Original Message                 Date: 11-Sep-02  @  07:37 AM   -   Horrible Newbie Questions

Mr. Seasme

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Hyia!

I'm a horrible newbie, and I have questions.
I'm a long time electronic music fan, and ever since I went to my first rave, I have been very interested in mixing some of my own tracks. My problem was that I didn't know where to start. I kind of kicked the idea around for a while, and eventually grabbed "Techno Ejay" from a software store and installed it. The Ejay program is a lot of fun, but I can shake the feeling that assembling pre-recorded samples is a bit lame. I've put together a few songs, but I would really like to get out there and start making some real music. So, the horrible questions are:
What software should I use? (I saw a program with a well known Dj, who was assembling his songs with a computer)
Whenever I see Djs at a rave, they seem to have some hardware (turntables and such) up on stage with them. Do I need to buy a bunch of equipment to get out of the basement and record some decent stuff?
And if the above is true, what sort of things do I buy? I'm sure like everything else, certain kinds of equipment are better than others. Also, I work a low paying job, so I can't blow $1000 on speakers or something.

Well, thanks for reading and possibly responding!
Yours,
Mr. Seasme
"Is that a gun in your violin case, or are you just happy to see me?"

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Message 11/34                 Date: 13-Sep-02  @  12:48 PM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

Pongoid

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Sampling? Pretty much based on sampling? Where the fuck have you been? Synthesis. A LOT is about synthesis. Sampling later, but synthesis is still the final frontier.



Ape

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Message 12/34                 Date: 13-Sep-02  @  06:13 PM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

TiC

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is it really all that mysterius how we put tracks together damm i had no idea.
And there is a huge difference between playing records and making the music that is on them hence the big difference between a dj and a producer. And btw if u want to make remixes of loops and sounds u like from other peoples work then u will need to play from cd or lappy yourself cuz u will never get stuff like that out on vinyl unless u r a superstar dj or soemthing (or if u copyright and the guy who made the track). I have done some of that (taking out loops from other peoples tracks and remixing) myself did a techno set in reaktor with a modified version of the sixpack ensamble on my lappy with loops from techno that i liked (mostly swedish stuff from drumcode hybrid and some of my friends). A good place to start if u got no money is with one of the free programs out there like buzz,psycle,noistrecker mad tracker trust me i know a few people that have gotten tracks released that were made with only fasttracker 2 and nothing else (sounded really good to). And being a maker of music(or producer) is all about hard work and if u dont like to sit and work with a music programme for say 4 hours straigth u can just forget about it and start spinning records instead (that is hard work to migth i add just not in the same way)
And finally plz start by making your own tracks from scratch and then when u feel that u can put a decent track together u can start with incorporating other peoples stuff in your tracks.
My experience is that people that do it the other way around often end up using nothing but other peoples loops and not contributing with anything other than the structure of the music wich to me is not very original or constructive just makes everything sound the same and swamps the scene with a lot of mediocre same sounding tracks (cuz trust me the most producers who make these loops from scratch save all the best stuff for there own productions) and finally yes u can even program 70s sounding drumbreaks from scratch with practice and patience so if that is what u r into it is no exscuse for using loops from the start j
well good luck to u and i hope u get into producing music soon and have as much fun doing it as i have

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Message 13/34                 Date: 13-Sep-02  @  06:15 PM     Edit: 13-Sep-02  |  06:17 PM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

Mindspawn

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Synthesis is the "final frontier" AND it's also the best place to start your journey...IMHO. As far as what gets you "respect," well I make sounds. My synths respect me. What more is there....

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Message 14/34                 Date: 13-Sep-02  @  06:16 PM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

TiC

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hmmm i think i was cencured in my last post well "(or if u copyright and the guy who made the track)." i can write nice then
or if u dont care about the copyright and the guy who made it

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Message 15/34                 Date: 13-Sep-02  @  10:37 PM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

influx

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"Where the fuck have you been? "

jesus pongoid, do you really have to talk to everyone like theyre fucking idiots who dont know SHIT and youre the only one that has a clue?

I say fuck off for that one, bud.

my fucking point was that electronic music...jungle..hip hop...is mainly based on sampling

SURE theres tons of groundbreaking synthesis being used, but the basis is and has been sampling for the most part. That is changing, of course, but

you really need to rethink the way you respond to people, my man

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Message 16/34                 Date: 14-Sep-02  @  12:09 AM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

Pongoid

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Dude, you need to chill.

There was no electronic music before synthesis. Hip-hop may be sampled based, but drum'n'bass doesn't go real far without synthesis either, in fact I've I've heard completely synthesized d'n'b, with no samples, and it sounds great too. That's where original sounds come from. Synthesizers make the impossible into reality, mathematic perfection, made to convey feelings inexplicable otherwise. How can you even begin to just discount synthesis like that? Even a sampler is just a synth with a complex and versatile oscillator. Come on, bro. I think you're overreacting a bit here.


Ape

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Message 17/34                 Date: 14-Sep-02  @  01:15 AM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

errata

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I'm with pongoid on the synth vs sampler bit. (Not getting involved with the personality part, that's on you guys)...

Samplers ARE synths that let you record and playback an oscillator. Synth's are where it's at for me. I use a sampler, but mostly to expand the voices of my synths or to throw in vocal phrazes and wierd bits of chatter... stuff I can't get from my analog mods... or to use drum hits that are not in my analog or rompler synths...

I think in the end it's those who PROGRAM synths exceptionaly that really move me...

e

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Message 18/34                 Date: 14-Sep-02  @  01:28 AM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

influx

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ok...sampler synth whatever I dont dig bein talked to like that

maybe YOU need to chill on that shit?

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Message 19/34                 Date: 14-Sep-02  @  01:58 AM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

k

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the best thing to my mind is to start small and work at it... it used to be that people didnt just be able to get everything at once... trust me it's BETETR to just use a sampler or drumbox or VA-drums for your drums and other noises and hits, a midi sequencer and one or two monosynths or simple controllable synths and one multi-mode polysynth and a delay & reverb and just work on that so that you can play live with it... choosing bits for yourself to do 'live' like drop in/out, fx moves, live playing, etc and letting the rest sequence playback...

don't you think that get's you more into utilising the skills of composition or dropping in/out things and building with parts etc without having too much eyecandy to distract you??.... I really beleive firmly that basic simplicity is so important to hone a flexible creative talent. Like a good song can be played on a guitar right?

ok but produced for an album it's worked on but it still works as a basic guitar & vocal song. That kinda vibe. plus it's those who get out there that make a name for themselves.

however, you CAN still do that with the s/w i guess... it's a hard choice wether to go live or bedroom only.

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Message 20/34                 Date: 14-Sep-02  @  02:10 AM   -   RE: Horrible Newbie Questions

selecta

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*pops his head in*

I don't think synths were around before the therimin. So perhaps some modification to the facts on electronic music.

I found my best sounds by sampling from wonderful miked-up analog elements. Converted these sounds/edited/layered/preamped directly to my sampler and wham-o 12bit digital samples!

Ther's so many ways to go about processing. If i was to sample my synths and collect sounds..then its called sample synthesis vs. sampling..vs..synthesis. It's still a process to modifying a sound no matter what way u go about it...i think..

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