The "Sam" Recording Pack

It's hard sometimes to know where to start. There are so many options out there, and even bundles and packs from different brands how do we figure out what's best?

Sometimes you want the best from a few different makers. A Microphone and a pair of headphones from an acclaimed manufacturer, an interface from one of the best to ever do it, and a quality cable from an industry leader. That's what I've put together. We've taken I've got what I think are the best value and highest quality products from a few choice brands that will work for almost all your needs, and saved you a bunch of money along the way (bought separately RRP over $600). Let's get into it.

The Sam Pack Includes:
The Microphone - Audio Technica's AT2040
The Interface - Audient Evo 4
The Headphones - Audio Technica ATH-M40x
The Cable - Warm Audio Professional Series 3m XLR Cable

Don't waste your time with a pack with some good bits and some bad bits. Just get the best entry-level bundle out there that can grow with you.

The Microphone - Audio Technica's AT2040

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A dynamic microphone created by the highly regarded Japanese brand to fit the needs of a whole new generation of creators. Ideal for streaming, working from home, podcast recording and can do a decent vocal take, this mic is a great all rounder for those that covet the sound of the ubiquitous Shure SM7B but don't want to spend $700+ on a microphone. 

Why a dynamic? A lot of recording starter packs come with a condenser microphone. I think that this might be a mistake though. Most often when we are starting out we have very poorly treated rooms and dynamic mics can help nullify a lot of that issue. Condenser microphones are definitely more detailed and consistent throughout the frequency range and require less gain from your preamp but they are much more sensitive and will pick up a lot more sound. The kids playing down the street? The echo in your room? The TV in the next door? A dynamic microphone won't pick as much of that up.

The Interface - Audient Evo 4

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Audient make some of the best quality pre-amps and converters and have been at the forefront of digital recording technology for years. Their EVO range brings this technology to the masses with a new smart gain option attached to its two stellar preamps. I went to school and got a diploma in music production and sound engineering and without a doubt one of my most hated tasks is setting gain. Too little and you won't get enough signal, too much and it will clip and sound awful. Smart gain, when selected, measures the level of the input for you and then sets the sweet spot so you can just get on with recording, and forget about stressing over gain levels.

The Headphones - Audio Technica ATH-M40x

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There's a ubiquity to the Audio Technica M50x. They are in every studio in the world. But are they the best bang for buck? I would argue not. That honour belongs to their little brother the M40x. Nearly identical in every way the M40x's benefit from having a flatter frequency response than the M50x - they can sometimes hype the bottom end to make them more enjoyable to listen, in place of presenting the sound faithfully. The M40x is often reviewed as the best in the acclaimed M Class of headphones, for value and quality. 

The Cable - Warm Audio Professional Series 3m XLR Cable

Often the cable is an afterthought, something pretty cheap and flimsy that will almost certainly be the first thing to go bust in any setup. The WARM audio Professional series is not this. High quality silver connectors, great shielding, this will last you close to a lifetime if you take good care of it.