New member with some basic questions re: music production

Hey everyone,

New member here and new to music production, so forgive the first timer ignorance.

I'd like to produce house/techno/dance tracks and am a little lost as to what direction I should go in terms of equipment.

I have an M-Audio MIDI controller (keyboard) since I know how to play the piano and feel that's an essential element to any home studio, also bought an MPC-500 but am not sure if I should be using the MPC-500 with Abelton, by itself, if I should be using something like a Yamaha QY100 Sequencer and etc.

I know that a lot of Hip Hop is done on MPC's and I'd like to produce sampled hip-hop as well, but was trying to get a consensus on what the tools of the trade should be.

Maybe an Abelton controller if all the loops/samples are coming from a PC?

Would greatly appreciate some thoughts, suggestions and insight into this. Thanks!

Also thinking about getting the Akai APC20 Compact Ableton Controller

Any thoughts on this guy?

I ve had alot of gear during my years producing and I come to the conclusion that all anyone needs is three things :

1) Logic
2) Reason
3) Your Brain

That is my advice to you. I have a MPC200xl and now its basically a door stop. But then again that is what works for me everyone is different...

Peace

thetechniquetv wrote:I ve had alot of gear during my years producing and I come to the conclusion that all anyone needs is three things :

1) Logic
2) Reason
3) Your Brain

Doesn't number 3 cover both 1 and 2?

Hahaha. It depend on what bundle of logic you buy. hahaha. Point being you can do alot with what you have !

thetechniquetv wrote:I ve had alot of gear during my years producing and I come to the conclusion that all anyone needs is three things :

1) Logic
2) Reason
3) Your Brain

This is brilliant, if we are not talking about DAWs. In that respect, I totally agree.

Step one is to get off the internet, start using the gear instead of talking about it. You will learn more by experimenting than you will from reading someone else's opinion on this totally subjective matter.

thetechniquetv wrote:I ve had alot of gear during my years producing and I come to the conclusion that all anyone needs is three things :

1) Logic
2) Reason
3) Your Brain

That is my advice to you. I have a MPC200xl and now its basically a door stop. But then again that is what works for me everyone is different...

Peace

Send me that doorstop...I mean that 2xl

MPCs are great for house.
I'd load up the 500 with samples and start making tracks. i have no idea about ableton.

beach_break wrote:MPCs are great for house.
I'd load up the 500 with samples and start making tracks. i have no idea about ableton.

^^ +++. ive made some dope drum bass tracks on my MPC. i have a 2000xl, but still i think you can make some great tracks on the 500. it all might seem daunting at first, but thats because you have 1000 tools and hardly any knowledge, in terms of pro audio. this is normal and im not saying that to diss or anything. its just how all of us start out in this crazy innovative (in terms of music) age.

questions to ask yourself - are you hardware based (mpc) or software based (ableton, reason, logic, etc)? do you want to use a keyboard to make a drum pattern and see the step sequence on your computer screen OR use drum pads and sequence it on an MPC?

i say go both ways, but for now get into youre work flow. start making tracks on the 500 first. work on your strengths. if youre a pianist then hook up your midi keyboard to abelton. i have abelton and an apc20 and i admit i hardly use it because of the learning curve on ableton. im taking ableton workshop courses and learning about the software more and more, but i think overall i have yet to really drift from my beloved mpc.

One last comment... I think at this stage in the game you will not know exactly what works well for you and more important what tool works best to make the type of music you want to make. You will eventually figure what the **** your are doing and then when you get to that stage then you will see that you will know exactly what gear you need but for just make music with what you have and if you stick with it then you will music will mature and you production skills and that moments is when you answer your own question ? of what gear works best for me.

Peace and good luck

Thanks for the good words guys, totally agree on everything said. Experiment, get into your groove, play with different tools, softwares and instruments until you figure out your groove and what works best.

On another note, where should I be getting some good samples from???

dakrisht wrote:On another note, where should I be getting some good samples from???

you can make your samples and sounds by yourself, the mpc is a sampler
i've never used the 500 but i think it should be easy do that task (sampling)

if you need classic drum machines samples (like the roland tr-909 and tr-808) you can go here:
http://machines.hyperreal.org/manufacturers/Roland/
or here:
http://cl516.blogspot.com/2009/04/free- ... mples.html
http://www.hellosamples.com/category/drums/

In this package you can find a lot of programs and sounds specially designed for MPC500
http://rockda500.us.to/

dakrisht wrote:On another note, where should I be getting some good samples from???

Do you see the link at the top of this forum's pages?

www.mpc-samples.com

You won't find these for free online, but you will be supporting this helpful forum.

dakrisht wrote:Hey everyone,

New member here and new to music production, so forgive the first timer ignorance.

I'd like to produce house/techno/dance tracks and am a little lost as to what direction I should go in terms of equipment.

I have an M-Audio MIDI controller (keyboard) since I know how to play the piano and feel that's an essential element to any home studio, also bought an MPC-500 but am not sure if I should be using the MPC-500 with Abelton, by itself, if I should be using something like a Yamaha QY100 Sequencer and etc.

I know that a lot of Hip Hop is done on MPC's and I'd like to produce sampled hip-hop as well, but was trying to get a consensus on what the tools of the trade should be.

Maybe an Abelton controller if all the loops/samples are coming from a PC?

Would greatly appreciate some thoughts, suggestions and insight into this. Thanks!

if your gonna produce techno and house .. i would say .. your using the mpc as a midi ? i would say get your self an mpd , for the fact if your not recording into the mpc then its a waste of time having one .. or buying one in that case .. but why don't you look into fl studio . they have a better interface then ableton . unless your a like a scrolled fan and want to have what he is using and can to be creative ....

dakrisht wrote:Also thinking about getting the Akai APC20 Compact Ableton Controller

Any thoughts on this guy?

The APC controllers are very dope. I opted for the Novation Launchpad, because I the APC40 is huge and I didn't have the space. I have other MIDI controllers, so the clip launching was the main thing for me and the Launchpad sufficed. I've seen APC40's used for a little over $200. The best things about the APC's to me, is the way it maps to the Ableton FX devices and the crossfader.

Both the Launchpad and the APC's have some cool MAX4Live patches for them too.