A friend of mine wanted to set up a cheap demo studio.
He had the computer and a few good mics so I told him he could probably get the rest for under $200.
I got him an Audigy Platinum 2 ZS Platinum Pro for $25
A midi usb keyboard for $60
M-Audio AV32 monitors for $75
Rock band drums (you read that right) $10 at Goodwill.
Boom! $170 and he was ready to roll.
Installed the free version of Cubase and a few of the better VSTs and he was ready to record.
Forget expensive electronic drums, the USB version of the Rock Band drums are perfectly fine triggers... plus you can find them everywhere for a few bucks.
I recorded this using his fancy new studio to show him what can be done with minimal effort.
Every few months I like to see if I can remember songs I spent way too much time learning as a kid.
Here I tried to fake my way through Summer Song after not hearing it in probably a decade.
https://vocaroo.com/i/s0gXSQ1JiftH