One thing that unites pretty much all of the best home recording studio kids on the market today is that it’s now possible to get professional level results from the comfort of your bedroom – without having to pay out big bucks.
In addition to some of the big players like Focusrite and Mackie, you can now get excellent home recording studio kits for beginners with budget conscious offerings from companies like Behringer and others.
In this KillerGuitarRigs Review we took a look at 7 of the best bundles on the market. To ensure a fair comparison, we judged each set by what the package included, the overall build and sound quality of those contents, whether any software was included, and the overall ease of setup.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Editor's Choice  | Features: Condenser/dynamic mic, Headphones/Studio monitors, Big Knob interface Benefits: High fidelity audio, Extremely low latency, Full turn key bundle | 10 | Click For Best Price |
Best Value  | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 3 Studio Bundle Features: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface, Headphones, Condenser mic Benefits: All you need to start recording, High end components, Easy to use | 8.5 | Click For Best Price |
Best Budget  | Behringer U-Phoria Studio Bundle Features: Behringer Interface, Headphones, Condenser mic Benefits: Easy to set up, Low latency, Comfortable headphones | 7 | Click For Best Price |
Contents
- Our Top 3
- Individual Reviews
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen Recording Bundle
- Behringer U-Phoria Studio Recording Bundle
- Mackie Big Knob Studio Bundle
- PreSonus AudioBox 96 Ultimate Hardware & Software Recording Bundle
- Audient Evo Start Recording Bundle
- Arturia MiniFuse 2 USB-C Audio Interface Recording Bundle
- M Audio Air 129 Recording Bundle
- How To Choose The Right Recording Kit For You
- Final Thoughts
Our Top 3
Top Pick – Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen Recording Bundle
This Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen Recording Bundle checks all of the boxes, which is why we named it as our Top Pick – it comes loaded with all of the hardware and software that you need to get started in home recording. The equipment itself is studio quality, which will really help you to get a professional sounding result, and the included software is far more comprehensive than typical bundled programs. This set really is the perfect starting point, and if you like, you’ll definitely have the ability to add onto this gear without having to replace anything if your needs change.
Best Budget – Behringer U-Phoria Studio Recording Bundle
The Behiringer U-Phoria Studio Recording Bundle represents insane value, so of course, it took our Best Budget honors. For an extremely low price, you’ll get everything you need to start making high quality recordings, whether it’s for podcasting, single artists, or full bands, it will help you commit your work to tape. It offers a simple setup, and gives budget conscious producers and beginners alike a great tool to either teach the next generation, or get started in music production themselves – making it easily the best home recording studio package for beginners.
Editor’s Choice – Mackie Big Knob Studio Bundle
If money is no object, be sure to check out our Editor’s Choice, the Mackie Big Knob Studio bundle. This is a full featured setup with multiple mics, monitors and cans, a top class interface, and some of the best software out there. If you’re semi-pro, or even if you make your whole living from music, having this bundle as your home studio setup will ensure you’re making the best possible recordings.
Individual Reviews
Legendary studio quality in an affordable portable package.
Even as a standalone interface, the 2i2 is a great option, but combined with a quality condenser mic, and monitor headphones, it becomes a quick start package for singer songwriters, podcasters, and budding studio engineers alike.
Focusrite are one of the foremost names in the pro audio recording arena, and with the Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen recording bundle, you can have that same quality at home at an affordable price point. This bundle came with everything needed to get started in recording, including closed back studio headphones, the legendary Scarlett 2i2 3rdgen interface, a Scarlett CM25 condenser mic, and USB and XLR cables.
The audio interface was the real attraction in this set, with the 3rd Gen Scarlett being famous for offering studio quality audio in an almost pocket sized package. It looked fantastic with its red aluminum housing, and it featured intuitive halo lighting, a system that lit up red when our audio was clipping, amber when we were approaching the limits, or green as it recognizes that we were within the ideal gain range.
The included condenser mic was actually very good, especially for vocals. It also came with a mic stand adapter designed for this specific unit, ensuring we were able to set it up properly for vocals, or any instrument we wanted to record. This package additionally came with all the software any beginner would need to get started, including Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools, and an exclusive suite of Focusrite plugins.
We did note that headphones in this set weren’t quite up to the same standard as the interface, but they were definitely good enough to record with – we’d just advise you to be conscious of volume as they did bleed a little.
Verdict: Considering that with the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen Recording Bundle you’re getting one of the best quality audio interfaces on the market bundled with a mic, headphones, the necessary cables, and software for not much more than the price of a standalone interface, you’ll realize what a steal this setup is. It offers insane recording quality, close to zero latency when playing live with native plugins, and it looks great in any home studio rig.
Everything you need to get started and a wallet friendly price.
For an unfathomably low price, you're getting a good quality condenser mic, a 2 channel interface and a set of closed back monitor headphones - everything you need to start recording guitars or vocals.
The Behringer U-Phoria is unquestionably the best home recording studio package for beginners. It’s a great little bundle that is absolutely perfect for budget conscious musicians or engineers looking to start recording. Behringer recognize that this product isn’t aimed at pros, and because of that fact most of their target market struggle with limited desk space – the U-Phoria UM2 USB audio interface included in this bundle was tiny! Don’t let the size fool you, though – it had an XLR input for a mic and an instrument line in, and they managed to pack in a studio grade mic preamp to boost the signal with more gain and headroom, but less noise, and less distortion.
Also included in the bundle was a Behringer C-1 cardioid condenser microphone and mic stand adapter. We found the mic to be of good quality, and because it had a cardioid pattern, it cut out a lot of the unwanted background noise, something that often plagues home recording setups using dynamic mics.
Finally, the bundle included a pair of Behringer HPS5000 headphones, complete with soft ear cups that kept things comfortable even during lengthy sessions. The audio quality of these headphones was definitely acceptable given the low cost of entry, but this will likely be the first part of the bundle you upgrade in the future.
Verdict: If the perceived cost of studio equipment is something that’s stopped you from getting involved in the past, this Behringer U-Phoria bundle might just be the answer. You’ll get great quality recordings and all the gear you need to get started at a price that you probably won’t believe is true.
A full featured bundle of unparalleled quality.
This is a fantastically well equipped bundle that includes a condenser and a dynamic mic, closed back monitor headphones, studio monitor speakers, and a feature rich interface. This is studio grade gear condensed for home use.
If you’re looking for something a little more professional and you have dedicated home studio space, the Mackie Big Knob studio bundle is probably the perfect setup for you! It came with absolutely everything we needed to create pro level recordings, starting with the awesome Big Knob USB audio interface.
This interface had 2 mic preamps, which added clarity to the low voltage mic signal, and even featured a built in mic for direct contact with recording artists through their headset – perfect if you’re recording someone else from another room. Each of the three inputs also had dedicated selector switches, allowing us to flick through to the channel we wanted to hear quickly..
As far as the rest of the gear went, there was a lot of it, and it was all of the highest quality. Not only did it come with comfortable Mackie closed back headphones, but it also included a pair of studio monitors, enabling us to set up a true home recording studio. Both the monitors and the headphones gave us colorless and accurate representation of the sound, giving us the opportunity to hear any imperfections that required editing before mastering.
The list of included components continues with the brace of microphones in the bundle, including an EM-91C large diaphragm condenser and an EM-89 live vocal mic. As expected from a setup this comprehensive, the condenser came with a stand and even a shock mount, so it really was ready to go right out of the box. This mic captured every vocal nuance and also performed beautifully with acoustic instruments. As for the dynamic vocal mic, we got a real live performance feel when recording vocals, and we also found it to be excellent for miking up amps.
Verdict: We could go on about the Mackie Big Knob Bundle all day, but to give you a run down in a nutshell, this is perfect for anybody from novices to professional studio engineers for home recording. It’s a true turn key package that contains everything you need and more, including software and plugins. The recording quality is astonishing, and the gear is clearly built to last.
A great starter package featuring all the basics done right.
With this bundle you're getting all the basics - including a 2 channel interface, along with a quality condenser mic, headphones, and even a pair of studio monitors.
This Presonus Audiobox 96 bundle was well equipped, and although it wan’t the most advanced on test, it did everything that you would need a home recording bundle to do.
It came with Studio One Artist, which is a brilliant DAW that will satisfy even the most demanding producers. The interface itself was the AudioBox USB 96. It came with 2 channel recording, input controls and a mixer on the front of the unit. To keep recordings clean, everything was captured in industry standard 24 bit, with 96 kHz resolution. It featured built in 48v phantom power to supply condenser microphones, and was compatible with both Mac and PC.
We really liked the studio monitors that came bundled in this set. They represented the lows beautifully, with almost imperceptible distortion, and thanks to the silk dome tweeters, the high end was smooth and balanced. Also included was a pair of HD7 studio monitoring headphones. As with the speakers, they were designed for accuracy, not sound improvement, so we got a super picture of what was happening in the mix.
The bundled microphone was a large diaphragm studio condenser, also made by PreSonus. The large diaphragm ensured a warm and balanced response to a wide range of input sounds, be it acoustic or amplified instruments, and especially when recording vocals.
Verdict: The Presonus AudioBox 96 bundle is a real contender. Price wise, it’s just right, and offers great value for money considering the fact that it does include your interface, condenser mic, headphones and monitors, as well as all of the supporting cables and storage bags. It’s a compact kit that will fit right at home in any bedroom recording studio, and it also happens to come with one of the best software packages of any bundle.
A truly portable recording bundle for the artist on the move.
This is one of the most portable recording bundles ever made. It's simple, yet effective. The interface is basic, yet intuitive, the headphones are comfortable, and the condenser mic is great quality.
The Audient Evo Start Recording Bundle, may come from a lesser known brand, but it absolutely exceeded expectations. It was by far the most simplistic USB interface on test, but in many cases, that’s all you need. Rather than pack a budget interface with features that the beginner producer won’t use, Audient focused on making a quality product that is so straight forward, a complete novice can set it up with minimal help.
Everything about this unit was rock solid, the large center knob had a nice weight to it, and the buttons all engaged very nicely. The interface itself was absolutely tiny, but despite this, it was loaded with 2 channels, 2 preamps, automatic level setting, 24 bit/96kHz resolution, and incredibly low latency.
The interface also featured 48v phantom power, which allowed us to power condenser mics without the need for external power sources. Within the bundle we also got a large diaphragm condenser with a supercardioid pattern, and found that it did a great job at rejecting off axis sound. Another big surprise with this superb value bundle was that it came with a shock mount and XLR cable for the mic, too.
It came with a pair of Audient’s SR2000 studio monitor headphones. They were closed back, which helped massively with sound bleed, and they were fitted with 40mm neodymium drivers for excellent response and fidelity. We found them to be comfortable, and the extra long (3m) cord provided excellent range of motion
Verdict: If portability is a dealbreaker for you, then you may just have found your setup in the Audient EVO Start Recording bundle. Of course, it’s got all the hardware you need, as well as bundled software, including Cubase LE. If you’re looking to record using your iPad, this set also happens to be iOS compatible.
A Quality Bundle For Beginners and Intermediates Alike.
If you're looking for a basic bundle that will deliver quality recordings without taking up too much space, this compact Arturia setup might be just what you need. It comes with a fantastic interface, a quality mic, branded headphones, and all the software you need to get started.
Arturia may not be a name you’re too familiar with in the gear space, but they’re quickly building a reputation for quality equipment at a reasonable price point. The Arturia MiniFuse 2 USB-C Audio Interface Recording Bundle is one of their latest offerings, and we very much enjoyed spending time with it.
The bundle came with a MiniFuse 2 USB-C interface, a fantastic compact unit with 2 channels, each accommodating both XLR or instrument cable. Like the other units on test, it featured 24 bit, 192kHz sample rates, giving us fantastic clarity in our recordings. It was easy to use, and featured a headphone jack with its own independent volume control on the front panel as well as a mix knob for input and USB, which gave us latency free monitoring.
One of the coolest features about the interface was the MIDI in/out, which made it easy to hook up to synths and drum machines, too.
As for the mic, it came with an sE Electronics X1A large diaphragm cardioid condenser. It had a beautiful balance, and really felt like a mic that cost much more than it actually does. It served up huge dynamic range, and even came with a 100Hz high pass filter to cut out unwanted lows.
In addition to the above, this kit also came with a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M20x closed back monitoring headphones. As we’d expected from a pair of AT headphones, they delivered excellent fidelity, and handled bleed very well. They weren’t the most comfortable for extended use, but anything under 2-3 hours at a time and they were just fine.
The setup was compatible with both Mac and PC and included a suite of software to get us started, including Ableton Live Lite and some fantastic Arturia plugins.
Verdict: The Arturia MiniFuse 2 USB-C Audio Interface Recording Bundle is a superb mid range bundle, ideal for intermediate users looking to either upgrade their existing gear, or even for newcomers who want to spend a bit more and start with better quality equipment. This kit is simple to set up, and recordings sound genuinely great.
An ideal beginner bundle for singer-songwriters looking to record.
With this home studio recording bundle, you'll find a simple interface that's ideally suited to singer songwriters. The condenser mic in this bundle even comes with a suspension mount to reduce interference in your recordings.
The M-Audio Air is primarily a vocal recording package, but it was also extremely well suited to singer songwriter style recording, too. This was one of the cooler looking interfaces, standing out from the crowd with its top mounted controls. This model gave us straight forward setup and simple controls. It was able to accommodate both a mic and an instrument input, and recorded with incredible clarity and focus thanks to the 24 bit 192 kHz resolution. Further improving clarity was the Crystal preamp/TRS input, which massively boosted headroom, letting us crank up the gain without clipping.
Included in the bundle was a nice pair of M Audio studio headphones – they were comfortable, and sound representation was accurate, but they were possibly the biggest giveaway that we were working with a value recording setup. They worked, but we really had to keep an eye on sound bleed, especially on more delicate recordings.
The set also included a large diaphragm condenser mic, with a 1.1” gold diaphragm. The quality of the microphone in this bundle was definitely a surprise – because it was powered by class A solid state electronics, tonal accuracy was dead on, and coloration and distortion were completely removed, resulting in one of the truest possible recordings at this price point.
Verdict: If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of home recording, this M-Audio Air 192 package is a great way to get started. It comes with a range of software, including Eleven Lite FX, which includes virtual amps, cabs and stomp boxes to help liven up your tracks. Build quality is good, and recording quality is superb – overall a great setup!
How To Choose The Right Recording Kit For You
When building your home studio, you’ve really got two choices:
- Build your own, component by component
- Buy a pre-packaged bundle
While personally curating each element of your home studio does lend a lot of freedom, it can be extremely cost prohibitive, especially when many manufacturers offer significant savings for buying their bundles. Additionally, those just getting started in the world of home recording may find it much easier to buy a turn key package that is pretty much ready to go out of the box.
Home recording bundles and packages vary wildly in content and quality. At a minimum, they should come with the following:
Microphone
Microphones are an essential piece of equipment in any studio package. You’ll need one or more to record vocals, acoustic guitar, drums, or mic up an amplifier. Most sets come with studio condenser mics – these are essential in any studio for capturing the full tonal range of vocals and mic’d up instruments. They offer a much higher ceiling than a directional cardioid, so they can handle a wider range of tones and volumes before distorting.
Studio Headphones
Studio headphones are another must have piece of equipment. Unlike standard headphones, studio reference headphones are sonically neutral – they are not designed for bass boost, or treble performance, they are designed to give the truest possible representation of the sound that was recorded. This allows you to really hear what’s going on when it comes to editing.
In addition to a neutral audio performance, they also offer reduced “bleed”. Bleed is the escape of sound from the headphone cans to the outside environment, and having less, or no bleed, will reduce the chances of headphone noise being picked up on hot mics.
Audio Interface
The audio interface is the tech that will transform whatever it is you’re recording into something readable by your computer and its DAW software. Interfaces should ideally have multiple inputs for both microphones and instruments, but if you’re limited to a simple setup, yours may only have one – this isn’t a major problem as you can record each track individually and layer them.
The interfaces you should be looking for will also have controls for input, and gain, allowing you to take control of the dry sound before it hits the software. At a bare minimum, your audio interface should have 24 bit audio, and 96 kHz resolution to ensure recordings are clean and distortion free.
Be aware, if you’re buying a bundle, and it’s labeled as having a Thunderbolt connection, this means it require a Mac as Thunderbolt is an Apple specific connection. If it’s USB, then it will work on both Mac and PC.
Required Cables
In order to connect your mics and instruments to your interface you will need XLR cables and ¼” jack cables. You may already have these, but it’s great when a bundle comes with them as you can keep them in top condition specifically for recording.
Nice to Have
Some sets may also come with some extras that really help to set them apart. For example, they may come with studio monitors as well as headphones. This is great if you’re engineering for prolonged periods and don’t want to be stuck with headphones on. Additionally, if you’re engineering while someone else is playing or singing, the performer will need the headphones, but having monitors will allow you to set up the workstation in a different room if needs be in order to listen in live.
Additional mics are also a nice feature. You should be able to record pretty much everything with a large diaphragm condenser, but there’s definitely no harm in having the flexibility of a dynamic cardioid in the bundle, too.
Finally, you’re going to save yourself a lot of heartache if your bundle includes software. Aside from the cost, choosing a DAW can be a journey in and of itself, so getting a bundled DAW you get straight to creating. On top of that, both the Focusrite and the Arturia come with Ableton Live Lite which acts not only as a DAW but also helps in rehearsing and performing music live – opening up a whole other world of use for your recording kit.
Final Thoughts
Kitting out your home or practice room with a home recording studio bundle can be a great way to get you or your band’s name out there on the various social media channels. By investing as little as $120 on a decent music recording setup, you’ll be able to create quality recordings good enough to stream and sell. These home recording studio kits are all extremely user friendly and can be operated with little to no experience in recording or production. Especially for those newer to recording, the key is to just play around, record a lot, experiment with settings, and see what you like.
To recap our favorites, we loved the simple operation, and quality components in our Top Pick, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen Recording Bundle. Our Best Budget option, the Behringer U-Phoria Recording Bundle served up great recordings, too, and at an unbeatable price. Finally, our Editor’s Choice, the Mackie Big Knob Studio Bundle delivered pro level results, and came with a huge array of gear to help you get the best recordings possible.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Editor's Choice | Features: Condenser/dynamic mic, Headphones/Studio monitors, Big Knob interface Benefits: High fidelity audio, Extremely low latency, Full turn key bundle | 10 | Click For Best Price |
Best Value | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Gen 3 Studio Bundle Features: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface, Headphones, Condenser mic Benefits: All you need to start recording, High end components, Easy to use | 8.5 | Click For Best Price |
Best Budget | Behringer U-Phoria Studio Bundle Features: Behringer Interface, Headphones, Condenser mic Benefits: Easy to set up, Low latency, Comfortable headphones | 7 | Click For Best Price |
