Starting Out Advice

[Roshanbhoj]

So I've always been interested in producing music and I've really looked into it. I once downloaded a trial of FL Studio and everything was overwhelming. I uninstalled it an hour later...Now I feel like I'm serious about it and will do whatever it takes to learn. I know the old saying "Find a DAW and stick to it". I don't think there is one but is there a certain DAW that's more user friendly or like easier to follow? I'd like to start out making simple beats. Like the track in the video below. So I also want to ask what would you recommend doing that you learned from experience? How did you start out? And I read the sticky but pointing me in the right direction would be great!

[Divercity]

I started off using FL studio...After a few months of grinding through everything I switched to Ableton. I have never looked back and I wish I started with it. The workflow is great, The learning curve isn't major, it has pretty much everything you need(except godamn 64bit).

But then again, thats what works for me. Just trial a few man. Try Cubase, Logic, Protools and Reaper even. You have to realize with any piece of kit there is always a learning curve. You just have to master it by spending time with it


Ive always been involved in it so I don't really remember how I started out lol. What you really have to do is just sit down and invest the time. I studied other songs, watched hundreds of tutorial videos and read thousands of articles to grab the basics.

[drumpusher]

Get stuck in. Get some ebooks or tutorials that you can flick back and forth with to help you along. You learn by doing.

[CHAZE]

you can use any DAW, there all great. The only thing I would suggest is to try to find a couple tutorials of the genre wish to produce in youtube, and see if you can adapt to the DAW and easily understand it. Also if you want to collab with other artist, is easier if you have the same DAW... Most hip hop producers around my area us FL & most electronic producers use Ableton or Logic.

[Roshanbhoj]

Thanks. Yeah what you said about FL and ableton is true for here in my area too. This is all good stuff. FL is only for Windows though

[Andrew B]

Do you have a Soundcloud account? If so, Ableton Live Lite is free.

[Roshanbhoj]

Yeah I do. I saw that promotion and I couldn't find where to get it. Any help?

[Roshanbhoj]

Wait found it. You have to have the email that they sent or send them an email. Luckily I got the newsletter and I'm downloading it now!

[xyloft]

Do you have a Soundcloud account? If so, Ableton Live Lite is free.

^This.

I found ableton the easiest to learn, there are plenty of users who use it, there are lots of turtorials and tutorial sites for it. but, I've read of people who hate ableton.

I would download some demos and play arond with a few different DAWs and see what works best for you. and not just installand open. try to get to the point where you hvae a drum loop and a lead and bass loop and then apply a filter to one of the tracks. nothing fancy, but I feel like with those four things, you can get a feel for how the DAW works.

I tried reason ableton and FL and ableton won. FL was terrible, I couldnt get anything to do anything. <-- This is my oppinion of course, and everyone's experirences are different.

[xyloft]

Wait found it. You have to have the email that they sent or send them an email. Luckily I got the newsletter and I'm downloading it now!

For the other readers - you can email abelton support after you download it and get a free key until the end of the month if you did not get the newsletter