Beginner at Producing

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joshuabigaud

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I'm just starting off producing beats and i wanted to know how you would start off the beat. I usually like to start with drums so i have something to work around. But my problem is when i first open my program (protools) i don't know what tempo to set it to. If I set the tempo and work around the Metronome i don't have ass much freedom in adjusting the tone, you know making the beat more slow and relaxed or faster with more energy. So really i have 2 questions: Do most producers just start off with the drums to whatever tempo they feel like and never use a metronome or do they get a general idea of what tempo they like and use that? do they just use pre-made drum kits? Sorry if this question is stupid, i started off as an artist/song-writer, then got into engineering but i was never able to find a producer that really fit my style, so now i want to give it a shot myself.
 
A lot of new people come in and say "I want 'x', what's the best option?" The answer is... there is no "right" answer. I can't speak for everybody here, but it is totally specific to you and the way you like to work at any given time. It's almost like you asking us to tell you what your favorite color should be. We simply can't answer that. Having said all of that, I will let you know what I do (since there are 300 views and no replies on this thread)...

I usually start off with a melody that is in my head. I then try to quickly "sketch" the melody with some midi just so I don't forget it. As I'm doing this, I adjust the tempo so that it fits my idea - some are slow, some are fast (don't make all your beats the same - that gets boring). At this point, I'm not too worried if the melody is going to be a synth, or a sax, or a piano, I can figure that out later. Once I make a 4 or 8 bar loop of my idea, I add a basic drum beat behind it.

Now that the foundation is in place, I can start adding layers, variety, and fine tune the beat. Keep in mind that this is the stage that you can start swapping sounds until you find the vibe you are looking for. My biggest issue was that I placed too many rules upon myself. If you like the melody as a dubstep wobble synth, but also like it as a piano sound, use both. Maybe not together, but in different places in the song. There are no rules in making music, people just like to act like there are. Listen to other producers that you like, but listen to what they did from a production side. Don't copy them, but use it as guidance.

Finally, I would just suggest that you practice a lot. Not every beat you make will be a banger. Some will suck - that's ok. That's called learning. Just like not every doodle becomes a painting - some are just doodles... There is a lot to learn on the PC side of things in addition to the actual creativity that is required. Try different things on the technical side of things to see how it affects the sounds you hear.

Last but not least remember this: When I first started making beats, a lot of local MC;s would say "That's hot, but it's not hip hop". My reply was "I don't care what the beat is... the second you lay some rap vocals on it, it becomes hip hop." They wanted me to make a beat that sounded like what they heard on the radio. Why would I try to sound like Dr Dre, when there already is a Dr Dre, and he's pretty damn good? Just do you, and practice and experiment. You'll find that you'll discover your own way of making songs, but not until you've made a lot of them.

Good luck

Flei
 
Quantization, and for PT, "elastic audio". Look into it.
 
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