What piece of gear helped you speed up or improve your workflow the most?

[HREQ]

Just curious, what gear helped you guys the most with getting compositions down, or producing, or mixing...

I’m debating getting a 88key midi controller, or a workstation, or a mini keyboard and good monitors and headphones, or some other things, right now I just use piano roll

[BertKoor]

I’m debating getting a 88key midi controller, or a workstation, or a mini keyboard

If you have a piano-playing background, the 88key master keyboard makes most sense. But since you're asking, chances of you being a piano player are quite slim. Otherwise a midi controller with 3 to 5 octaves will do just fine.
If you're tired of working in the box and want to sequence on hardware, then the old-fashioned workstation could make sense (still you need some keyboard playing chops.) If desktop space is really sparse, then get a mini keyboard.

good monitors and headphones

Those are essential! If you don't hear what it's supposed to sound like, it's like shooting in the dark.

right now I just use piano roll

So did Avicii and numerous others, and it doesn't seem to hold them back.

Last weekend I saw a documentary about Nile Rodgers, he did collab with Avicii and watching him drag notes up & down on the piano roll was painful for me to watch. I thought: if you don't know the next note of the melody yet, what the F^&* are you doing! But apparently he got things done that way, so who am I to judge

[Passing Bye]

All those stuff are essential, get 61 key controller for starters, there's Nektar Impact 61+ that is quite great for the buck, move to something better if you really develop need and taste.

About monitors and headphones, how much are you willing to spend?

[Passing Bye]

Last weekend I saw a documentary about Nile Rodgers, he did collab with Avicii and watching him drag notes up & down on the piano roll was painful for me to watch. I thought: if you don't know the next note of the melody yet, what the F^&* are you doing! But apparently he got things done that way, so who am I to judge

He had two full time songwriters working with him, session players, engineers and etc.

[chk071]

A MIDI keyboard.

[BertKoor]

A MIDI keyboard.

... with drum pads, knobs & faders

[chk071]

Yep.

[imrae]

If you don't have any gear already then yeah, a MIDI controller.

For me one of the biggest improvements was when I bought a cheap Neutrik patchbay and a cheaper 19" rack frame. Result: more of my toys out and available to play with quickly. Less rummaging around for cables and power supplies.

[DMG68]

Softube Console 1

[Aloysius]

a kazoo, so I can quickly come up with melodic lines

[Forgotten]

An acoustic guitar and a piano. Between them it’s easy to compose and work on arrangements.

[Mr_Scroup]

Having less gear worked for me. The less choices i have the more tracks i finish.
Nowadays i have a laptop, headphones and a daw. And it works for me.

[Jace-BeOS]

Moving from Sonar/Windows to Logic/Mac.

I’m not trying to start yet another “verses” thread derailment. It answers the question the thread asks. This was the change that improved my productivity most.

[Tj Shredder]

By far:
Gear: LinnStrument
Software: Max/MSP & Bitwig

Anything I added to those (and I added a lot because of GAS disease), distracted more than focused my workflow. But its fun never the less...

[roman.i]

A vertical mouse..., and room treatment.