/prod/ - Music Production General

Old thread Bedroom production station edition

>Production Resources:
>Pastebin - Links, books, videos, articles, tutorials and stuff
pastebin.com/pYGCLu6q

>/prod/ wiki - still looking for contributors (wink, wink, WINK)
mu-sic-production.wikia.com
There's a severe lack of DAW descriptions in the wiki. If you're good with your tool of choice, consider writing a paragraph about it.

Remember to use clyp.it to post your tracks/WIP : posting a clyp.it is just providing sound for a question, posting a soundcloud link is making self-advertisement and the thread doesn't need that.

Remember to check other peoples' clyp.it links to keep the thread healthy.

Other urls found in this thread:

clyp.it/2fcp50vd
clyp.it/dle2pwow
clyp.it/gle4bvt1
clyp.it/irurtvgw
clyp.it/cnwmotfa
clyp.it/2e4puaam
clyp.it/n30zglyk
clyp.it/mgzd3djm
clyp.it/43bhcybp
soundcloud.com/ronniescholarship/every-girl-too
twitter.com/SFWRedditVideos

Reposting from old thread due to no replies

clyp.it/2fcp50vd

Man, voice clips are fucking hard to do right, so I fucked them all up.

clyp.it/dle2pwow
Installed FL 2 days ago.
I have no previous experience in music aside from listening to it.
Any suggestions would be welcome.

My only suggestions so far would be tinker with FL more. Right now it's, uh... Beyond criticism. The bell thing is off-key mostly, too. Get some music theory going and watch that video they gave you in the last thread.

hahahaha wtf

this goes fucking hard !!!!!!!!!!

Banging my head of senpai

Slow the tempo down and you have a horrorcore banger. Not bad for just starting in FL, desu.

periscope.tv/loudsunog

trying to play with fx busses, is this cool?

clyp.it/gle4bvt1

Yes.

Hey friends, im working with a $500 budget to set up a make-shift studio in my bedroom. I have decent headphones (sennheiser hd598s) and a copy of FL Studio 12. What would you recommend in terms of midi controllers, speakers, and other peripherals?

get a scarlet 2i2 and some 25 key midi controller and you're set. save the rest for when you realize what you need/want next.

some people will disagree but if you mix/master your own stuff in the beginning you will need studio speakers

I'd go with steinberg ur22 (or scarlett 2i2, difference isn't big), a used cheap 25 key midi keyboard and a pair of speakers (I use eris e5s, they are bretty good for their price imo)

took some advice from user in last thread

progressive ambient
clyp.it/irurtvgw

Yeah I'm thinking I want to buy speakers right off the bat.
The stuff you suggested looks quite good. I'm honestly really new to production (music is another story). What's the purpose of the Scarlett thing?

This is really nice user.

if you really want to get some, KRK rokit's are pretty cheap and seem like a good starter.

The scarlet/steinberg is an audio interface/converter that allows you to record instruments and connect your monitors/headphones to your computer without losing as much quality out of your computers sound card.

Accidentally made a brass sound today.
clyp.it/cnwmotfa
I should figure this thing out, actually.

Is mixing on headphones really such a bad move? I've got a set of really nice AKG240's and I can't really be blasting music with my living situation. I've heard a lot of different things about this...

It's not soo horrible. Of course 99% of the pros will only mix on monitors, but if you're just a hobbyist, who cares?

poorfag here. ive been mixing and listening on only m50's for about 5 years. i can't say it doesnt suck, but they get the job done. monitors are great but they are a meme here.


i am for reference

Expect to hear more different things desu.
In my case, I prefer to mix on my speakers, but I do it better on my headphones. Probably mostly because my headphones are nicer.
The ideal of course is to reference your mix on different setups, but some people say they've developed a feel for how shit will translate.
Hope that works cause I'll be moving out of the basement myself soon.

the korg nanokey2 is a decent 25 key midi controller. i have it and it works pretty well

Isn't it easier to just pencil the notes in?
I've got an Axiom 49, but I never really use it.

most situations you'll want to use headphones at some point while mixing, just to get a reference on how it will sound

It's good for just starting FL studio I guess, just keep at it, watch tutorial videos, learn theory, etc etc etc

not if you can actually play the keys

Sounds good. If it had a bit more reverb and a wider sound, it would be like Jon Hopkins' first two albums.

>scarlet 2i2

can you connect a midi controller with that though?

>a bit more reverb

im worried about it becoming just another reverb-core track b/c i already have so much at this point. honestly i think reverb is a bit of a cheap way to make an ambient track more ambient.

then again im an obsessive OPN fan so this is just relaying his own sentiments lol

why does everybody recommend 25 key controllers? that's only half an octave more than playing a qwerty keyboard

I rec cheap stuff because of situations like
>I wanna be a producer!
>Looks like all these guys on youtube have thousand dollar home studios!
>spends 3000 buckaroos on 81 key midi, rompler, launchpad, DAW, monitors, interface headphones
>3 months later
>wow this is hard, i wish i had 3000 dollars right now to pay my rent

not saying i like 25 keys more or anything. I use a 49 myself. Just looking out for the best interest of the rookie. I guess there is maybe

clyp.it/2e4puaam
is my music pretentious?

even 37 keys makes me feel like i've got that much more to work with, and a used 37 or 49 key without any extra bells and whistles should be no sweat financially

Nah, this is pretty cool

This isn't necessarily a production question but I figured it'd be appropriate to ask here.

Whenever I try to record music, it sounds like shit. Like there's something missing. I'm also a shitty songwriter, but here's an example. In James Blake's song "Give Me My Month", there's very little happening. It's just piano and him singing. But it doesn't sound like anythings missing, it sounds very "full".

How is this achieved? I assume through post production fx like reverb and etc, but any specific help?

well it starts with good mic quality
and then good reverb
and a touch of phasing or chorus (maybe)
it's mostly good reverb

What defines "good" reverb? I'm trying to kind of figure out audio effects. I have fl studio from a long time ago, but I've really just been using audacity for my recordings.

clyp.it/n30zglyk

only thing ive ever made thus far

What record producers inspire you guys the most to create?

hot sugar is probably the most inspiring to me, not only because his music sounds really unique in terms of product but because of how unbelievably good he is at morphing recorded sounds into instruments

>in terms of product
in terms of production and composition*

just something that sounds nice
you gotta learn to trust your ear
pic related is what i have my reverb on by default and then i manipulate the filter, attack, decay, dry/wet and sometimes the stereo width depending on the sound i want

Pic please? Thanks for the help.

>pic related

What does the "Stereo" knob do?

Ariel Pink, for what he managed to achieve by himself with an 8 track and no musical/technical education :)

You can't really imitate his sound though

clyp.it/mgzd3djm
>experimental jazz

Pye Corner Audio for me.
I like analogue warmth in my techno and this guy brings downright stupid amounts sometimes.

that's not horrible but that's not really jazz. there is literally nothing in there that makes it jazz

Ariel Pink was basically doing Phil Spector on his House Arrest album

it's basically how wide you perceive the sound

You ever recorded with a 4/8 track? It's pretty tough to get a halfway interesting sound, still have no idea how he really got that sound

I wanna make an 80s ballad esque song, is C Major the way to go here?

I don't have much, just a drum machine and some amps and midi controllers. I mostly make noise but I thought I'd share my setup

Anybody used mulab before?
It's my first time ever using a DAW and I feel like it's the biggest piece of shit ever and that I'm fighting it every step of the way.
I have a rocksmith realtone cable that I'm using to record my bass and guitar, and I'm in an apartment so I can never use my drums.
Wouldn't matter anyway cause I don't have a mic to record any of it.
Is there a better free alternative to mulab?
I just want to burp out melodies and beats in my head and mix them together and edit their tones and shit so I can make some cool proggy music :/

Recently installed FL studio pls comment whatever you are thinking clyp.it/43bhcybp

Im new to the whole equipment thing what is that pad you have with 8 buttons called and how much did it cost?

Alan Parsons and George Martin when it comes to band stuff

Quincy Jones for scoring and arrangement

Electronic, I don't fucking know, I'm all over the place

it's an akai lpd8, and they're knobs, not buttons

Not bad m8

Anyone here know how to sufficiently change up your chord progression from verse to chorus. ive got a pre-chorus too but i keep on wanting to just repeat the verse chord progression for the chorus

How much did it help you in producing, is it worth it for me to get one or just work with what i have untill i get better

the pads are buttons user

for me personally, not all that much (i'm not the guy who posted the picture btw). drum pads and knob automating just ended up being 2 things i hardly ever made use of

Can you explain that in simpler terms im new to the whole producing thing

i know, was just telling the guy that what he was looking at was not buttons

Is there a piece of equipment that would be worth my money as a beginner

I'll give you that, but the end-result is basically what Phil Spector was doing in the 60s, the whole "Wall of Sound" thing.

what do you have right now? anything? i'd grab a midi keyboard at the very least

not really, not until you find out how you like to work

I only have FL studio man, nothing but a keyboard and mouse

The question is really more about basic songwriting that production but here goes:

pick a major key lets say D

The key of D has D-E-F# - G - A - B - C#

Your chords come from notes in that key

D-G-A is a progression

They are all chords in D

pre-chorus ive used Eminor and bminor which are also in the key of D

Now, you need a third progression or pattern for the chorus. Problem is i dont want to repeat any ive already used AND it has to stay in the same key (and sound good, obviously)

Any ideas guys?

Thank you for your input everyone. I have a lot to learn about music theory, I'm aware.

Hey I only have a soundcloud and I have been listening to a ton of people in this thread
I just wanna show my stuff and get feedback
Don't hate me


soundcloud.com/ronniescholarship/every-girl-too

>soundcloud link
>Don't hate me
too late

All I can say is that if you stay inside the rules too much it will sound boring, you probably want at least some "outside" chords or notes to keep it interesting. The most catchy pop music hooks are based on subverting theory in some way rather than following it, in my opinion.

Lol, how did I never realize that chord progressions come from the key the song is in?

I have been making music for 15+ years and never realized. I always just played what sounded good, but was always limited.

Thanks, user. You have opened my retarded eyes.

Bring the beat in sooner. Why you tryin to rap without a beat

if you set stereo to 0, the dry sound will remain the same in terms of it's stereo image, but the reverb will be totally mono, if you set it to max, the dry sound will still remain the same, but now the reverb will have a very "wide" sound to it, with a lot of different nuances on both the left and right channels.

Nigga it's creating the song listen to the words and feel it
Also check out drug shit, gotti, and gwaup-tyle style

Can someone tell me what someone tell me sounds good in mono and what sounds good in stereo?

Let try that again:

What sounds good in mono/sounds good in stereo?

>I'm a lyrical spiritual individual

heyo so i want to share a track but its only on my soundcloud
how to get to clyp.it

>midi controller

Just get a pawn shop keyboard or one off craigslist.

obviously low frequencies will work the best in mono environments, but it's really all up to what you want to make/sound. I've found that mono-oriented reverb sounds more "old" and "retro", if that helps.

ableton masterrace

Reaper here.

Whats great about ableton?

autosave

but really, it's just what feels best to me in regards to what type of music I make, which is mostly beat instrumentals and experimental shit. once you get the hang the workflow is nasty fast
but most anyone'll say these things about their preferred daw

i tried reaper before ableton but found it lacking. but if jai paul an AK use it, it must be good once you master it.

i need help figuring how what subfolders of tracks are/do

and whats the advantage of putting each drum instrument on a separate track?

Download from soundcloud and upload to clyp.it

No. Theres no way to experiment and just put inspiration down as quickly as with a keyboard. Penciling midi notes is fucking tedioua

Depends on what DAW you're mixing with.

Typically speaking, you're able to process your drums differently. Most DAW's now will allow you to apply plugins/fx over each drum. Placing drum hits on different channels is more traditional and allows you to edit midi on your timeline more freely during arrangement.

what's the best way to get fat bass ableton

hey /prod/, i have a problem that somebody here can hopefully help with

i have an 88 key electric piano that i use as my main keyboard, but it takes up a shitload of desk space. i want to put some controllers and shit on top of it but there's a bunch of buttons for the actual keyboard functions that will send patch change messages through the midi out and fuck up whatever instrument is armed (the patch change doesn't register in the undo history either, for some reason)

is there a way i could get my interface or ableton to only receive note on/off messages and none of the patch change messages and other crap i dont need?

Go into options in ableton and disable you keyboard as a controller.

it's going into the midi in of my interface, wouldn't that just stop all the midi data coming in?

no I just use mine as a keyboard, nothing else.

did you mean disable it as a control surface? because your midi in is enabled in this picture.

even when i do it this way i still get the midi light flashing when i hit the various buttons