Confusion with softwares????

  • Thread starter Thread starter Purpleb
  • Start date Start date
P

Purpleb

New member
Hello everyone this is going to sound a lil new-b-ish. (maybe a lot new-b-ish) Well I got an mbox, monitors, and a mic. I am doing a lil recording to instrumentals etc...everything is fine.

I wanted to start making my own beats/instrumentals (whatever you want to call them)

I want to go the software route. I know there is reason, fl studio, etc..

Ok so if I pick up reason lets say is that all I need? Can I just transfer the beats I made from there to pro tools and I am good to go?

Or do I need like ableton live? actually I really do not understand what the hell live does, Is it like pro tools? I know it is a sequencer, but what does it sequence?

I just want like a simple set up: mbox, pro tools, reason or fl studio
Would that be enough so I could start making beats?

Sorry for the long post and all these questions, I did some research on all of them, but it is like once I think I kinda understand things, then it starts getting more complex.
 
You can bounce/export the whole song or individual tracks from Reason
and import them into Pro Tools and mix them alside real instruments/your session, yes.
 
Purpleb said:
I just want like a simple set up: mbox, pro tools, reason or fl studio --- Would that be enough so I could start making beats?
Click to expand...
Pro Tools is probably the worst place to start if you're interested in dance, techno, hiphop or any other beat-heavy music. PT is so white it squeaks, and it's only been recently that they've grudgingly put any kind of midi implementation at all into their software. Reason, Sonar, FL, Tracktion, Logic all allow you to focus on midi - which is something every beat oriented musician should know something about.

Here are links to two good articles on midi basics - part one and part two.

From where you are now I would start by downloading some demos - if you've got a PC download Cakewalk Project 5 and Tracktion. If you've got a Mac, Logic Express may be just what you need, and Tracktion is cross-platform, meaning it runs on both PC and Mac.
 
ssscientist said:
Pro Tools is probably the worst place to start if you're interested in dance, techno, hiphop or any other beat-heavy music. PT is so white it squeaks, and it's only been recently that they've grudgingly put any kind of midi implementation at all into their software. Reason, Sonar, FL, Tracktion, Logic all allow you to focus on midi - which is something every beat oriented musician should know something about.
Click to expand...

Sorry but this is more than slightly misleading. The original poster already has an M-Box. Working from that angle there are tons (almost endless) great solutions that work well with M-Box.

First it is, and has been since the early days of 5.0 Pro Tools software, accepted that Pro Tools is an audio solution. Digidesign has always said that they hope to continue to improve their midi implementation but audio improvements will always be their first consideration.

Having said that however Pro Tools midi is FAR from unusable and I suspect it's capabilities are far deeper than most average users would ever have the need for. I've read you suggested articles and Pro Tools is capable of far more than what is covered in those text's. It is generally agreed upon that Logic and DP are far deeper midi packages but that, in and of itself, doesn't mean that Pro Tools isn't capable PARTICULARLY for some one who is new to sequencing and already owns an M-Box. Where it is true I still use DP for sequencing at work I don't hesitate to use Pro Tools at home.

Some suggestion for an M-Box user..

"Stylus RMX" is as good as it get for great sounding drum, beat and percussion loops not to mention the ability to manipulate those loops is amazing. It is a very efficient program with a great effects processor and is expandable as well. Stylus is a plug in and shows up in your Pro-Tools plug-in folder.

"Reason" is a stand alone application and can run along side of Pro-Tools (simultaneously) via a small aplet program called Rewire. It is NOT a sonic match to Stylus put it has endless possibilities via it's two drum machine components as well as two samplers and several analogish synths. You can sequence in both Pro Tools to Reason or Reason to Pro Tools. The possibilities are boundless. There are hundreds of libraries out there to keep new sounds available.

"Live" is another stand alone application that has so many uses it's almost hard to adequately describe it's possibilities. It can be used as a loop based audio application with brilliant time stretching capabilities. It can be a stand alone audio recording device and it can be a midi sequencing application. It to uses the small aplet program Rewire to connect virtually to Pro Tools.

"BFD" is an extremely realistic set of drum kit's that when used in conjunction with "Live" and Pro Tools provides for endless tempo matching rhymic ideas.

"Sample Tank" and "MachFive" while considered much more of a sampler than strictly a "beat machine" have fantastic drum libraries and where you'd have to work a bit harder to create drum tracks (because there are no pre-recorded loops in the libraries) you would get the benefit of all the other sound categories that come with a sampler...Piano's, Pad's, Orchestral, ect ect.

All of these programs and or plug-ins are compatible and run well with Pro-Tools LE.

Hope that helps

JH
 
Joseph Hanna said:
Sorry but this is more than slightly misleading.
Click to expand...
Nope. It's right on the money. The time to cut and run from 'ProTools' is now, before the original poster gets so far out an a limb that he loses interest entirely.

Hearing plain vanilla results that sound nothing like the music you enjoy is not inspiring. Remember when you first loved Kenny G? What if you had sofware that steered you not in that direction but to some brutal hiphop or pumping techno? You woud've lost interest and taken up photography.

It's not too late for him - or for you, for that matter.

And FYI, the MBox doesn't have midi ports so all your fancy 'I read the articles you linked' blather is just a bunch of hot air.
 
If you want to go the pro tools route for your mic, I'd suggest making your beats in Reason and then re-wiring them into pro tools (or just finalizing the beat in its entirety and importing it in). Pro Tools does take a while to learn, but if you're using software that's more orientented to the genre of music that you want to play (no one has asked you what type you are trying to make, which type is it?) you may as well use that and then use Pro Tools for your vocals. Like Joseph said reason is a standalone and since there are new refills coming out constantly the amount of creativity is endless. Fruity Loops is good too, but some people say it can get limiting after a while, but I guess that's any software once you've gotten to a point where you don't know what new stuff will come out of your head next.
 
ssscientist said:
Nope. It's right on the money. The time to cut and run from 'ProTools' is now, before the original poster gets so far out an a limb that he loses interest entirely.

Hearing plain vanilla results that sound nothing like the music you enjoy is not inspiring. Remember when you first loved Kenny G? What if you had sofware that steered you not in that direction but to some brutal hiphop or pumping techno? You woud've lost interest and taken up photography.

It's not too late for him - or for you, for that matter.

And FYI, the MBox doesn't have midi ports so all your fancy 'I read the articles you linked' blather is just a bunch of hot air.
Click to expand...

the original poster is not asking how to make beats in PT....he's asking how to use other programs to make his beats and then import them into pro tools later on. Many people use multiple programs to create what they want. I'd never use Fruity Loops or Reason or Acid for any audio editing....why aren't you mentioning those programs as ones he should stay away from??
But yes, FL, Reason and Acid are better loop and MIDI based programs to play with.
 
bennychico11 said:
I'd never use Fruity Loops or Reason or Acid for any audio editing....
Click to expand...
That's because they're not made for the purpose of editing audio.

I use multiple programs too, and when there's no other alternative I know my way around protools quite well. But I don't own it, and in it's current state I never will. Digidesign will have to go quite a ways to even compete with Sonar on the PC and Logic on the Mac, but they seem content to rest on their laurels --- as tenuous as they may be.
 
ssscientist said:
That's because they're not made for the purpose of editing audio.

I use multiple programs too, and when there's no other alternative I know my way around protools quite well. But I don't own it, and in it's current state I never will. Digidesign will have to go quite a ways to even compete with Sonar on the PC and Logic on the Mac, but they seem content to rest on their laurels --- as tenuous as they may be.
Click to expand...

Digidesign has never said they are a MIDI based program. Many users tell them that MIDI is the weak side of the software program.....do you think you're the only one who thinks that?? Pro Tools was originally an audio editing program that incorporated MIDI later as it became popular in DAWs....just like Digital Performer began with MIDI first and added audio capabilities 5 years later.

stick with the original poster's actual question...do you know of any programs that would help him in making his beats?
 
Thanks for all the replies.
Sorry about replying soooo late I just had a death in the family.
So I was kind of thinking about going the Reason with Rewire route. Do I need one of those midi keyboards to control it? Would it be easier that way? The music I am doing varies from hip hop to techno-e-ish type of music.
 
M-Audio makes some fantastic MIDI controllers that connect to your computer via USB, so no need for MIDI ports whatsoever. Just install the drivers and tell Reason/Pro Tools to use it as a MIDI device.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=M-Audio+keyboard&tt=1

Ableton Live is a "performance" based program so to speak. It can be used in many different ways, from a sequence to an instrument on stage. It is extreamly functional for working with loops and basic sequencing, and is very easy to use after a bit of tinkering. It will also ReWire into Pro Tools for simultanous use with Pro Tools (it will slave to Pro Tools, so when you hit play in PT, Ableton Live will play also).

Reason 3 is also another great program for electronic styles. For being only about $300, Reason does some amazing things. It acts as a rack unit for a DAW like Pro Tools, or can function own its own using Reason's sequencer. Although the sequencer is kinda lacking, it is still very functional. I use it the most ReWired into Pro Tools.

MIDI sequencing in Pro Tools isn't the best out there, but it is very functional. Its almost easier for someone who hasen't done much sequencing before to pick up on or dosen't need to do much sequencing, over a program like Logic or DP. With 7.0 being out, a lot of the MIDI functions have improved.

I mainly use Logic Pro 7 if I'm going to be doing a lot of MIDI work, then dump the audio files into Pro Tools later to edit and add my live tracks to.

Pro Tool's focus is on audio production and editing, not MIDI (except now they have some major improvements that will start changing this view). To me, editing audio in DP, Logic, Cubase totally sucks (but the MIDI side of those programs are fairly good, especially Logic). Its clunky and cumbersome. From what I've used so far, Pro Tools is hands down the fastest and easiest DAW to use for Audio.
 
Thanks
I was thinking about getting Reason 2.5 and m audio oxygen 8. Would that do the trick? Can they work together
 
I was looking around for Reason on ebay, I think that they are selling burned copies of it. There is a lot of sellers doing it, is that even legal? Can't they get in trouble for that?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top