Musical Knowledge, No Technical Knowledge

[pkhs95]

I have been taking music lessons for nearly 8 years now, and just recently have had an interest in creating my own music. I have a PC and a keyboard that has a MIDI output on it. I have been trying to use Audacity and line in recording to create some tunes, but it's kind of cumbersome. My question is this: Is there any way to get into creating electronic music using solely free software, and if so, where's the best place to start? (with just what I have, a PC, and keyboard, and a midi-usb cable). I've searched google for options but came up with nothing. I apologize for my overwhelming noobness. Thanks in advance.

[Bobbotov]

You will need software to record and process both midi and audio. This is usually handled by a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) or Host. There are a couple of free ones but I cannot attest to how good they are. Some of the free and not free ones are listed here:

http://www.hitsquad.com/DAW-Software/

You will need some soft synths (VSTIs) of which there are many free ones of all different types and the choices may depend on what kind of music you wish to make:

http://www.vst4free.com/
http://freemusicsoftware.org/
http://vstplanet.com/

Many of the not free DAWs come with VSTIs and other processing plug-ins like reverb, delay, compressors, EQ, etc.

If you really want down and dirty you an get a plugin that will allow you to play a VSTI without a Host. You can record audio files from it and then bring the file into a program like Audacity. I use Savihost for testing VSTIs in standalone mode (without a Host). Savihost is freeware:

http://www.hermannseib.com/english/savihost.htm

Obviously not many bells and whistles with this approach and it makes multi-tracking difficult if not impossible.

[mcnoone]

Here's a decent free DAW to record with.
http://www.mutools.com/mulab-downloads.html

Many free synths, and samplers around.
Try getting CM magazine, which has a lot of great synths-sampler software included w/t the dvd, or they even have a new downloadable content version now.
For the cost of the magazine, it's worth it, imo.

[michael2]

there is a lot of great freeware out there. the aforementioned Computer Music has some great stuff on it. there is lots of great stuff available online; watch KVR and you'll see it pop up. you can also check the KVR database and filter the search so just freeware comes up:

http://www.kvraudio.com/q.php

TAL Togu Audio makes some great stuff (I love all the Dub Delays, the TAL Reverb 3 has a cool plate sound good for electronic music, the Noisemaker synth is genius, they have a free Juno 60 emulation,...). Really high quality stuff and it's free (except for their new Juno emulation).

http://kunz.corrupt.ch/Products

For free bread and butter effects, try Blue Cat Audio. they have nice quality plugs:
http://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Bu ... ewarePack/
Melda Production also makes some really nice free bread and butter stuff (and some interesting FX too):
http://www.meldaproduction.com/freevstplugins/

Audio Spillage has a free drum synthesizer that sounds nice:
http://www.audiospillage.com/en/minispi ... -synth.php

I'm on a mac so I don't know about the tons of free stuff available for PC, but I would look for a free sampler and then start digging around and find drum samples. there are millions of them online (try looking in the KVR samples sub-forum, there is a huge thread devoted to samples). making your own samples is great fun and a good way to get sounds no one else has.

audio damage has a pretty cool free compressor:
http://www.audiodamage.com/downloads/

don't have the link, but there was a symphonic soundfont floating around on KVR. it was like 2 gigs of samples and supposedly sounded really nice. you'd need to get a soundfont player; don't know what PC guys use, but I am sure you could get a decent free one. there was also a thread on KVR about free piano samples/soundfonts.

I would also suggest all of the Native Instruments "player" series. they all have great synths, drums, piano's, bass sounds, FX. actually you might want to experiment with these first as there are so many ready to go sounds on them. look at the top of the page:
http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/ ... egory=1339

have fun. wish I was just starting out. it was such a fun, exciting time. still is, but not quite the same.

[pkhs95]

Thanks so much for the great info! I really appreciate it and am still open to whatever else anyone has to say. I'm looking into "mulab", and will be downloading some free VTS's soon. Any advice on what the best (free preferably) drum program for Windows is? Again, thanks much, I already feel like a part of the community.

[vata44]

Reaper http://www.reaper.fm/ good DAW