My "I am just getting started" thread

O

Olihen

New member
Hello
I purchased full version of Cubase Artist recently and I am about to get into home recording/making my own music. I will first introduce myself and then ask you some questions.

Who am I: I am a 22 years old student from Czech Republic. I study medicine at the university and also composition on jazz music conservatory (yes I am such a nerd that I study two schools at once). I started taking music seriously when i was approximately 14 years old, when I started playing piano (I played piano since I was 6 years old, but I was practicaly expelled from the lessons, because I totaly hated it :D). Now I am about to quit the jazz conservatory, because I feel that I will advance more by trying to make my own music that represents me rather than studying and doing all the assignments etc. and also the medicine school consumes a lot of time and along with the conservatory I have a very small amount of free time for myself.

What is my goal: To make listenable home demos I can post on the internet for criticism and show to other musicians to make them want to play with me live :). I listened to a really a lot of genres during my life like metal, hiphop, jazz, ethno music, RNB etc. so I want to make some fusion of all these genres but first of all I would like to learn how to make some jazz-influenced beats as an accompaniment to rap (since I really love to write lyrics and it wouldnt need real instruments).

What is not my goal: I dont really need to record any live intruments (in the future I woul like to record vocals maybe), I also dont want to use any loops (maybe only some drum patterns) or premade material because I feel that I really should use all the stuff I learned during the 4 years of studying the composition at the conservatory :). My primary focus is to learn how to work with MIDI and virtual instruments and Cubase

What are my capabilities: I play piano and keyboard quite well, I know all the "obsolete" music theory stuff I learned at school like classical harmony, jazz harmony, basics of counterpoint, music theory etc., I can write lyrics

What are my weaknesses: I am not very proficient at all the technical stuff like working with computer, sound engineering etc.

What gear I currently have: HP Pro Book from year 2013 - not a bad computer but also nothing special, Yamaha Motif XS8 synth, Yamaha MOX, some Shure dynamic microphones,good headphones, Cubase Artist 8

What i want to know from you (maybe if the answers would be too complex i will split it into another threads)
1) What are the basic programs and tools you need for making music on a computer. Some drum engine? virtual instruments? effects? another plug-ins? which hardware?

2) Can you recommend me some sites/books/another threads here, where I can find essential info for a beginner "music producer"(or how can I call it). Where should I gather information. I prefer some systematic structuralized sources, but also writen "for dummies"

3) Can you recommend me some useful free/open-source/very cheap plugins and virtual instruments? I can earn some money only during holidays and my income is limited on what my parents give me. They support me a lot in my music progress but I just dont want to ask them for expensive stuff, since they already gave me a lot in allowing me to study music and buying me my first instruments etc...and I also need to work with some basic tools to learn what I really need and what I do not need

4)If you have to give me 1 advice (or few ones) to keep in mind when trying to make music on computer, what would they be?

Thank you for reading, I hope i get some cool useful responses :)
 
1. A DAW - you already have one - Cubase. Various VSTIs (drums, synths, piano) and VSTs (effects, reverbs, compressors, whatever). What you need here depends upon what comes with Cubase, about which I have no idea. An audio interface which supports MIDI. Monitor speakers would be ideal, but if you can't stretch to those, use your headphones.

2. No. It's not that hard. Just start, ask questions, google stuff, hang around here.

3. Google "free xxxxx VST/I" and you'll find a million. Your question is too broad. As for a specific synth or reverb, and you'll get recommendations. As you have decent synths, you should be aiming to use the sounds on board them and record the audio.... can't tell you how but can't be that hard.

4. Begin.
 
Armistice said:
1. A DAW - you already have one - Cubase. Various VSTIs (drums, synths, piano) and VSTs (effects, reverbs, compressors, whatever). What you need here depends upon what comes with Cubase, about which I have no idea. An audio interface which supports MIDI. Monitor speakers would be ideal, but if you can't stretch to those, use your headphones.

2. No. It's not that hard. Just start, ask questions, google stuff, hang around here.

3. Google "free xxxxx VST/I" and you'll find a million. Your question is too broad. As for a specific synth or reverb, and you'll get recommendations. As you have decent synths, you should be aiming to use the sounds on board them and record the audio.... can't tell you how but can't be that hard.

4. Begin.
Click to expand...

What E ^ said. I also did not see an interface in your inventory? It is true that the Yamaha at least can act as an interface but I doubt it will be as operationally useful as a dedicated device?

Cubase you have, nothing better for MIDI work they say but I would give Reaper a do? You might find Cubase good for initial scoring and the audio FX side of Reaper more useful?

Dave.
 
I used to have audio interface in the past but I sold it, because I moved to another city for school and was busy learning piano and stuff so I had no time for recording and also I used it very rarely since i work mostly with MIDI.
Some people told me that if you do not want to record live instruments you do not need audio interface and the inbuilt one in notebook is sufficient enough if you use headphones and not studio monitors, is that true?
Yes, Yamaha Motif XS can be used as an audio interface and i was told that is actualy better than than the low end interfaces for approx 150 USD and it is also possible to control Cubase via knobs on Motif.
The bad thing is you need a FireWire socked on your notebook which i do not have :(
 
Yes indeed, Armi has you covered. Especially #4. Old adage says, "Once begun, you're half done."
Is there a computer guru you know who could add a 1394 to your Mac? That would solve the problems you're facing and save you the interface. The one on the XF series is supposed to be excellent.

Lots to learn here.

If you're going to program drums, make sure that what you program is playable. Nothing like hearing a drum line that would require three feet and six arms... Give them some variance: The same beat over and over with the same exact hits on each piece at exactly the right times sounds like a robot and is not very appealing. Find several hi-hat strikes that are similar in sound, but not exact and mix them in. Vary the amount of velocity on each hit based on how you'd really play them (possibly play them in from the keyboard). Then repeat for the snare and the kick and the toms and the cymbals. There are a lot of subtle nuances to an actual drum performance. When you strike a cymbal it goes flipping around and the next time you hit it you won't hit it the same because it's in motion. It will sound different...anyway, you get the picture. EZ Drummer/Superior Drummer, Steven Slate Drums 4, or Addictive Drums are all top contenders.

Again, with any instrument, if you're going to program instead of playing the actual instrument, there are fret buzzes, glissandi, reed bends and other expressions that are very hard to duplicate in midi. It's usually "best" to record actual instruments. OTOH, it is very rarely expedient or even possible for a home recordist to do so. Listen to good performances...I once did a soundtrack for a girl that had cello in it. Spent days listening to Yo-Yo Ma performances before I even started. Lots of blending of sounds from my collection to make it sound even slightly realistic...still could have been a lot better, but the customer liked it, and that's all that counted. :)
I started (back in the 90s) doing strictly midi with the help of a Yamaha sound card that accepted "soundfonts" and Cakewalk. Some things could be made to sound okay, but most were just beyond the scope or realism. Today, there's a lot more to choose from. Get out and look for VSTis for the instruments you're interested in working with. Most soundfont sites are now dead, which is unfortunate. In the heyday, HammerSound had over 1600 different free sound fonts available...Gone about 7-8 years ago. I still have some of the best PM me if you'd like me to send you copies via Dropbox. Don't know about all of the DAWs out there, but Reason reads soundfonts without problems, so I'd imagine most do. Start with a few select sites, like VSTPlanet or HitSquad...
 
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