5 Awesome Studio Christmas Gifts For Under $100

So Christmas is next week and if you haven’t found that perfect gift for that special someone I’ve got some ideas for you. Also, if you are the kind of person who likes to give yourself a little gift now and then, this list can apply to you as well. I love bargains, and here are 5 of my favorite studio deals for under $100 right now at Sweetwater (my favorite online store). Hope you find some of these under your tree!

KRK KNS6400 Headphones – $99

I have both models of headphones that KRK makes and they are my absolute favorite cans. Period. They are super accurate and amazingly comfortable. They are great for long tracking sessions when you want maximum isolation for the talent, but also maximum clarity and comfort. They are so reliable I use them all the time for critical mix decisions as well. –  http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KNS6400/
 

ART Tube MP Preamp – $39

Does your audio interface have only one mic preamp, but a second line input? Hook yourself up with a second mic pre at minimal cost. Or just swap in a different sound with this classic little tube amp. Sure it’s low voltage, but man does it sound great! It’s always nice to have a little color in your recording pallet and the Tube MP does the trick. I’ve had one for almost 10 years now! –  http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TubeMP/

Slate Digital Trigger EX Plugin – $49

If you record or mix real drums you would be a fool not to own Trigger from Slate Digital. For the price of just a couple of new drum heads you get the absolute best drum replacement software on the planet PLUS a solid collection of Steven Slate’s famous (and great sounding) drum samples! You get kick, snare, and tom samples. Included in that price! It’s absolutely insanity! –  http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TriggerEX-e/

Auralex Audio Engineer’s Pack – $69

A little isolation goes a long way in the home studio. And this pack has just about everything you would need for home studio recording. I’ve been using these pieces of Auralex gear for years in my studio to get cleaner drum, guitar, and vocal recordings as well as get better accuracy out of my monitors. At this price, everyone should own this pack. – http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AEPACK

Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone – $89

You didn’t think I could make a list of must have studio gear for under $100 and not mention the SM57 did you? I mean, this microphone is just crazy good. Put it just about anywhere and it works. And it’s a beast of a mic, which is great for those of you more clumsy engineers. If you already own a solid condenser mic, pick one of these bad boys up for some sonic variety and you’ll be set. –  http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM57