You know all that super expensive gear that you see in recording studios, that makes you want to ditch music production because you'll never be able to afford that "professional sound?" Well, guess what? If you're an EDM artist, you don't need most of it! The reason that studios have all of that gear is so they can record bands and sometimes even orchestras. If you're writing music on your computer, copious amounts of recording equipment is unnecessary.
There's a lot to be said about a great performance from a studio musician, but the reality is that if you're making EDM, you probably aren't doing that much recording work. EDM is based on synthesis and sample manipulation. A copy of Serum costs $189 (covering your synthesis needs) and Splice Sounds has your back if you need to beef up your sample library.
You can create great EDM with nothing more than Serum, Splice Sounds, and a laptop. That being said, EDM artists do benefit from a selection of studio hardware, but it's far less expensive than that found in a full-blown recording studio.
Let me just quickly address plug-ins before diving into hardware. Depending on which DAW you're using, stock audio effects can range from trash to very high quality. If your stock plug-ins aren't cutting it and you want to upgrade your plug-in library, check out The Ultimate List of Plugin Companies. The following list is in the order that I recommend you start acquiring hardware.
1. Headphones
The one piece of hardware that I highly recommend you invest in is a good pair of headphones. If you're serious about music production and want to exponentially step up your game, a good pair of headphones will give you the most bang for your buck. They let you bypass the need for acoustic treatment, as well as studio monitors. It's obviously nice to have options, but if you're at square one, quality headphones are the first step to upping your game.
($149) - Audio Technica ATH-M50x Headphones
These are great for mixing, comfortable to wear for long periods of time and an excellent value.
2. MIDI Keyboards
If you play piano, it's almost a no-brainer that you're going to want to get a MIDI keyboard. However, if you don't play piano, let me convince you to get a keyboard regardless. When you're able to touch something physical and perform with it, you come up with ideas that are completely unique to the device you're using. It's much easier to experiment with a keyboard (even if you suck) than it is to experiment by programming MIDI notes into your DAW.
($99) - Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII
I use this keyboard all the time when I'm on-the-go and don't want to drag my larger keyboard around with me. It includes 2 octaves, a mappable joystick, 8 pads and 8 knobs.
($349) - M-Audio Code 61
This MIDI keyboard is going to give you the best value for your money. Other MIDI keyboards with the exact same features are going to easily run you $600. The M-Audio Code 61 includes 61 keys, an X/Y touchpad, 16 drum pads, 9 faders and 8 encoders.
3. Audio Interfaces
An audio interface is going to let you record audio into your DAW, and when you buy studio monitors, it's going to allow you to connect your computer to them. Investing more money into an audio interface is going to get you extra inputs/outputs, higher quality converters, and you'll have the option to record at higher sample rates.
Unless you plan on recording bands or tons of vocals, I would recommend you save your money on an expensive audio interface. When you just start collecting gear, you're better off putting that money towards something else on this list instead.
($149) - Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface
It does high-quality A/D (analog to digital) and D/A (digital to analog) conversion. By plugging this into your laptop you'll be able to integrate microphones, guitars, and monitors into your setup.
4. Microphones
A microphone is an invaluable tool, especially because most of EDM is sample based. Even if you're not recording vocalists, recording things around your house like your roommates making weird sounds can result in unique and authentic samples. NGHTMRE is notorious for recording pots and pans in his kitchen and using those samples in his songs. With a microphone, you really do open a door of creative possibilities for yourself.
($99) - MXL 990 Microphone
For the price, this is a phenomenal microphone. You can record vocals, acoustic instruments, and samples with it. It closely compares to some microphones that are triple its price.
