Hey /mu I want to pursue music production however I'm not sure what's needed for it...

Hey /mu I want to pursue music production however I'm not sure what's needed for it. Can someone throw me out some essential tools needed for this?

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=tlwFLgrg1eo
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

youtube.com/watch?v=tlwFLgrg1eo

Get Ableton for the love of god. FL sucks ass.

this shit right here, didnt feel like I was really making music until I started using it

Renoise if you're tough, if you're a man, if you're hardcore.

But we both know you're not.

>retards in this thread recommending nonfree botnet software
Use Ardour OP, it is FOSS and respects your freedoms (GPLv2)

Get Reason, they're about to add the ability to use 3rd party plug-ins, plus it's much more comfy than all the other ones.

OP do you want FL Studio tips, or do you need help setting up a home studio?

Pro Tools my niggas

Could you elaborate and express your opinions on why you feel those softwares are Better than others?

Well I was reading up on FL studio and it doesn't seem to bad, however before I go more into depth on this software, I want to take in consideration any other software, and I feel like people's opinions matter in a sense

Go to /prod/ () for a more in-depth review. I'm kind of lazy.

First off, I wouldn't recommend using FL Studio. It's not 'fucking terrible' like it used to be, but it's still far from good or even acceptable. The 'window/layer' layout works fine for Photoshop but not for audio. I'd personally highly recommend Reaper due to the fact that it's (1) fairly easy to use, (2) flexible/customizable as fuck, (3) literally free*, (4) it's great for not only arranging/recording but mixing and mastering as well, and (5) it's just as powerful as pretty much any other DAWs out there.

You're going to need:
>a mic
for recording acoustic sounds such as a guitar or a voice.
>a MIDI controller
I'm not going to explain how MIDI works deeper than this: MIDI is basically sheet music for computers. You can input this sheet music by hand/mouse, but that's not cathartic at all and is incredibly slow and painstaking.
If you're a beginner, I highly recommend the Akai MPK Mini due to its simplicity, portability and the fact that it has everything you need. It has pads, which are typically used for percussion but can be used for anything else, like triggering samples. It has keys, obviously, for melody. It has dummy MIDI-encodable knobs which can basically hold any meaning you assign to them, be it controls for effects or EQ, whatever. Plus the Akai MPK can put all those things in separate stems, which is helpful, trust me.
(cont)

*Reaper isn't actually free. You can download and use it for free directly from their website without paying for it, but you will get a 5 second nag screen every time you start it up unless you pay $60 for a license, which is still very cheap. You can use it for free; it's completely unlimited, so it's not really a demo mode or anything. You can mix and export files without a watermark or anything, and it functions exactly the same way it would if you paid for it, only with a nag screen.

>a sound card/interface
this one is kind of optional if your computer has upwards of 16 GB of RAM or you don't want to do a full-blown studio thingy and are perfectly fine with plugging in individual instruments via USB one by one.
>a computer
obvs
>a general grasp of how everything works
YouTube is your friend. Also (you're going to hate me for this), join Reddit and look for some prod subreddits like r/watmm and other related subreddits. Say what you will about Reddit, but it's a 10/10 place for finding somewhat obscure VSTs, troubleshooting, getting solid advice etc etc.
>personal monitor system
kind of necessary, but also kind of not. It's nice for getting things done quicker and easier. I recommend Shure or Westone monitors.

(cont)

pro tools if you are a technical nerd type
logic if you are a songwriter or wanna do jingles/film score
abelton live for most edm shit, and if you wanna dj live
reason and fruity loops for electronic shit
digital performer if you think like a german
cubase and nuendo if you want to be edgy

[Advice]
- Get weird. Don't be afraid to really chop and screw some things up to get unrecognizable sounds.
- Be patient. A lot of the time, you'll end up opening up the DAW, fucking around for a few minutes, getting bored and closing it down again without actually having created or produced anything. That's fine, but try to perservere through your boredom. Try to make something.
- Analyze yourself. Make something, keep it -- regardless of how shitty it may be -- and listen to it. Make note of what needs improvement and what your strengths are. Improve on your weak spots and play to your strengths.
- Jot down every. single. idea. Don't let a single one go to waste. A lot of projects start off skeletal but with development and elaboration can turn into something great.
- Seriously, though. Get weird. Nobody wants another shitty, bland EDM/trap producer. Make a signature for yourself.
- Customize your workstation as much as you can.
- Join forums and start a sort of network.

also, organize organize organize. Can't stress this enough.
You do not want to spend 80% of your time sifting through a file manager looking for something specific that you know you just had a week ago. You have to be autistic about the way you organize. Label everything, make endless folder paths. Whatever you need to do.
This also applies to physical aspects. Group your wires and make sure they don't just become a tangled mess.

>You can input this sheet music by hand/mouse, but that's not cathartic at all and is incredibly slow and painstaking.
not in FL's piano roll

question, I currently use Ableton to record my vocals, would Reason be better to use?

It doesn't matter.

Thanks lads, honestly has given me a better understanding on what is beneficial and what isn't in a sense of preference. In terms of gear such as a mic, what would be suggested?

A standard Shure will do fine but some people are using USB mics like Blue Yeti, for example.
Do some research. I don't know what type of music you'll be making, so by default you should probably just buy something versatile. A mic that can record anything relatively well. A mic that isn't finely tuned to offer optimal performance on various things.

If you're going to sing, you should also get what's called a pop filter. They help.

For that you might have to just dig around and see what appeals to you

>DAW
Digital Audio Workstation. SO any software like FL Studio, Ableton, Reason, Logic, Garageband, Reaper, etc...

I'd suggest FL Studio (especially if going for more edm/hip hop stuff) as it has the most tutorials and reasources available (and it's super fucking easy to pirate). But what type of music you want to make will be the biggest factor in your decision

>VSTs
Virtual Studio Technology plugins are a pretty key part to any DAW. it's all the synths, generators, effects, and just about everything that creates the music in a DAW. FL Studio comes with a few okay ones, but most others don't (either include them at all or have any of worth).

>MIDI Controller
I personally use pic related, it works wonders but my only real complaint is that it's only 25 keys. The programmable pads are nice for programming drums or the occasional sample triggers, and the control knobs are decent for synths as i can change and tweak sounds on the fly (although i do have to constantly reprogram them if i'm swapping VSTis often)

>Music theory
Seriously, learn this shit if you don't already know it. Even basic stuff like chord progressions and the Major and Minor scales can make or break your song.

>I personally use pic related
what did he mean by this?

>Garageband
Dear God, only use GarageBand if someone dared you to.

it was supposed to be this but Sup Forums wigged out on me and i had to refresh the page before i could post a reply and lost the picture i had attached

wow. a lot of people itt seem to recommend the akai thing.
what's so special about it?

It's cheap.

Different user. It's extremely well put together, versatile, and cheap (relatively speaking) for a small footprint fully featured controller. For general use you really can't beat it (although I'm more into out-there controllers like the Seaboard Rise - have/use the 25-key version - myself.)

>Seaboard Rise - have/use the 25-key version - myself
How is that, by the way? Is it worth it? I've been mulling over getting one. How does it feel?

it's just dirt cheap and really fucking common, so a lot of people have them and have done their homework about htem. It's a USB interface so you don't need a special interface or a sound card to utilize it. It's also really portable (i slip mine in my backpack along with my laptop all the time and it's great).

Past that though it has some really nice features. It's effectively 16 pads in one, with 4 programmable presets. You can also use the pads for different types of modulation (like panning, volume, vibrato, and just about every other option available to you) if properly configured with any given synth or VSTi.

The knobs are also really under-utilized by a lot of people. Along with the CC option you can use the knobs for further modulation, giving you up to 24 methods of control without removing your hands from the controller.

Considering that most other controllers in it's price range are just keys and pitch/modulation wheels and like 4 pads with way less customization, people flock to it

Wanna know how I know you have neither technical skill nor creative vision?

Shut the fuck up, m8. He's just a beginner.

Gotta start somewhere.

>It's
It's AMAZING. If you have the interest/can afford one, get it. It's legit the first natively electronic instrument I've come across which I'd call a legit actual instrument. It takes practice to use, but if you get good at it, there's stuff you can do that no other instrument can. Which makes it a great creative tool.

Just get a daw, Kontakt 5 + libraries and any other plugins that interest you, and a midi controller if you want to make stuff sound more realistic. And watch a shit ton of youtube videos.

If you prefer a more realistic feel to your midi keys, i would suggest going with the Alesis V49. It's got 49 full sized semi weighted keys, 8 pads but the downside is only 4 knobs. I would say that it is a good deal for the price.

>but the downside is only 4 knobs.
can I ask why that's a downside?

some people prefer more knobs. not a huge deal for me though.

Yeah sorry

Get a Scarlett 2i2 which comes with Ableton, then buy a Korg minilogue, VSTs are stupid. Get an A/B USB cable for MIDI connection, and a decent condenser mic.

Also get an MXR stereo chorus to beef up the synth, or you could buy a Roland Alpha Juno on ebay and skip the synth+chorus. Personally using VSTs just sucks the fun and creativity out of the process