I've always been interested in it, I just want to do as like, a hobby . my dad has hundreds and hundreds of CDs and records collecting dust that I could be using as amazing samples, I feel like I could excel at it. What piano should I get, speakers, programs, record converters, mics. etc.
1) First thing you need is a DAW, aka Digital Audio Workstation. For example, Cubase, Cakewalk, Garageband, etc. A DAW is your overall host program that you use to record, mix, and host plug-ins. (More on plug-ins later.) Personally, I use a DAW called Reaper. The personal license is affordable, and the developers directly work with users to fine-tune the program and incorporate new features. But most important for me is that Reaper is stable, it has a small memory footprint, and it's very easy to use plug-ins in Reaper, whereas programs like Cubase can be a nightmare to set up. 2) You don't need a "piano," you need a MIDI controller for synthesizers. It's confusing at first because a traditional MIDI controller looks just like a digital keyboard, but the key difference is that the MIDI controller works together with your DAW and software plug-ins to create sounds. Any decent MIDI controller will work with any and all software synthesizers. Personally, I use Arturia's The Laboratory because it has features I like: It comes with a huge library of classic softsynths, it has aftertouch, and the keys are nice and fat, like full-size piano keys. 3) Sampling: To do it the right way, you need a sample box like Akai's MPC or Native Instrument's Maschine. I use Maschine: There's a lot to sampling that I can't get into hear without writing a book, but essentially think of it this way: You take your sample, and you chop it up. Now you can just place it in your beat project as a loop, but that's boring, not creative, and liable to get you sued. To do it like the real hip hop producers (Pete Rock, Stoupe, etc.), you take the sample, chop it into pieces, and assign those pieces to pads on Maschine or the MPC. Then you PLAY those slices of the sample like instruments. You can also change the key, speed up and down, and do lots of other things to make the samples your own. 4) Mics: Get a good condensor microphone. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise, a condensor is what you need to get studio-quality sound. You don't need to drop $5,000, you can get a budget condensor for $100 and it will still sound great if you learn how to set it up properly, record in a room without noise, and learn to mix. 5) Plug-ins: Depends on what you want to make. I use GuitarRig 5 for any and all guitar and bass parts I record, I use the aforementioned Arturia softsynths, as well as Kontakt with plug-ins like Vintage Machines and Electric Vice, shit like that. This is entirely up to you, and what sound you're going for.
If your really serious, I'd suggest looking at MI(Musicians Institute) I'm interested im going there to school for building guitars.
Pretty sure I wasted my time posting this info. In the real world, we thank people for helping us out. A lot of people say they want to produce, but when they find out what's involved in making quality beats, they don't want to make the effort.
@Plan pretty much summed it up, basic music theory is always good to know when starting out, mainly minor and major scales and learning which chords work well with each other etc.
People dont understand how many years and even decades it takes to get to a professional level. To OP Basically pick any DAW, it doesnt matter which one, you will find idiots squabbling over which one is better, just pick the one that makes you hate life the least while staring at it for hours on end. Once you pick a DAW and make some monstrous abortion of sound come out of it, do that about 10 thousand more times. Then in about a decade if you havent quit like 99% of the people getting into this do then you will be good. Nobody is going to hold your hand and guide you through this. Get a program and teach yourself.
^Pretty much this. I made a post last night introducing myself to this forum.. been making music for 2 and a half years. I knew nothing about music before that, didnt know what keys were what on the piano, or anything about music production.. or sound.. besides that i loved music. I just made "monstrous abortion"s of sound for a year a year.. and then my music started to become something I actually wanna hear and enjoy hearing. With the internet the only thing standing between you and music production is drive and free time(and your ISP bill ). Im not professional by any stretch of the imagination.. but im making decent quality music with the knowledge and hardware I have(which is just a PC and headphones with a flat frequency response.. and i crossreference on as much shit as I can). Im learning every single day...so my music is constantly getting better and better. That is what drives me to keep learning..that craving to make my music better and express myself creatively, and to eventually build my own distinct style/sound. If you get yourself going with this, and are passionate about it, the drive will eventually come natural. Getting to a professional level will take a lot of work and take many years like that guy above me said, but you shouldn't be focusing on that.. You should focus on enjoying yourself and making music...and you will just get better the more shit you make. I use now, or have used, the following to learn about music production... Books(get PDFs so you can tab to em.. you can prolly get them for "free"): The Dance Music Manual (i have 2nd edition..found it somewhere online) http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072 Composition for Computer Musicians(pretty solid) http://www.amazon.com/Composition-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598638610 Synthesis: http://www.synth.tk/ ^a lifetime worth of education on synthesis in one website.. for free... whoever organized this is a hero Music theory and Scales and Shit: http://www.musictheory.net/lessons Hopefully these links help someone, if not the OP. <3
Sadly, I don't know that stuff. I got my start as a guitarist, self-taught, and while I know blues scale and its variations, I don't know how to read music. When I play guitar and bass, I play by ear. When I make beats, I tune my drums by ear and season to taste with stuff like reverb and distortion. When I sample, I simply take the BPM of the sample and drop it into a project. That said, if you can be guided by intuition, then you don't necessarily need formal training, even though it's better to have it. I often learn things the hard way, whereas if I did have formal training, there would be less trial-and-error. But at the end of the day, people should know that you can still make good music even if you aren't formally trained.
yeah of course, playing by ear is an art on its own, I started out playing in the school band as a trumpet player and learned to read sheet music, which was cool but I've forgotten a lot.When I started making beats I did it by ear but I just recently started learning about chords and scales and I like it because it can save you a lot time.
Thats the same here. I started by playing guitar been playing for 11-12 years now. Luckly i had a good teacher who taught me music theory from day one starting with scales (Major,Minor, Pentatonic, and minor pentatonic "blues scale"). This goes a long way when you get into music production. I use theory everyday i make music. Im still learning more about it to!But if it wasnt for playing the guitar i think i would struggle producing music.I found it easier to learn scales first so that way you understand intervals between the notes and then you can learn chords that fit. http://www.ohdratdigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Komplete9-600x386.png Native instruments komplete pack was probably the best investment i made for plugi ins Just a word of advice! But hope you go after you dream and start producing music Renee! Just keep investing in equipment and over time you'll have a nice home studio!
by chance i checked this thread and even though i followed it, gc never alerted me to new replies, so i figured the thread was a dud. i appreciate your help, thank you.
stuff like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lEJew4ERrc and this, minus the terrible singing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtTpszuKXqA
How much do you think it would cost to just get the important basics? Are all those things you mentioned now must haves?