One: the thing that makes the sound
Buy the instrument, and buy the one that can be played where you actually live. An amplifier with a headphone socket, an electronic kit with mesh heads, a piano with a quiet action — those decisions matter more than the badge.
Two: the part the box did not contain
Read the listing again for what is not in it. A keyboard usually needs a power adapter and a pedal. An XLR microphone needs an interface and a cable. A guitar needs a strap, a cable and picks. This is where first setups stall.
Three: monitoring
Headphones before speakers, every time. Headphones cost less, work at any hour, and do not need a room. Speakers only start to make sense once there is a desk to put them on and a wall to keep them away from.
Four: the room
Only after all of the above. A given sum spent on acoustic panels improves a recording more than the same sum spent on a microphone upgrade — but only once something is being recorded at all.
The questions players ask
What is the smallest complete setup?
A USB microphone and a pair of wired headphones. That records a voice properly with two purchases and no cables to choose. Everything else is a step up from there.
Should I buy the instrument or the recording chain first?
The instrument, unless the point is recording other people. An instrument gets played every day; an interface waits for something to record.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18
