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lffo
03-19-2012, 08:02 PM
Hey everyone, Ive been djing for 2 years, now I want to get into producing (techno/minimal). Im starting to learn Ableton Live 8 watching some tutorials. I dont have any production gear, only my dj soundcard Traktor Audio 10.

Need some advices to improve my learning... How did you start producing? Any gear for beginners?

Thanks in advance!

Andrew B
03-19-2012, 08:05 PM
You don't really need any gear when you're starting, just software. Pick one and start learning. Once you get properly acquainted with a program, you'll learn what you'll want to make your workflow easier. Eventually you'll want some studio monitors and a nice production audio interface.

jonistaken
03-19-2012, 08:56 PM
Also if you want to make music with tones then I would suggest learning an instrument (preferably piano, but anything will work really) and loading up on music theory.

Karl Dali
03-22-2012, 04:30 AM
Learn your DAW inside out, you need good foundations to build your future projects.

Most people will tell you that you can learn just by experimenting and watching youtube, this is true to a certain extent but, if you want to get the basics down quickly then you should look into pointblank online classes. I've just done one that lasted eight weeks and it was great, i started of with the ''prodcution course'' and next i'll do the ''minimal techno'' course which last's a month.

yes its a bit expensive but if your serious about it then its worth it.

mostapha
03-22-2012, 04:05 PM
I'd say to ignore point blank and all of the other online recording/production schools. If you're really clueless, the schools won't help (there are Fullsail graduates who don't know MIDI from Audio). Look into tutorials for your chosen software first, and read the manual.

The money that you would have spent on a school…spend it on Piano lessons. There are ways around it, but I'd kill to actually be able to play piano well.

Also, I'm a huge fan of Maschine. I can't mix on it, but that's what Logic's for. For composition and production, I kind of like it…might want to look into it. The downside is that it's pretty expensive compared to Logic and Live for what it offers and that you do kind of need a more traditional DAW to actually finish a song.

lffo
03-22-2012, 04:38 PM
I'll continue to learn Ableton with some videos and manual. im enjoying the software it seems to offer so much creativity. As to Maschine im looking for a used one, never used before but seems great for djing and production.

login
03-22-2012, 05:12 PM
Agree with mostapha Intruments lessons are more important and really help to make music, using software is something you can learn for free and just using it.

Karl Dali
03-23-2012, 01:33 AM
I'd say to ignore point blank and all of the other online recording/production schools. If you're really clueless, the schools won't help (there are Fullsail graduates who don't know MIDI from Audio). Look into tutorials for your chosen software first, and read the manual.

The money that you would have spent on a school…spend it on Piano lessons. There are ways around it, but I'd kill to actually be able to play piano well.

Also, I'm a huge fan of Maschine. I can't mix on it, but that's what Logic's for. For composition and production, I kind of like it…might want to look into it. The downside is that it's pretty expensive compared to Logic and Live for what it offers and that you do kind of need a more traditional DAW to actually finish a song.

Valid points.

I would love to be able to play the piano properly but i can't, so i did the pointblank course, and at least now i can get the most out my DAW, and for the genre(minimal/techno) i don't actually think that knowing how to play the piano would improve my productions a great deal.

If you want to get to know your DAW quickly then i don't think going on a course is a bad idea, I've obviously spent time reading manuals and watching other tutorials, but if you can afford it, there is no harm in doing a course. At least the instructors know what there talking about, some of the video's available on youtube are ridiculous really.

mostapha
03-23-2012, 05:30 PM
At least the instructors know what there talking about, some of the video's available on youtube are ridiculous really.

That's not always true.

markos
03-25-2012, 05:58 PM
just listen to records bro, and not just music in the genre you wish to produce in. Educate yourself on EVERYTHING. Sample, analyse, and just go with the flow. I've been producing for almost 2 years now and I can say that it is a long process. Give it time, and be patient. I am still no where near the level I'd like to be but I love music enough to know that things may never happen for me. As long as you do it for your own benefit and nothing else, the rest will come.

lffo
03-26-2012, 05:27 PM
What do you mean with sample and analyse?

markos
03-26-2012, 05:41 PM
What do you mean with sample and analyse?

sampling is similar to recycling something to create something new. For example: you have an old door that you took off the front of your house in order for a new one to go in. You think to yourself "i really don't want to throw this door away, what can i do with it?" ...after thinking things through you use the old door to create a nice table for your kitchen.

sampling in audio is similar to this. you take a track or recording and you cut out bits and pieces of the song you like to use in your own productions. whether its a 4 bar loop, or one shot of a cymbol you like. sampling is an art that every producer uses and is the basis of electronic music production and hip hop beats.

When i say analyse, I mean to really listen to the music and single out certain things that are happening. Understand which sounds are which and how they are being played. Is it a live recording or is it electronically produced? Are the drums being played by a drummer, or were they programmed by computer software? Teaching your ears to understand all of these fundamentals are basic but mandatory to get good at production.