Looking to get started making originals and remixes, which programs?

[iprefermusic]

Looking to get started making originals and remixes, which programs?

I’m looking into getting some programs so I can start making my own music(remixes as well as originals), with the main interests being electro house, progressive house, and brostep/dubstep/whatever you want to call it.

What programs would you folks recommend I look into? I know Abelton Live is used by a lot of people, and I’ve been told programs like Massive and FM8 are used a lot for creating different sounds or synth styles. One track in particular that I have ideas for a remix is Unison by Porter Robinson. When folks remix tracks, I assume they don’t use the original mix to pull parts from and use with their parts. This was another part of my question, which is how people get the isolated pieces from another track for remixing.

For example, the KDrew remix of Somebody That I Used To Know(link below) features an isolated vocal line where there was guitar also playing in the original. I didn’t think it was possible to isolate instrument tracks from a prerecorded mix.

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know ft. Kimbra (KDrew Remix)

If you could offer me some advice in these areas it would be much appreciated!

[JasonBay]

Get Ableton, then a decent soundcard and monitors. Best thing you can do for yourself off the bat.

Most soft synths have a demo/trial version of some sort so go through a few until you find one you like, not really that complicated.

As for the remixes, the original artist or label would provide those to you if you’re asked to do a remix. But some times they have a remix competition of some sort and let them out in the wild so that’s another way to get them.

[losxc451]

download the demos of ableton and fl studio (if you have windows) or logic (if you have mac) try them all out and then decide which one you like best and then buy the software. Get a decent soundcard, and good headphones or monitors. And watch plenty of youtube tutorials lol

[voetsch]

The choice of DAW should really be a deeply thought out one, lots of people don’t like the workflow you get when working in Ableton, you should try and demo as many DAWs as possible, until you find one that really suits how you are working. On the plug-in side, you should see how far you get with the plugins that your DAW offers, when you know something is missing, buy something to fill that figurative hole. At first that will probably be a software synth. Lots of people use the stuff by Native Instruments, but there’s other great manufacturers (Synapse Audio, GForce, FXPansion and FAW being some of them) secondly you might want to get effects, but don’t let yourself get fooled by the marketing dept. there. You won’t need expensive mastering plugins when you’re just starting out, no matter what people tell you (Toneboosters offers great effect plugins for a reasonable price).

Once you got the software side sorted, focus on some hardware (well, unless you don’t even have headphones to begin with). The most important thing here would be studio monitors and an audio interface, your choice there is only limited by budget. After you got yourself a monitoring setup, you are basically sorted, but you can expand your setup with whatever at this point.

[benjackal]

@losxc451

download the demos of ableton and fl studio (if you have windows) or logic (if you have mac) try them all out and then decide which one you like best and then buy the software. Get a decent soundcard, and good headphones or monitors. And watch plenty of youtube tutorials lol

Logic doesnt have a demo unfortunately, its pretty daunting for a beginner…

I say try ableton demo whether your on mac OR pc… and then if you have a friend with logic, let them show you around the DAW.

[JasonBay]

I’d say stay away from Logic, it’s a pain in the ass to use midi wise from what I saw.

[benjackal]

Ive used it quite a bit, and I dont really know what your getting at…

It takes a little bit longer to get things done, but that workflow really works for some people.

[JasonBay]

For mixdowns, yeah, it kicks as. But for writing music, I would stay away from it. Feels very cumbersome, and the midi out is a pain in the ass to get synced up with your external gear.

[benjackal]

Yea, i found the internal routing a pain if something went wrong…

Trying to get kontakt running in multi out multi in mode was ok… then something broke… OMG nightmare.

Havent tried it with outboard, but i see a lot of people with it using it just fine.

[Crowd3ontrol]

I’m also interested in this as well but for soundcard do you mean one like a KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 or would something like DJ io work ?

[JasonBay]

@benjackal

Yea, i found the internal routing a pain if something went wrong…

Trying to get kontakt running in multi out multi in mode was ok… then something broke… OMG nightmare.

Pretty much that. I see a lot of people using it as well, but for the most part a beginner wouldn’t benefit from it as much as learning Ableton as it has a gentler learning curve but is deep enough to grow with you I’d say.

[benjackal]

@Crowd3ontrol

I’m also interested in this as well but for soundcard do you mean one like a KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 or would something like DJ io work ?

They would both be fine, just spend as much as you can while staying in budget.

[Crowd3ontrol]

@benjackal

They would both be fine, just spend as much as you can while staying in budget.

Thanks!

[iprefermusic]

Thanks for the replies, quite helpful.

In terms of getting the tracks for remixes, am I basically out of luck due to not being an artist signed by a label, unless they’re available through a competition or I somehow find it online?

[padi_04]

@benjackal

Logic doesnt have a demo unfortunately, its pretty daunting for a beginner…

I say try ableton demo whether your on mac OR pc… and then if you have a friend with logic, let them show you around the DAW.

Logic’s demo/LE would be Garageband.

[benjackal]

Logic’s demo/LE would be Garageband.

No, not really. Not really at all.

[JasonBay]

Thought that didn’t sound right as well, but never used Garageband so I honestly wouldn’t know

[mostapha]

[quote=“JasonBay, post:6, topic:41575, username:JasonBay”]
I’d say stay away from Logic, it’s a pain in the ass to use midi wise from what I saw.
[/quote]Meh. I haven’t seen that, but whatever.

[quote=“Crowd3ontrol, post:10, topic:41575, username:Crowd3ontrol”]
I’m also interested in this as well but for soundcard do you mean one like a KOMPLETE AUDIO 6 or would something like DJ io work ?
[/quote]The KA6 would be a slightly better choice, but IMHO, you don’t need a sound card at first.

You’re going to be making such worthless crap at the beginning that half-decent headphones and your computer’s headphone jack are perfectly good for a long time. Plus…if you start that way and figure out what you actually use and how you actually work, you’re less likely to buy a sound card that’s different from what you actually need.

Logic’s demo/LE would be Garageband.

That’s what Apple says. Unfortunately, they’re wrong. Logic is leaps and bounds beyond it in terms of capabilities and complexity. Garageband doesn’t have anything like Logic’s Environment.

I really need to just write an article about this.

So…here goes, again.

There is no best DAW (digital audio workstation).
There is no best Synth.
What matters is how each one fits the way you work.
As a beginner, you don’t know that yet.
So, your choice in a first DAW is likely going to be made basically blind.

Fortunately, most of the big programs have tutorial videos and/or demos. I’m starting to think that tutorial videos are actually a better way to make decisions than demos……because the first time you start up a demo, even with a basic tutorial, you’re going to be so incredibly lost that you won’t know what you’re doing.

As you learn more (over the course of a couple weeks/months with a few demos) you’ll start to realize a few things that are kinda similar between them: what MIDI is, how it’s different from audio, how audio files work, the basics of signal routing, what plugins are, etc..

And as you learn that, you’ll cope with demos more easily……and inherently, you’ll think the demos you tried later will fit you better……just because they made a bit more sense or did it a little faster.

If you start with tutorial/feature videos, you’ll see someone using them who already knows what they’re doing. And you’ll get an idea of what working with the software looks/feels like……which is the most important part.

So, that’s where I’d go.

Here’s a short list of things I think you should look at, with some basic comments.

• Avid Pro Tools: the recording studio standard for ~20 years…I think it’s the most intuitive, but I’m in the minority. With PT 10, it’s no longer tied to Avid hardware, but it does require a $50 USB Dongle to run, even the demo. The software itself is very expensive if you’re not a student. Avid is really bad about their update cycle: running Pro Tools basically means you’ll never be running an up-to-date version of your OS again…and it kinda limits the computers you can buy because it’s only guaranteed to run and supported on Avid Qualified Systems.

• Apple Logic (OS X only): long-time rival to PT, bought by Apple at some point. It’s easily the best value in DAW software at $200 for the full version. There are some weird things about it (the Environment, mainly) that open up a lot of control and creative potential…but it takes a long time to get your head around it.

• Ableton Live: Made as a compromise between a recording/production system and a live performance system. Lots of dance producers love it. It’s MIDI mapping is very powerful, and Max4Live gives you power that rivals Logic’s Environment. The full version is as expensive as Pro Tools, but they sell smaller versions without as many synths and effects for less. I loved it for DJing and would like it for live performance…but I can’t stand it for recording or producing. But i’m definitely in the minority on that one too.

• Propellerheads Reason: based on emulating a hardware workflow in software. It’s a bit wonky when you look at it, but it’s actually very cool. The most recent version opened up limited 3rd party development for synths and effects, but it’s still a very closed system that doesn’t allow plugins (3rd party software…every other system uses them in one way or another). It’s got the best metering of any DAW, and it’s very cost-effective. But, it is fairly closed on its own. Still, not a bad way to start, and if you end up needing something it can’t do, there’s always ReWire (read about it).

• Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo & Presonus StudioOne: The people that use them love them…I think they look like cylon control panels and have god-awful workflows where everything gets in your way. Nuendo is the big-daddy and can do a lot more than most of the others, but it’s expensive, huge, and actually overkill. Cubase and StudioOne are remarkably similar in workflow…I wouldn’t be surprise if StudioOne is just a different skin for Cubase. The full version of Cubase requires the purchase of a $35 dongle to run…StuidoOne’s demo is free.

• Reaper: It’s new to the game and gaining followers. I think it’s back-asswards and hate it. But it’s the cheapest of the bunch if you don’t consider that Logic comes with more value in plugins.

• Cakewalk Sonar (windows only): I know little about it except they’ve got some cool UI things and people seem to like it.

• Imageline FL Studio (windows only): I hated it when I tried it years ago, but it’s probably changed a lot since then. If you’re on Windows, it’s very popular and worth a shot.

• NI Maschine: It’s based on the idea of a groove box (like an MPC) but done in software with one of two dedicated controllers. Definitely worth a look…though watch the videos on NI’s website for an idea of the workflow…it’s different from everything else listed above and is hard to work with on its own. There are a few small features missing that kind of require another DAW to do real mixdowns…but you could get away with just Maschine if you needed to. I love it.

• MPC Renaissance/Studio: competitors for Maschine. They’re not out yet, but they’re likely to be very, very good. The Studio is basically a direct Maschine competitor while the Renaissance costs twice as much and also include an Audio and MIDI interface.

Have fun.

[Crowd3ontrol]

@mostapha

Meh. I haven’t seen that, but whatever.

The KA6 would be a slightly better choice, but IMHO, you don’t need a sound card at first.

You’re going to be making such worthless crap at the beginning that half-decent headphones and your computer’s headphone jack are perfectly good for a long time. Plus…if you start that way and figure out what you actually use and how you actually work, you’re less likely to buy a sound card that’s different from what you actually need.

That’s what Apple says. Unfortunately, they’re wrong. Logic is leaps and bounds beyond it in terms of capabilities and complexity. Garageband doesn’t have anything like Logic’s Environment.

I really need to just write an article about this.

So…here goes, again.

There is no best DAW (digital audio workstation).
There is no best Synth.
What matters is how each one fits the way you work.
As a beginner, you don’t know that yet.
So, your choice in a first DAW is likely going to be made basically blind.

Fortunately, most of the big programs have tutorial videos and/or demos. I’m starting to think that tutorial videos are actually a better way to make decisions than demos……because the first time you start up a demo, even with a basic tutorial, you’re going to be so incredibly lost that you won’t know what you’re doing.

As you learn more (over the course of a couple weeks/months with a few demos) you’ll start to realize a few things that are kinda similar between them: what MIDI is, how it’s different from audio, how audio files work, the basics of signal routing, what plugins are, etc..

And as you learn that, you’ll cope with demos more easily……and inherently, you’ll think the demos you tried later will fit you better……just because they made a bit more sense or did it a little faster.

If you start with tutorial/feature videos, you’ll see someone using them who already knows what they’re doing. And you’ll get an idea of what working with the software looks/feels like……which is the most important part.

So, that’s where I’d go.

Here’s a short list of things I think you should look at, with some basic comments.

• Avid Pro Tools: the recording studio standard for ~20 years…I think it’s the most intuitive, but I’m in the minority. With PT 10, it’s no longer tied to Avid hardware, but it does require a $50 USB Dongle to run, even the demo. The software itself is very expensive if you’re not a student. Avid is really bad about their update cycle: running Pro Tools basically means you’ll never be running an up-to-date version of your OS again…and it kinda limits the computers you can buy because it’s only guaranteed to run and supported on Avid Qualified Systems.

• Apple Logic (OS X only): long-time rival to PT, bought by Apple at some point. It’s easily the best value in DAW software at $200 for the full version. There are some weird things about it (the Environment, mainly) that open up a lot of control and creative potential…but it takes a long time to get your head around it.

• Ableton Live: Made as a compromise between a recording/production system and a live performance system. Lots of dance producers love it. It’s MIDI mapping is very powerful, and Max4Live gives you power that rivals Logic’s Environment. The full version is as expensive as Pro Tools, but they sell smaller versions without as many synths and effects for less. I loved it for DJing and would like it for live performance…but I can’t stand it for recording or producing. But i’m definitely in the minority on that one too.

• Propellerheads Reason: based on emulating a hardware workflow in software. It’s a bit wonky when you look at it, but it’s actually very cool. The most recent version opened up limited 3rd party development for synths and effects, but it’s still a very closed system that doesn’t allow plugins (3rd party software…every other system uses them in one way or another). It’s got the best metering of any DAW, and it’s very cost-effective. But, it is fairly closed on its own. Still, not a bad way to start, and if you end up needing something it can’t do, there’s always ReWire (read about it).

• Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo & Presonus StudioOne: The people that use them love them…I think they look like cylon control panels and have god-awful workflows where everything gets in your way. Nuendo is the big-daddy and can do a lot more than most of the others, but it’s expensive, huge, and actually overkill. Cubase and StudioOne are remarkably similar in workflow…I wouldn’t be surprise if StudioOne is just a different skin for Cubase. The full version of Cubase requires the purchase of a $35 dongle to run…StuidoOne’s demo is free.

• Reaper: It’s new to the game and gaining followers. I think it’s back-asswards and hate it. But it’s the cheapest of the bunch if you don’t consider that Logic comes with more value in plugins.

• Cakewalk Sonar (windows only): I know little about it except they’ve got some cool UI things and people seem to like it.

• Imageline FL Studio (windows only): I hated it when I tried it years ago, but it’s probably changed a lot since then. If you’re on Windows, it’s very popular and worth a shot.

• NI Maschine: It’s based on the idea of a groove box (like an MPC) but done in software with one of two dedicated controllers. Definitely worth a look…though watch the videos on NI’s website for an idea of the workflow…it’s different from everything else listed above and is hard to work with on its own. There are a few small features missing that kind of require another DAW to do real mixdowns…but you could get away with just Maschine if you needed to. I love it.

• MPC Renaissance/Studio: competitors for Maschine. They’re not out yet, but they’re likely to be very, very good. The Studio is basically a direct Maschine competitor while the Renaissance costs twice as much and also include an Audio and MIDI interface.

Have fun.

Thank you for the more detailed post helped a lot and I do agree the tutorial videos actually help you in figuring out a better choice. I’ve been watching some of the tutorials ableton has to offer and it seems rather interesting to work with. Personally I believe i might stick with ableton for now and see how it goes from there.

[thegeek]

Here’s everything you need to know:

http://www.spontaneousrhythm.com/how-to-be-a-music-producer-in-2012-six-steps/

OK, all jokes aside – don’t overthink it. Just jump in and start screwing around. I PERSONALLY think Ableton has the most flexibility and is the DAW of choice for people in my generation or younger (under 30, basically).

Also:

www.sonicacademy.com

I spent 6 months not know what the hell I was doing and making total shit. And then after a month there I really, really started improving. Their tutorials are incredibly good and the value is stupid. I tell pretty much everyone who wants to get into producing to sign up, NOW, because I love it. Seriously.