How to make beats on the cheap?

Hi, I don't want to go the software route but I want to start making beats. I have like hardly any money so I was thinking about doing it the Madlib way. I;m gonna get an sp 404 sampler and a turntable and dj mixer then just record that to a 4 track recorder. Do you think that will work?

do you have a mpc?

What u stated will work.

no i don't have an mpc

cheap drums? Free drums do you?? Check it: http://www.soundcrafting.com/freesounds.php

Peace
download em onto CD and bang em in

Shootah wrote:Hi, I don't want to go the software route but I want to start making beats. I have like hardly any money so I was thinking about doing it the Madlib way. I;m gonna get an sp 404 sampler and a turntable and dj mixer then just record that to a 4 track recorder. Do you think that will work?

Yes, it all boils down to the person behind the gear. There are enough examples of people making beats with limited gear. An sp-404 and a turntable will do the trick, it's just a different workflow compared to an MPC. Good luck.

good luck

that can work, good luck...
come back and post tracks!!!

Man, its gonna be a cheapo studio! haha

I also have an akai s900 sampler but the disk drive doesn't work so I gotta use midi to save files on my computer.

I was also thinking about picking up this old keyboard at a pawn shop or something. Something for like 50 bucks.

Shootah wrote:Man, its gonna be a cheapo studio! haha

I also have an akai s900 sampler but the disk drive doesn't work so I gotta use midi to save files on my computer.

I was also thinking about picking up this old keyboard at a pawn shop or something. Something for like 50 bucks.

it will be badass

u can do this...

keep us posted


i'm tired of people who come in like 'hi im new to this so i bought an mpc4k, triton and protools... what else do i need? and how do i use tap tempo?' hahaha.

i am thinking you can make a couple of patterns on the 404 for a foundational beat... lay that down onto the 4track,, then make a 2nd pass to drop in fills, scratching whatever... should work fine

Thanks,

I looking forward to doing this.

I heard the Numark TT200 are good turntables that are cheap and have good torque. I can't spend lots of money.

Also, what is a good, cheap mixer?

I bought an ecler smac pro but then again I'm no DJ. It does what it has to do, is quiet (no noise) and has a nice eq + kill switches. The real cheap mixers come with the wall wart type powersupply and have non replacable faders that will wear out in no time.

In terms of mixers, check this link out:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/choosing_a_mi ... tudio.html

Actually read the entire guide...

Anyway, just be careful when you buy a mixer. I made the mistake of buying a Mackie DFX6, which is a great little stereo mixer for live events and what not, but for computer recording it lacks the ALT 3-4 Bus which basically allows you to route the signal back into your mixer so you can monitor both what you are playing and what you are recording. There are work arounds, but it would have been nice to have the sub out.

Oh and there used to be good video link on the Stones Throw site Madlib page of him talking to music students (Red Bull Music Academy). If you can find it, it's really inspirational to hear Madlib push the idea of making music with limited equipment.

I'm in awe of some of the studios the producers on this site have, but you have to just build it little by little. Good luck!