Software advice

[NRGboy]

Hi guys, hope you can help me here?

I've been Dj'ing for around 5 years now and would really like to give the production side of things a go.

I started with Reason 2.5 but found it quite overwhelming, i've also given Acid Pro a go which seems a bit more user friendly (for beginers). The problem is that i'm not the most computer literate person in the world and i tend to struggle with being able to do what i want to do and knowing the terminology and names of certain sounds and processes.

My question really is, what programme would be best for me to learn on? The ideas are there but the ability to do anything with them just isn't.

Sometimes i just wish i could plug my head into an amp and press record :doh:

[TechMouse]

You'll probably find that most software these days can yield very good results, if you put the work in!

You have 4 possible routes...

1. The All-In-One Studio (e.g. Reason, Fruityloops, Project5, Storm)

These give you all the tools you'll need to make a track in one bit of software. They're getting better and better, and currently I'd say any of the above are capable of very professional sounding results. The downside is that they're not so expandable (only FL supports VST) and will struggle to work with external hardware - e.g. synth modules & drum machines. Eventually, you will probably want to upgrade to a more flexible solution. Also, they each have their own modus operandi, so you'd have to try them all out and get a feel for which one suits you best.

2. The "Traditional" Sequecer (e.g. Cubase, Logic Audio, Sonar, Pro Tools)

These have been the weapon of choice for digital musicians since there have been digital musicians. They're very flexible audio / MIDI recording solutions, and they all work in a similar way - even if they all have their own peculiarities and nuances. All you get is the bare bones of your studio, so you'll need some sound sources, but they all support plugins in a variety of formats - many of which are available free on the net. Which one you choose will largely be dictated by your platform (i.e. most recent Logic is only available for Mac, Pro Tools requires DigiDesign hardware, Sonar is PC-only etc.) but don't let anyone bullshit you - they are all capable of the same stuff, just in different ways.

3. The "Live" Sequencer (Ableton Live)

A new take on the conecpt of a sequencer, which puts real-time control and improvisation first. They call it a "sequencing instrument" - and that really is the best description I've seen. You can genuinely play Live as if it were an instrument. Previously I might have argued that if you use Live you might still need a "traditional" sequencer for mixdown & mastering - but with the latest versions of Live this really isn't the case. Everyone I know who uses Live says that it's revolutionized the way they make music. Possibly a little over the top, but there you go.

4. The DSP Tool (e.g. Max/MSP, Reaktor, Pure Data)

This is only for you if you're interested in getting down & dirty with the nuts and bolts of digital audio. It will take much longer to get results, and you'll probably go grey doing it - but in the long run the pay off is that there will be no limits as to what you can achieve with it. If there is some functionality you're missing - code a new module! For more info, have a look at Tim Exile's live setup: http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?id=timexile_us&flash=0#

From your post, I'd imagine that 4 is right out - but any of the other suggestions could be equally valid. I suspect that either 1 or 3 might yield more immediate results for you, but there will - alas - always be a learning curve. Download demos of all of the above software, and try and work through a tutorial for each of them. See how you get on.

However, I would offer the following advice: If you have a friend that uses a particular piece of software, get together and try and work on something - even if you just sit and watch initially. It will help you more than any tutorial or manual will ever do. Then, if you ever get really stuck on something then you can always phone your mate.

Alternatively, just pop back here and I'm sure you'll find the legions of (suprisingly comptent) producers on here will be more than happy to offer advice and help.

Oh yeah - and prepare yourself to lose the vast majority of your free time and sanity. It's worth it though, when an entire room of people goes totally ****ing mental to your tune!

[NRGboy]

Thankyou Tech Mouse for taking the time to reply, that's very usefull information.

[mattboyslim]

i've been teaching kids the basics in both live and acid and they seem to be working well

[tekara]

If you find Reason overwhelming, then i advise you not to venture out into other software DAW applications like Cubase and Logic yet. Get a self-help reason book and once you understand the basic concepts of how music is made, only then would i suggest you to start buying dedicated VST's and a sequencer.

Ive been doing this for a while now and even to this day i still have problems. Pretty much on a daily basis i will have some sort of troubleshooting difficulty, but once i learn from it, its one less thing i have to read the manual about. I think its safe to say that as experienced as everyone on this forum is, there is always something new to learn, no matter what!

Take your time, theres no rush to make awesome music. The learning curve is natural....

cheers.

[S/E]

I have just begun to explore the art of production after DJing for 5 years and being a musician since I was 10. My tool of choice so far is Reason. I downloaded a basic tutorial and have actually created some tracks since I started. Now, I have only begun to scratch the surface of the art of production but I have come up with some decent results considering how little I know.

Reason has worked well for me as a complete beginner. All I have is my ears...

[TechMouse]

i've been teaching kids the basics in both live and acid and they seem to be working well

Ooooh yeah, Acid... forgot to mention that!

Lots of people seem to swear by it so definitely worth a look if you're into working mainly with audio loops.

[paulcortex]

i reccomend synapse audios orion...
its all i use and its soooooo user friendly and sounds amazing
heres a link...

http://www.synapse-audio.com/

not many people have heard of it...or it seems like that
cubase logic reason all get a mention usually but not orion

[S/E]

i reccomend synapse audios orion...
its all i use and its soooooo user friendly and sounds amazing
heres a link...

http://www.synapse-audio.com/

not many people have heard of it...or it seems like that
cubase logic reason all get a mention usually but not orion

I know a guy who swears by that software. He produces trance and loves using Orion.

[vadarfone]

So basically, at this early stage, you should use what ever you are comfotable with. They all do the same thing at grass roots level, so learning the ins and outs of one will help you immeasurabley when you chose to upgrade/crossgrade to another platform.

The things you should be learning right now are:

1. Synthesis
2. Sampling
3. Drum Machine / Programming
4. Routing.

Once you have an idea about that move onto

5. EQ
6. FX
7. Layering
8. Resampling
9. Mixing down
etc etc etc

Also, keep in mind that you are making MUSIC, you are not coding a machine to impress internet nerds. The two are very very close in their application, but if you go for the first one you will be making killer tracks before you know it!

Enjoy!!!

[Basil Rush]

If you find Reason overwhelming, then i advise you not to venture out into other software DAW applications like Cubase and Logic yet. Get a self-help reason book and once you understand the basic concepts of how music is made, only then would i suggest you to start buying dedicated VST's and a sequencer.

cheers.

For some reason I find reason and fruity loops impossible but have no problem with Logic Cubase or Protools?

Am I some kind of weird geek here ... ?

[TechMouse]

For some reason I find reason and fruity loops impossible but have no problem with Logic Cubase or Protools?

Am I some kind of weird geek here ... ?
Not at all.

Perhaps the "side-scrolling sequencer" way of conceptualising stuff sits on your brain better than chaining together patterns etc.

[NRGboy]

thanks for the info guys, good stuff

[nihilist]

ive been using orion platinum for 3 years and find it so easy to use,over the past 4 months ive tryd every demo under the sun and have come the conclusion that for £180 orion is the simplist all in one studio there is.

i got so confused and frustrated with all the configuring bollox with the other programs i never brought any of um,nocks socks of reason

[Mindful]

I suggest you get some demo software, have a play and hopfully you may find somthing you enjoy using.

Then take your time read lots on the subject(theres some great books,some brill mags and of course the net)
And after time hopfully you wont have to think twice on how to do the things you want to do with your chosen tools.

Then read and work some more.

[djshiva]

my weapons of choice are reason and ableton live.

reason took me a minute to learn. simple stuff like how to make the damn synths play drove me mad, but once i found some friends with advice and some tutorials i was good to go.

then i found live and i have never stopped since then. ableton live is totally more fun for me, since (as someone said above), you're not editing, you're making music. live lets me play around, jam out ideas, record it all and then go back and edit should i feel the need. i can do basic pre-mastering with plugins right in the program and then do any other fun stuff after that.

it really is all about what suits the way you like to write. i found these work best for me, but downloading demos and just messing around, and asking friends who use different progs WHY they use them will probably help you the most.

"to each their own" is a cliche that REALLY sums up audio software and who uses it! :)