How's this for a setup (brand new to this)

SONAR X2 Essentials
Scarlett 2i2 or Complete Studio 6
PSR-223 keyboard, because I can get it free. I know it's not a proper MIDI keyboard
Maybe a BCF2000 for something to touch while mixing...i HATE dragging/rolling with a mouse...idk but it just feels annoying
Beats studios (saving some money. Lol i know...saving on headphones and "wasting" on controller....)
^Monitors later on
 Computer is pretty good. Can't remember specs but its good :)
Mics, I'll use random ones I have around the house for now, I don't sing or record much anyways...got a sax but dont rly use it
Laptop, as a second screen
  Cables (that i DONT have and will need to buy)
     MIDI from keyboard to interface
     MIDI to 1/4" adapter, for interface

     "Y" screen connector....forgot the name lol. For desktop to laptop & monitor

     MIDI OR USB from controller to computer, depending on what I get

     USB for interface to computer


Anything I missed/need to change? When you reply, plz do the whole thing and not just like "get X2 Studio"....it doesn't really help.

Some thing like "Software-good. Interface-suggest ___" would really be appreciated [more].

Audio interface : roland quadcapture all the way : preamp/drivers/latency way superior

you  will have also sonar LE with it , check the upgrade option then ;)

Beats : hell no !!   DT 990 pro for monitoring (mixing ) , DT 770 pro for tracking (those will kill those hifi beats crap)  

don't trust me try and you will see ....

Since you are on the Cakewalk forum a Roland interface that comes w/ SONAR.

If money is as tight as you seem to suggest a controller isn't a top of the list - esp. until you try w/ a mouse (free! w/ your computer).

If you are using headphones for monitoring, don't skimp there.  The AT 150s (I think that is the designation) go for $60-70 and are good enough and punch above their weight.  If you can't hear what you are doing, you won't know what you are doing.

Others have taken on the midi cables thing.  Midi is computer information, not audio.  Think typing in letters but you have to have the computer "speak" it using software.

Which brings us to soft synths, which is the main synths for practically everybody, even big studios.  Yea, they might have a moog or Kronos etc., but a lot of work happens inside the computer because ... it is fast, reasonable sounding and easy to get the job done.

For you, there are a lot of freebies out there.  Your DAW should come w/ something.  Ugo audio has a lot of free synths (and I mean synths, not acoustic wannabes).  SFZ (you can find it at Cakewalk) is a free Sound Font player and there are tons of free libraries out there.  SF's were a Creative card library system back when most sampling (including Creative's) was hardware based.  So a lot of sounds, some good, some bad, got formatted for it and are still available for nothing.

You might find a keyboard controller cheap w/ USB midi, USB audio and a LE DAW.  That would kill all your birds w/ one stone since you don't put recording audio at the top of your list.

@

Thnks for the help guys, really appreciated!