TheoKA

Some nice looking speakers if you don't already have some, the succulent idea is a good one as they are very clean decorations for being alive.

Mechanical keyboards (keys press a mechanical switch that send the keypress signal to the computer) are generally considered better than membrane keyboards (keys push a rubber dome down to touch the keyboard circuit, which looks like a sheet of flat wires under your board, and tell the computer what has been pressed) for a few reasons, including more tactile/better feeling feedback, inherent anti-ghosting (if you press multiple keys down at the same time, all presses will be recognized), and higher typing speed (the actuation point, or point during the keypress when it is actually registered, is higher up than membrane boards, which have to be pressed all the way down). There are a few different types of switches for mechanical keyboards, but for gaming you should search for mechs with RED Cherry MX (Cherry is the most popular switch brand) switches or a comparable clone brand (Gateron, Kaihl) as reds are not as clicky as Blue switches and are generally smoother and more geared towards smooth gameplay. There's a thread in the 'peripherals' section of this forum that will be able to provide more/better info than I, so I would check there. Hope this helped a bit though

Have you looked at the CK104? It's around $50 (I paid 47, a week later it dropped to 45, these sites have flash deals all the time) http://www.gearbest.com/keyboards/pp_298472.html or http://www.banggood.com/MOTOSPEED-Inflictor-CK104-NKRO-RGB-Backlit-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard-Outemu-Blue-Switch-p-1047759.html It looks and feels great, has some awesome lighting modes, RGB, is well-built (as far as I can tell, I've only had it a couple weeks). It uses Outemu Blue switches, which are kind of loud, but if you're looking at mechs that's probably not as much of a consideration.

Ideally I'd get a keyboard with all the functionality you need in one place. Less hassle, unless you have an interface to connect everything and don't mind reduced desk space (and lack of portability). I use an Arturia Keylab and have a friend with an Akai MPK, both of which are good choices (if you're still looking for other options as well). What DAW do you use?