Sorry in advance, because I know this gets asked a lot.
I have little to no musical background. I've played a little bit of guitar, clarinet, and piano and I can read music but other than that I really can't remember how to play these instruments extensively.
And now I'm looking to start making my own music (Hip Hop, Trance, Jazz, anything) and I have two main questions about a keyboard and software
1. I'm in the market for a 49/61-key midi controller or synth with a budget of about $100-$250. I've been lurking around this forum and reading reviews and I can't decide whether or not to get an old synth or buy a more modern midi controller.
I'm new to this and I love all the bells and whistles but I'm not actually sure what I'll be able to make use of this early in the game being a newbie and all. However I want to be able to expand decently without having to buy more expensive technology.
Also, I know it's tough in this price range but I really value the look and feel of the keys. I haven't had the chance to test out any new MIDI keyboards or synthesizers but I need something that won't limit my creativity as I get better at playing.
2. Software wise what should I be looking into for a newbie. I have a pretty good laptop(Toshiba Satellite L855)running Windows 7. I've been searching around for those as well but honestly I'm not 100% what I'm looking at or what to look for in Audio software. Another concern for me is the price of the software. I know certain keyboards come with it's own software or a lite version of software, so that forces me to wonder what I'd be missing out on from the full software and if I'll even need that functionality this early in the game.
Thanks in advance for your time and patience.
Getting into production... Help needed (Keyboard/Software)
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- KVRAF
- 3071 posts since 29 Sep, 2005
Greetings JBake47 and welcome to the forum 
I'll try to be brief
KISS - Keep it simply simple.
1.) Since you are just starting out I suggest definitely getting a newer model midi controller/keyboard. Many of these will come with a limited version of a DAW (Live is most popular) and this will be fine for a while. As you progress deeper into music making you will want more gear; vst's, maybe hardware synths, a good sound card module, monitors, etc.
If you have a music store nearby you will want to visit and test the equipment. There are many models and brands and each have their quirks and nuances. I did not care for the feel of the Novation models and chose the M-Audio Axiom Pro 49. I felt the keys to be more responsive and touch sensitive and the unit seemed of higher quality. MMV. Bottom line is try before you buy.
Older synths are great but that can come later.
2.) See #1. Daw taken care of with the purchase of a midi controller/keyboard. Use the KVR plug-in/hosts search engine and you will find a ton of freeware. These will help you get deeper into music making and can be replaced later with better vst's. What you will mostly be missing is the number of tracks available in a full version. I believe Live offers 8 tracks which will be enough to get you started.
Take it slow and learn the ins and outs of the software and your devices, and how to play. The latter is the most gratifying of making music
To start your current computer will be fine. Later you will want to upgrade to something faster and a lot more ram. But for now just keep it simple.
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
I'll try to be brief
KISS - Keep it simply simple.
1.) Since you are just starting out I suggest definitely getting a newer model midi controller/keyboard. Many of these will come with a limited version of a DAW (Live is most popular) and this will be fine for a while. As you progress deeper into music making you will want more gear; vst's, maybe hardware synths, a good sound card module, monitors, etc.
If you have a music store nearby you will want to visit and test the equipment. There are many models and brands and each have their quirks and nuances. I did not care for the feel of the Novation models and chose the M-Audio Axiom Pro 49. I felt the keys to be more responsive and touch sensitive and the unit seemed of higher quality. MMV. Bottom line is try before you buy.
Older synths are great but that can come later.
2.) See #1. Daw taken care of with the purchase of a midi controller/keyboard. Use the KVR plug-in/hosts search engine and you will find a ton of freeware. These will help you get deeper into music making and can be replaced later with better vst's. What you will mostly be missing is the number of tracks available in a full version. I believe Live offers 8 tracks which will be enough to get you started.
Take it slow and learn the ins and outs of the software and your devices, and how to play. The latter is the most gratifying of making music
To start your current computer will be fine. Later you will want to upgrade to something faster and a lot more ram. But for now just keep it simple.
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
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- KVRist
- 194 posts since 12 Nov, 2011
An other option if you are totaly new to computer music would be to start with
a more user friendly programm than the famous ones and see later if you have
other needs.
I started with Mixcraft and then later picked Ableton live and Studio One very
easily.
http://acoustica.com/mixcraft/compare.h ... ay) here http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/to ... stationxl/
a more user friendly programm than the famous ones and see later if you have
other needs.
I started with Mixcraft and then later picked Ableton live and Studio One very
easily.
http://acoustica.com/mixcraft/compare.h ... ay) here http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/to ... stationxl/
-
- KVRist
- 194 posts since 12 Nov, 2011
An other option if you are totaly new to computer music would be to start with
a more user friendly programm than the famous ones and see later if you have
other needs.
I started with Mixcraft and then later picked Ableton live and Presonus Studio One very easily.
http://acoustica.com/mixcraft/compare.htm
+ a basic keyboard in terms of features but with good key action
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboard ... o-keyboard
About sounds, there is this huge 75 % off sale until monday (audio demos inside)
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/to ... stationxl/
a more user friendly programm than the famous ones and see later if you have
other needs.
I started with Mixcraft and then later picked Ableton live and Presonus Studio One very easily.
http://acoustica.com/mixcraft/compare.htm
+ a basic keyboard in terms of features but with good key action
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboard ... o-keyboard
About sounds, there is this huge 75 % off sale until monday (audio demos inside)
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/to ... stationxl/
-
- KVRAF
- 4589 posts since 7 Jun, 2012 from Warsaw
What I did some years ago was to download demos of all popular DAWs and try out all of them. The key is to DAW match your own taste and intuition, otherwise it will be just a pain for you.
Blog ------------- YouTube channel
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
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- KVRAF
- 8413 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
If i could have started fresh with a small budget I would have probably did this.
- Line 6 Mobile Keys 49 which is a decent small set of 49 full sized keys with a mod and pitch wheel. It's also around $150 or so i believe.
- I would scour the KVR market place and pick up a used copy of Ableton Live 9 that is in the price range of around $250-300 or lower if you can.
- Scour the market place also for a used copy of Native Instruments Reaktor 5 for about $100-120 and look for a copy of Maxforlive for $90 - $100
Between Maxforlive, Reaktor you would have a incredibly powerful setup that if learned well could give you LOTS for years to come.
IF you are not someone who likes learning complex looking systems then maybe skip the maxforlive and reaktor suggestion and pick up a copy of something like Massive or Zebra 2.
- Line 6 Mobile Keys 49 which is a decent small set of 49 full sized keys with a mod and pitch wheel. It's also around $150 or so i believe.
- I would scour the KVR market place and pick up a used copy of Ableton Live 9 that is in the price range of around $250-300 or lower if you can.
- Scour the market place also for a used copy of Native Instruments Reaktor 5 for about $100-120 and look for a copy of Maxforlive for $90 - $100
Between Maxforlive, Reaktor you would have a incredibly powerful setup that if learned well could give you LOTS for years to come.
IF you are not someone who likes learning complex looking systems then maybe skip the maxforlive and reaktor suggestion and pick up a copy of something like Massive or Zebra 2.
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- KVRAF
- 2784 posts since 18 Apr, 2001
To get the maximum value for minimal money:
1. Get a good MIDI-keyboard, demo them in a shop to get one with a good key-response.
2. Get a good audio-interface so you get low latencies needed for actually playing things on your keyboard.
3. Get Reaper for your DAW; it's absolutely unbeatable value for money. It has a steep learning curve but I get from your post that you are willing to learn things. When you master Reaper you will be set for life Besides, Reaper has an incredible helpful community to get you sorted if needed.
4. Get a nice bunch of freeware plugins to go with the above. Hit the link in my signature to get started there
With this scenario you use your budget mainly for the hardware, as that is that absolute basis of a nice/good setup.
1. Get a good MIDI-keyboard, demo them in a shop to get one with a good key-response.
2. Get a good audio-interface so you get low latencies needed for actually playing things on your keyboard.
3. Get Reaper for your DAW; it's absolutely unbeatable value for money. It has a steep learning curve but I get from your post that you are willing to learn things. When you master Reaper you will be set for life
Besides, Reaper has an incredible helpful community to get you sorted if needed.4. Get a nice bunch of freeware plugins to go with the above. Hit the link in my signature to get started there
With this scenario you use your budget mainly for the hardware, as that is that absolute basis of a nice/good setup.
CrimsonWarlock aka TechnoGremlin, Moved to Reason and Rack Extensions exclusively (from Reaper and VSTs) several years ago.
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- KVRAF
- 4589 posts since 7 Jun, 2012 from Warsaw
Massive IS the most complex synth I've ever seen. It's the tool for engineers, not the amateurs.IF you are not someone who likes learning complex looking systems then maybe skip the maxforlive and reaktor suggestion and pick up a copy of something like Massive or Zebra 2
Blog ------------- YouTube channel
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
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- KVRAF
- 8413 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
DJ Warmonger wrote:Massive IS the most complex synth I've ever seen. It's the tool for engineers, not the amateurs.IF you are not someone who likes learning complex looking systems then maybe skip the maxforlive and reaktor suggestion and pick up a copy of something like Massive or Zebra 2
Just takes a bit of time to learn!
The click'n'drag modulation system is really intuitive and quick to pick up. I actually really like how simple it is to use. In comparison to Reaktor though Massive is childs play..