KVR Audio

djpaul · Post by **djpaul** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:15 am

i want to make dance music electro ,house etc
someone told me cubse others told me reason and more said fruity loops.....what do you think
i want to start making my own tracks beats beats beats.,....any sugestions

seldom · Post by **seldom** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:22 am

"try the demos"

include orion in your explorations.

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:24 am

My opinion doesn't count for much, since I don't own ANY of those softwares, however--

Cubase is mostly a traditional sequencer. It can do what you need, but it'll be easier to do it with a bunch of extra plugins.

Fruity Loops Studio and Reason are both more suitable for beat-oriented music, from what I've seen. Each includes a suite of different tools that will be more handy than those found in Cubase. For example, each has a step-sequencer for drum patterns, which you could theoretically live without, but which some people say is a "must" (note the quotation marks) for programming stompin' beats in relatively little time. I tend to agree.

Anyhow, like I said, I don't know much, but I think you're better off forgetting about Cubase and considering either FLS or Reason for the kind of music you hope to do.

[edit: posted at the same time as the above. Orion is definitely one to include]

Greg

Shane Sanders · Post by **Shane Sanders** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:40 am

Currently, I get the most jazzed about using FL within Sonar. I merely set up an instance of FL and can load up quite a few synths in there (especially Sytrus), using FL's own fantastic little routing matrix as a sub-mixer.

All the midi data stays in Sonar (so that I can avoid the tedious sequencing structure of FL). Then, Sonar is there to host either a VSTi or DXi (sometimes one or the other is more stable from a particular company).

I also recommend Orion for writing stuff. It has the quickest of the interfaces that I personally have experience with.

Bassballjg · Post by **Bassballjg** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:41 am

djpaul wrote:i want to make dance music electro ,house etc
someone told me cubse others told me reason and more said fruity loops.....what do you think
i want to start making my own tracks beats beats beats.,....any sugestions

I'm a Reason user,but I use Sonar as my sequencer and Reason as an instrument via ReWire.All the programs you mention are good,and many people are happy with them.

I am sure that some will post with program specific advice and recommendations,so I will not.My general advice to you getting started in music is to not worry about what software is appropriate for electro or house or whatever but what will give you the best value in terms of mental and physical ergonomics and sound quality.As you learn more and grow into your own musical voice,your tools will select themselves based on your needs and your workflow style.Remember,no one in the audience knows or cares what software you use.Do take advice and be open to influences,and don't be trendy but concentrate on making yourself happy first.

The most specific a-b-c get going advice I would give you is to download demos of everything you are interested in and evaluate them hands-on.Then buy what sounds and feels good.Second,get a copy of Computer Music,a British electronic music magazine.Each issue comes with a cd filled with free and demo software.The freeware comprises a whole studio,featuring a sequencer,sampler,synths,drum machines and effects.These are very useable and highly educational tools.In fact,there is a beginner's special issue that I saw at the store today which is just one long series of tutorials breaking down just about every aspect of production step by step.It was excellent reading even for me as a 30 years experienced musician and a 10 years experienced studio owner/engineer/producer.

From there,scour the web for the tons of freeware,shareware and low-cost indie software.Read everything you can.And practice,practice,practice.Don't be shy about speaking up,because the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.Good hunting.

BassballJG
dBu

Bigg John · Post by **Bigg John** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:51 am

you're gonna end up with all 3 eventually anyway. you start developing this disease called softwaresampleanemia which makes you forget about all the stuff you already bought, and deludes you into thinking you can afford more new stuff. hanging out @ kvr all day is a pretty good indication also.
don't forget about Acid too...

seriously, fruity is probably the way to go. than, stop by the book store and get a copy of computermusic magazine and try out the free version of muzys- it's similar to cubase. http://www.computermusic.co.uk/about/cmuzys.pdf you can always graduate to another sequencer later.

reason is awesome too, but fruity was by far one of the e-zist apps to get started with. PLUS- free updates for life

TVD · Post by **TVD** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:58 am

Before anything else, buy FL Studio. If you can rock out with that soft studio, you will be ready for other plugins that you would want to work with FL Studio later.

Fhangor · Post by **Fhangor** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 5:41 am

I have tried out most existing sequenzers and bought FL-Studio in the end. The prize and the easy architecture convinced me to work with it. I think it has implemented the fastest way to create songs as a beginner and if you go into deep you will detect many helpful things.

If you have later the feeling, that it doesn't do everything you want, you can go to an other sequencer without having spent to much money for nothing. But I don't think you will do that

Have fun

kara · Post by **kara** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:22 am

I don't own any of the three applications. So no comments on that.

Just a litle advise. Don't forget that making music is before all about creativity and not about tools.
When you have a good idea about a song you will make it with any tool, I think.

Just for information, I myself use tracktion

It is perfectly suited to do your kind of music.
You can hear an exemple here :
www.bucodi.com/rony/wakeup.mp3

Have fun

Rony

Wopelka · Post by **Wopelka** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:05 am

Sh@ne S@nders wrote:Currently, I get the most jazzed about using FL within Sonar. I merely set up an instance of FL and can load up quite a few synths in there (especially Sytrus), using FL's own fantastic little routing matrix as a sub-mixer.

that's exactly my way of working...

sometimes i add Reason rewired to Sonar and with these three beasts i get high in no time

***

try the demo is the best advise possible.
each of us has their preference, and you have to find out which app is the more appropriate for YOU.

anyway, they are all great on their own.

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:53 am

Hi,

If you want to use loops, you absolutely
[/b]must take a look at Sony Acid 4 and Ableton Live 4. Demos of both can be downloaded. For the type of music you are talking about, these apps would probably be far more suitable than an old-style sequencer like Cubase or Sonar,
which have a steep learning curve, and are basically designed for multitrack audio and MIDI recording.

If you do end up wanting a sequencer, check out Tracktion (there is a demo on the cover of CM magazine) - much cheaper but all the features you could ask for (including some that "the others" don't have) - also much easier to use imho.

Don't have FL Studio, but tried a demo a while back - found it quite difficult to get started, but it may suit you better, so try a demo.

Reason is awesome, and used by many pros (e.g. the forthcoming new Prodigy album is apparently done completely in Reason).

Never used Orion - perhaps I'll check it out sometime!

Hope this helps

jbsjbs · Post by **jbsjbs** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:57 am

djpaul wrote:i want to make dance music electro ,house etc
someone told me cubse others told me reason and more said fruity loops.....what do you think
i want to start making my own tracks beats beats beats.,....any sugestions

Take a look at Ableton Live as well. Very suitable for your stated requirements

Omnivox · Post by **Omnivox** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:06 am

djpaul wrote:i want to make dance music electro ,house etc
someone told me cubse others told me reason and more said fruity loops.....what do you think
i want to start making my own tracks beats beats beats.,....any sugestions

if it is all about the beats, maybe you should go for reason if you want to start banging right away. if you are willing to put some effort to get some decent drums from some other place, get fruity. if you are able to get some decent drums and a decent drum sampler, get cubase. of course, it is much more expensive and the investment does not stop when you buy it (unlike reason, and, for some part, fruity).
i tried all three - ditched reason (version 1) because of its closed architecture (no vst support), unpractical and complicated sequencer (maybe i would find it better now). i was working in fruity for a year or so (version 3), and liked it pretty much, but then a friend showed me cubase, so i got cubase sx, and it was like heaven opening up. i would never go back. btw, i make psy trance and drumnbass.

Omnivox · Post by **Omnivox** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:09 am

headquest wrote: Reason is awesome, and used by many pros (e.g. the forthcoming new Prodigy album is apparently done completely in Reason).

1. that album is mostly sequenced in reason. the sound itself mainly comes from protools rig and liam's hardware

2. the album sucks ass

but reason might definitely be the way to go.

original flipper · Post by **original flipper** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:29 am

Hi

A possible set up could be -

Buy Recycle 2.1 which is a Beat Editor/Slicer that will save the sounds/beats as REX Files.

But Reason 2.5 which has a range of synths and fx built in but more importantly 3 samplers; one of which is Dr Rex - which you can load your Loops/beats from Recycle into.

Buy a good book on Reason - Reason Ignite 2.5 is a good one, this will take a few days to work through, but within a week you WILL be making tunes.

You can also buy Refills for Reason that consist of loops/samples/presets for the synths ect - there are many FREE ones avalible on the Proppelerhead site (they are the makers of Reason).

This is an EASY ROUTE to take, the other routes/programs are valid and good but REASON is the one to go for if your worried about COMPLEXITY or the time it might take to learn how to use a program - unless you are a patient/experienced software user.

Flipper.

Cubase or reason or fruity loops