Getting back into production, where do I start?

Starting out aswell. But for the first time. I have Ableton 9 and ordered the Arturia MiniLab 2 for starters. 

1. I prefer pc

2. Home station for sure, got more size and overview its also more powerfull and can do more tasks.

3. Serum, Fabfilter plugins, Sylenth1, Kontakt, Lfotool, Waves bundle.

4. I use most of my tools over different genres, many elements can fit in almost every song, so just keep experimenting.

5. Zenworld, Moonboy (has very good designing tools for riddim and such) Point Blank, cant think of more. I mostly search for a specific thing on youtube and watch who ever. Also Dyllan Tallchief, but its also entertainment channel

6. Learn music theory bro, and try to lay down some keys on the keyboard and piano, you will grasp so much and you mostly have to enhance on your technical abilities. Learn the in and outs with the DAW to, knowing all the shortcuts on the keyboards will make your workflow so much faster.

PROTIP: Download this script by Dyllan Tallchief here is a vid of what it can do.

On 4/12/2019 at 1:06 AM, apocolyps755 said:

This is pretty simple, I'm grabbing Ableton Live Suite 10 and I plan to start producing again after a good 9 years, but I have several questions.

Do you prefer working on Mac or PC?

PC, but mainly because ive never been an apple fan

Laptop or home computer?

home computer, and when you go for a PC, you get a power station with way too much power for under 800 EUR (like i did when i upgraded my 10 year old tower a few months ago)

Is Splice worth it?

tried it, but did not work with my workflow, so i stopped early on

What plugins are popular?

nexus is an allround talent, as is massive, serum and sylenth - fabfilter and ozone for effects/mixing

If you work in a specific genre, what tools work best for you?

im mainly producing hiphop/rap/trap as well as mix and master vocals on said beats - key to a good mixdown isnt the plugins, but the knowledge about what you do. as a tool, i absolutely love addictive drums, in 5 minutes you can build a loop you cannot differentiate from a real drumkit

besides that i produce(d) dubstep and have now started to try out UK garage - any questions? hit me up

Are there any tutorials that you recommend? (Sound Design, Mixing, Mastering, DAW breakdowns, Plug-In breakdowns)

youtube is the best place to start as there are many many mannnnnyyyyy very good tutorials. dont let the myriad of bad tutorials discourage you to search for the gems

other than that try ADSR

Are there any pointers you can give to anyone that you wish you had learned when you started?

learn your software properly, so searching for a feature does not limit you in any kind of shape once the creativity sets in. theres nothing worse than having an idea, having the motivation and then having to google how to put what youre trying to do into your software

other than that: be okay with producing shit nobody wants to listen to for a few months or even years - youre eventually gonna get there where it sounds like something good (pro tip: do it for fun, not for the results and said results will come naturally)

I'm mainly going to begin in Dubstep and Riddim, and maybe when I'm more comfortable, I'll expand towards hybrid trap, 4x4, Midtempo and maybe some electro house.

I hope to use this thread for my own knowledge and also, for a place where anyone else can get a good start on producing. I believe this community has the power to become an outlet for great talent (seeing as many known artists have used this forum and some have even began here).

added my comments in red, hit me up if you have any questions. im rockin FL Studio, upgraded to version 20 a few weeks ago.

On 4/11/2019 at 6:06 PM, apocolyps755 said:

Do you prefer working on Mac or PC?

Honestly, I have both (with both installed with ableton 9 suite), and it tends to be where I will start stuff on my macbook pro, but then use splice (TOTALLY WORTH IT) to upload the project file info (not only so I can access it on my far more powerful custom built PC, but also so you have it somewhere outside of local storage).

Laptop or home computer?

Both have their own benefits, but I like my PC due to the fact its way more powerful and installed in my home studio (which I say this, yet really we are talking basic monitors, keyboard, and microphone).

Is Splice worth it?

ABSOLUTELY! 

One of the obstacles in getting your feet wet is trying to stay productive. I would spend HOURS trying to figure out drums while my mind was someplace else (synths, pads, basslines, etc) but I couldnt get there without the essentials in place to do so. So depending how you feel about samples, they really can work in your benefit to have something in place so you can be as productive as you can on other elements (which you could easily go back and re-do the drums you may have used a sample in place so that you can work on other things at the time being. 

What plugins are popular?

Serum (massive X is gonna be huge, but imo serum is FAR more user friendly than massive ever could be) which you can rent to own via splice. This is a go to for most producers. Others I really have enjoyed (synth-wise) would be Zebra2, Nexus II (if you find a 64 bit installer PLEASE hmu...or you could use jBridge to use 32 bit plugins in 64 bit).

If you work in a specific genre, what tools work best for you?

Bro you should first focus on making music as it comes to you. Fuck genres honestly. I would beat my fucking head into the ground trying to make dubstep back in the day, to only later discover that I should just focus on making music and as you get better in time, these things you pursue objectively (like making a specific sound) will come to you FAR easier than just trying to focus on ONE sound. Also, this is how you sound like YOU! Otherwise you're just pursuing other people's fame and glory really lol.

Are there any tutorials that you recommend? (Sound Design, Mixing, Mastering, DAW breakdowns, Plug-In breakdowns)

So there are a bunch of great IG accounts that do daily tutorials, but one I would HIGHLY reccomend would be cruising Udemy's classes. They have a BUNCH of Slam academy courses on everything from music theory to sound design, and you can usually snag most classes for $11! 

Are there any pointers you can give to anyone that you wish you had learned when you started?

"It takes a long time to sound like yourself" -miles davis

Remember this. Try not to do this to sound like others...but remember this is all in the aspect to "have fun". If you treat it like a job, you're gonna resent it (like most jobs people pursue related to their passions). 

Experts are once trashAF n00bs. DONT FORGET THIS. If you're a person who cant accept you're gonna start HUNDREDS of projects before you start to feel your music has any ground to stand on (something I'm rather impatient about myself/still struggle with). You're going to have a trained sense of what is good, and what is trash from all the years you've spent investing your time and mental dedicated to listening. USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE! You'll be able to set a higher standard for yourself that will allow you to understand that 5 hour WIPs arent gonna tear up a dancefloor.

Most importantly: have fun! Collab with others so that they can share with you what they know as well (which to be honest, I need to do myself, but I find most egos in this industry toxicAF so it really pushes me away from this)

Stay humble and TRUST THE PROCESS! 

All great producers you love have either an education behind their success or YEARS of trial n error to get where they are today. It's not a race. 

....but also understand that you can grind/make bangers and STILL not get the response you technically deserve. Not everyone is going to "make it" in this industry, and its a hard pill to swallow after dedicating yourself to only find the people who make it are also the ones with connections. You'll discover that it's tough to turn the world on to your music (even if you're the next avicii), but dont let that stop you from making music. There are some great artists that are supported by the industrially made that still sit in shadows (and are even members of this community).

 



 

 

1 hour ago, apocolyps755 said:

I'll start also considering buying a new PC as I will need the better requirements to run at maximum capacity (if need be).

Just don't let the lack of gear be what sets you back from starting TODAY!

There's so much you can learn/experiment with without a stellar computer or peripherals. 

Glad that I could be of some help. 

I'd like to believe truly that's what this forum is here for. 
 

Do you prefer working on Mac or PC?

PC for the exclusives I never use, but Mac is good too

Laptop or home computer?

Laptop

Is Splice worth it?

No idea

What plugins are popular?

All the fabfilter plugins, CamelCrusher, Izotope's Ozone/Trash/Nectar, Melda Free Plugins and Tal

If you work in a specific genre, what tools work best for you?

For dubstep FabFilter Multiband Compressor is great for sidechain (i.e the tutorial below)

For sound design, Serum, Sytrus [if in FL Studio] are nice for heavy sounds

Are there any tutorials that you recommend? (Sound Design, Mixing, Mastering, DAW breakdowns, Plug-In breakdowns)

Fox Stevenson Mixing/Mastering tutorial

Are there any pointers you can give to anyone that you wish you had learned when you started?

At the end of the day the only thing that matters is if it sounds good vs how you got there

6 hours ago, apocolyps755 said:

@TR0LLjust knabbed a pair of Adam Audio A7X’s. Debating on wether to get an 8 inch sub or not.

dude those are dope monitors! what kind of soundcard are you running those with?