your beat making process

hey there folks. its d1 here wondering whats the process some of u use to make beats. i wanna c how some of you do it so i can learn and maybe others can too.
ill go first by example

i use to use fruity loops strictly and my progression was like this
1. cut samples
2. adjust samples to match bpm and normalize if needed
3. pick my drum samples and make a loop
4. make patterns
5. arrange patterns
6. add effects like reverb compression and eq to tracks
7. adjust pan volume settings
8. listen and print lol

but now since i got my mpc its been like this

1. cut samples on fruity loops (usually in bars) and send to mpc
2. load up on mpc and auto cut 16 to 8 cuts depending on how many bars
* sometimes i manual cut samps but only if im really into it
3. load up some drum kits
4. record drums into individual tracks (hihats, snares, kicks) so i can controll the time correction
5. play samples to loop and make simple 4 bar track lol

thats as far as i can get lol im still learning
im curious to here everyone elses process of making beats.
and to the mpc gurus out there share ur wisdom
help the children lol

It's not always the same process but usually I will do this:
-Find and record the sample
-If it's a loop, adjust it to the tempo. If I want to chop it, find the main chops
-Add random drums, just to see if it works well with drums
-Maybe find other parts to sample or new chops
-Find the good drums and add a bass line if it's needed
-Arrange all the sequences in song mode in the MPC
-Record all my tracks one by one in Reaper
-Sometimes I will add synths in Reaper
-Mixing and automations

Mine's pretty much the same as y'all...'cept:

step 1) crack a beer.

1. Grab a cigar and let the records play until I find a sample. If I find it before I'm done smoking, I pause the player on it, and turn some other music on, lol.
2. Listen to the entire song through once or twice, make a mental note of sounds I like, coices for transitions, if possible a completely different chorus. Compare the dynamics/feel of two melodically similar parts/loops.
3. Load into Logic and make my chops, send it to the MPC.
4. Listen to drum loops that have the feel I want. If I don't find anything I pull out the old trusty pre chopped drums on the MPC.
5. Sequence up, add the drums, filter or add a bass line.
6. Record into Logic, done. Next beat.

I listen to the source and whatever catches my ear, I sample a big chunk of it and chop it up and make the best of it.

Beats are like plants, I only nurture them but how they grow and turn out is the mystery to my style.

usually set a reverb up on the send/return and adjust levels accordingly of the mpc and whatever my other source is (module or turntable)

usually start with a basic hat track ( i hate metronome)

then play something and loop it from my module or sample in and loop the chops from the record if i decided to sample something and then just experiment with my drum patterns, throw in some random tom or snare roll, until a legitimate idea pops into my head and just go from there.

sometimes, if im around a computer with itunes or something, i start up a random acapella, and just sort of use it to know when to throw in some extra sounds or mutes or whatever.

not every beat uses this process, but for the most part, this is how it goes dowwwnn

This thread is pretty awesome. Like the OP, I am new to the game and love gettin a peek into the minds of those more experienced. While we all need to figure out our own process to suit our own styles...it is really interesting to see what others do to aid in the inspiration.

Keep em coming!

^ feel me lol drop some knowledge breh

i sit down, black out, and then bang out

so im not sure what happens, but it does

It's kinda funny, when you sample, making music starts with listening to music...



But isn't it allways that way..?

1. what did i do last time
2. let's try that, plus this other thing
3. limit+compress

I don't really have any routines at all other than:

1. Set tempo
2. Usually start with drums

The rest is completely hit and miss.

it definitely reaches a point where the gear becomes transparent. the mpc as a notepad for whatever's on your mind.... it's how good gear works.

place one hit after another on the mpc, tweak, record, tweak, finished

I'm still trying to figure out how to work. Right now, this is what I do. It changes around a bit from track to track, but this is a good example of my workflow.

1) Record the entire sample into the MPC
2) Use NDC (jjos) to find chops I like in the sample
3) Make a program using those chops
4) Bang on the pads until I find something I like. Loop it.
5) Record in drums, bass, guitar, etc...
5a) for drums I may tweak stuff in step edit
5b) for bass, guitar and stuff like that I record them as Audio Tracks
6) I mute different parts from the one sequence and get a feel for a song arrangement
7) Copy the main sequence into a bunch of new ones and arrange them in a song by muting tracks (or alternatively use the pad mute screen and do it on the fly)
8 ) Record the MPC track into a portastudio, use other tracks on the portastudio for overdubs, etc...
9) Transfer the final mix to the computer and then do some compression / limiting in software