Want to produce, where to start?

[verbal]

I'm just curious how some of you guys started producing and how you evolved to where you are now.

I've been reading a Reason v3.0 book. I have this feeling that I want to make music but when I sit down I just get so overwhelmed I don't know what to do with myself. Just wondering how you guys started and if you have any tips on how to start out. Thanks.

[adam]

Buy some blow.

[Ally]

If you have a PlayStation pick up one of the Music games.

[Leon]

Well I got Reason 2.5.

It will take you quite some time to learn everything and to actually make a complete song.

I just jammed and jammed for like 2 years, and then slowly I started to make actual songs/tracks. Even now I jam more than I make songs... Just to try out stuff and learn tricks by myself. I haven't read any Reason books. I have no money for that heh.

[bxsci]

Verbal, my advice is to concentrate on mastering one aspect of producing at a time. For example, I do most of my sampling and sequencing on an MPC 2000 (Midi Production Center), and then I record the instrumental and vocal tracks into Digital Performer, however I usually devote a fair amount of time to just gathering sounds and sampling them, and then just sequencing, etc. I find that if you are able to devote enough time to these individual tasks you become pretty good at putting the pieces together later as opposed to trying to do everything at once.do you play an instrument? While not necessary it can help you get oriented.

I peronally believe that a HUGE part of production is finding the right SOUNDS/SAMPLES. If you're not starting with good sounds the basic foundation of your tracks will be weak.

[viddy]

I just messed around for a long time until I got a handle of everything. That's the key I think, is to just play around and experiment and eventualy you'll get it. I started out with something more simple than Reason, which is just intimidating to look at for a newcomer. I just used music loops in Acid Pro, and with that learn how things work little by little. Then once you're pretty good at that, I think it would be good to move up to something like Reason, which works quite differently than loops in Acid. The same principles apply to both, only it's easier to learn with something like music loops in Acid.

[Professor]

buy a keyboard, and a half ounce of the best pot you can find. and a good pair of headphones. don't try to be a "serious" producer from the start. have some fun, learn your machinery, or software. use some caution however, those all in one software programs are dangerous to beginners....just remember, anyone who buys it gets ALL that same stuff too. i'd say go with what's natural, build on the musical knowledge you already have and explore. don't get a groove box and think you can go out and do a techno set in three weeks. and prepare to dissapear from public view, and lose your girlfriend, and your friends for that matter. save money for coffee, food and weed and gear. mostly gear. good monitors will eventually be an issue, as will a computer. give up thinking about being original, you either are or aren't. if you aren't, try not to worry about it, but just do what you do the best you can. you might suck. be ready for this realization. you might not....be ready for this too.

that's all i got.

oh, and listen to dirty radio today from noon-2

[adam]

Prof's advice is good.

Most important thing: try and focus on having fun (the process) instead of the end result (the product). If you're not having fun, you won't like the product, and the more fun you have, the better your stuff will get anyway.

I would also advise against Reason. I don't like it. There are lots of people who disagree with me. Reason might be good to start with, but eventually you'll probably want to get away from it, and you need to decide if the investment is worth it if you know it's temporary. It will, however, help you sort out what else you need.

Spend money slowly. It's easy to decide that you would be so much better if you just bought such-and-such. It's easy to allow that mentality to trick you into buying stuff you don't actually need. For example, I have three synths. I use one. The first two I didn't know what I needed. I don't know how to prevent you from falling in the same trap, because the shortcomings of those two synths helped me figure out what I actually needed from the third, but if you're aware of that, it might help.

[Emmet]

get yourself a 'quick guide to' book or somesuch on whatever program you fancy using. A lot of software apps seem complicated however the trick is to take it step by step, star with the easy stuff and do a little bit at a time.

Reason is a good place to start.

[Future Proof]

I would as well advise against using only Reason. While it is decent software, it is very unfriendly to improvisation, which is IMO where the best music comes from. I would instead Get Ableton Live, then do a search for a free soft synth, such as Crystal. And if you have money left over get a keyboard as well.

[Cadevil]

Reason 3.0 is heads and tails above 2.5...The Combinator adds 100 times more creativity to the equation.

It can be a limiting program, and I find that I like to add other instrumentation like real guitars...so a recording program like Audition (or something better) is good to have as well...

[vacant]

I'd recommend finding an old version of Logic on PC. I use logic 5 and it does more than enough for me. I also have a MicroKorg which I use primarily as a controller for some soft synths.
Also, consider an evening course in Music Technology, you can learn sooo much from it.

[verbal]

I've played drums since I was 12, but I didn't stick with it like I should have. I can keep a beat though and have the curse of the drummer where I constantly have a beat in my head and drum on things with my hands. :) I also have tables and spin techno/techhouse. So I have a music background and understand how it all works.

I chose to learn Reason to start with just because I thought it would be a good place to learn the basics of producing, then obviously expanding from there. I have been reading up on Live and it seems like a great program.

Like I said, my main problem is when I sit down for a session in Reason, I just freeze up and don't know what to do with myself. I usually start by laying some drums down but when I listen to it, it feels so robotic. There's no feeling to it. I know it'll be this way since I'm just beginning, but it's discouraging. Not sure how to get around it.

Another issue I have is I don't know notes or how to read music. I have no music theory training at all, I just know what I've learned on my own-- structure, time, feeling, etc. So I feel if I do get a melody or whatever, that it's "wrong" because I don't know music theory. I mainly want to produce techno or techhouse, which it probably doesn't matter at all, but I can't help but think about it. For example, say I'm making a track and want to put some atmospheric synth in, like a continuous "ahhhh" tone in the background (Reason calls them "pads", not sure if that's a Reason term or universal term). I wonder if I can just go by ear with what sounds good or if I should match a key that's somewhere else in the track.

As you can probably tell, I overthink. It's a curse. I think part of my issue is I have a very systematic way of thinking. My brain always thinks in right way or wrong way. It's hard to break.

[Leon]

I've played drums since I was 12, but I didn't stick with it like I should have. I can keep a beat though and have the curse of the drummer where I constantly have a beat in my head and drum on things with my hands. :) I also have tables and spin techno/techhouse. So I have a music background and understand how it all works.

I chose to learn Reason to start with just because I thought it would be a good place to learn the basics of producing, then obviously expanding from there. I have been reading up on Live and it seems like a great program.

Like I said, my main problem is when I sit down for a session in Reason, I just freeze up and don't know what to do with myself. I usually start by laying some drums down but when I listen to it, it feels so robotic. There's no feeling to it. I know it'll be this way since I'm just beginning, but it's discouraging. Not sure how to get around it.

Another issue I have is I don't know notes or how to read music. I have no music theory training at all, I just know what I've learned on my own-- structure, time, feeling, etc. So I feel if I do get a melody or whatever, that it's "wrong" because I don't know music theory. I mainly want to produce techno or techhouse, which it probably doesn't matter at all, but I can't help but think about it. For example, say I'm making a track and want to put some atmospheric synth in, like a continuous "ahhhh" tone in the background (Reason calls them "pads", not sure if that's a Reason term or universal term). I wonder if I can just go by ear with what sounds good or if I should match a key that's somewhere else in the track.

As you can probably tell, I overthink. It's a curse. I think part of my issue is I have a very systematic way of thinking. My brain always thinks in right way or wrong way. It's hard to break.

Pads is the universal name yes.

And just trust on your ears, man. If it sounds good, then it sounds good. I mostly make music for an hour and then stop for 5 minutes and listen to it again. Sometimes it sounds really sucky then. That might help too. sort of a "reality check" I call it.

Just do what feels right, that's what I do. I don't know music theory either, and some of my music is "liked" by others here on the forum. So if I can do it, you can do it. :p



Edit: I sometimes even like the fact that I don't know music theory or stuff like that. I like to think that if I did, I would be making my music the same way and using the same tricks over and over.

[King of Snake]

if you have a musical hearing you can get away with doing stuff by ear rather than by theory. Knowing a bit of theory never hurt anyone though.
Start by learning the theory behind scales and chords and playing them on the keyboard. Just by playing around with scales and chords you will get ideas for melodies.
Also, listen to records in the style you'd like to produce in and analyse how they work. What sounds do they use? Where are the sounds placed? (both in time and in the stereo field). How many sounds are playing at once? How do certain sounds work together? You could also try recreating bits of songs you like just to find out how they work.

[Leon]

if you have a musical hearing you can get away with doing stuff by ear rather than by theory. Knowing a bit of theory never hurt anyone though.
Start by learning the theory behind scales and chords and playing them on the keyboard. Just by playing around with scales and chords you will get idea's for melodies.
Also, listen to records in the style you'd like to produce in and analyse how they work. What sounds do they use? Where are the sounds placed? (both in time and in the stereo field). How many sounds are playing at once? How do certain sounds work together? You could also try recreating bits of songs you like just to find out how they work.

Yeah when I first started I was heavily influenced by bigbeat (chemical brothers stuff) and just tried to create the same sorta beats. As you try to imitate the sound you'll end up learning quite some stuff.

[Renze]

If you buy any kind of gear or software, read the manual carefully and thoroughly, cos everything that machine you just bought can do, is in the manual. Then just start playing around with it, using the knowledge you learned by studying the manual. The manual of my Korg Poly 800 taught me a lot about subtractive synthesis.

Try out software sequencers like Ableton Live or Cubase..If you don't like them, try hardware sequencers. Buy a second hand Yamaha RM1x for € 200. If you don't like it, you probably won't have a hard time selling it again for the same price.