Lookin' To Make It Big...

[Griff98506]

First off I'd like to introduce myself since I just signed up. My names Keola, I'm 16 years old and I currently reside in WA.

I never really found a hobby or sport that I could enjoy and keep doing throughout my life besides BMX and that's just starting to get boring a little. Well, one day- today, I was sitting in my room thinking of stuff to do and I had my music playing so I just thought that if I don't really do much throughout my day I should just take advantage of it and just make my own music.

Sadly, I don't even know where to start. Luckily, I came to the right place... hopefully. What I'm trying to say is I would like anyone to explain to me what equipment I have to get, what it's purpose is and any input or advice you can give me.

 

[snitchdnb]

Research

First off I'd like to introduce myself since I just signed up. My names Keola, I'm 16 years old and I currently reside in WA.

I never really found a hobby or sport that I could enjoy and keep doing throughout my life besides BMX and that's just starting to get boring a little. Well, one day- today, I was sitting in my room thinking of stuff to do and I had my music playing so I just thought that if I don't really do much throughout my day I should just take advantage of it and just make my own music.

Sadly, I don't even know where to start. Luckily, I came to the right place... hopefully. What I'm trying to say is I would like anyone to explain to me what equipment I have to get, what it's purpose is and any input or advice you can give me.

Hello Keola, Laying the basics down for the moment, what do you have at this moment - Basic PC? Hi Fi Speakers?

May i ask what genre or genre's your more looking towards in making?

This is isnt so to speak essential but it will help you decide the direction you want go in.

Start with basic research on Soundcards, Studio Mointors and Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), Remember this is pretty simple for now, im not too good with explaining things so ill let someone else lay down the more detailed information

 

[Greg_L]

First off I'd like to introduce myself since I just signed up. My names Keola, I'm 16 years old and I currently reside in WA.

I never really found a hobby or sport that I could enjoy and keep doing throughout my life besides BMX and that's just starting to get boring a little. Well, one day- today, I was sitting in my room thinking of stuff to do and I had my music playing so I just thought that if I don't really do much throughout my day I should just take advantage of it and just make my own music.

Sadly, I don't even know where to start. Luckily, I came to the right place... hopefully. What I'm trying to say is I would like anyone to explain to me what equipment I have to get, what it's purpose is and any input or advice you can give me.

Hello Keola, my name is Greg. Do you know how to play anything? Not that it's entirely necessary with MIDI's capabilities, but you know, it helps to know something about music before you try to record it.

 

[Griff98506]

Hello Keola, Laying the basics down for the moment, what do you have at this moment - Basic PC? Hi Fi Speakers?

May i ask what genre or genre's your more looking towards in making?

I have a 15" MacBook Pro (2.4GHz model) that I regularly use and I also have a Gateway desktop which I think is the LX model but I rarely use it and if I do it's usually just to keep it up to date (it's more-so a family computer) and I have 5.1 logitech speakers. As of right now I just want to primarily focus on making Rap/Hip Hop beats and once I get familiar with the basics I want to start expanding to Dubstep, Trance, Techno, etc.

 

[Griff98506]

Hello Keola, my name is Greg. Do you know how to play anything? Not that it's entirely necessary with MIDI's capabilities, but you know, it helps to know something about music before you try to record it.

Erm... I use to play the violin in the 6th grade if that counts (I'm currently a junior in high school). But my dad's side of the family is Hawaiian so I know how to play the Ukulele a little but I never really bothered playing a guitar- acoustic or electric.

As I previously mentioned to snitch, I'm focusing on Rap/Hip Hop beats right now and what I usually do to get an idea of how it'll sound I'll just imitate the bass and clap for the tempo or "outline" I guess but I'm not too sure if that'll get me anywhere.

 

[RAMI]

Jesus fuck. I'm taking a stapler to my head.

 

[Griff98506]

Jesus fuck. I'm taking a stapler to my head.

I'm sure there's something you find stupid in this thread otherwise you wouldn't of replied, but just an FYI in case you didn't know, I just registered for this site today and I have no experience with producing music at all so unless you have something helpful to say please do me a favor and at least be mature about it.

 

[Wolfram]

I'm sure there's something you find stupid in this thread otherwise you wouldn't of replied, but just an FYI in case you didn't know, I just registered for this site today and I have no experience with producing music at all so unless you have something helpful to say please do me a favor and at least be mature about it.

I think what ^he said was fair enough.......in fact may I please borrow that stapler too?

Thats some learning curve you're going to have there.

Step 1........

In all seriousness you have a lot of reading to do and the search function is 'your friend'.

Good Luck

P.S This guy is going to engineer the next great album of our time and I will have to eat my words.

 

[snitchdnb]

I have a 15" MacBook Pro (2.4GHz model) that I regularly use and I also have a Gateway desktop which I think is the LX model but I rarely use it and if I do it's usually just to keep it up to date (it's more-so a family computer) and I have 5.1 logitech speakers. As of right now I just want to primarily focus on making Rap/Hip Hop beats and once I get familiar with the basics I want to start expanding to Dubstep, Trance, Techno, etc.

Okay, are you planning to record vocals? you will be expand your setup once you get more knowledge in this field,

on the basics you will need

A Soundcard - Research it,
Studio mointors - research it
DAW - Research it

as i said before you need to search around to find what you want to do, your speakin on the lines of more sequencing so research on digital production then if your planning to record vocals look at analogue recording. correct me if im wrong. not too good at explaining things ...

 

[Chili]

Jesus fuck. I'm taking a stapler to my head.

You can borrow my electric stapler if that'll help!!!

Well Griff/Keola, like Wolf said, you've got a lot of reading to do. Start here in the newbies section. (In fact, I'll move this thread over there where it belongs and you won't get the hilariously outlandish side comments )

Then go to http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm for a great tutorial. Read through it all, then read it again.

Then start looking at books. I always recommend:
Homerecording for Musicians for Dummies, by Jeff Strong.

Read read read read....

 

[Griff98506]

Okay, are you planning to record vocals? you will be expand your setup once you get more knowledge in this field,

on the basics you will need

A Soundcard - Research it,
Studio mointors - research it
DAW - Research it

as i said before you need to search around to find what you want to do, your speakin on the lines of more sequencing so research on digital production then if your planning to record vocals look at analogue recording. correct me if im wrong. not too good at explaining things ...

I don't really intend to record vocals just yet but in the future I will.

 

[dintymoore]

First off I'd like to introduce myself since I just signed up. My names Keola, I'm 16 years old and I currently reside in WA.

I never really found a hobby or sport that I could enjoy and keep doing throughout my life besides BMX and that's just starting to get boring a little. Well, one day- today, I was sitting in my room thinking of stuff to do and I had my music playing so I just thought that if I don't really do much throughout my day I should just take advantage of it and just make my own music.

Sadly, I don't even know where to start. Luckily, I came to the right place... hopefully. What I'm trying to say is I would like anyone to explain to me what equipment I have to get, what it's purpose is and any input or advice you can give me.

You could pick up a USB interface and some sort of mic off of Craigslist and start messing around with it. Just start checking the "musical instruments" section each day. That, your voice and your uke are all you need to get started.

or

How about just getting a cassette with a built in mic and start messing with that? I imagine that's how most here started. You can go a long way with that as even a piece of junk cassette won't lie about song quality, time or pitch. It's a way to get your songs going without getting bogged down with technicalities.

Aloha nui loa

 

[darrin_h2000]

Erm... I use to play the violin in the 6th grade if that counts (I'm currently a junior in high school). But my dad's side of the family is Hawaiian so I know how to play the Ukulele a little but I never really bothered playing a guitar- acoustic or electric.

As I previously mentioned to snitch, I'm focusing on Rap/Hip Hop beats right now and what I usually do to get an idea of how it'll sound I'll just imitate the bass and clap for the tempo or "outline" I guess but I'm not too sure if that'll get me anywhere.

I can see where the violin and Ukulele experience will come in handy doing Rap/HipHop.

Now this as a hobby can be a money pit...just so you know what you are getting into...you are about $1000 away from laying your first track if you want decent results...you can skimp if you are just doing this as a goof and dont mind broke ass noisy entry level gear that is only designed to steal a newbies money.

 

[Supercreep]

First off I'd like to introduce myself since I just signed up. My names Keola, I'm 16 years old and I currently reside in WA.

I never really found a hobby or sport that I could enjoy and keep doing throughout my life besides BMX and that's just starting to get boring a little. Well, one day- today, I was sitting in my room thinking of stuff to do and I had my music playing so I just thought that if I don't really do much throughout my day I should just take advantage of it and just make my own music.

Sadly, I don't even know where to start. Luckily, I came to the right place... hopefully. What I'm trying to say is I would like anyone to explain to me what equipment I have to get, what it's purpose is and any input or advice you can give me.

Love music and start making it. Everything else will follow. Nobody can tell you how to be inspired.

Just go do it.

 

[kcearl]

All music experience helps when composing songs..ukeles, violins..in fact everything except the one string banjo


Id buy "Guerilla home recording" by Karl Coryat..there's plenty that wont pertain to you but tons that will...it will help teach you the basics of all recording..

Id say to begin with a simple sequencer would cover what you need...there are loads of royalty free loops that come free with magazines and such like...these are good to get you started and give you a backbone on which to build..

FL studio always seems a good bet for the genre you want to do and its fairly low priced compared to others...get yourself a decent soundcard or audio interface...you will need it, then go from there


But the most important thing you can do just now is read and ask questions,,,because this will be the foundation on which will depend how fast you learn and how well your recording will turn out (kinda the dull part as well unfortunately )


Take the ribbing from the guys here...everyone means well and they have a depth of experience I don't think you'll find anywhere else on the web..check the MP3 clinic out for evidence of this..


and welcome to the site Keola

 

[Griff98506]

A Soundcard - Research it,

What exactly do you mean by sound card? Like the one's in a computer or something else?

 

[kcearl]

I can see where the violin and Ukulele experience will come in handy doing Rap/HipHop.

Now this as a hobby can be a money pit...just so you know what you are getting into...you are about $1000 away from laying your first track if you want decent results...you can skimp if you are just doing this as a goof and dont mind broke ass noisy entry level gear that is only designed to steal a newbies money.

and he's off...lol

 

[kcearl]

What exactly do you mean by sound card? Like the one's in a computer or something else?

the one in your PC is a piece of crap and meant to reproduce beeps when you click your mouse...not music..

beware of cards like audigy...while these are fairly cheap and sound great with games, video streaming etc they are not designed for music production...look for other things..I started with an M audio quattro for $50 of clist..its old but it worked fine..look and research

 

[c7sus]

Acid or some other loop-based software sequencer.

You don't need to know how to play anything but a mouse.

 

[cantthinkofname]

How about just getting a cassette with a built in mic and start messing with that? I imagine that's how most here started. You can go a long way with that as even a piece of junk cassette won't lie about song quality, time or pitch. It's a way to get your songs going without getting bogged down with technicalities.

that's what i do, but on a cheap video camera, although i didn't mind what i heard coming directly out of the cameras speaker, when i uploaded it to my computer and ran through its built in video program there, although the songs still sounded alright, the sound was completely different.

it lagged, muffled, occasional string screaching where it didn't belong, had alot of background noise, etc..

other than that i agree with you