Noob here, where do I start?

[ras.s]

For getting started, Samplitude 11 Silver is also quite well-featured free host software for Windows. You'll need to create an account with them though.

http://pro.magix.com/en/samplitude/midi ... h.730.html

[A1CreativeMusic]

As well as all the great info in here already, check out our blog, it's designed to help you just as much/ if not more than all the books you will buy,

a1creativemusic.wordpress.com

Cheers mate

A1

[Roc.mix]

Heh, I think we would all like this to be the way it happens. Vastly improve just buy getting better equipment. Though having my degree in tradtional arts I'm well trained in the idea that practice is the only thing thats really going to improve the quality of your work. I must admit it was somewhat difficult with etchings, but it being something new I really enjoyed the process, and is something I miss. So I am hoping that it will translate to music as well. I think the only thing I fear at the moment is not knowing how to move forward, what I need to learn, how to take it from there. Like the core basics I need to start with.

[schnapsglas]

Heh, I think we would all like this to be the way it happens. Vastly improve just buy getting better equipment. Though having my degree in tradtional arts I'm well trained in the idea that practice is the only thing thats really going to improve the quality of your work. I must admit it was somewhat difficult with etchings, but it being something new I really enjoyed the process, and is something I miss. So I am hoping that it will translate to music as well. I think the only thing I fear at the moment is not knowing how to move forward, what I need to learn, how to take it from there. Like the core basics I need to start with.

Once you start thinking you will not learn by doing, you will lose. You will be doomed to watch thousands of tutorials and not understand anything.

On the other hand, if you do and not learn, you will also lose.

You will learn by doing. Just do what you want to do, and keep track of it.

[Roc.mix]

Heh, I think we would all like this to be the way it happens. Vastly improve just buy getting better equipment. Though having my degree in tradtional arts I'm well trained in the idea that practice is the only thing thats really going to improve the quality of your work. I must admit it was somewhat difficult with etchings, but it being something new I really enjoyed the process, and is something I miss. So I am hoping that it will translate to music as well. I think the only thing I fear at the moment is not knowing how to move forward, what I need to learn, how to take it from there. Like the core basics I need to start with.

Once you start thinking you will not learn by doing, you will lose. You will be doomed to watch thousands of tutorials and not understand anything.

On the other hand, if you do and not learn, you will also lose.

You will learn by doing. Just do what you want to do, and keep track of it.

You told me to learn the basics, thats what I'm talking about, I can't simply start by doing If it don't know what I'm doing does. I need to know how it functions. I'm not saying I just wanna look up videos, it takes a bit of both sides I know. I'm asking what would be some of the fundamental things to start off learning?

[schnapsglas]

Heh, I think we would all like this to be the way it happens. Vastly improve just buy getting better equipment. Though having my degree in tradtional arts I'm well trained in the idea that practice is the only thing thats really going to improve the quality of your work. I must admit it was somewhat difficult with etchings, but it being something new I really enjoyed the process, and is something I miss. So I am hoping that it will translate to music as well. I think the only thing I fear at the moment is not knowing how to move forward, what I need to learn, how to take it from there. Like the core basics I need to start with.

Once you start thinking you will not learn by doing, you will lose. You will be doomed to watch thousands of tutorials and not understand anything.

On the other hand, if you do and not learn, you will also lose.

You will learn by doing. Just do what you want to do, and keep track of it.

You told me to learn the basics, thats what I'm talking about, I can't simply start by doing If it don't know what I'm doing does. I need to know how it functions. I'm not saying I just wanna look up videos, it takes a bit of both sides I know. I'm asking what would be some of the fundamental things to start off learning?

You learn by doing what you want to do. On your DAW, can you record? That will be the first step.

For us it's easy. But for newcomers it can be puzzling why the button doesn't press. These things, really, you say you have a degree in traditional arts -- then you will know well that some things, that are inherent, can only be learned by just... trying. I could tell you how to arm a track to record and record on Reaper, but you will not learn anything.

OK, since you want to know the basics, I will explain with a list. Really, I think these things are better taught this way.

• Audio goes into your computer's DAW using your audio interface.
  Audio comes out of your computer's DAW using your interface.
  You have to record what comes into DAW using recording.
  ---
  You can input notes using a midi controller into your DAW onto a MIDI track.
  Your DAW plays back the MIDI track using an instrument.
  You can create the instrument yourself (Synthesizer) or you can use samples.
  ---
  Then you have a number of tracks.
  Mix.

See? You know better than most now. Try it. And ask questions. Make something simple. If something is difficult and you don't need it, just make a mental note and skip it. Build from very simple workflow.

(I will give you another tip: you don't need to use only one DAW at one time. Often when you figure out how to do something in one, the others will just solve themselves. Install as many as you think you can handle, and try. Maybe a bit of bias here, but Studio One, Reaper, Ableton, and FL are probably most "straightforward," and you will find at least one of them intuitive.)

[fluffy_little_something]

I think JamDeck is good to get started, to find out if you got talent in the first place. It is rather hands-on, less technical and thus much more direct and musical than normal DAWs. It is cheap and sounds decent. It forces you to develop good timing as you enter notes and rhythms live only. Just saying, and no, I don't get paid by JamDeck to write this

[kittenz]

I don't know if you're still interested, but I was in your situation a few months ago, moreover, I had absolutely no idea about anything concerning music making. I just jumped into FL studio, because I heard it was easy and immediately started composing with piano roll. I just grabbed a book on theory to learn the rules and currently I'm about to get into proper mixing and mastering. So if you want to pick some synths and compose, FL studio is cool. I tried a few other apps, but found then not as intuitive.

[Alphacodex]

You've been in that situation some MONTHS ago and after having learned to compose you are now are going to learn mixing and mastering?
Man either you are some sort of wonder-child or you are taking a dangerous shortcut...

Just my 5 €cent

[kittenz]

"Having learned"? Where did I state that? I'm still a noob all the way, I'm just having fun laying notes and layering them. And while there are dozens of books on composition, musical forms, piano lessons and ear training to be done, the only way to learn is to do. So I just do and I've come to point where there is no way I progress without a solid foundation of mixing and mastering, music theory aside, because when I go no-brain as usual and layer some sounds, the harmony may be OK, but the sound will get muddy or distored.

That said, I don't really know what's the big deal, I may not know what I'm FORMALLY doing now, but I just do it. I pick a random scale and I don't even care if I start with the tonic or end with a cadence. But I have fun and I like it. I've made 4 tracks and I got tired blind guessing the EQ and compressor settings. When I reach track 50 I'll call myself a non-noob, just a beginner amateur.

EDIT: I've been making some calculations once, all those pro musicians get like 15 years of education from primary school to college degree. Given I don't really need to be THAT skilled keyboardist to be happy and I don't really have much spare time, I estimated roughly 10 years will pass before I'll call myself 'good'. But not unless my ears go from level 0 to level perfect.

[trimph1]

"Having learned"? Where did I state that? I'm still a noob all the way, I'm just having fun laying notes and layering them. And while there are dozens of books on composition, musical forms, piano lessons and ear training to be done, the only way to learn is to do. So I just do and I've come to point where there is no way I progress without a solid foundation of mixing and mastering, music theory aside, because when I go no-brain as usual and layer some sounds, the harmony may be OK, but the sound will get muddy or distored.

That said, I don't really know what's the big deal, I may not know what I'm FORMALLY doing now, but I just do it. I pick a random scale and I don't even care if I start with the tonic or end with a cadence. But I have fun and I like it. I've made 4 tracks and I got tired blind guessing the EQ and compressor settings. When I reach track 50 I'll call myself a non-noob, just a beginner amateur.

EDIT: I've been making some calculations once, all those pro musicians get like 15 years of education from primary school to college degree. Given I don't really need to be THAT skilled keyboardist to be happy and I don't really have much spare time, I estimated roughly 10 years will pass before I'll call myself 'good'. But not unless my ears go from level 0 to level perfect.

I know what you mean..boy do I know what you mean

Sometimes just going at the piece with whatever means you have works as well.

[kittenz]

I'm just trying to take my experience in learning, say, painting and translate the methods and attitude to music making. You start drawing, you draw basic stuff, you may not know much about, say, perspective, but it doesn't matter that much on your level anyway. What you have to do is just draw a number of consecutive complete drawings, and quantity translates into quality. So now I want to learn music, I make songs. They're simple, generic, they perhaps pretty much suck, they're bound to do so. But hey, you want to learn drawing, you just draw and then discuss your and others' work in your group. And I'm pretty sure I'll be well off doing the same here with music.

[fedexnman]

asio4all and mulab free ......... i know its 4 tracks only , i believe you can use your computer qwerty keyboard for midi . Its kind of a right click program but it has a drum sampler , sampler , and great synths presets included .

[Monib]

DAWs/Equipment is great... But you should learn an instrument. Keyboard is good. Get books on how to play by ear, versus reading music.

[strangedogs]

DAWs/Equipment is great... But you should learn an instrument. Keyboard is good. Get books on how to play by ear, versus reading music.

screw that... Guitarists get more lovin' than a friggin' KB Player!