Equip Your Mission.
Everything you need to start making music from home.
Ableton Live
We Use ThisOur DAW of choice. Ableton's session view and clip-based workflow make it the go-to for beat making, live performance, and creative production.
Try Ableton Free →REAPER
#1 Budget PickInsanely capable DAW at a fraction of the cost. Unlimited features, a 60-day free trial, and used by hobbyists and pros alike.
Try REAPER Free →Focusrite Scarlett Solo
Best ValueThe go-to USB audio interface for beginners. Plug in a mic or guitar and record studio-quality audio straight into your DAW.
View on Amazon →Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Producer StandardStudio reference headphones trusted by producers worldwide. Accurate sound, isolating design, built to last years of studio use.
View on Amazon →Akai MPK Mini
Best Starter ControllerThe most popular MIDI controller for bedroom producers. 25 mini keys, 8 MPC pads, and a built-in arpeggiator — compact enough to fit anywhere.
View on Amazon →Akai MPC XL
Level UpThe new flagship standalone MPC. Massive 10.1" touchscreen, 16 pads, full standalone workflow with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — built for serious producers.
View on Amazon →Arturia Astrolab 37
Our Favorite SynthOur go-to keys. The Astrolab 37 packs a massive sound library into a lightweight, giggable instrument — incredible for studio work and live performance.
View on Amazon →Yamaha HS5 Studio Monitors
Mix StandardThe industry benchmark for studio monitors at this price point. Flat, accurate response so your mixes translate to every speaker and headphone.
View on Amazon →Audio-Technica AT2020
Best Budget MicThe go-to condenser microphone for bedroom vocalists and podcasters. Pairs perfectly with the Scarlett Solo for clean, professional recordings.
View on Amazon →Splice
Editor's ChoiceAccess millions of royalty-free samples and loops. Pay per credit, keep your downloads forever. Essential for any producer's workflow.
Start Free Trial →Vital Synth
FreeThe most powerful free synthesizer available. Spectral warping wavetable synthesis, real-time visualization, and a massive preset library — zero cost.
Download Free →Komplete Start
Free BundleNative Instruments' free plugin bundle — 2,000+ sounds, samplers, synths, and effects. One of the best free downloads in music production, period.
Download Free →BandLab
FreeBrowser-based DAW perfect for getting started. Record, mix, and share tracks from any device — no downloads, no cost.
Start Making Music →Top-rated free plugins our producers actually use.
Valhalla Supermassive
Fan FavoriteLegendary reverb and delay from Valhalla DSP. Massive, lush spaces that sound incredible on pads, vocals, and drums. A must-have in any chain.
Download Free →Vital Synth
FreeProfessional wavetable synthesis at zero cost. Visualize your sound in real time and design patches from scratch or pull from a huge preset library.
Download Free →OB-Xd
FreeClassic Oberheim analog synthesizer emulation. Warm, fat, and characterful — perfect for vintage pads, leads, and retro-sounding chord stabs.
Download Free →Surge XT
Open SourceMassive open-source synth with 16 oscillator algorithms and thousands of presets. Regularly updated with new features — free forever.
Download Free →Graillon 2
FreePitch correction, pitch shifting, and creative vocal effects. The free tier covers most use cases — great for vocal tuning and lo-fi character.
Download Free →Kilohearts Essentials
Free BundleA complete bundle of essential audio effects — EQ, compression, reverb, delay, and more. All free, all excellent, and all snapin-compatible.
Get the Bundle →Paid plugins worth every dollar — affiliate links help support Embark Sounds at no extra cost to you.
RC-20 Retro Color — XLN Audio
Lo-Fi EssentialOne of the most-used lo-fi plugins in production. RC-20 adds vinyl noise, wobble, saturation, bit-crushing, and magnetic degradation to give your beats that worn, character-rich texture. If you want warmth and grit without fuss, this is it.
Get on Plugin Boutique →DigiCrush — SSL
Bit CrusherSSL's take on digital destruction. DigiCrush delivers bit-crushing, sample-rate reduction, and digital distortion with SSL's signature control and clarity. Run your drums or synths through it and watch them hit harder and cut differently.
Get on Plugin Boutique →MaxxBass — Waves
Bass EssentialMakes your low end hit on every speaker — including the ones that can't reproduce sub frequencies. MaxxBass generates harmonics from your bass so it stays audible on earbuds, laptops, and phone speakers. Essential for translation.
Get on Plugin Boutique →Slower — E-instruments
Texture & AmbientDrop any sample into Slower and it transforms into something cinematic and evolving. Time-stretching, pitch-shifting, and layered playback modes make it perfect for building pads, transitions, and ambient textures from sounds you already have.
Get on Plugin Boutique →Decapitator — SoundToys
SaturationThe go-to saturation plugin for a reason. Decapitator models five different analog saturation styles — from subtle harmonic warmth to full-on distortion. Run anything through it: vocals, drums, synths, buses. It makes everything sound more alive.
Get on Plugin Boutique →TAIP — Baby Audio
Tape EmulationTape emulation done right. TAIP recreates the compression, warmth, flutter, and harmonic saturation of real tape machines. It's the fastest way to take something digital and make it feel like it was recorded in a real room.
Get on Plugin Boutique →Time — Lunacy Audio
GranularGranular time-stretching that turns simple sounds into lush, moving textures. Feed it a chord stab, a vocal chop, or a drum hit and Time stretches it into something massive and evolving. Great for cinematic moments in your beats.
Get on Plugin Boutique →M1 — Korg
Classic SynthA legend. The Korg M1 is one of the best-selling synthesizers ever made — now a plugin. Known for its iconic piano, organ, strings, and atmospheric pads. If you've heard music from the late 80s through the 90s, you've heard this synth.
Get on Plugin Boutique →Diva — U-he
All-Time Favorite⭐ This one stays in the session permanently. Widely considered one of the most accurate analog synth emulations ever made. Diva models Moog, Roland, and ARP circuits — warmth and richness most virtual instruments can't touch.
Get on Plugin Boutique →Finisher RETRO — UJAM
Multi-FXMulti-effect processing with a single knob. Finisher RETRO applies vintage-inspired effect chains — chorus, reverb, saturation, filtering — to any sound instantly. The fastest way to add character without building a complex chain.
Get on Plugin Boutique →HalfTime — Cableguys
Half-Speed FXThat dreamy, slowed-down half-speed effect you hear all over modern trap, lo-fi, and atmospheric production. Drop it on a channel, dial in the amount, and instantly create that thick, weighted feel.
Get on Plugin Boutique →

