29 July 2010

Part 1 - Introduction and Getting Started.
Words & Pics: Joe Sheldrick, aka Cellardore

This is an introduction to music production and how to get started making your own tracks. This first issue is aimed at people who have just started - or are thinking of starting - to produce their own music, but whatever level you're at there is something for everyone. First of all I would like to share a few thoughts on how I see the modern DIY electronic music production world.

Today, anyone with a small amount of cash and a computer can set up a home studio and start to produce music. And, by using the Internet, anyone can watch videos and read about how to produce music of all types from the comfort of your home. To an extent, this is a great thing as now people from all ages and backgrounds are able to express themselves through music with great ease. But - don't let this fool you into thinking anyone can produce good music!

If you can play an instrument at Grade 8, this still doesn't mean you will make a good music producer. Music production is very difficult, and it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears before you finally reach the point where your productions can be released and are able to stand up to the big names.

So, with that in mind, let me take you though what you'll need to get started...

1. Which software?

There are a lot of audio/MIDI software sequencers out there that you can use to arrange your music. The most popular ones seem to be Logic Pro (Mac only), Cubase, Ableton Live, Reason and Fruity Loops.

An important thing to remember is they all essentially do the same job. They all allow you to record and arrange your song, whether you're recording a singer, playing in MIDI (i.e. triggering software instruments) or importing audio loops and samples and then playing with them.

I personally use Logic Pro. I love it, but some hate it. It's up to you which program you choose, but it's most likely that you will be recommended a program by a friend - maybe you'll be able to try it out before you buy - and this will probably dictate the software you end up with.

2. Windows or Mac? And how fast does it need to be?

For a long time, Macs were by far the best operating system to use but Windows has caught up a lot, and people could debate for hours on the pros and cons of each and still not reach a conclusive answer.

I use a Mac because they are easy to use - fast and straight to the point. However, Macs are very expensive and not as easy to customise as a PC. Computers running Windows can be bought at a much cheaper price and then customised later on to increase performance. Also you should bear in mind that if you use your PC for surfing the internet as well as music production, then you are much more prone to computer viruses - which you really don't want if all your production masterpieces are sitting on your hard drive!

Whichever operating system you end up with, I would recommend at least a 250GB hard drive, a 2GB RAM memory, 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and an external hard drive as well. This way, you can make your music without your computer slowing you down.

3. What else do I need?

By now you should have your computer with your chosen sequencer installed, but what next? Now you need speakers to hear the music, a mixer to record in audio and a MIDI keyboard to trigger the software instruments.

When starting out, professional monitor speakers aren't essential, but if you can afford them then it's definitely worth the extra outlay.

Monitor speakers are designed specifically for producing music due to the way they send out the frequencies - search on the internet for more info if you would like to understand fully how they work. Basically, when it comes down to the end product, you will not be able to mix your track accurately without a pair of good monitors. But when you're just starting out, it doesn't matter too much, just as long as you keep it in mind for the near future.

What you need next is a mixer. I advise getting one with a firewire or USB connection and with four to eight tracks to get you started. Your speaker plugs into the mixer and this gives you an external volume fader. The left and right speakers will take up the first two tracks on your mixer and the rest you can use for plugging in a microphone or guitar, or indeed any other audio device using a ¼ inch jack plug.

The most essential piece of kit you will need is a MIDI keyboard. The actual definition of MIDI isn't important right now, so all you need to know is that by plugging it in and hitting the keys, you can now play any software instrument that you have on your computer. All software sequencers come with a collection of instruments and virtual synthesizers, and more are available to buy or download online - or you can customise your own. You can open one of these instruments on a track within your sequencer's mixer, and then play notes using your MIDI keyboard. Magic!

Most MIDI keyboards come with pitch bend and modulation wheels. The pitch bend enables you to alter the pitch of the note you're playing, and the modulation wheel triggers various actions depending on which instrument you're playing through it, and this can also be changed manually.

This lot should be enough information to get you kitted up and ready to start irritating the neighbours. If you get stuck, look it up online - I can't express how important it is to use the wealth of information on the internet to answer any questions you might have.
More info
Logic Pro (Apple) http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/
Cubase (Steinberg) http://www.steinberg.net/en/
Ableton Live (Ableton) http://www.ableton.com/
Reason (Propellerhead) http://www.propellerheads.se/
Fruity Loops (Image Line) http://www.image-line.com/

In future issues I will begin to analyse the sequencer itself and explore the what, the where, the how and the why. I will also show how to create your own sounds using a synthesizer, how to use and edit samples, and how to use compression and effects within your music. I will also be showing how I do things and how I try to keep my productions as original and different as possible.