Hi, I am new to this DJ thing and want to learn the “how-to’s” on music production. I have some questions that might be very basic and even be stupid for you guys.
Any help and guidance will be much appreciated.
First of all. Can you tell me what equipment I will need to effectively make music?
What I currently have is a macbook pro 13’ , logic pro X , and a Yamaha MOX8
I saw how most ppl use mixers, Traktor, etc which I don’t even know what it is for yet.
You will want some headphones or speakers and you are ready to go. If you plan to use the MOX8’s sounds you need an audio interface as well. However I’d suggest you to learn the basics first before buying stuff, because you essentially can make a club hit with only the Computer, DAW and some headphones/monitors. Many beginners fall for the marketing and buy all the shiny stuff, but it’s much more about skills than gear.
So just connect your MOX8 via USB to have some controll over the notes you want to play and get going. Usually it’s recommended to read the manual of your DAW and than just dive into it. Since a) there is tons to learn and b) it is an art you should just go ahead and do it. However don’t think that you’ll be good from the beginning. You will probably have to spend like 1000 hours before your songs get decent. So better be patient and most importantly: Have fun and do it for the love, not money or fame.
Traktor is a DJ-software, which won’t help you with music production.
I actually have a monitor and a decent headphone already.. I just didn’t understand what the DJ controller and the mixers are for regarding music production
Appreciate the time you took to reply.
And Yes I am doing it for the love. Hope you’re having fun too.
I actually write about how newbies can get started a fair bit on my personal blog, it may have some useful stuff that could help you get started http://producerheadquarters.com
If you are looking to learn about music production as a complete newbie, then I would recommend the enclosed book:
Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys & Techniques by Rick Snoman
It is an excellent introduction to producing dance music and widely regarded as the best manual for beginners. I found very useful and still refer to it a couple of years after picking it up. It is readily available in bookstores or on Amazon in both physical and digital form and will be $30 well spent.
Great to have you.
Producing music demands 3 things:
Driving melody in your head! As silly as it may sound, great producers have melodies ringing in their heads day and night and transport that into the studio to turn into actual music. So whatever you are into, beit house, techno, jazz, etc…your creative juices are a must
The gear to start is simple: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Getting buckets of gear and then seeing nobs, keys, grids and not knowing what to do with them is a pain. So if you want this, be prepared for a steep learning curve. But its fun and very addictive once you take it all in
Commitment. Time and patience is key and being committed to this is essential.
Now for a newbie, here is what I would recommend. We all start somewhere but starting with a full blown studio wont help either and you will break the bank. Know what you want to produce and go for it. From there and once you’ve mastered it all - from idea generation to track composites to layering to mastering - you can then go to bigger things.
What I recommend and this is just me, is to start with something as simple as Novation Music’s Launch Pad. Mini is a good start. It comes with Ableton Live Lite. Even better and to master this is to download the iPad version. You can then connect the Pad Mini to it for greater control.
The iPad version will give you the basics of layering the 4 essential components of any track: Drums/Percussions/Melody and Vocals. The software will also allow you to layer effects. The software will come with a basic set of loops and samples. They are synced for your learning convenience - which means that as you press the pads, the beats and other layers automatically fall in place for you. But, if you do it well and get creative with it, you can actually produce some really cool stuff. I have already done 12 releases and 2 EPs off it and expanding with buying more loops, samples and then integrating with Ableton on the Mac
Start with that and really toy with it. It will then be easier for you to master the basics, concepts and even see how it integrates with hardware as you progress. tools for ipad are growing.
Traktor is a DJ based software but in itself, you can theoretically use it as an added input to your production. I for example use it to connect the NI F1 and D2 controllers and feed the outputs into my master production station (eg Ableton). But I would not go there just yet.
Start with the above and let us know how you do. People are always here to help and we grow and better together - never alone.
