How did YOU get started?

What up, ya’ll.

I bought my MPC about two months ago. I spent about a week for a few hours a day really learning the basic operations of the machine from the MPC1000 ebook purchased here, and feel I have an OK understanding of how the thing basically works – enough, I think, to get started making stuff. I’ve sampled a bunch of records, and have about 40 old records to chop up. I know how to sample, chop, assign to pads and programs, and make very basic recordings. Now I’m kind of at a loss for how to go about starting to make my first songs.

Most of the things I’ve sampled are 10-20 second portions of songs that could be looped. First off, I’m not sure if I’m sampling the right stuff, stuff that should be usable. What did you guys do at this stage? Pretty much, I’m frantically chopping stuff and throwing it at the wall to see if it works. I’ve just been messing around with stuff, trying to get decent drum samples, putting loops through filters and effects, but am nowhere close to having any sort of basic sequence from which I could build a song. I also don’t have a decent arsenal of drum sounds, and have been slowly and mostly unsuccessfully trying to make my own through sampling from records.

I guess I feel like I have too many options and don't know how to proceed. What did you guys do that was smart or not smart as this stage? I’d like to kind of break down learning how to make my first beats into something simple and not so overwhelming. Anyone have advice?

Alec

Firstly, realize that the mpc, as with most all hardware is just a tool. Its just a device to get you where you want to go. No ones going to be able to tell you whats right and whats wrong cause its your music your trying to create. Sure, theres easier ways to go about things that people can help with but really you have to have the vision and creativity.

When it comes to sampling, for me, i listen to a bunch of records and there will be a part that im like, ohhhhhh snaps. so thats the part i take. it might not be the right sample for the moment but itll get used at some point. You kinda have to hear something that moves you and evolve it into a bigger picture (i.e a beat).

I hate to repeat, but its all in you, you can follow someone elses formula but the idea is to come into your own, not copy whats done.

if ur having trouble on the melody part, maybe try to make some dope drum beats, then when u have a bunch, maybe the next sample you hear it will all come together for you.

good luck w/ it.

Hey Alec,

I too am new to the MPC and at first struggled to get beyond a 4 or 8 bar loop. I had written and recorded songs in the past using acoustic guitar or piano so I know song structure and I struggled to translate that into sample based music. So the first thing I tried was listening to some of my favourite tunes (for me it was david holmes, daft punk, air, etc) and studying the form of the song. Number of bars for the intro, bars where the drums are muted, placement of drum fills, use of pads / strings, the style of the bass, hook placement etc. Now copy this format, but not the chords used or necessarily the sounds (a lot easier if you are using sample based music). I found this a great way to start and learned a lot. Also, try following a song idea through to completion, even if you are not sure it is the perfect song (a very rare beast). Again, you will learn a lot. Books on song structure can be very usefull too, but some are a bit dry too - at the end of the day you want to sound like you, not like how some guy writing a book suggests everyone sounds.

I felt the same way you do at first, but persevere, it is worth it.

Thanks for the help thus far!

I guess there are a few ways I look at the MP:

1) Something by which I bring the drum beats in my head to life.
2) Something by which I'm directly "inspired" by (digging and sampling), and then make a collage of. (sample-based production)
3) Something which I use to produce songs without samples. (non-sample based production)

#1 isn't too hard - just get some ill drums samples and play the ideas. #3 I don't want to think about until I've gotten good at #2, which is the one I mean most here. The problem may be that I'm starting with samples, and not drums (What do ya'll usually start with?), and trying to work around the sample rather than making it work for me.

But in terms of getting really inspired by a sample, I don't understand how it works yet. Maybe I haven't found the right sample. Or maybe I'm wanting my shit to be Dilla/Spacek's "Dollar" right out the gate! I'm pretty mystified by how shit like Dilla's, or Premo's, or Pete Rock's gets created, how they get these disparate samples to sound good together.

If anyone has any thoughts, holla,

AQ

dont get me wrong, i dont want you to think theres some spiritual journey where you see your inner wolf and then bam u can just make a beat. theres a technical side, i just noticed alot of people think the mpc is some kind of magic box thats going to translate all your ideas out for you.

The greats have spend countless hours just messing with samples, drums, etc etc. its not going to happen right away.

You can take lessons in music thoery, arrangement, production etc etc, which are nice, but if you dont know the machine then what good are they. If you already have rythmn, then start throwin down some nice drum loops, then find some samples that compliment it. Everyone has their own style , some start with drums, some with samples. Like i mentioned, theres no right and wrong way. Starting with drums, you can prolly get your BPM all mapped out, and then lay everything down around that.

Try it that way since you havent and see if its more comfortable. Im new to production (dj'd for long time), and ive done it both ways so far, sometimes it just happens like that. I did the whole tutorial thing for a week or 2 and yea it was nice to know the features but it didnt really help me make a song, i think the best thing is to just keep messin with it, the more you play with it, the more comfortable you become. thats the real key, once your comfortable it all starts to flow (as crazy as that sounds).

for example, i did the monthly beat battle thing, and since i been messing around just trying all the features and sounds, i got the part of the sample i thought i could handle and sounded good, i looped and chopped it. then i just started playing it till i got a melody i thought sounded good, so now i had the tempo i liked, and the melody, so i laid it down. then i got some drums, same thing.. and u jsut keep layering and tinkering till its your baby.

its an evolution. thats the best way to describe it. I think once you get comfortable with the machine and get your style, then taking production, arrangement and other classes will benefit cause then you can make a song and not hit a wall.

hope this helps.

practice practice and then more practice.

i started jus using fruity, jus ****ing with samples, drums ect until the early hours of everyday. ive had my mp for a month now, its all about the sounds you are putting into it, you need to have vision, dope records, a bag of green and alot of time to practice & experiment. jus don't be lazy with it, that goes for diggin aswell!! Have fun!!!!

It started for me when I was learning how to play sax in the 6th grade. Met a few friends when I got in the seventh grade that were learning guitar and we all decided to form a band while in jr. high school that would eventually take us to doing our schools' special functions and other weekend shows. So to make this as short as possible, I've been writing/recording music since the mid eighties and have enjoyed the journey so far (this is the pre digital era for those that don't know). As a matter of fact, I've come across an analog cassette that I've tried to remaster for a better sound and want to post it so everyone can check it out, so stay tuned.

letsjumpnow wrote:What up, ya’ll.

I bought my MPC about two months ago. I spent about a week for a few hours a day really learning the basic operations of the machine from the MPC1000 ebook purchased here, and feel I have an OK understanding of how the thing basically works – enough, I think, to get started making stuff. I’ve sampled a bunch of records, and have about 40 old records to chop up. I know how to sample, chop, assign to pads and programs, and make very basic recordings. Now I’m kind of at a loss for how to go about starting to make my first songs.

Most of the things I’ve sampled are 10-20 second portions of songs that could be looped. First off, I’m not sure if I’m sampling the right stuff, stuff that should be usable. What did you guys do at this stage? Pretty much, I’m frantically chopping stuff and throwing it at the wall to see if it works. I’ve just been messing around with stuff, trying to get decent drum samples, putting loops through filters and effects, but am nowhere close to having any sort of basic sequence from which I could build a song. I also don’t have a decent arsenal of drum sounds, and have been slowly and mostly unsuccessfully trying to make my own through sampling from records.

I guess I feel like I have too many options and don't know how to proceed. What did you guys do that was smart or not smart as this stage? I’d like to kind of break down learning how to make my first beats into something simple and not so overwhelming. Anyone have advice?

Alec

when you make beats with a smpler, their are really no limits except soo much overdubbed sh!t its jsut a solid mess of noise...

so with that said, take one of your smaples, chop it into 4 bar phrases and put it down, then apply a simple drum riff, a bass line and see how it sounds, do this over and over until you feel liek you enjoy lsitening to what youve created, show it to a friend to see if htey like it or think it sucks, if you can show it to us for help...

you cna layer multiple samples over each otehr or do different parts and make a full song...i personalyl like to watch youtube videos for inspiration

a good tip?

be yourself man

ive been makin beats since the nineties and i can't tell you how many people i've came across that want to produce hip hop beats, but they are trying re-create the sound of some other producer they think is hot.

that shyt will get you nowhere.

whats the rush?

take time and get to know the tools u are using, then take time to perfect your sound, muthafukas may not like some of your shyt, but at the end of the day at least you can say its original.

peace.

I record a bunch of tracks and samples on the MPC that sound good together in a 4 bar loop, then record each track into protools then I record my keyboard or guitars over that. It's easier for me to actually see the song laid out on the screen and move everything around from there then have to mute and solo stuff out on the mpc. Just how I do....

dabmeister wrote:I've come across an analog cassette that I've tried to remaster for a better sound and want to post it so everyone can check it out, so stay tuned.

Well, this is it but I must've tracked this tune with my friend Phylicia when I first got my asr (even though I don't like the bass used, the idea was to feature a real bass player). This was tracked on a Tascam 688 so the output isn't quite as hot as what I'm used to. Hold On Me.

dab i like it. i feel like i should be watching beverly hills cop. that just takes me back.