angelodias
New member
Hello.
I'm new to the forums so I thought I should start posting this here. Sorry if it's too demanding or long. I hope "nobody will laugh" as stated in the board's description. I'm Brazilian so forgive any english mistakes.
I don't want to be a professional producer. I just want to make music by myself. As stupid as that sounds, I'm a (not so good) keyboard player that has some music knowledge and the guts to learn (and spend on) music production.
This text opens everything I've tried to do with music. I really want help in order to start doing things right and stop the Try-and-Error.
I think I should start with what I want to do (this is not a self-promoting post).
- What I want to do:
This: https://soundcloud.com/angelod1as/young-again
This is the latest song I made. It's the farthest I can get.
This: https://soundcloud.com/angelod1as/marcha-do-vento
I really want to be able to produce videogame music. This is my first experience.
I do all of that by myself. I have access to a guitar and some friends that play instruments, but I don't know if I'm ready to record-and-produce analogic sound. Well, I also don't think I'm ready for MIDI... Let's get to hardware.
- What I use:
M-Audio Fast Track
(amazon link: Amazon.com: M-Audio Fast Track II Avid USB Recording Studio Interface: Musical Instruments )
This is my "audio interface" <- I don't know if that's the right name.
Tascam DR-05
(amazon link: Amazon.com: TASCAM DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder: Musical Instruments )
I use this as a portable recorder. I never used it to make music, only to record voice and interviews. It's kinda busted (mono won't work, only stereo).
Akai Professional MPK Mini
(amazon link: Amazon.com: Akai Professional MPK Mini 25-Key Ultra-Portable USB MIDI Keyboard Controller: Musical Instruments )
Newest buy. I like it a lot.
MacBook Pro Retina 13'
I used to record music on PC but I got a MacBook for work. I still have the PC but I just use it for gaming.
Apple iPad Retina with TouchAble
The BEST thing to work with Ableton. I sometimes prefer to use it to play with than the MPK Mini.
Shure SM58
My microphone for anything —music, interview, podcasting, etc.
I have other things that I haven't used yet.
Alesis QS6
( QS 6 )
My dad bought this keyboard used. I have it since I began learning the keyboard and I haven't turned it on for about an year. It's heavy, bulky and do not come with USB ports, only old MIDI (whose MIDI-USB cables are HARD to find in Brazil). When connected to any software, It plays with latency. I like the "sounds" it has but never really tried to record audio (and not MIDI) from it.
A children's Glockenspiel (which I tried to record but it didn't sound OK)
A "Melodica" (Pocket Piano)
An Accordion, which I'm learning and not ready to record (I think).
- SOFTWARE TIME!
I used to edit podcasts with Audacity. It's free and nice. I fiddled with Avid Pro Tools (can't remember the edition) that came with my Fast Track. Then I got Ableton Live, thanks to some friend's advice. I watched a few videos about how to use it and the songs above are the result of my experience.
- What's the help I want:
1) Should I ALWAYS use the Fast Track connected to my Mac or I will it only help if I'm recording audio? For example: I'm recording stuff from my midi keyboard, just experimenting. Should I have the Fast Track connected and headphones in it or Mac, MPK Mini and headphones connected into the Mac is enough?
2) I have an iPad and I want to be able to record stuff away from home. I'm not always with my MacBook Pro (Brazilians will understand) but I'm with the iPad all the time. I want something that works alone, not like TouchAble, and can record simple audio and midi. If it get's to be multitrack and exportable (like recording midi and exporting the midi for import in Ableton), then it's better. I'm open to pay for this app.
3) I'm having a real hard time with mixing —That's why I don't record audio, only midi. I hate the way my voice sounds and I tend to play too much with filters and effects. Is there anything —video-courses, books, things for newbies— that I can read/see? I can't do presencial classes, so remote will have to suffice. [EDIT: Answered here]
ISSUES:
I live in Brazil, so anything you tell me to buy is going to cost almost three times as it costs in USA. I'm inclined to buying things, but please don't tell me to buy a US$7000 hardware. I'm about to move to a small apartment, so I can't buy too big hardware. A small mixer would do? Sure. A new keyboard? Only if I dump my old one. Thanks.
Thank you if you read all of this. All I want to do, after all, is to be able to invite friends home, record something nice, mix it and release it. It doesn't need to be AWESOMELY DONE, but good enough for our pleasure. I don't intend to make money with music production.
I'm new to the forums so I thought I should start posting this here. Sorry if it's too demanding or long. I hope "nobody will laugh" as stated in the board's description. I'm Brazilian so forgive any english mistakes.
I don't want to be a professional producer. I just want to make music by myself. As stupid as that sounds, I'm a (not so good) keyboard player that has some music knowledge and the guts to learn (and spend on) music production.
This text opens everything I've tried to do with music. I really want help in order to start doing things right and stop the Try-and-Error.
I think I should start with what I want to do (this is not a self-promoting post).
- What I want to do:
This: https://soundcloud.com/angelod1as/young-again
This is the latest song I made. It's the farthest I can get.
This: https://soundcloud.com/angelod1as/marcha-do-vento
I really want to be able to produce videogame music. This is my first experience.
I do all of that by myself. I have access to a guitar and some friends that play instruments, but I don't know if I'm ready to record-and-produce analogic sound. Well, I also don't think I'm ready for MIDI... Let's get to hardware.
- What I use:
M-Audio Fast Track
(amazon link: Amazon.com: M-Audio Fast Track II Avid USB Recording Studio Interface: Musical Instruments )
This is my "audio interface" <- I don't know if that's the right name.
Tascam DR-05
(amazon link: Amazon.com: TASCAM DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder: Musical Instruments )
I use this as a portable recorder. I never used it to make music, only to record voice and interviews. It's kinda busted (mono won't work, only stereo).
Akai Professional MPK Mini
(amazon link: Amazon.com: Akai Professional MPK Mini 25-Key Ultra-Portable USB MIDI Keyboard Controller: Musical Instruments )
Newest buy. I like it a lot.
MacBook Pro Retina 13'
I used to record music on PC but I got a MacBook for work. I still have the PC but I just use it for gaming.
Apple iPad Retina with TouchAble
The BEST thing to work with Ableton. I sometimes prefer to use it to play with than the MPK Mini.
Shure SM58
My microphone for anything —music, interview, podcasting, etc.
I have other things that I haven't used yet.
Alesis QS6
( QS 6 )
My dad bought this keyboard used. I have it since I began learning the keyboard and I haven't turned it on for about an year. It's heavy, bulky and do not come with USB ports, only old MIDI (whose MIDI-USB cables are HARD to find in Brazil). When connected to any software, It plays with latency. I like the "sounds" it has but never really tried to record audio (and not MIDI) from it.
A children's Glockenspiel (which I tried to record but it didn't sound OK)
A "Melodica" (Pocket Piano)
An Accordion, which I'm learning and not ready to record (I think).
- SOFTWARE TIME!
I used to edit podcasts with Audacity. It's free and nice. I fiddled with Avid Pro Tools (can't remember the edition) that came with my Fast Track. Then I got Ableton Live, thanks to some friend's advice. I watched a few videos about how to use it and the songs above are the result of my experience.
- What's the help I want:
1) Should I ALWAYS use the Fast Track connected to my Mac or I will it only help if I'm recording audio? For example: I'm recording stuff from my midi keyboard, just experimenting. Should I have the Fast Track connected and headphones in it or Mac, MPK Mini and headphones connected into the Mac is enough?
2) I have an iPad and I want to be able to record stuff away from home. I'm not always with my MacBook Pro (Brazilians will understand) but I'm with the iPad all the time. I want something that works alone, not like TouchAble, and can record simple audio and midi. If it get's to be multitrack and exportable (like recording midi and exporting the midi for import in Ableton), then it's better. I'm open to pay for this app.
3) I'm having a real hard time with mixing —That's why I don't record audio, only midi. I hate the way my voice sounds and I tend to play too much with filters and effects. Is there anything —video-courses, books, things for newbies— that I can read/see? I can't do presencial classes, so remote will have to suffice. [EDIT: Answered here]
ISSUES:
I live in Brazil, so anything you tell me to buy is going to cost almost three times as it costs in USA. I'm inclined to buying things, but please don't tell me to buy a US$7000 hardware. I'm about to move to a small apartment, so I can't buy too big hardware. A small mixer would do? Sure. A new keyboard? Only if I dump my old one. Thanks.
Thank you if you read all of this. All I want to do, after all, is to be able to invite friends home, record something nice, mix it and release it. It doesn't need to be AWESOMELY DONE, but good enough for our pleasure. I don't intend to make money with music production.
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