Hey Christian. It depends on your budget, but I recommend to begin with a computer capable running audio software, your choice of DAW software (I like Cubase), at least 1 good multi-purpose microphone (SM-57 is popular), a good recording interface (I like the Presonus Firestudio), some studio reference monitors (for this you should go to a music store that lets you listen to them on display such as Guitar Center, and pick the one that sounds best to YOU while listening to music you are very familiar with. You can bring what you want to listen to and ask the staff if you need assistance), and of course some decent cables and microphone stands. You also may want to look into some DIY room acoustic treatment. Hope this helps!

Hey Ghee,

Sounds like the essentials you would need are a digital recording interface, microphone(s), and microphone cable(s) just to get you started with recording. Then, I would seriously consider getting a decent set of studio monitor speakers so you can have an accurate reference when mixing your songs to make them sound nice and spiffy!

Not sure how loud the cars are driving by, so it’s hard for me to judge, but one of the simplest effective solutions without going all out and soundproofing your room would be to have a close range dynamic mic like the SM-57. Get it as close to the sound source as possible and make sure the sound source is loud so you don’t have to make the recording signal as hot (Although you still want the results to be somewhat close to clipping without actually clipping. This will help cancel out anything that isn’t right up against the microphone. The reason I said SM-57 is because it is well renowned and very versatile. Some applications include guitars, drums (commonly snare drum), decent for bass, pianos, and even vocals (I find it even gives a warmer vocal sound than the “industry standard” SM-58. Just make sure to use a pop filter, and you may still need to put the mic just under the mouth so it doesn’t project directly into it.)

Not sure what your budget is, but if you only need to record 1 or 2 tracks at once and want to get a lot of bang for the buck on a recording interface, look into the Presonus Firebox. As far as the mic cable goes, you pretty much get what you pay for. Higher end cables will help to block out interference and achieve a cleaner signal. However, you can get cables really cheap and always upgrade later. A $10 cable may suite your needs just fine for now.

Hope this helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.