Production - Beginners Guide.

[JonnyB]

DISCLAIMER: ok none of this is my own information. it is all taken from DubstepForum.com's production section http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewforum.php?f=8

Anyway here we go.

Section One

Best Music Software

Mac vs PC

Regardless of what others tell you, it does not matter whether you use a Mac or PC. The majority of popular creative software is available on both platforms, and operate identically across both platforms too.

Choosing the Right Software

When deciding which software to use, you should consider a few things first.

1> Your willingness to learn and to seek out new methods of creating music.

2> Your knowledge level regarding music and music production.

3> Your level of patience with computer programs.

4> Your visual preferences regarding the colour theme of a program and the layout of its controls. (Each program has its own visual style and workflow, and for most music producers this is the deciding factor in which programs they use regularly).

If you are completely new to production, you may be better off starting with more 'easy to use' software such as

1 eJay

2 Music Maker

3 Garageband

4 Acid Pro

5 EnergyXT

6 Podium

7 Tracktion

If you have a bit of knowledge about producing or think you have the patience to learn, you may as well go straight to the more profesional programs listed below

Reaper

Logic

Ableton Live

Reason/Record

FL Studio

Cubase

Sonar

Pro Tools

Digital Performer

Samplitude

Audition

Renoise

Section 2

SAMPLES/SAMPLING

once you have your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) the next thing to do is get yourself some decent sample's. Generally the ones that come along with your DAW are pretty crappy, and there are brand's out there that make cd's/downloadable packages with higher quality samples mostly targeting certain genre's. Most sample pack's will include a bunch of kicks, snare's, hat's percs, these are generally aimed at the EDM industry but there are 1000's of them, some for rasta vocal's some for piano's some for didgeridoo's, you name it there is probaly a sample pack for it.

Some of the most used in this industry are by brands Vengence and Loopmasters. Most of these you will have to buy. but there are a range of free sample packs out there, you can find these by googling 'Free Sample Packs or Free Sample Banks' etc here is a link to a thread on this site with free sample sites. ( viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4449 )

Synthesizers

Ok now you have your sample's, its time to get to know what a Synthesizer is. A Synthesizer is a piece of Hardware or Software that generates sounds using a variety of wave shapes. With out going to far indepth, this is what you will be using to create your Lead synth's, Bass's, Atmospheric Sounds, and pretty much anything to be honest.

Now most DAW's will come with a few software synth's to get you started, and some of them are pretty damn good.

But if you find yourself feeling limited by what they can do you can get your hands on some External synthesizers...also known as VST's basically a peice of software that is compatible with your DAW but isnt made by the orignal brand.

a few good ones are Massive by Native Instruments, Komplete by Native Instruments and Albino by Rob Papen just to name a few, there are also a large range of free ones you can get (see free samples thread linked above).

EFFECTS

The next thing is effects, you use these to make alter your sound in some way that you can not to with a basic synthesizer.

General effects are as follows.

Filter effects (these affect different frequencies of your sound)

EQ's

Filters

Phase Inverters

Vocoders

Harmonic exciters

Delay Effects

Delay/Echo

Reverb

Modulation Effects

Chorus

Flanger

Phasers

Dynamic processing tools

Compressors

Limiters

Gates

Expanders

Distortion Effects

Distortion

Bit Crunchers

Waveshapers

Ring Modulation

Pitch and Time effects

PitchShifters

TimeStretchers

Panoramic Effects

Auto Panners

Other Effects

Vibrato

Tremolo

Now your DAW will come with most of these, but there is also 1000's of external ones, some for free some not that you can get that are maybe a little more professional, just have to search for them.

This guide is just to give the extreme beginner an idea of what he or she needs to know to simply get started.

I will make another one that touch's on making bass's, synth's, making decent drums.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE ME TO ADD SOME MORE STUFF TO THIS THAT THEY THINK IS RELEVANT THEN LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS

[Gandy]

dude that's a really good post for beginners well done, i know when i was just starting i got lost all the time with all the different terminology and what shit actually did big ups!

[Mitch]

awesome post, especially for myself, as i'm starting to look into production.

+rep

[hoddi]

thanks for that swiss i wanna get into this

[street]

Nice post. Lots of good info

[legunner]

Brilliant post!

[CapFive]

Bump, this post really explains what no other tutorials do, they all expect you to have done a degree in music.composition...

Thanks man + rep

[Hobberz]

Bump, this post really explains what no other tutorials do, they all expect you to have done a degree in music.composition...

Thanks man + rep

I agree.

Jonny showed me this a few weeks ago when I was buggin the shit out of him. Awesome write up man

Maybe make it a sticky Cupe?

[Kodiak]

I really want to get into production too. I spent many, many, many hours playing with trackers (OctaMED) on my Amiga all those years ago. And have always had the desire to get back into the creativity. Things are so much more complicated than the old mod though. But results are far better.

FL Studio here I come.

edit: interesting fact - Calvin Harris used OctaMED to produce his first album.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Created_Disco

[Tomy]

Regardless of what others tell you, it does not matter whether you use a Mac or PC.

Amen to that. I've said for years "Limitation produces creativity". doesn't matter what you have. sweet post man.