Am needing advice on what hardware/production tools to get

Hi there I am new to this place.. So sorry if this isn't in the right section..

I am wanting to start producing some beats and am wondering what to get.. I want something which isn't too complex but one that can also produce some nice sounding, 'professional' beats.. Also, I'd really like to be able to make jazzy hip-hop beats, RnB, electronic tracks, just anything.. It'd be good to be able to make a variety of musical genres with this production hardware..

However, I must say I don't want to just make these beats for fun.. I want to actually try get into the music biz and try make it big

For now, my budget is $600US.. Any suggestions?

P.S I'm open to both sampling (MPC's) and production hardware.. Whatever will benefit me more for roughly $600.

imma tell ya like i say to everyone... pleez don't take it heart...
if ur new, know whut ur gettin into. RESEARCH whut ur gonna buy, READ bout whut ur gonna purchase, cuz this game
ain't cheap. Okay now, depends on how advanced u r, u probably wanna start wit the 1000,( the 500 is kool but.... )
Read ur manuals, repeat : READ THA MANUAL.... CUZ MOST ?'S U ASKED ON HERE, THATS WHUTS GONNA BE SAID TO YA..
So 4 starters, thee 1000 is much & more efficient then thee 500.............. After months of eattin, sleepin, & shittin it...

then look into tha " JJOS "............. UR GAME WILL TRANSCEND........ TRUST....
jus do ur homework kid & WELCOME Fam.... enjoy this crazy forum......

Nah thanks I'd rather that you were honest with me I will definitely research and look into this more but I am swinging towards the 1000. Can you produce beats which sound quite professional and which can be sung/rapped over well? Because I would be recording vocals over the tracks produced.

Also, will I need to buy most of my sample sounds (drum kicks/snares, synths, base, etc.) ? And when you sample the song do you end up with a lot of different sounds from the song (drums, synths, etc.) ?

Thanks for the reply.

Lampdog wrote:

jC__23 wrote:And when you sample the song do you end up with a lot of different sounds from the song (drums, synths, etc.)?

I don't follow you?

Chopping maybe, or cutting the sample up into different pieces for use in a song?

yeah, I'm a little lost on that one too.

Lampdog wrote:

jC__23 wrote:And when you sample the song do you end up with a lot of different sounds from the song (drums, synths, etc.)?

I don't follow you?

I'm afraid he's asking if he gets all the separate instruments by sampling a song....you know, the cake-and-eggs thing...

anything can eventually sound professional .......there is alot more involved then u could ever understand (i.e. EQ frequencies, Compression , Reverb , stereo seperation...etc) ...my advice..B4 u spend ....YouTube Is Ur Freind. Watch all possible videos on there...very helpful to aspiring producers and beatmakers ( there is a difference between the 2 ).Good Luck and whatever u decide on ...remember this ..READ THE MANUAL !

$600....Ifyou already have a good pc, you can get a good YAMAHA MOTIF 6 FOR $600 and start there, or Get a Good Midi Keyboard Like a (M-Audio Axiom 61 Key) For about $200

But Make sure what ever you purchase sit with it and learn it(Master it and than go out an buy more equitment)

If you have no experience with any instruments and want to start learning, I'd start with a Keyboard

And if you looking to get serious with music buy Good hardware so you dont have to upgrade later on...

for $600?

dont worry about making it big just yet. just worry about making the MUSIC. I think, for that little money, the thing to do is not worry about hardware right now. If you have a computer, just get FruityLoops or Reason 4, to familiarize yourself with the process of making music. You can get either of those programs and a FireWire Audio interface plus a MIDI keyboard, if you shop at the right place.

i would urge you to learn more about making music before you bother learning about the gear that's out there. With the above setup, you can make music just fine. Later on, if you feel this is something you want to do, you can expand (and you will still be able to use all the stuff you already have too)

so yeah. take little steps. There's alot of people out there that drop cash for a production rig, and then come to find out later that making music isn't really for them.


here's the breakdown of a cheap studio rig that has alot of flexibility.

a) software...

Reason 4.0 - $400
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=702839

(or)

FL Studio 8 XXL - $300
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=703246


b) hardware...

Mackie ONYX satellite - $180
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MACONYXSAT

B-Stock MIDI controller - $70
http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.c ... ku=703605V

so now you have spent from $550 to $650, depending on your software choice. Add in a pair of headphones and powered monito speakers, thats a few more hundred for the entry level stuff.



good luck