Best way to start ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter heyjoe67
  • Start date Start date
H

heyjoe67

New member
Hello,

Let me start saying I am a little bit lost in this field, so I share the scenario to you all to see if someone can help me decide the best way to start:

First of all, I started with 2 years of piano and solfeggio. After that I started to play the guitar, and then the electric guitar. Then (eight years ago) I started playing with friends and have been in some bands since then (lots of fun but nothing serious :) some neighbourhood parties and free gigs, once we recorded a demo in a studio, but thats all).
During this time I have been messing with Cakewalk (early versions) and lately Fruity Loops. I used to build drum loops, bass and piano melodies (handmade with piano roll) to have accompainment to my guitar when playing home alone, that drove me to where I am now.

I now waste most of my spare time making melodies and song projects with Fruity Loops (I add guitar recorded tracks sometimes), but I know the way I use to build the melodies and things is not the best one (manually selecting notes in pianoroll, or using the computer keyboard as a midi one :rolleyes: ).

My main limitations are:
- Using the computer keyboard i cannot press more than 4 keys same time and it has some kind of delay (processor time, i think) so it does not sound in tempo (i use to press the keys before the tempo to make them sound on tempo, or modify them in piano roll after recording).
- The sounds of most of fruity loops samples and generated instruments does not feel realistic to my ears, I need more realism to be happy (basses, synths, pads, etc...)
- I would like to have more and more sounds and samples (instruments, effects, generators, etc...) than the ones I have in fruity loops (by default).

I've thougth I can buy some stuff to start some kind of amateur homebased composition/recording studio.
I would like to spend about USD$600-800 in things, so do not expect it to be a pro studio.

I have a common Intel PIV 2,4 processor computer, 512 DDR Ram, etc... this has a motherboard integrated 5.1 soundcard (SoundMAX i think, nothing professional). Windows server 2003 and XP. Polk audio stereo speakers and a sennheiser headphones.

Do you think buying a USB midi keyboard like this one (http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--EDIPCR30) will help ? Will I have the same delay problem with a midi keyboard ? How can I solve the delay problem ?
What is the best way to have lots of realistic sounds and samples of instruments, effects, etc... ?
Does the semi-amateur people use fruity loops or do they use more powerful softwares like Logic or Protools ? What is best ? Do this soft have samples and instruments integrated ?

To all who have experience, what would you do if you were me ?

The music I would like to do varies from indie rock, electropop, commercial, dance, even a bit of trance.

Sorry for a so large message, thanks in advance :)
 
What to do... what to do...

I have been playing with Fruity Loops a little lately, and I'm making a litte headway. I suggest you look into getting a "loop based" recording package for your PC/Mac. I use Acid on the PC, but Garage Band seems similar on the Mac. With Acid I can make Fruity Loops show up as a "soft synth" and record directly from FL into Acid as a track, almost seamlessly. I can also record guitar or keyboard simultaneously with FL or work on individual tracks/retakes while looping FL or other stuff I've recorded. I can record unlimitted tracks and make multiple takes, and edit bad parts out as I go.

For keyboard, I have a Yamaha PSR-290 - the run-of-the-mill synth keyboard, with MIDI. I can use the keyboard to control the keyboard stuff in FL in real-time (no delay) - polyphonic. I have the keyboard plugged into the MIDI port on my PC (joystick port w/special MIDI cable).

I also record guitar directly into my PC via the "Line in" on the sound card.

All of these recordings are to tracks in the multitrack Acid s/w I use.
 
For the kind of music your trying to make I suggest a 'ROLAND MC-909' the sampling groovebox its great for your style of music. Fruityloops is really un-realistic and sounds to digital move-on.
 
heyjoe67 said:
My main limitations are:
- Using the computer keyboard i cannot press more than 4 keys same time and it has some kind of delay (processor time, i think) so it does not sound in tempo (i use to press the keys before the tempo to make them sound on tempo, or modify them in piano roll after recording).
The keyboard you have linked will solve your problem. Your problem is commonly known as 'latency', and using ASIO drivers that come with the Edirol keyboard will resolve the situation.

Your next stop should be http://www.kvraudio.com for a selection of free and low-cost soft synths that are compatable with Fruity Loops. There has been a VST wrapper with the last few versions of FL and it's necessary to get soft synths going, but it's not especially difficult to figure out.

The MC-909 is a stand alone unit that last time I checked was going for $1400. That keyboard and the kvr audio soft synths are WAY more budget-friendly - you could buy 7 of them for the price of one MC-909...
 
Back
Top