Digital Audio Workstation

FL Studio 9 (lifetime free updates are the bomb)

Software synthesizers

AAS Ultra Analog (best $20 spent – period)
AAS String Studio (another no-brainer)
Cakewalk z3ta+ (grabbed it at no-brainer price)
GForce ImpOSCar (long, long-time favorite)
GForce MTronPro
GForce Minimonsta
GForce Oddity
GForce Virtual String Machine
HSS Scanned Synth Pro
Image-Line Drumaxx
Image-Line Directwave
Image-Line Harmless (damn fine, became a go-to synth right away)
Image-Line Ogun
Keolab Spicy Guitar
u-he Filterscape VA (a gift years ago for beta-testing for Urs Heckmann)

Software effects

Overloud Breverb aM edition
PSP Nitro
TC Electronics M30 reverb (love this one, got it free during a promotional campaign)
u-he Filterscape
u-he Filterscape Q6

Microphone

Blue Microphones Yeti