Creating Music with Computers

Thanks to advances in technology, composing on the go is not only a good alternative setup, for many people it can be the only setup.

Laptop Computer: Apple PowerBook - yes, I'm partial to Apple. Yes, you would be fine with something from Dell. But if you have any aspirations to go into a studio, you will find your PC bias will work against you. If you already have a laptop you like, don't switch, but if you are ready to get a new laptop, get a new MacBook or MacBook Pro.

MIDI Controller: M-Audio makes a nice collection of controllers. I like the very portable M-Audio Ozone for its compact size, microphone inputs and simple USB connection. At less than $300, it is hard to beat.

Microphone: There are tons of possibilities, but I have been using the M-Audio Nova (about $125 each) microphones which are inexpensive and sound very good. They aren't professional mics, but you have to start spending into the thousands of dollars to hear the difference in the sound.

Software: There are lots of possibilities here. If you are into writing music to be performed by others, make sure to have Sibelius for notation. I find that I always start my ideas in Sibelius, and then expand from there. Personally, I use Apple Logic Pro and Propellerheads Reason for the sequencing, sound construction, digital effects and such.

Headphones: For a cool $100, just be done with it and get yourself a pair of the AKG-K240M headphones. They are the industry standard for a reason: great sound, easy to wear for a long time, and very durable.