If you are thinking of setting up a home recording studio, studio recording kits (or bundles) can be a great way to save cost especially if you are recording on a budget.
There are some advantages to using a bundled kit, for example:
- Most bundles come with an audio interface + DAW bundled together
- The equipment and components are guaranteed to be compatible with each other
- You save setup costs and avoid purchasing components separately
That being said, if you are looking for the flexibility of choosing individual components and equipment for your setup, studio recording kits are probably not for you.
You might be wondering…
Should you use a recording studio bundle kit?
Well yes and no…
It ultimately depends on what you are looking for.
Do you want the flexibility of choosing individual equipment and components such as your microphone or DAW?
Or do you want an out-of-the-box solution for your home studio?
Most studio kit bundles come with a pre-fixed DAW, interface or microphone and you may run into compatibility issues if you want to change them in the future – so consider if you want to work with these components before getting the entire bundle.
Personally I wouldn’t go for a studio recording kit as I prefer customizing my own DAW, equipment and microphones. But if you are tight on budget, a recording studio kit isn’t a bad choice either.
If you plan to DIY everything yourself instead, check out this post:
Otherwise, read on…
The Best Studio Recording Kits
1. PreSonus Studio Kit
If you are looking for budget starter kit to set up your home recording studio, the PreSonus Studio Kit is a great basic option.
This studio kit comes with virtually everything you need to start producing at home. It comes with an AudioBox USB 96 audio interface, M7 large diaphragm condenser and Studio One Artist and Ableton Live Lit DAW.
A pair of HD7 headphones is also included in the kit. These headphones are lightweight and ergonomically designed for longer hours of recording sessions.
Personally I found the PreSonus Studio Kit quite value for money. The PreSonus Studio One software that ships together with it is quite good, although the only thing keeping it from being a “full” DAW is the lack of mastering functionality.
Everything else is well constructed and easy to put together. The controls are easy to operate and the kit also comes with combo style XLR and 1/4″ panel jacks for inputs.
If you are starting out a home recording studio on a budget, the PreSonus Studio kit is a pretty good choice if you don’t mind using the Studio One Artist DAW.
Check them out here:
Up next…
2. Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio Kit
Another good “budget” studio kit for home recording set ups…
The Focusrite Scarlett is a great option for home recording musicians who want a studio kit with Ableton Live Lite and Pro Tools DAW included in the package, which is pretty awesome considering that you get an entire studio kit and DAW bundled together.
Pro Tools is considered THE industry leading DAW on the market; while there is a learning curve for this DAW, once you master Pro Tools you can master virtually any other DAW out there.
Apart from the DAW, the package comes with a Scarlett Solo audio interface, condenser mic, headphones, mic stand clip and a 10” XLR mic cable. The high-performance converters allow you to record and mix at up to 24-bit/192kHz which is pretty decent for a beginner studio.
There are plenty of tutorials you can follow to setup everything on a Mac or PC and work your way through with the included DAWs.
If you don’t mind the combo equipment and gear sold by Focusrite, this package is a pretty good option for budget conscious home musicians.
Check them out here:
Up next…
3. Mackie Studio Bundle Kit
One of the more impressive studio bundle kits on the market…
The Mackie Studio kit comes with an audio interface, headphone amp, monitor controller, EM-91C condenser mic, EM-89D dynamic mic, MC-100 headphones and CR3-X monitors.
What makes this system stand out is that it comes with studio monitors and a pair of condenser and dynamic mics which is a full “out-of-the-box” solution for home recording studios.
It also includes the “Big Knob” audio interface is also great for connecting studio monitors on the A/B outputs and is great for those who want a clean and sleek build monitoring controller on their studio desk. The knob is smooth and feels “liquid” which is what you get with a quality knob controller with proper gain staging.
The Mackie Studio Bundle Kit doesn’t come with a DAW – which can be a good thing since it gives you the flexibility of choosing whatever DAW you want to run with this system.
Overall, the Mackie Studio Kit is a pretty solid bundle option for beginner level home recording studios. You’ll have to top it up with some microphone stands and a DAW and you’re good to go.
Check them out here:
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4. Neewer Studio Recording Kit
Similar to the Mackie Studio bundle kit, the Neewer Studio recording kit comes with a NW-700 condenser mic, studio monitor headphones, 48V phantom power, table mounting clamp and other accessories to get you started.
It even includes pop filters, XLR cables, power adapters and mic arm stand which you can mount directly to your table without any drilling.
The only difference is that this studio bundle kit doesn’t come with studio monitors, audio interface or a DAW which gives you the flexibility to choose which one you want to work with.
The NW-700 microphone is known for good quality with clean vocal reproduction and detailed highs. One thing that I really liked is that this kit comes with phantom power which provides the mic with plenty of power.
The cables and headphones are also high quality and easy to setup straight out of the box.
Overall, the Neewer Studio kit stands out for the quality mic, arm stand and headphone for vocal recording sessions. For a basic home recording studio, this bundle is great for a basic setup. You’ll have to get your DAW and audio interface separately though.
Check them out here:
Up next…
5. M-Audio Studio Recording Bundle Kit
The M-Audio complete recording bundle is a great choice for beginners looking for a more “budget-friendly” option.
This bundle comes with an AIR 192-4 interface, HDH40 headphones, Nova Black condenser microphone and XLR cables with AIR Series software for laying down vocal tracks and recording acoustic instruments. It supports 24-bit/192kHz resolution for professional recording and monitoring to your Mac and PC.
The first impression that you get with this recording bundle kit is that it has nice build quality and is easy to set up. The USB-C connection eliminates all the latency and the unit itself is durable and sturdy. The knobs on the interface are just the right size and easy to adjust.
The interface also comes with multiple input options including XLR TRS combo input, ¼” instrument input as well as headphone out with independent level controls.
Overall, the M-Audio bundle kit is a value for money recording studio kit and comes highly recommended for beginners.
Check them out here:
Up next…
6. Mackie Onyx Producer 2-2 Studio Kit
One of the better “all-in-one” options out there which includes a dedicated DAW…
The Mackie Onyx producer studio kit is a highly versatile home recording studio kit that comes with Waveform DAW which allows you to multitrack, use multiple effects plugins and VST addons.
It comes with an Onyx mic preamp together with an Onxy mic plus a ¼” input with Hi-Z switch for quick and easy recording. The studio kit also includes a bus-powered Onyx Series USB Audio interface which provides you with pristine sound quality.
What I like about this studio kit is that the DAW comes with a collection of 16 FX plugins for use with any DAW. They can be used with Mac and Windows operating systems and are compatible with the Waveform DAW straight out of the box.
The microphone inputs have virtually no latency and the interface also includes a dedicated ¼” TRS output for connecting studio monitors. The bundle set comes with all the audio cables and a microphone stand so you can get started quickly.
With this home recording studio kit, you only need to get a pair studio monitors to complete your setup.
On the whole, it’s great value-for-money bundle set that comes with its own dedicated DAW software and is a cost-effective option for new home recording studio setups.
Check them out here:
Up next…
7. Audio-Technica Home Studio Starter Kit
One of the more “high-quality” bundles out there, the Audio-Technica home recording studio kit is a full studio bundle that is beginner friendly and value for money.
This bundle kit comes with almost everything you need to get started with your first home studio, except for the DAW software – which can be a good thing as it gives you the flexibility to choose what DAW you want to go with your equipment.
The bundle includes an Audio-Technica AT2020 cardioid condenser mic which is great for recording both vocals and acoustic instruments, together with ATH-M20x studio monitor headphones, Mackie Onxy Artist audio interface and Mackie CRS-X 3 studio monitors.
There’s also a microphone stand with an adjustable boom arm with XLR cables for you to connect straight to your audio interface.
Overall, the Audio-Technica/Mackie Home Studio starter kit delivers pretty good cost-savings by bundling all the essential gear together at lower cost.
The only thing you’ll need to complete the setup is a DAW; I prefer this setup because it gives you the flexibility to essentially choose your own DAW to go with this setup.
Both Audio-Technica and Mackie are well-known brands in the recording industry and this is definitely a studio bundle kit that you don’t want to miss.
Check them out here:
Up next…
8. Novation Launchpad Recording Studio Kit
What’s unique about the Novation Launchpad bundle is that it comes with a Launchpad X 64-pad MIDI grid controller which allows you to play notes, melodies on a chromatic keyboard layout.
This can be great if you into creating drum performances or tempos electronically and works nicely with Ableton Live. You can play your instruments and devices with the 64 velocity MIDI pads with an illuminated RGB layout – which is pretty cool if you are into creating EDM and dubstep music.
Apart from the Launchpad X, the studio bundle also includes a LyxPro studio microphone with XLR cables, Lyx headphones and shockmount to get you started.
I really like that you are also getting a software kit together with the studio bundle with XLN addictive keys, Klevgrand R0Verb and DAW Cassette which are compatible with Ableton Live.
Overall, it’s a really nice DAW + studio recording bundle kit to have for making EDM and electronic beats with the Launchpad X MIDI.
Check them out here:
Next Steps
For a complete guide to setting up your home recording studio, including the complete studio equipment list, check out these posts:
