In Need of ALOT of Help

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Member Since: Nov 30, 2010

I'm hopefully starting off after Christmas with home recording. Why I want to do is make instrument beats, like rap beats and dance beats. Eventually be able to produce songs and make demo cd and maybe make an actual record/cd whatever.

What should i get? Where do I start?? I have a very limited amount of money and just need to get the bare essentials at first.

Also I'm probably getting a Dell Inspiron 1545 with Above average tech specs. Is this going to be able to handle what I want to do? I checked the tech specs required for the "recommended" music software like Propellerhead's Reason software and also Cakewalk. my computer seems to have above what is needed so I didn't see any problems soi thought I'd ask.

So basically if someone can help me;
•Learn the basic terms and stuff
•Suggest good starting equipment and software and where to look
•Learn any info on copyrights, how to make my name official
•Good sites for info, besides this one :)

Thanks in advance for the help,
-TkAFatal-


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Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007

Dec 01, 2010 12:15 am

Hi man, and welcome to the forums.

Also, welcome to the most expensive hobby one could hope to have....next to maybe...robotics? :D

I kid. Getting started in the field can be done for (relatively cheap) And knowing your budget can help us help you. That said I'll start off with some budget recommendations below.

For starters. read. A lot. Forums, books, whatever you can get your hands on. HRC does have a dictionary of music and technical terms...around here somewhere...probably hidden up in the menus somewhere haha.

For computer specs. Laptops and desktops these days have plenty of processing power for most studio applications. You will mostly be limited by the amount of RAM and the size/speed of your hard disk. For realtime audio recording (be it mics, direct ins from instruments, etc.) 10,000 RPM spindle speed is good. I think there is also 7600 RPM and that's probably the bare minimum speed you want. Most laptops tend to have about 5400 RPM, so research your specs, and see if there's an option to upgrade to a better harddrive. It's kinda inversley proportionate. Faster drives tend to be a little smaller, and larger harddrives tend to be a little slower.

RAM: usually 2GB is good for starting out. 4GB is better in the long run. I have 4 in my desktop, but I'm still using 32-bit, so only 3.5 of that is seen by my system.

You may want to consider getting an audio interface (look at Line6, Echo, Cakewalk, PreSonus, Tascam, M-Audio, a lot of them have decent quality budget-level interfaces) You will also want a good pair of headphones if you're starting out. I'd say monitors, but you said your funds are very limited, and I wouldn't recommend starting out on monitors that were less than $400/pair. Of course, in line with having good monitors is having a decently treated room. Some of the recommended standards are the Sennheiser HD280Pro, AKG K240S, Sony MDR7506, Audio Techinca ATH-M50 (I use the M40fs which sound pretty balanced and accurate to me and work well with my ears) Those will range you in the ballpark between $70 and $100.

If you just need some cheap cans to check your mix for clicks and pops and such, I just picked up some Sennheiser HD201-S cans for $30 as a spare set, and they sound decently balanced. They are very bright though, and sibilance and cymbal splash really stand out in them. I wouldn't mix with em at all, but they might be good for tracking and for looking for audio anomalies.

Here's some more reading:
www.massivemastering.com/blog/
and more specifically: www.massivemastering.com/..._Room_Setup.php

Also, check out Ethan Winer's site for some more technical reading on room acoustics. www.ethanwiner.com/

Then there's tweak's space over at www.tweakheadz.com Good info on the main site, and there's some good reading in the forum itself too: studio-central.com/phpbb/index.php

I've also got a couple starter guides (which I need to update at some point) over on my site at www.bytemixsound.net under "tips and tricks" Those guides are geared toward folks starting in the field. There's also a link to a good interactive frequency chart.

Now, on software: you'll definitely want to get your hands on a fully featured DAW (digital-audio-workstation) Think Sonar, Cubase, FL Studio, etc. Cockos Reaper is excellent and dirt cheap. The demo is uncrippled and unlimited pretty easy to navigate, and great for learning the trade. Otherwise it's $60 for the license if you're making less than $20K/year off your music. I like it, but I have yet to break away from FL Studio. Speaking of which, I like FL Studio, and it's great for doing composition and software/midi related stuff. For recording audio...I like Reaper better. Reaper is also no slouch on using software/VST/midi/etc. but it's a bit different in layout, which is why I haven't fully switched over yet. Different people like different workflows, so I'd recommend downloading and trying out different demos, and see which software works best with your methods.

Now, on software instruments and effects (read: VST and VSTi), www.kvraudio.com is going to be one of your best friends. They've got a metric ton of plugins, and a great many of them are both free, and good quality. Also on that note, EastWest, NI, and IK have some freebies, and they all have some very usable sounds.

Equipment: Since you'll be working with making your own beats, I'd highly recommend getting a drumpad midi controller....like one of the Akai MPC units, or the Korg padKontrol (which I have and have used a bit) it makes finger-drumming a lot easier and makes more sense than pounding keyboard keys....at least to me anyway haha. The padKontrol is a nice unit, runs about $170 I think. And the pad sensors are actually square. The Akais are petty solid units as well, but the sensors are circular whereas the pads are square...so they aren't very good at sensing if you hit near the corners.

Also: I'd highly recommend getting a keyboard controller as well. Doesn't have to be the end-all-be-all controller with all the bells and whistles, but getting something in the $200 range should be sufficient. Check out Novation, M-Audio, The Cakewalk A-series. E-MU used to have a couple controllers called XBoards but it seems they are discontinued. They also had a long and shortboard that seemed like the next thing from them, but I haven't seen those around either. It's a pity cause I really like the keybed feel on my XBoard 61. Maybe you can find one used. they used to retail for about $220.

On Copyrights, for starting out, you might take a look at the creative commons license, and release your music under it to get started. creativecommons.org/about/licenses/ It's not a replacement for actually sending in physical copies to the library of congress, but it's a start. When it comes time to actually start selling your music, you might want to seek out a music lawyer, and read some books on music business.

That's all I've got off the top of my head, but that should be a good start.

Here's the nutshell of stuff you should look into, and start pricing.
Equipment:
DAW computer (your laptop) (2GB Ram minimum, and at least a 7600RPM Hard Disk (sounds like you might already have this)
Audio Interface (aka soundcard)
Monitors (your near-field speakers) If the monitors are not active/self-powered, you'll need an amp to go with em.
Midi-Controller (keyboard and/or drumpad)
Mics (if you're recording any vocals or other live audio)
Headphones (for checking your mix)

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008

Dec 01, 2010 01:02 am

Seconding Tweak's guide for sure --

I'd try to find some "real life" groups & people that can help along also -- It will easily take years - if you work really hard at it and you're actually cut out for it (most are not) to start to get "reasonable" at recording. Jumping in without some sort of personal guidance isn't conducive to success...

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 01, 2010 06:50 am

Wow, thanks dude for the super quick reply and all the help!! I'm still very new to all the terms and stuff so it's going to he awhile before I really know all the stuff you talkin about. I'm going to research all that stuff you said tonight after so I can be a little more knowledgeable and maybe start getting some gear. Once again, thanks for the help and taking the time to write this big mssage for me haha.

Frisco's Most Underrated
Member
Since: Jan 28, 2003

Dec 01, 2010 10:07 am

So, I make beats too, and know many others that do the same.

To start off with, will you use samples or are you looking to do more synthesizer beats?

Either way, you can get started on a small budget, and as you progress you can move onto the crazy room treatments and all that stuff. To get started, all you need is a computer, some computer speakers, and a way to get your sampled material into the computer (depends on if you will be using vinyl or cd or something else to get your samples from). Also, a software program like Reason or FruityLoops or Project5 can be what you use to actually make the beats. A different route is to go the hardware route and you can get a sampler (MPC) and a synthesizer keyboard or 2, and record these hardwares into your computer.

Let me know if you had some ideas about the route you wanted to take.

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004

Dec 01, 2010 10:28 am

[quote]Here's the nutshell of stuff you should look into, and start pricing.
Equipment:
DAW computer (your laptop) (2GB Ram minimum, and at least a 7600RPM Hard Disk (sounds like you might already have this)
Audio Interface (aka soundcard)
Monitors (your near-field speakers) If the monitors are not active/self-powered, you'll need an amp to go with em.
Midi-Controller (keyboard and/or drumpad)
Mics (if you're recording any vocals or other live audio)
Headphones (for checking your mix)[/quote]

Plus software. I also use Reaper for audio, and FL studio for sequencing / midi work. I bought the Fruityloops version: 99$ years ago. You get lifetime upgrade for your version of FL studio, which is nice.

I would suggest a few things; make a general list, and wait on it. Read more, research, etc. Don't purchase until you've researched from a few different areas.

For the PC, I'd suggest maybe looking up this cat:
Jim Roseberry
www.studiocat.com
[email protected]

He makes PCs for audio, and always seems to have good advice regarding Firewire devices, audio throughput, etc., over on the reaper board. This may not be an issue if you're set with the laptop you've mentioned, but it may help you some. dunno.

Also, expect to make 'iffy' productions for awhile. It takes practice, but practice makes perfect.

anyway, good luck.

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 01, 2010 01:06 pm

Ok, so I kind to want to start off making my own beats. So probably using a synthesizer or keyboard. Ive tried reason software and I liked it even though it looked very hard to master it even slightly. Also I think you have to pay to upgrade it? So I think it may be best to start with Cubase or FL Studio. Also I guess I need some speakers? I was going to see about starting with this; an audio interface from M-Audio, a Korg mini keyboard or synth, some desktop speakers, don't know if I need a special kind? Also I was wonder for listening do you think I can use my Turtlebeach X11s? So to answer your questions as best I can, I want to start off making my own beats, eventually get them onto CDs and be able to make cd art and legit CDs. But just starting off, a plain demo would be okay. I only have about 200$ or so starting off to get everything besides the computer. Pretty much what ever Ivan get for Christmas. Thanks for the reply and info, hope you can help

Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007

Dec 01, 2010 03:37 pm

On using the headphones: I wouldn't recommend it, particularly gamer headphones. Reason: consumer (or even audiophile) headphones tend to over-emphasize the bass and sub-bass regions. Sometimes they scoop the mids, and overhype the high-end. So they tend to be anything bug accurate. They are designed to sound "nice" not "accurate." Also, even on more accurate headphones it is -really- difficult to judge the bass. One of the reasons near-fields come in handy is that the bass actually resonates with your bone structure...that's why we say we can "feel" the bass....because we can! :D Using headphones, you don't get that resonance, so it gets harder to judge bass levels (and is often why it is over-hyped in most headphones to give a false sense of bass presence) If you want to go the headphone route, I'd check out the Audio-Technica M50, or M40fs, Sennheiser HD280Pro, Sony MDR7506, and AKG K240S. They're all around the $70-100 range, but you might find some second-hand or warehouse resealed type deals.

Good place to check for music gear prices is www.zzounds.com I've ordered from them many many times without any issues. I've also ordered a number of "blemished" items, but when I got it, I honestly couldn't find so much as a scratch or a dent.
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A good way to get started on that front is to pick up a midi keyboard controller and use what's called a soft-synth (usually VST plug-ins) For electronic kits, there's ersdrums, and the komplete7 freebie from Native Instruments has some nice sounding kits. If you're looking for acoustic drum sounds, they have a couple of those as well.

I'll recommend a few of my favorite soft-synths (all of which are freebies and can be found on KVR)

GTG Synths has a bunch of stuff that are all pretty good.
I really like the stuff from Togu Audio Line (TAL Bassline, Elec7ro, Elec7ro II, and Noisemaker) Oatmeal is a classic, and has a randomizer button tha will generate random settings for some very interesting sounds. Not always usable though hehe. iloSynth1 is a pretty good one. And then there's also Synth1 itself which kinda emulates the Nord synths. Minimogue VA is a pretty good freebie moog emulator. Also check out komplete7-free from native instruments, IK Multimedia Sampletank 2 free.

If you've got the cash, and would eventually want a hardware VA-Synth, I have and like the Akai Miniak, Korg R3, and Novation just released a new synth/keyboard/audio-interface combo unit called the Ultra-Nova, that sounds interesting. Hardware synths ain't cheap though. Never have been really my Akai cost about $500.

For the VST I mentioned, there are also some preset banks that you can look in KVR for and load those in. Banks for a lot of VST are stored as .fxb or.fxp files, and can usually be loaded in by the plugin itself, or through the DAW menu. My recommendation is start out using presets on one or two synths that you really like the sound, and find usable. Then move into start modifying the preset to suit your style. Play around with it, see what knobs control what. Then once you start feeling comfortable, try making some simple stuff from scratch.
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On the speakers: This is the one of the few huge caveats of music creation: I'm not trying to dissuade you, but it's just a fact due to physics. Your mixes can only be as good as your monitoring chain....i.e. your room combined with your speaker system.

Example: Say you've got some small desktop speakers, and you're in your typical bedroom, desk probably in the corner. You track some music, get to mixing, and render it to a wav or mp3 file, burn it, and go listen to it at your friend's house, or in your car, and you find....it sounds like ***...could be very tinny, very muddy, etc. etc. Typical consumer/listening speakers are designed to sound "nice" They paint the sound through rose-tinted glasses if you will.

Studio monitors (namely near-fields) are designed to paint the sonic picture as it is...to point out flaws and harshnesses int he mix...to show you what is really there. Monitors are generally designed to be accurate and flat across the EQ spectrum. (though there is no such thing as a truly flat monitor) Using them is literally like putting on eyeglasses for seeing the mix. Problem is...budget monitors are often anything but accurate....but there are a few gems out there that can be decent. The old samson resolv60a's were pretty good, and fairly cheap to be had, but I don't think they make 'em anymore.

On the speakers, do a ton of research. Read reviews, look at ratings, and if there are any music retail places, go there. Listen to the speakers, take your absolute favorite CD and do some A/B comparisons. Even though speakers may get rave reviews, they have to work for you...that is, for your ears...and everybody's ears are different. Same thing for headphones. I absolutely love my ATH-M40fs, and find them to be very well balanced and accurate sonically...or so my ears tell me. Someone else may not feel the same way. Heads and ears come in all shapes and sizes afterall. :D (yeah I know, I'm a bit of a fathead)

That said, there are some fairly reputable brands of monitors: Event, Focus, ADAM, Genelec, Dynaudio, KRK, Samson, Yorkville, Wharfdale, Tannoy (I want to hear the new Tannoy Reveals dammit!) Mackie...some people have liked the M-Audio monitors and some of the stuff from Behringer, though I don't really care for them...they dabble in too many other areas of tech for me to trust their speakers. That's strictly my opinion though. :)
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Now the....$200 isn't a lot to start out with, but it's not the end of the world either. My recommendation: start with reaper....start learning it...you can use the demo for as long as you like, and it is not limited in any way. you can save your songs, render tracks, use as many tracks as you want, load VST, samples, etc. Work with MIDI data, the works. Hold off on getting Cubase or FL Studio or the other DAWs until you can afford it....and by then, you may like Reaper enough to stick with it. It's no slouch.
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Edit: Also, bear in mind, most of us here didn't build our studios overnight. I've acquired my current equipment over the course of about 3 or 4 years. Just saying....so don't worry too much about budget just yet. Get the more important things now, and then save up for more stuff later on to start fleshing out your studio.
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With the synths, start with VST soft-synths. there are some great freebies out there (many of which I listed up above) I'd highly recommend getting a small keyboard controller. If you're not a pianist, then 49-keys or 37 keys should work pretty well for ya. I hesitate to say get the 25-key controllers even though they're small and cheap, because there's just not a lot of room to work with. I do play piano/keys, and I find 37 to be "tolerable" :)

Again, check prices, read reviews, do a ton of research on any product(s) before you put down the green, or the plastic. :)

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 01, 2010 06:27 pm

Thanks for being so fun and informational dude! I kinda get what your saying but I still you need to dumb it down just a bit for me haha. Like can you explain what things I should get first, what all there called, what they do?

Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007

Dec 01, 2010 07:28 pm

Okay, for usefulness and getting started, I'd recommend getting a midi-keyboard-controller as your first bit of hardware. There's several makes and models out there. There are some small compact keyboards that might be decent in the $100-ish range. Depending on what's left after the keyboard, I'd say get a good pair of headphones, and save up for monitors and other equipment later on. It's not an ideal solution, but it should be enough to get you started and on your way to learning the software and getting your head wrapped around some of the concepts.

For DAW (the software you use to record and mix your tracks) I'd say start with Reaper. it's easy to navigate in, the layout is pretty straightforward, and a few of us here at HRC use it or have used it (and I'm starting to get into using it more myself) and it's free to use.

For your instruments and other software, check out the free stuff offered over at Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, and EastWest. Then hop over to KVR and take a look at the synth plugins I mentioned. For effects (reverb, delay, compression, filters) take a look at the Classic Series plugins by Kjaerhus. Togu Audio Line also has some freebie reverb and filter plugins. And then there's also Bootsy's plugins which are pretty good.

I'll try to get back and post something more in-depth later, but I'm having some issues here at home I need to take care of. I'll try to get back to this in a few hours, else I'll get to it tomorrow.

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 01, 2010 07:33 pm

Ok, I'll look into that stiff and thanks again. Hope everything works out for you man!

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 01, 2010 11:00 pm

I found this; a possible keyboard, idk. www.google.com/m/products...ed=0CB4Q8wIwAw#

It's an Akai, I heard someone say those are good. It kinda cheap, it has good reviews and seems like a good choice.

I also found some headphones for about $109. They are Sony MDR-V6. They are post to be like the Sony MDR-7506 but they are a professional consumer version. They look different, cost less, and have almost the same quality. www.sonystyle.com/webapp/...6:dg_pa_gglsrch


Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007

Dec 01, 2010 11:29 pm

On the headphones, the 7506 cans can be had for $89.00 over at zzounds. They are pretty much interchangable with the V6. From what I remember, the speakers/internals are just about identical.

www.zzounds.com...tem--SNYMDR7506

The ATH-M40fs, which I use (and work pretty well for me) are $69.95 I find them to be pretty accurate, and they generally get some good reviews too.
www.zzounds.com...em--AUTATHM40FS

On the keyboard, I've heard decent things about the lpk25, and it along with the lpd8 are pretty much Akai's answer to the Korg Nano series of compact controllers.

It also looks like they've recently got the Akai MPK-mini which is basically the LPK 25 and LPD8 combined into one unit, and runs about $100. You don't have pitch or mod wheels, but you could assign those to one of the knobs on the keyboard. Reason I recommend that, is knobs come in very handy for recording what's called automation. Basically, you can assign a controller knob to one of the controls on a software synth (or a fader in the daw, or another control) and manipulate it in real-time while you're recording a track. I think that would be a good starter unit.
www.zzounds.com...tem--AKAMPKMINI

Also, I think the added drum pads would be useful for what you want to do.

Of course anyone else can feel free to chime in :)

Frisco's Most Underrated
Member
Since: Jan 28, 2003

Dec 02, 2010 01:38 am

If you're just starting out, you don't need nice headphones, hell you don't even need any headphones (unless you have issues where you need to keep the sound quiet). For listening, all you need is a cheapo set of computer speakers, and really just to get started you could probably use the onboard speakers of your laptop. This will get you moving doing arrangements and making beats, and once you need better sound quality, then you can go out and get some nicer speakers. Just don't expect everything to sound pro from the start, but realize you will have a lot to learn, enjoy the process, and you will be good to go.

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 02, 2010 06:40 am

Ok! Thanks for all the replies guys. Thanks for the continued help. I'll probably get the stuff for Christmas so I'll let you know what I get. And I'll keep studying until then : )

www.TheLondonProject.ca
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2005

Dec 02, 2010 04:12 pm

I'll second the ATH-M40fs. Very nice a flat. Make sure you don't listen to them too loud when mixing

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 02, 2010 10:08 pm

Ok, so i researched the stuff you said and i love them. the keyboard looks awesome and the headphones have some awesome reviews. Im still researching about equipment ill need later when i get the money and trying to study tips and tricks for when i start off.

Just a couple question i havent answered yet you guys can maybe help with?

How do i protect my music from copiers? Ive heard i need a copyright, and if i dont make 20k or more a year, the copyright will cost me 60$ a month? Is this truwe, if so, is there any other way to protect myself? Also, how do i get my name like official is guess? Can i start my own recording company i guess. So for example, TkAFatal of FaTaL BeatzPROductions. How would i go about getting that official?

Also, i kinda want to do dance remixes of popular songs. How do i get the rights to use it, or do i even need it if i dont sell it? How do i get in contact with the owner of the rights?

Sorry for being so unknowledgeable and thanks for all the comments and helps from everyone : )) Much thanks guys!

-TkA Fatal-

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008

Dec 03, 2010 12:06 am

You're going to need to consult with an entertainment attorney that dabbles in trademark law.

I've never heard of a copyright that would cost you $60 a month (maybe a service that does the paperwork for you?).

If you want to keep someone from copying your "name" then you'd need a trademark registration. Figure $1-2,000. If you want to be "this guy" of "this production company" and you want them both protected, that's two trademarks.

You'd probably win in court if you were incorporated (again, a couple $k and a lot of legal paperwork twice a year) or LLC (less paperwork, a little cheaper, basically the same tax strategy depending on your state) even without the trademark (as the competitor's attorney would note your articles of incorporation during the trademark search). Someone could certainly go ahead and try, but most would just choose a different name if one is established in such a way already.

Yes, you need mechanical rights if you're using samples (or recording cover songs on your own). Most are available through the Harry Fox Agency.

Uh, at least one more time . . .
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007

Dec 03, 2010 10:18 pm

Check out Legal Zoom.com for the lawyerly stuff. It's quite cheap and reliable; I've used it. I'm going to use it again, too, for Incorporation . (Not connected with music, but rather my line of work, which I would like to be music, but that's . . . down the road a bit.)

Uh, at least one more time . . .
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007

Dec 03, 2010 10:21 pm

Oh, and that's a pair of Sennheisers I'm wearing in the picture, the hundred dollar variety (The model number escapes me, but figure $100.00 retail.) Pretty good place to start.

Uh, at least one more time . . .
Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007

Dec 03, 2010 10:29 pm

And you know what else, TkAFatal? As you can see, I'm probably older (much older) than you--I've always wanted to do this, but got started a little late. I've learned a tremendous amount of stuff in a relatively short amount of time. The best thing to do is to read up, and maybe even take an apprenticeship, if that's possible for you, or like MM said, hang out with people in the know. He's not kidding that it will take years before you can be considered a professional, which is your goal.

Member
Since: Nov 30, 2010

Dec 06, 2010 05:43 pm

Ok, thanks again you guys for the continued replies! I've been studying a lot too! Just had a big setback cause the laptop I was going to get got sold and the next one up is like 50$
more.

Anyways more questions haha : P

If use a songs backtrack I guess? The instrumental version, and then mix it up, change it a little an put my own spin and lyrics with it, is that illegal? Do I have to get mechanical rights? Also, is there anyway just to get my name, producing name, band name, and songs protected all under one name? I don't expect to be some precocious mixer or anything but I don't want I do make that happens to be good stolen! I don't have all the movie for these 1k copyrights for each of my things : /

Also after my basic equipment that I'm probably getting, the Akai 25 key keyboard, laptop and headphones, what other stuff(speakers, mics, stands, extra keyboards) so I need to start looking into.

Where is a good place to look for tips and tricks for when I get started? What should I look for in the other stuff I mentioned above?

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006

Dec 07, 2010 07:10 pm

The $100 sennheisers are the HD280, I have two pair and love love love them for tracking live.

> > > In Need of ALOT of Help

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