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Audio Sequencers for Music Production
Audio Sequencers for Music Production
There are basically two main levels of sequencing that will be important for you when you first start making music. The DAW, which is the overall track arrangement of all your samples, and the sequencer within the DAW, which allows you to arrange the fine points of a drum beat, or a synthesizer line for example. I’ll dissect some of the most popular DAW’s and then give you an overview of how an internal sequencer works using my favorite DAW, Ableton Live.
DAW’S:
The sequencer is the overall arrangement and production tool that will make most of your productions possible. It is the software program that you will be building your entire home studio around, so you will want to choose the one that best fits your requirements. The things I was looking for when I had the opportunity to test a variety of different sequencers were simplicity of use, variety of tools, quality of sound, and compatibility. In this chapter, I will review 4 of the most popular DAW’s so you don’t need to spend the HOURS AND HOURS that I spent testing them all. The sequencers I will review include: Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, Propellerheads Reason, and DigiDesign Pro Tools.
ABLETON LIVE – Overview:
This sequencer comes with an extremely high recommendation from me. The best thing about Ableton Live is the relatively small learning curve and it’s flexibility. You can use Ableton to do almost everything you would need to do to create a solid mix. You can also use Ableton as a live ‘jamming’ tool. Ableton’s double interface makes it easy for you to jam out a series of loops and samples in one interface and then tweak your resulting mix in another.
The thing I noticed about other sequencers was that I would be limited in what I could do with my samples. If I wanted to add an effect, I could not adjust this effect in real time most of the time. So, lets say I wanted to add a common reverb effect to a piano sample. In other sequencers, I had to destroy the sample and re-sample it with the reverb effect applied. This made it difficult to experiment with different effects and it made undoing changes made too far back in the process. To get around this challenge, one would need to create backup files and take extra care during the process to ensure that mistakes could be easily corrected. Isn’t that unnatural? This kind of interference with the creative process was not something I could tolerate at all. Ableton solved this problem miraculously for me. The interface in Live is non-destructive. So you can apply whatever effects to whatever samples you want and freely change the parameters on those effective in real time. If something doesn’t work out how you want it to, or if you change your mind somewhere down the road in the process, you can do so easily and you will not have to worry about keeping backups of your samples. Noice!
Live’s innovative “Jam Mode” makes it easy and fun to experiment. The simplicity of Live was a key factor in my ability to learn how to create professional quality music. When I first loaded up a program like Pro-tools I was befuddled by the interface. I couldn’t figure out how to get anything to work! Ableton’s simple interface made the learning curve much more forgiving. Don’t get my wrong though, just because Live has a simple, easy to use interface, it doesn’t mean you will have to sacrifice quality. Not even a bit! The quality of sound that Ableton Live is capable of producing is phenomenal! It works with most plug-ins (all that I have tried), so you are not limited to what tools are available with Live initially. Overall, Ableton Live is a flexible, versatile sequencer that makes music making easy and fun. After working out a jam, Live lets you play with all of the parameters just like you can in other DAW’s.
Final Verdict:
Get Ableton Live if you want an easy to use, versatile DAW that only gets better every time you use it. Live is top notch in every category and is a great tool for novice and advanced users. This is the DAW that I use! It rocks!
• Non destructive interface
• Jam/DJ Mode
• Easy to use
• Cheap!
• Tons of effects
STEINBERG CUBASE – Overview:
When I first loaded up Cubase I thought it was just another one of the sequencers that was just another Pro Tools clone. Turns out I was right. But this one comes at a much lowerprice tag. But still, it does come at a higher price than Ableton Live, and it does not offer a whole ton more.
One thing that Cubase has over Ableton Live is more plug-insand effects out of the box. Cubase does indeed have a lot of powerful and useful effects and processing tools, most of which are due to the worldliness of the company that birthed Cubase: Steinberg. But do these extra plug-insset Cubase apart from Ableton Live? Well, they might in the short term. When you are purchasing a DAW it can be costly. Those extra plug-ins that Cubase comes with definitely come at a high value and low price, considering what it would cost to but something comparable on average. But, the fact is that most people will have no idea which effects and which plug-ins will be necessary for their studio when they are first starting out. But, that is the beauty of the Demo. You can try this out, try Ableton out, try almost any DAW out for free. Everybody has preferences and it really comes down to what works well for the individual.
The thing about Cubase that I do not like is that the interface is not as intuitive as it could be. It may have made things more complicated in an effort to stand out or be different. The interface is also quite ugly, and although this is a minor gripe, I myself have spent thousands of hours locked onto my computer screen and if I did not like what I saw, it might affect what I use to make my creations.
Another innovation that began with Cubase 4 is the Steinberg USB key. This is a copy protection tool that helps keep pirates at bay. It’s a brilliant solution that solves a problem for Steinberg. But hold on, if you want to upgrade from a lower version of Cubase, YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR A USB KEY! This is, at least for me, inexcusable practice! I understand that a company must be innovative to protect itself from piracy, but to put the cost of that burden on the customer so blatantly is an absolute disgrace. As far as I’m concerned, this is Steinberg’s battle, and it should not cost the consumer a dime. Regardless, it made my decision not to upgrade my trial version to the full version a whole lot easier.
Final Verdict:
Cubase may or may not be your bag. It is a powerful DAW and it can create solid mixes, comes with a lot of good plug-ins and effects, but it is not as intuitive as Ableton Live. Try the demo and see if it clicks.
Cubase offers a ton of good plug-ins and effects for the price
• Lots of good effects
• Tons of plug-ins
• Not for beginners
• Ugly interface
• Quality sound
Propellerheads Reason – Overview:
This original sequencer takes a different approach than most other DAW’s. Instead of going for the classic DAW interface (something like what we have seen in the Ableton Live and Cubase examples.) Reason takes another approach. It actually mimics the look of a traditional “studio rack”. For those of you who do not know, a rack is something that a producer will stack their hardware instruments and effects tools on for easy access and organization.
Great idea? Well, that depends on what you like. The interface on Reason did not work for me, but I have talked to people who have used it with great success. It took me a while to figure out how to use this DAW; and this was after I had mastered other DAW’s. I didn’t find it very intuitive at all. One thing that reason does not do well is any style of music that isn’t made on drum machines. With Reason, I felt a bit stifled in what I could do because of the way the program works. For me, it seemed like Reason wanted to replicate traditional hardware, but not take advantage of the software interface that they could potentially build. In Reason, the arrangement area is small and there are not a huge amount of tools visible nearby. If somebody new to the production game loaded up this program, they would have a really hard time piecing everything together. As well, The Reason interface looks cluttered, and it does not do what other DAW’s do really well on average: save space.
One thing that Reason does well is Techno (or Electronica, basically anything that involves mixing a bunch of loops.) The interface of Reason is built for looping and this makes it very easy to learn how to use a sequencer and a combination of loops to form a song. It is a great place to practice with different kinds of beat arrangements and different kinds of samples.
Final Verdict:
Reason is a very innovative DAW, there are not many that take it’s approach to audio sequencing. One thing I have not mentioned yet is the Rewire plug-in. This plug-in allows users to record sounds sequenced inside Reason in another application. This might come in handy for those who enjoy the Reason sequencer, which is easily one of the best features for this DAW. But whether or not this program will work with or against your audio productions is up to the user. Personally, I think Reason is a bit confusing, but like I said before, it has been used with fantastic results by people I know. Try the demo out and see if Reason works for you.
• Innovative interface
• Cluttered
• Not for beginners
• ReWire plug-in
• Good internal sequencer
Pro Tools – Overview:
Ahh Pro Tools, the crème de la crème of music production. If only it were true. I’m sorry to say, but the number one thing Pro Tools does well is marketing. If you are looking for a review of Pro Tools, you won’t find it here. In fact, if you are reading this book, I can say with absolute certainty that Pro Tools is NOT the solution you are looking for. I’m not going to review it, I’m only going to rant about how much of a con it is.
The first thing about Pro Tools that immediately turned me off is its lack of compatibility. Basically you are forced into using a “Pro Tools System”. That means that if you want the software, you have to buy their sound cards too. That can get really pricey, to the tune of $8000 for a software/hardware package that actually has some audio processing capability. Is that too expensive? Well, you could buy one of their M-Audio systems starting at $329. Of course, that would be like buy a Ferrari with NO ENGINE. These low priced systems come with a severely limited software package that basically is a lead in for you to buy an upgrade.
Does Pro Tools have good audio production capability? Sure it does. Do you need a Pro Tools system to be successful? NO. I’m sick of every joker who thinks they know about music production telling me that Pro Tools is the best. About half of these people have not even tried Pro Tools, and the other half hasn’t even tried anything else.
So, go ahead and buy a Pro Tools system, but to do so would be to completely ignore every other premise in this book!
MIDI SEQUENCER’S:
The sequencer inside the DAW is one of the most important parts of the puzzle when it comes to creating songs and sound designs. Your mastery of this part of the puzzle will set you apart from the crowd. It’s not as difficult as some think, in fact, the concepts are dead simple. In this section, I will give a basic overview of how the internal sequencer works using Ableton Live as my example.
The Basics
A sequencer is the tool that you will use to ‘sequence’ information from any midi instrument or sample(s) that you have at your disposal. For example, you can play notes into a midi keyboard that play sounds from a synthesizer and then you can edit them in your sequencer to make it sound perfect. Or you can craft a complicated drum pattern by manually placing ‘hits’ in the right places within the sequencer.
The trick is learning what to do to get what effect.
In the sequencer inside Ableton Live, you are able to make long complex drum beats quite easily. But learning how to do so is not something that came to me naturally, and if it came to you naturally, then you are truly gifted! Maybe you should have written the book, huh punk? Most sequencers work in a similar fashion to the one found in Ableton Live. The sequencer is basically a grid. Double click on any spot on the grid to play a note or sample. Drag or stretch the note so that it plays longer. Usually the space bar will start or stop audio so you can quickly hear the effects of all your clicking.
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Computers for Music Production
Computers for Music Production
The most obvious piece of the puzzle to making music on your computer is a computer! How does one decide what they need? Is your current computer going to do the trick or will you need to invest in something more powerful. I’ll help you decide. I’ll let you know.
MAC:
I think a good way to make a point about the Mac computer would be to regale you with a little experience I have had with my very own Mac. You see, I heard the hype, I saw the commercials, and you know I read the articles. The Mac (specifically, the Mac Book Pro) is the coolest of cool and the fastest of fast. I saved up some scratch and made the purchase. A slick 15” Duo-core Mac Book Pro. The real deal. The thing was hot, sleek and sexy.I cracked open the box and loaded it up. It worked awesomely right out of the box. I didn’t need to install a billion drivers and face any blue screens to make things work. I just needed to install the latest software updates, which were all downloaded and installed automatically. This would be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Or would it? It took me a few days before I had enough time to start getting my audio production software ready for this beast, but one thing I noticed off the bat is that everything installs so easily and it just works. On PC, I had problems where I could not get programs to work or install properly. This is almost never an issue on the Mac.
But after installing everything, including all of the music production tools I use (most of which appeared to install properly), I realized something terrible. Almost all of my programs were incompatible with the Mac Book Pro. This was because of the new Intel processors that the Mac Book had on board. I checked around on the websites of the makers of the software I used and most of them had at least acknowledged that they needed to do an update for the Mac Book Pro.
But some of the timelines I read were bleak. One of them is quoted as
saying, “We are working on an update for our software on the new Intel Mac computers, but it will be a very long time before it is done.” A very long time!? I didn’t have a very long time; I needed to make music now! So what did I do? Well, I waited for about 3 months, to really see how long it would take for the various software updates to come live. Some of them came through, but another problem presented itself. Some companies were charging for the update! Ouch! So I had a decision to make. Do I wait and possibly pay more to make my Mac Book a dream machine? Or should I buy a new PC hoping that the price would be less than buying the software upgrades. Turns out the PC would be a bit more expensive than buying the updates, but it did solve the more important problem of having to wait.
The point of the story is this: even though the Mac is a great machine, it costs a whole lot more than a PC and it is not a necessity like many would have you believe. The PC is just as good now and a fraction of the cost. So did I waste my money? Actually, the Mac Book has still indeed served me well. Even though it is not my main music production tool, it does a great job for me running Traktor DJ studio. Of course, this one had to be updated too, and of course, I had to pay. Shame on you software companies!
Mac Summary:
Ok, so you really want to know if you should buy an Intel Mac. Let’s consider the advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
• Works perfectly out of the box
• When software works, it works well
• Easy to install new programs
• Excellent display on laptops
• Very stable system
• Cool factor
Disadvantages:
• Not easily up-gradable
• Expensive
• Lack of software updates hurt your resources (time and money)
• Some software not compatible
Final verdict:
Get a Mac if you have the money. As you will find after reading the PC section of this chapter, it really will help you production efforts if you have both a Mac and a PC. It’s a matter of being ready for everything. Another thing you can do with the Mac is run windows. So effectively, you could buy a killer Mac machine, and run both Windows and OSX. Do that, if you can afford it.
Recommended system:
A laptop or desktop with these minimum features:
• Processor: 2 GHZ core 2 duo
• Memory: 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
- PC -
Most Mac owners would scoff at the sheer mention of the acronym PC. But the fact of the matter is, a Windows operated Personal Computer is a much more cost-effective way to break into the sound production scene than by buying a Mac. So, as you read before, I needed to buy a PC to keep up with my production efforts. My old PC was not able to handle my tracks in their effects loaded state, so I needed an upgrade. I had hoped the Mac Book Pro would do that, but I had to get another PC instead. In hindsight, I would have saved a lot of money if I just went for the PC upgrade instead. That doesn’t mean I would not have got a Mac laptop, but it does mean that you can get a sweet machine that will let you start making music fast.
When you get a PC, you are getting extreme bang for your buck. A solid PC can be bought for under $1000 easy. I paid $950 for my latest PC, which is even a little bit faster than my Mac Book. I paid over $3000 for my Mac Book. Do the math! Are you limited on a PC? Well, in a sense you are. On a Mac, you can load both Windows and OSX, giving you the best of both operating systems. Windows actually runs perfectly on the Mac too. But you need to pay 2/3 more than you
would for a good PC.
One perk to the PC is more software compatibility. It’s almost a guarantee that software will work on a PC. If it works on PC, there is only a chance that it will have a Mac compatible version. Another perk is that you are able to upgrade a PC and conversely, you can omit certain pieces of hardware that you may not require. So, you do not need a big graphics card to make music, so if money is an issue, you do not need to buy one! Also, if you want to upgrade your PC after a couple of year, it’s entirely possible. With a Mac, you will need to buy a brand new machine most of the time (although this has gotten better in recent years).
PC Summary:
Will a PC do the trick? It most certainly will. Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
• Cheap!
• Up-gradable
• Compatible with almost all software and hard- ware
Disadvantages:
• No cool factor
• Does not work right out of the box (unless you pay considerably more)
• Drivers may be difficult to install properly
Final verdict:
Buy a PC if you want to break into the sound production scene on a bargain budget. Even the slowest PC on the market today will be enough to make some mean sounding music. One spec you may want to consider if you are buy a PC (or Mac, for that matter) is the Duo Core processor. Two processors can be used for different functions within many sound production software studios, so this will give you a huge boost for a very small price increase. That said, with the advancement of computing technology, it is very likely that single core processors could be obsolete and off the market when this book is published, so look forward to things getting even less expensive!
Recommended system:
A laptop or desktop with these minimum features:
• Processor: 2 GHZ core 2 duo
• Memory: 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
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The Basics of Music Production
The Basics of Music Production
In the world of sound, some like it hard and some like it soft. Others still like it hard and soft. No matter how you like it, its becoming easier and easier to make sound happen on a modest budget. This chapter will take a quick look at all of the components you will need to consider when building your in house studio. I’ll also talk about some other critical items that will play a key role in your success as a producer.
SOFTWARE:
Software is one of the biggest reasons that sound production
is possible for more and more people today. There are many software programs available that emulate the older, more expensive and more difficult to acquire production devices of days past. Now we can replicate an entire studio on our home computers. In this book, we are going to focus on 4 main software groups: Sequencers, Synthesizers, Effects Modules, and Mastering/Compression modules.
Sequencers:
A sequencer is a program that you will control all the software
and hardware you have installed on your computer to make music, sound, noise, etc. The sequencer has two levels. The overall level is called a Digital Audio Workstation, or a DAW. The next level is the sequencer inside the DAW.
Digital Audio Workstation:
This is where you can organize tracks, place effects on those tracks, equalize and master those tracks and the overall track and basically create the overall mix. There are several different styles of DAW available to you, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In the Sequencers chapter I will review some of the best options to help you decide which is best for you.
Internal Sequencer:
The sequencer inside the DAW is what you will use to arrange samples, synthesizers, midi sequences, etc. This is a very important part of creating drum arrangements, piano arrangements, guitar arrangements, etc. I will teach you how to use internal sequencers to save loads of time in the Sequencers chapter.
Synthesizers:
These are the tools you use to make awesome “Star Wars” sounds and soothing bass lines. There are a lot of synthesizers available and the trick is to find the ones that work best for you. Want guitar in your tracks but can’t play guitar? Get a guitar synthesizer. Want a killer string arrangement
but can’t afford an orchestra? Get an orchestral synthesizer. In the synthesizer chapter I will share with you the results of all my research so that you can build the best synthesizer arsenal for your studio.
Effects:
Effects are essentially the icing on the cake. You would put effects on a drum track that you want to pop out or echo. You would put effects on a bass-line that you want to distort. In the Effects chapter I will take a look at the major effects available to you to give your tracks some spice.
Mastering/Compression:
Equalizers. Compressors. Limiters. Expanders. Warmers. These are just some of the tools you will need to ‘master’ if you want to create clean sounding professional tracks. A good arrangement is one thing. A good sounding arrangement is another. In the Mastering/Compression chapter, I will show you how to warm
your tracks up and temper them down to create the Excalibur of final mix-downs.
HARDWARE:
Although the role of hardware in audio production is not as profound as it once was, it still plays the important role of facilitator. Hardware stores information, controls information, and records information so that it can be edited and manipulated further. In this book, we will look at 5 major hardware components you will need to consider when putting together your studio: Computers, Audio Interfaces and Soundcards, Microphones and recording equipment, Mixers, Controllers
and Effects, and finally, Speakers and Monitors.
Computers:
This is obviously the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to making music on your computer. There are two directions you can go when it comes to setting up a computer: Mac or PC. Which is better? You decide!
Mac:
For a long time, Mac was the system of choice for producers. Now, the playing field is a little more evenly matched. I won’t lie, I have a Mac Book Pro Laptop. Sometimes I sleep with it. But has it solved all my problems? Read the Computers chapter to get the full story so that you do not spend more than you have to.
PC:
The old workhorse PC is turning into quite a beast when it comes to producing on a budget. These days, you don’t need to be born in it to be producing mad tracks! Check out the Computers chapter to find out how to stretch that dollar.
Audio interfaces and Soundcards:
These are the devices that will help you bring sound and data into your computer and get sound out of your computer. There are a few features that are critical if you want to reduce limitations when choosing the best audio interface for your studio. I’ll review some of the best and give my recommendations in the Audio Interfaces and Soundcards chapter.
Microphones and Recording Equipment:
So you sing, or rap, or do voice acting? You are going to need a good
microphone and a good preamp. I’ve used a few, and I’ll help you figure out what will make the difference when you are trying to capture that crisp vocal clip. Read more in the Microphones
and Recording Equipment chapter of this e-book.
Mixers, Controllers and Effects:
Mixers and controllers are a couple of pieces of equipment that you may or may not need for your audio productions. These are all items that are emulated with software, but some would attest that the software rendition is not the same as the hardware. Get the truth in the Mixers and Controllers chapter.
Speakers and Monitors:
Do you need to spend a whole bunch of money on professional speakers (monitors) in order to make good quality sound? Well, you do need to spend some money. The 2 speaker and sub combination that many computers operate with are a great start, but if you want to produce sound that will sound good on a range of different speakers (car stereo, radio, etc.), then you will need to invest in a good pair of monitors.The good news is that it will cost you less than you think.
SAMPLES AND SAMPLING:
Sometimes synthesizers aren’t enough to get the job done. Sampling is something that was difficult for me to master, but in hindsight, it’s really a very easy concept to grasp. Where do you find those raw clean samples? And how do you use them? I’ll tell you how in the Samples and Sampling chapter.
SONGWRITING AND CREATIVITY:
Can I teach you how to be creative? No. But I can teach you how not to be the same as everybody else. An interesting song doesn’t have to sound like everything else to be popular. There are a few things that good songwriters do that can set them aside from people who are just slapping pre-fab beats together. You’ll find more in the Songwriting/Creativity chapter.
MIDI:
Midi, which stands for ‘Musical Instrument Digital Interface’, is often made much more complicated than it has to be, at least in the explanations I have deciphered through all of my research. The stuff that you actually need to know to be functional using MIDI to make music and sound on your computer is actually very simple. MIDI was a great source of mystery for me when I was first starting to make cv music, and it was something that I initially ignored completely because I just thought it was too advanced. When I finally figured it out, I slapped myself! After reading through this book and pin-pointing all the stuff you will need to make music, let me teach you how to use MIDI to your advantage using Ableton Live as an example.
Doni Music Production School Update!!!
Hey again
Doni here with another update to the vast emporium of knowledge that is The Doni Music Production School. Next up, I’ve adapted my first ebook to an easy to download PDF file. Take this and read it anywhere! Check out the article below:
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Music Production in a Digital Era – A Doni Music Guide to making Music on your Computer
What better way to introduce this book than to let you read its introuduction?
“Many people think that making music is something that is out of the question for them. People commonly have the preconceived notion that in order to make professional sounding music, you must be a professionally trained musician/producer and have access to expensive recording equipment. In fact, this was what I thought to myself every time the idea of making music popped into my head. After a while, making music was changing from something I wanted to do and becoming something I needed to do. I knew I could make music if I had the right tools! I thought there had to be some resources I could make use of to create something musical. Well, after many hundreds of hours of searching, testing, tweaking, twisting, and crafting, I have finally made it to the spot where I wanted to be: creating professional quality music to express all the artistic ideas I had bursting out of my head. Through my research and tinkering, I figured out that you DO NOT need a full-scale studio to make things happen and you DO NOT need absurd amounts of money either.
But as you can guess, the path I took to this point in my career was not a smooth one. In fact, if I knew what I am about to share with you in this book 5 years ago, I can say with absolute confidence that I would be far beyond where I am now! Think about it, if somebody hands you the knowledge you need to get over certain limitations, then you will get past those limitations much more easily than if you had to figure things out for yourself. This is what I had to do. How did I find the motivation? I’m glad you asked.
From a very early age, I turned to music for entertainment and encouragement. Growing up in the 90’s put me in a position to absorb many of the great bands coming out of the grunge and alternative rock scenes at the time. I would always tune into radio stations and television shows to find a great and heavy stream of sweet noise flowing out of each peripheral. This was a truly great time for music. I thought that it would never stop. But it did.
Slowly the consistent stream of great music was being dammed by the emergence of a steady flow of cookie cutter mainstream pop music. Ok, this music had always been around, but before, there was at least a balance. It didn’t take long before the entire music scene was overwhelmed with plastic pop music; and the alternative rock scene which I had loved for so long became nothing but a distant memory… sniff…
The sources I had traditionally gone to for music were no longer delivering what I needed, and for a music lover such as I, this was unacceptable. I had to turn to other sources. It was the year 2000, and lucky for me technology was changing the playing field completely. A little computer program called Napster was making the Internet the newest and easiest resource to tap into for music. Many people will say that Napster was the beginning of the end for music. I would argue that it was truly the beginning of the beginning for music.
Before Napster, or any other music sharing (and soon after, file sharing), there were only a few different sources for music. There were the obvious ones, like Television and Radio, which traditionally could only bring economically viable music to the masses. Then there were music scenes that grew in pockets around the world, but these were only accessible to people in proximity to those scenes and only to those who were in ‘the know’. The Internet and Naspter paved the way for a new online music scene – an online scene where people were not limited in their ability to connect with different genres of music. It was in this time that I began to realize that there was more music than the one scene that I had been a part of since I began listening to music. I found many different genres easily and I was able to listen to a ton of different tracks by a ton of different musicians. This is when I began thinking about joining this online scene. Over time, it was becoming more and more viable to make music and sell it online. The obvious players like Itunes come to mind, as well as the several online music stores popping up all over the web like. Now you don’t have to play in a thousand stinky bars before you gain an audience with a record exec. In fact, now you don’t even NEED the record exec! Now, an artist can publish their work online and reach far more people than ever before. With all of the tools spawning across the web, it is increasingly easy to monetize your artistic creations. Since this opportunity is abound, it just makes sense to follow your passion and learn how to craft majestic beats! The Internet has brought this book to you and it will also bring you many of the tools you will need to be successful. You’ve already taken the first step and got this book. Now take the next step and do what you always wanted…”
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Another Doni Music Production School Update! Doni’s Software Setup
HEY EVERYONE!!!
Another update for all you producers out there! Check it out below!
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This is the Software I use to create music! This is where it gets a bit pricey. It’s important to note that you do not necessarily need any or all of these pieces of software to make music, this is just what I use! However, in terms of “production capability per dollar” these 5 items are off the chain fantastic! The above software includes a sequencer, a couple of synthesizers, and a couple of mastering tools. Depending on your sequencer and what plug-ins it has built in, you can have a very complete studio with this software package!
I’ll take you through my Software setup piece by piece so you can get a better idea about how the parts work towards the whole:
1. Spectrasonics Atmosphere Effects/Synth Module: If you are looking for a synth that can create any sort of atmosphere you want, look no further than Spectrasonics Atmosphere! This synth comes with a ton of ready to go presets that cover almost any sort of soundscape you could ever need. Everything from retro zombie movie atmospheres to bizarre space atmospheres. Also includes some bass samples, and some cool lead synths; making for a very versatile synthesizer plugin.
2. Ableton Live: This sequencer comes with an extremely high recommendation from me. The best thing about Ableton Live is it’s relatively small learning curve and it’s flexibility. You can use Ableton to do almost everything you would need to do to create a solid mix. You can also use Ableton as a live ‘jamming’ tool. Ableton’s double interface makes it easy for you to jam out a series of loops and samples in one interface and then tweak your resulting mix in another. Check out the full Doni Music Ableton Live overview here.
3. Spectrasonics Trilogy Bass Module: Who needs a bass player when you have this synthesizer? This is actually a combination of a synth and a sample based program. What it has is every bass sound you could ever need! It has several recorded bass sounds from several different basses. Everything from acoustic to electric to those awesome stand-up style basses! Kick the bass player out of the band with this synth! (Just kidding K-Dawg)
4. Waves Masters Bundle Native Version: These expensive mastering plug-ins really make a ton of difference when it comes to producing a good final mix. This bundle includes several different plug-ins that will suck the bad sounds out of your mixes and pump up the good ones! Don’t expect to get instant results however. These plug-ins, although fairly simple, take a bit of practice to use properly. I will of course be including a full review soon, so stay tuned!
5. M-Audio Ozone Izotope: So you think you have a pretty good sounding mix? Think again! I am confident that every mixdown needs to have the Izotope treatment for it to pulse out of the speakers properly. There are so many ways you can use this mastering tool its ridiculous. It has a ton of wicked presets that will help you figure out how to use the plug-in to its’ full potential and make your tracks sound really awesome!
Doni Music Production School Update! Doni’s Hardware Setup
Hey-y0! WHAT’S UP my people!
Another article for your critical analysis. Do take care of those brain cells now. Check the article below!
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This is the Hardware I use to create music! YES! That’s all! It took me a while to figure out what I really needed and what I could emulate with software for less money, but I have stopped upon this as the ultimate home hardware setup! With this setup, I am able to record all of my own solo music, my band, The Martial Artists, and pretty much whoever I want (except for like, an orchestra; but stay tuned to Doni Music and you’ll learn how to replace an orchestra with a synthesizer.) This setup isn’t the bare minimum you need to make music on your computer, and it isn’t the extreme either. This is, however, a highly optimized setup for the home studio; maximizing cost, space, efficiency and sound.
I’ll take you through my Hardware setup piece by piece so you can get a better idea about how the parts work towards the whole:
1. KRK Studio Monitors Solid, solid, solid recording speakers! These are pound for pound the best quality and best sounding speakers in their price range. You can literally hammer out sound with these things all day long and they keep on tickin’. If you are just starting with sound production, you might not need a pair of these right away. But if you are serious at all, you need at least a pair of these for your home setup! Read more about KRK Studio Monitors here.
2. Ye old Personal Computer (PC) Ah yes, I use a PC to record! Blasphemy, right? Wrong! If you were to ask me if PC’s and Mac’s were on the same level for sound production, I would have said without a doubt that Mac’s are better. But the fact is, I bought my MacBook Pro to replace my PC and I couldn’t because half the plugin’s I used did not work on Mac. It was also around this time where Core2duo processors and RAM was getting cheaper, so buying a stinking fast PC solved this problem instantly. Mac recording studio’s are for those who use a fairly standardized setup, like a Pro tools setup for example. Of course, those setups are ridiculously expensive and really absolutely inflated in terms of their ability to create “better sounding” mixes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what setup you have if you do not have any production knowledge!
3. Presonus Firebox This tough unit does all of the most important things very well for an inexpensive sound card. If you are looking for bang for your buck, look no further! This is the ultimate soundcard for the beginner to the advanced producer on a budget. Check out my article on the Presonus Firebox here.
4. APEX460 Large Diaphragm Vacuum Tube Condenser This Microphone is EXCELLENT if you want to record your voice or anything else consistently well! This microphone records a very clean and fuzz free sample. I could get technical here, but I would rather let the folks at Apex electronics handle it for me, so click here for more info!
5. M-Audio Oxygen 49 USB MIDI Keyboard Controller The perfect keyboard/controller to get your synth on! This is great for banging out synth lines and whatnot. Pretty basic stuff here. It works like a keyboard, only you can play any sound out of your computer that you have a synth for. Now if only you paid attention at piano lessons you’d be a regular Elton John by now. Don’t laugh, Elton is a knight and he will slay you if you laugh. The Queen hath decreed it be so, bitch.
Doni Music Production School Update!
Hey everyone!
MORE UPDATES TO THE DONI MUSIC PRODUCTION SCHOOL!!!!! BASK IN IT BABY!!!!!!!!! Read em below or go to the school to learn up!
Article 1
Studio Monitors – Do you need them?
What sounds good on one pair of speakers can sound awful on another pair. That’s why it’s very important to invest in a good pair of monitors when you reach a level where your productions are being heard by many people. Is it critical in the early stages of learning music production for you to have studio monitors? Not necessarily, but a pair of proper studio monitors will definitely take your productions to the next level.
Good studio monitors are expensive, but they sound amazing, and they will give you a true feel of what your tracks will sound like on most speakers. This allows you to make a solid mix that will play well on many, and if you are good, most different speakers. Let’s face it, not everybody s going to hear our music on a big beautiful system, so it is important to test out a mix in proper monitors before publishing it to a large audience.
What makes a studio monitor good? There’s a whole lot of jargon and such that is thrown around to persuade buyers into spending more than they need to. If you are reading this, chances are you are just getting started in the world of production. This may sound like crazy advice, but don’t worry about anything else but durability in your first purchase of a pair of studio monitors. There are all sorts of parameters that are executed upon better and worse depending on which monitors you choose, but for the most part, you can’t really go too wrong when it comes to sound quality.
So what’s a good durable pair of monitors that won’t run you too much cash and still sound great? The KRK Rokit 5′s would be great for those looking to maximize their bang for buck factor. Click here to read my KRK Rokit 5 Studio Monitor Review!
Article 2
Super Solid Studio Monitor – KRK Rokit 5
For those of you who do know know anything about the importance of having good studio monitors, read my article about them here. For those who do know and already have a good pair of studio monitors, quite wasting your time! Finally, for those who are in the market for some solid studio monitors, look no further. The KRK Rokit 5 studio monitor is second to none in its price to performance ratio, and they provide big sound in a small package.
Sound accuracy is very important when one is producing audio materials. Most monitors on the market do a fairly good job of being leaps and bounds better than even the best consumer desktop audio speakers simply because they are designed to help you monitor sound; not to help your computer render explosions in video games. For this reason, one of the most important things in a pair of studio monitors is their durability. If you are a serious producer like me, you are going to put a huge amount of stress on these things all the time. I have tormented my KRK rokit 5s for over 2 years now and they are still alive and well! I strongly recommend picking these up as your first pair of studio monitors.
BUY KRK ROKIT 5 STUDIO MONITOR
Doni Music School: Presonus Firebox – Product Review
Hey all!
Doni here with another juicy article to add to his wealth of knowledge at The Doni Music Production School! Check it out below!
The Presonus Firebox – Serious bang for the buck
This tough unit does all of the most important things very well for an inexpensive sound card. If you are looking for bang for your buck, look no further! This is the ultimate soundcard for the beginner to the advanced producer on0 a budget. I’m not going to go into too much detail about what a soundcard does or anything like that in this article, but you can be sure that I will publish an article with that information inside soon enough!
This unit is around 300$ and will provide you with all the functionality you need to record anything (within reason). I am able to record an entire band with this unit! It’s got several inputs and outputs so you won’t be limited in your options and I cannot say enough about the pre-amps this thing has on board. When you buy a unit like this, beyond connectivity and latency, there is only one thing: Sound! The pre-amp is what gives the power your microphone and connected instruments. This may sound like a simple matter, but the quality of the pre-amp directly relates to the quality of sample you are able to record. If you have a cheap pre-amp, then recording good sounds will be very difficult. Good thing this puppy is only $300!!
I seriously recommend this unit! I’ve had mine for about 2 years and it still works great. I leave it on all the time and I use the crap out of it. Are there better units on the market? Of course! Are there better units on the market in the same price range? Not even close!!
If you are serious about music, then you need to save your paper route money and buy one of these, Johny. I think my Firebox will out-live me for sure. You can get a great price at many online stores, the best of which I found at a store called www.Zzounds.com.
The NEW Doni Music Production School almost ready to launch!
The NEW Doni Music Production School almost ready to launch!
I’m here with Francis the production Flamingo getting you PSYCHED UP for the new Doni Music Production School!! This is going to be one of the premiere resources on the web for all your music production information needs! The page is almost done and I would love it if you all came by to check it out.
I’m going to be publishing the first set of articles very soon, so check back or subscribe to my blog for more information!!
You can check out the splash page here
