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Yoozer posted:Just loving around in Ableton is so much fun.
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Mar 24, 2010 18:39
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Bouchacha posted:Hey kids, I want to make music. I would suggest just getting the DAW of your choice (Reason 4, Ableton, etc.), a pair of semi-nice production headphones, and a cheap M-audio MIDI controller with a few knobs on it. The best things to really have are time and persistence. Tons of dudes empty their bank accounts on poo poo they only use for a few months before giving up. Keep in mind, it's gonna be quite a while before you'll be creating anything someone wants to listen to.
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Mar 24, 2010 20:47
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I'm looking into buying a MIDI interface for my laptop, I have a few cheap synths and I want to start being able to work more with hardware, I'm not really sure where to start though... I was thinking about getting a hardware sequencer but I'd like to be able to use my gear with my software, plus I'm thinking it might be a bit cheaper. I know MOTU makes a lot of MIDI interface stuff but I'm not sure exactly what I'll need, or what I might need in the future. Also, I'll either need to get something that can also do audio output or a MIDI -> CV converter at some point. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Mar 24, 2010 22:40
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Maguro posted:I would suggest just getting the DAW of your choice (Reason 4, Ableton, etc.), a pair of semi-nice production headphones, and a cheap M-audio MIDI controller with a few knobs on it. we should just quote this post for almost every single question
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Mar 24, 2010 22:54
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Quincy Smallvoice posted:we should just quote this post for almost every single question It's just another tool to capture the sounds in your head. Now, those sounds in your head - THAT might be where the turds are lurking.
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Mar 25, 2010 16:36
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I must have discussed with, mentored and encouraged over 40 young hopefuls these last 10 years in production, and less than 10% stayed with it for more than 2 years. They all had the idea that they would be able to get "the sounds in their head" down on tracks pretty much instantly. Its not about inspiration, because that will hit you at whatever skill level - its about motivation. If you have the motivation to keep improving your skills, your ability to get your ideas down quickly, efficiently and cleanly will improve. Every song and every mix better than the previous. What's worse; to be told you may suck for a while - or give up completely after dumping tons of cash on gear and give up on your dreams thinking you just dont have the talent - due to having unrealistic expectations?
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Mar 25, 2010 17:00
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Maguro posted:I would suggest just getting the DAW of your choice (Reason 4, Ableton, etc.), a pair of semi-nice production headphones, and a cheap M-audio MIDI controller with a few knobs on it. I understand that there's plenty of people that will blow their cash only to lose interest later. I was only looking to buy equipment second hand however, where I would assume that the resell value would remain high. What's a good way of getting acclimated to the different DAWs? What's a recommendation for a good pair of production headphones? I was also looking to get my hands dirty learning piano. Is killing two birds with one stone by purchasing an ample MIDI controller a bad idea?
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Mar 25, 2010 18:05
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It's important to realize though that learning to make music -- if it's something you enjoy -- is really fulfilling and rewarding and energizing in its own right. "The process is the product" and all that. There's a difference between being motivated to improve (which is positive and helpful), and being focused on specific goals ("learn to pace the buildup of a track", "learn to get a bass + kick to fit together more tightly", etc.), which is also helpful -- there's a difference between that and comparing yourself to other music, or telling yourself "I need to suck less" or some poo poo, that's an attitude that leads to nothing but frustration and disappointment. You have to have a positive attitude and appreciate what you're doing right now if you're going to keep motivated to improve.
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Mar 25, 2010 18:12
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Bouchacha posted:I understand that there's plenty of people that will blow their cash only to lose interest later. I was only looking to buy equipment second hand however, where I would assume that the resell value would remain high. To be frank, the level of equipment I would suggest buying is hardly worth reselling or buying used. If you want to learn piano, that is a TON of extra work and will also be next to impossible to do properly on a cheap midi controller. I would suggest pick either piano or production, get the hang of one before attempting the other. As for starting production on the cheap: HEADPHONES: The "Sennheiser 280 professionals" sound pretty good for the cost, though there are other options in this price range. MIDI CONTROLLER: Probably something in the cheaper side of M-audio's line, such as the "M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2". The main problem with this is that it only has 25 keys, and they are completely unweighted. However, it does have 8 fairly nice knobs . Keep in mind that this would not be suitable at all for learning piano. After you get those you might want to look into getting some studio monitor speakers, but I wouldn't do that until you are certain that you want to be producing for a while.
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Mar 26, 2010 00:09
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Just keep in mind getting stereo balance, low frequency response and reverb amount/placement can often be very tricky when mixing in headphones.
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Mar 26, 2010 01:09
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Hi Baku Shyo posted:I was thinking about getting a hardware sequencer but I'd like to be able to use my gear with my software, plus I'm thinking it might be a bit cheaper. quote:I know MOTU makes a lot of MIDI interface stuff but I'm not sure exactly what I'll need quote:Also, I'll either need to get something that can also do audio output or a MIDI -> CV converter at some point. Anyone have any suggestions? MIDI/CV comes in a separate box. Kenton makes useful stuff for that. Audio output - well, how many outs do you need? You can sum it all in the mixer and let a computer record a stereo track but it's just really convenient to just record 8 tracks in parallel.
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Mar 26, 2010 03:04
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FS: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3284209
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Mar 26, 2010 03:21
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Okay so there are things that I could use to wokr on and things I am decent at but still could improve on, and then there's naming tracks. I swear the reason I do 90% remixes is because I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT NAME MY SONGS. For instance:  Anyone wanna take a crack at this one? Seriously, its in need of a name. Also I would be appreciative if anyone had advice as to how to name instrumental tracks.
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Mar 26, 2010 07:36
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mezzir posted:Okay so there are things that I could use to wokr on and things I am decent at but still could improve on, and then there's naming tracks. I swear the reason I do 90% remixes is because I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT NAME MY SONGS. power outage im not really one for naming my songs either though, about half of my tracks are lovely puns on the titles of much more famous tracks, the other half are hilariously immature strings of the first swear words that pop in my head after i hit "save as" however, i am pretty good at coming up with a really cool name for a song before i even start working on it. i try to write something that fits the super cool name, but i usually get frustrated when i cant and just save it as "monkey nuts" or something...
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Mar 26, 2010 08:04
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mezzir posted:Okay so there are things that I could use to wokr on and things I am decent at but still could improve on, and then there's naming tracks. I swear the reason I do 90% remixes is because I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT NAME MY SONGS. call it "completion when?"
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Mar 26, 2010 08:39
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Merkin Muffley posted:im not really one for naming my songs either though, about half of my tracks are lovely puns on the titles of much more famous tracks, the other half are hilariously immature strings of the first swear words that pop in my head after i hit "save as"  v
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Mar 26, 2010 09:29
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cowboy
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Grab a book from your bookshelf, open to a random page, point someplace, there's a possible song title. This is helpful for writing lyrics too. Also carry around a notebook (or use a notepad app on your phone) to jot down phrases, misheard bits of conversation, etc. which catch your ear, and use that as a source of possible song titles.
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Mar 26, 2010 18:42
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Just thought I'd pass this link along, it's D. Ramirez and Steve Duda playing around with Nerve. Looks like an amazing plugin! http://www.dramirez.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=322
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Mar 26, 2010 20:28
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I found an M-Audio Keystation 88 Pro for sale around my area for $275 and was wondering what I should test out when I see it to make sure I'm not buying a piece of poo poo.
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Mar 26, 2010 21:43
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Make sure nothing's missing (one of my fader knobs disappeared when mine was in storage), and if you're testing it out make sure you test to see that all of the keys/faders/knobs/buttons are actually sending information. It's a great keyboard, hope it works out for you.
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Mar 27, 2010 00:02
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mezzir posted:Okay so there are things that I could use to wokr on and things I am decent at but still could improve on, and then there's naming tracks. I swear the reason I do 90% remixes is because I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT NAME MY SONGS. This track reminds me of Paul Keeley's style(this is a good thing, he's one of my favourite producers). I would name this song "Catwalk", possibly with a clever adjective in front of that.
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Mar 27, 2010 13:39
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prom candy posted:I know it's been two months but poo poo, this is cool. I worked on the track a little more after posting it here. Here's the finished (for now) product: http://www.pleasesendhelp.com/music/Colugo/Unreleased/Colugo%20-%20Sorry%20to%20hear%20about%20your%20baby.mp3 Something new:  I made this in less than two hours while sitting in my underwear eating cereal. Weekends are a drat blessing these days.
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Mar 27, 2010 17:04
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Dicky B posted:Something new: Pretty dope as always 
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Mar 27, 2010 21:18
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mezzir posted:Okay so there are things that I could use to wokr on and things I am decent at but still could improve on, and then there's naming tracks. I swear the reason I do 90% remixes is because I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT NAME MY SONGS. On listening I have decided that the video should be a guy driving a convertible through a glass walled underwater tunnel on a foreign planet where the local ocean-dwelling fauna emit lots of brightly coloured light in spectacular patterns. As such, Underwater Light Show is your new song title. That's how I name instrumental tracks anyway. Vanmani fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Mar 29, 2010 |
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Mar 29, 2010 04:44
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I'm having a hard time getting my synths to sound "soft". Most of the saws I use/make end up sounding really harsh, and I want something smoother. How could I go about accomplishing this? I'm using FL Studio (the Sytrus VST mostly). Also, I notice in other DAW's, such as Logic, most of the VST's which come prepackaged all sound less crude than FL Studios... any reason for this, or am I just hearing things?
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Mar 29, 2010 04:59
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Today's installment of "how NOT to design a plugin UI" oh god my eyes
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Mar 29, 2010 04:59
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So this is my first attempt to make dubstep. It's not mixed very well yet (mixed on headphones), but I'm more curious about what you guys think of the wobbles, i.e. are the noises cool. http://soundcloud.com/zeitpunkt/dbst2
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Mar 29, 2010 05:22
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Anacostia posted:So this is my first attempt to make dubstep. It's not mixed very well yet (mixed on headphones), but I'm more curious about what you guys think of the wobbles, i.e. are the noises cool. While I can't stand the Portal samples (  ) the actual music itself is pretty good. Keep at it.
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Mar 29, 2010 05:38
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E1M5 posted:I'm having a hard time getting my synths to sound "soft". Most of the saws I use/make end up sounding really harsh, and I want something smoother. How could I go about accomplishing this? I'm using FL Studio (the Sytrus VST mostly). Also, I notice in other DAW's, such as Logic, most of the VST's which come prepackaged all sound less crude than FL Studios... any reason for this, or am I just hearing things? Computer Jones posted:Pretty dope as always
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Mar 29, 2010 12:50
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Dicky B posted:Yeah, FL Studio's synths aren't very good. Sorry if that comes off as sounding quite fanboyish. I think FL Studio is a pretty great piece of software but I've never got on at all with the built in synths. Even generating a simple sine wave tone on its own with the 3osc synth seems to result in an audible distortion. No worries. I've actually considered buying a Mac and switching over to Logic, but I'm already 3 years deep with FL Studio haha. Edit: I'm considering purchasing Massive, since it seems like a great replacement. Worthy investment? Or am I better off eventually diving into Logic? E1M5 fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Mar 29, 2010 |
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Mar 29, 2010 19:16
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Massive is a great synth, and of course there are many many other VST synths you can use within FL.
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Mar 29, 2010 19:40
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Dicky B posted:Yeah, FL Studio's synths aren't very good. Sorry if that comes off as sounding quite fanboyish. I think FL Studio is a pretty great piece of software but I've never got on at all with the built in synths. Even generating a simple sine wave tone on its own with the 3osc synth seems to result in an audible distortion. Like I get people problem with FL's bundled synths and why the prefer other things, but I don't think it's fair to write of Sytrus as garbage or a lesser synth.
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Mar 29, 2010 20:27
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Yeah I can't even recreate the sine wave thing to demonstrate now so I guess I'm talking out of my rear end. I certainly remember getting frustrated because there was slightly audible white noise as if it was sampling at a lower bit rate than the rest of the DAW. Perhaps they fixed that in version 8, I dunno. This is the first time I've tried it since I upgraded. Sytrus is fine. It's FL Studio's best synth. The others are all pretty bad (but what do I know)
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Mar 29, 2010 21:22
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ManoliIsFat posted:I don't know man, I don't know what your or his problem with Sytrus is. It just makes the noises you tell it to make! I don't know what the hell you're doing to max a 3osc pumping sine waves sound distorted. Oh don't get me wrong, I love sytrus and I use it for 80% of my productions. I'm not hating on it, I'm just having a hard time creating softer sounds with it, whereas I can pickup Massive, and within 20 seconds have a really smooth sounding Saw. FL Studio does have other VSTs, but I think Sytrus is the only powerhouse worth mentioning. Then again, I'm still learning, I've only been using FL Studio for a year now. I guess my biggest debate at this point is if I want to drop even more money on a VST (Massive, Absynth, etc), or keep pushing along with what I have (despite my difficulties).
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Mar 29, 2010 21:31
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http://www.tindeck.com/listen/oibf CHACHING!
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Mar 30, 2010 07:58
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SwissDonkey posted:
For whoever was saying that the whole learning to make electronic music is daunting, listen to the song in my quote. Now listen to this, after about 6 hours of loving around with other songs and learning how to not make stuff sound so terrible:  (Also don't pay attention to that bit when the drums cut out near the end, I was mid gently caress-around trying different things when I decided to reply.) Sound better? Learning is faster than you think. It won't take you long before you can make competent stuff, but like anything else in the world, it'll take quite a while to master. Don't be dismayed! Now some stupid lovely retarded mario music that's fun to make:  And some music with that can't decide what it wants to be:  (Just playing around, basically just a couple of different grooves that I'll end up making full songs out of. There's also a few seconds of silence at the start.)So, am I getting better? SwissDonkey fucked around with this message at 15:11 on Mar 30, 2010 |
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Mar 30, 2010 15:06
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 A song sampling Telepopmusik's "Breathe". Suggestions/critique very welcome dookie fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Mar 31, 2010 |
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Mar 30, 2010 21:21
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After three 80%-done remixes of Chromeo - Night By Night that for whatever reason just didn't work out, I think I've finally hit on something.
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Mar 31, 2010 06:17
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I'll throw this up here, as I'm curious what you guys think: http://soundcloud.com/spaghettishaq/raw I'm really new to this music making thing, and this is my first "succesfull" song. I tried to go for the guitar/electro thing, so I played some simple riffs and put it to my beat. I think it turned out pretty good.
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Mar 31, 2010 13:15
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KrommeLul posted:I'll throw this up here, as I'm curious what you guys think: That's a pretty sweet groove, and whatever instrument you used for the bass sounds pretty good. What you need to learn though is to implement band pass filters and some sidechaining. They make a huge difference make sounds stand out rather than be all muddled together. When I learned it (not that long ago) the quality of my music just shot up. Your song has potential, but it needs some pretty serious mixing. Stick with it, because it looks like you're pretty good at composing.
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Mar 31, 2010 14:42
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