Jo Ardalan | knol | Getting started in Music Production
by BuddhaBoy on 03/10/09 at 9:10 am
Getting started in Music Production
Making music on your computer
The majority of this article was originally written for a friend who was interested in making computer music but did not know how exactly to get started. Apparently this was helpful, so I expanded and am posting it here.
This is a great time to learn about music production and recording. Not so long ago, recording a song required a deep pocket. Musicians and/or record labels spent thousands of dollars renting a recording studio, hiring several engineers (tracking, mixing, mastering), and a producer. Fortunately, because of the growing value of computers (ie they are getting both faster and cheaper) and because of the willingness of musical products companies to create recording software, users can make professional sounding recordings in their home under a reasonable budget.
The Necessary Gear
- Computer- If you are just getting started and you are unsure if this is something you want to pursue, I suggest you start with your home computer, whatever that may be. Once you decide this is something you want to spend time, money and energy on you may want to think about buying a new computer. When you are researching the computer think about what applications you are planning on using. There are some that can be extremely CPU intensive (but are fantastic) like Reaktor, where you can build your own synths and you may require a faster machine.
- Audio Interface/Soundcard- Audio Interfaces come in many different forms. They can connect to your computer via firewire, USB, PCI depending on what which one you choose. Your sound card is probably the most important piece of gear you will own. The sound quality of your work largely depends on the quality of your card. The card’s main purpose is to facilitate the translation of signal between your computer and your other gear.
- Monitors/Speakers- You will want them positioned at the ends of your table, facing you on a diagonal. Ideally, you and the two speakers should make a perfect equatorial triangle. This will put you in what we erotically refer to as “the sweet spot.” Be sure you do not depend on headphones for your final mix. It just won’t sound right over speakers (although it is always a good idea to also listen to your final mix on headphones).
- Audio Sequencer/Host- This is where you actually record and build your track. There are a number of hosts on the market and everyone has one that resonates with them best. You may want to consider how some sequencers don’t work on particular Operating Systems. Many pros use Logic Audio, which is one of the hosts I personally use and love. It is extremely tweakable and customizable, ideal for OCD individuals, however Logic is not available on the PC. Ableton Live is another very creative feeling sequencer which is ideal for people who are just getting started. It’s reasonably priced and I like how it allows the user to think of tracks linearly (which is traditional for all sequencers) but also gives the user a “Session View” where he can arrange quickly and on the fly. It is available on both Mac and PC.
The FUN Gear
Pace yourself…
- MIDI Controllers- MIDI was developed in 1983 and was a huge revolution to electronic (and other) music. Rather than an audio signal (think the energy/signal that gets transmitted while recording a guitar) MIDI is a completely different type of signal which generates messages, not “audio.” These messages can be transmitted from an external source (e.g. a controller) to give all sorts of information, like pitch, velocity… Sometimes these controllers look like keyboards but sometimes they can be completely insane.
- Plugins- Software that works within your host, essentially “instruments.” They usually come in 4 flavors.
- Synthesizer- These are instruments that generate sound from an oscillator. They usually come with many other parameters you can tweek (like filters, tune, resonance etc).
- Sampler- These are instruments that generate sound from a sample. You can find them as interfaces (like Native Instruments’ Kontakt) where you can bring in your own samples and modulate them within your interface.
- Sound Library- Sound libraries are primarily used when you need lots of sounds, fast. They are (hopefully) well designed sounds that you don’t need to alter too much (although you usually can). Sometimes they come within a sample interface, as mentioned above. For example, KREATE by Speedy J, is a techno library which comes with a version on Kontakt, but the value comes from the 4 GB of techno, dance and minimal sounds/samples.
- Effects- Not all plugins actually generate noise. Many people are married to their favorite reverb plugins, delay etc.
Source: a knol by Jo Ardalan.
