you route custom mixes to the control room or headphone jack, so you can provide the performers with exactly what they need to sound their best. Send the rhythm tracks to the guitar player while he lays down a solo, or create a vocal mix to balance lead and backing tracks. The flexibility lets you mix your way.

Digital audio software helps you control your music while it sits in your computer. You can record, edit, mix, and master your songs, all in one program. We've included M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered Recording Software in this recording setup to maximize your production capability. Pro Tools is the industry standard Digital Audio Workstation for professional and project studios around the world. The M-powered version is specially designed to work with M-Audio hardware products for the smoothest possible recording experience. No complicated configuration is necessary. You get instant access to the most common audio tools, with support for additional plug-in effects and utilities. To that end, we've also included the Pro Tools Music Production Toolkit; a collection of powerful plug-ins to add a professional touch to your tracks. You get dynamic effects processing, time correction, noise reduction, and many more production tools to enhance your experience. You can create mixes on the fly, or save them to your hard drive for further processing. When your project is complete, you can even burn it to CD or prepare it for distribution across the Internet.

High-quality microphones are critical for capturing the most natural representation of your audio source. This powerful recording package features the Audio Technica AT2041 Studio Microphone Package for all your vocal and instrument tracks. First up is the Audio Technica 2020 side-address mic. This large-diaphragm condenser microphone is perfect for warm, full vocal capture. The cardioid pickup pattern helps you focus on a specific sound source, rejecting unwanted ambient noise for a clean, isolated track. The large diaphragm produces a full dynamic range, which is helpful for expressive instruments such as pianos, drums, and horns. For higher-frequency pickup, the small-diaphragm 2021 is just what you need. It is perfect for delicate cymbal parts and acoustic guitars, due to its enhanced sensitivity. You can use both mics together, blending the tight focus of an up-close signal with the airy quality of a mic placed farther out in the room. To support the mics, you get two tripod boom stands and two 20-foot XLR cables. We've also added an adjustable pop filter to smooth out harsh 'P' and 'S' sounds on vocal tracks.

It is hard to get a good mix if you don't have accurate monitors. We added a pair of KRK RP5 Rokit Powered Monitors for control-room playback. These two-way monitors use a soft-dome tweeter and six-inch woofer for a full-range sound at any mixing volume. They are small enough to sit in your computer desk, and magnetically shielded to protect your CRT monitor and hard drive from damage. For more personal monitoring, the package comes with a pair of Sennheiser HD280Pro Headphones. They are super comfortable and provide superior sonic isolation, which is perfect for long late-night mixing sessions. They are also great for overdubbing. Performers can hear the reference tracks with no bleed into their recorded part.

This complete kit takes the guesswork out of your decision, with everything you need to record an produce your music. Even better, the system is flexible enough to grow with you as your needs change. read less