Brian Booms · Austin, TX
The Gear Behind the Music
The listening and production gear I actually use — for checking mixes, shaping sound, and playing ideas in by hand.
My music starts with AI tools (Suno), but every track gets checked, shaped, and finished by human ears on real gear. Here is the setup I trust — all of it affordable, all of it proven in countless home studios.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — Studio Headphones
My main reference headphones. Closed-back, honest low end, and detailed enough to catch the little things in an ambient mix — reverb tails, pad movement, the breath between notes. If you buy one thing, make it these.
Check price on AmazonFocusrite Scarlett 2i2 (4th Gen) — Audio Interface
The box that connects everything. Clean preamps, 24-bit/192kHz conversion, and it just works — with a computer or standalone. The 4th Gen's Auto Gain and Clip Safe modes mean you never lose a good take to bad levels.
Check price on AmazonNovation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 — MIDI Controller
When I want to play something in by hand instead of typing it. 25 mini keys, pads, Scale Mode so you never hit a wrong note, and deep DAW integration. Small enough to live on a desk next to a laptop.
Check price on AmazonJBL 305P MkII (Pair) — Studio Monitors
What I check mixes on when I take the headphones off. The Image Control Waveguide gives a wide, honest sweet spot, and the bass is tight for a 5-inch speaker. A pair of these will tell you the truth about your mix.
Check price on AmazonSony MDR-7506 — Tracking Headphones
The studio workhorse since the '90s. Coiled cable, foldable, brutally revealing in the mids — if something sounds harsh, these will tell you first. My second pair of ears for tracking and editing.
Check price on AmazonStart with headphones, add the interface when you're ready to record, and grow from there. The gear doesn't make the music — but hearing it honestly makes the music better.