The Buyer’s Guide to the Ultimate EDM Production Setup

This month, we’re pretending money is no object – oh, if only – to suggest some of the best solutions for the ultimate EDM production setup…

Monitors/headphones

We’re assuming money is burning a hole in your pocket, so have chosen our ultimate speakers (plus some cheaper headphones)…

Genelec The Ones
Price from £4,338
Web www.genelec.com

We say: “Perhaps the ultimate speakers, these are currently setting the standard… for a price.”

PMC Result6
Price £2,400
Web pmc-speakers.com

We say: “Before these, you’d have to spend a great deal of money to get that PMC badge, but the company has really come up with the goods here.”

Dynaudio LYD 48 plus 18S subwoofer
Price £3,300
Web www.dynaudio.com

We say: “It’s the ultimate LYD setup with an extended bass response, excellent for dance production.”

Beyerdynamic DT 1990
Price £476
Web polaraudio.co.uk

We say: “If you want streamlined listening for your dance productions, these are as good as it gets.”

Synths

Synths are the backbone to any EDM track. Here are the best – from cheap software versions to the ultimate hardware…

Arturia MatrixBrute
Price £1,599
Web www.sourcedistribution.co.uk | www.arturia.com

We say: ”This is a powerful beast of a synth and very comprehensive. An outstanding bit of synth design…”

DSI OB-6
Price £2,525
Web www.davesmithinstruments.com

We say: “Well, we did say ‘ultimate’ EDM setup, but this is one classy synth for EDM and a whole lot more.”

Lennar Digital Sylenth
Price €139
Web www.lennardigital.com

We say: “This four-oscillator, two-filter analogue-style synth has launched many a dance tune, with a sound that can be the backbone to any track.”

FabFilter Twin 2
Price £114
Web www.fabfilter.com

We say: “Twin 2 is a dance-music classic. It’s full of analogue squelch, bleeps and a lot more. A soft synth that never seems to go out of style.”

Beats

Beats are obviously the ultimate way to get your EDM tunes moving. Here are the best hardware and software beatmakers…

Akai MPC Live
Price £999
Web www.akaipro.com

We say: ”The MPC Live brings the whole package, elevating it above the competition in terms of what can be achieved with a standalone box.”

Arturia DrumBrute
Price £395
Web www.sourcedistribution.co.uk | www.arturia.com

We say: ”A great addition to a more established electronic musician’s live or studio setup.”

Pioneer Toraiz
Price £1,240
Web www.pioneerdj.com

We say: ”Hardware sequencing and sampling, and an analogue filter from Dave Smith Instruments. C’mon… I love it, how could you not?”

Wave Alchemy Revolution
Price £149
Web www.wavealchemy.com

We say: ”The ultimate instrument for classic electronic drum sounds.”

DAWs

Many DAWs come packed with dance-music goodness – but some are more loopy and EDM-orientated than others…

Ableton Live
Price €79 to €599
Web www.ableton.com

We say: ”It revolutionised dance-music production and has stayed well ahead of the game, packed with instruments and effects.”

Propellerhead Reason
Price £49 to £289
Web www.propellerheads.se

We say: ”Maybe the best dance DAW.”

Korg Gadget
Price $39.99/$299 via iTunes or Mac App Store
Web www.korg.com

We say: ”It’s one of the best iOS solutions for dance music and now available for the Mac.”

Image Line FL Studio
Price $89 to $189
Web www.image-line.com

We say: “If you’re into electronic or loop-based music, FL Studio offers everything you need.”