What essential hardware would you recommend for a beginner?

K

kw7910

Beginning Beatmaker
I want to get a sampler.. I was looking at one around the $500 like the Roland 404 Portable Sampler or the Maschine Mikro. Alongside this what would you recommend? Or is a sampler such as the above examples enough to get going?
What did you start with, hardware wise?

The type of beats I'm aspiring to produce, would be something along the lines of Ta ku - Diamond Mouth (sorry unable to post links as I'm a new user).. but hopefully you know this song or can youtube it.


Thanks for the help
 
You can use a D.A.W and a midi controller to start but if you're looking for a sampler just check out
the ones that may suit your needs.

I started on the MPC2k but now use the XL.
But i have my reasons just like most people do when they pick their gear.

MPC
404
Maschine
ASR
even the Zoomtrak Sampler are all good choices but again check them out and see what suits you.




Peace
 
SoulGhost said:
You can use a D.A.W and a midi controller to start but if you're looking for a sampler just check out
the ones that may suit your needs.

I started on the MPC2k but now use the XL.
But i have my reasons just like most people do when they pick their gear.

MPC
404
Maschine
ASR
even the Zoomtrak Sampler are all good choices but again check them out and see what suits you.




Peace
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help. So all I will need is my sampler and laptop.. + appropriate software?
 
To be honest with you,i think the D.A.W is the most important part of any set-up and it's also the
most underrated element.

Since you're using a laptop,you may need some sort of audio/midi interface,even if you were using a
desktop that may be a factor also but to start i would check out some D.A.W.s and then think about
what you want to do musically.
If you plan on doing alot of chord work then a midi controller would suit you better than a sampler.
If you plan to sample alot,then of course a sampler is a better route but not required thanks to
software samplers.

Basically,you have alot of options but spend your money wisely,sparingly and on things you will
actually use or need.


Peace
 
Agree. Test out different daws. download demoes. Protools, Reason, Logic, Cubase,Ableton, FL. when you got a clue on how you can make your music, make the decision to buy a sampler that you feel
 
I am just starting out too. I am a newb. I also figured the first place to start was a drum machine, based on my elementary knowledge of music. I am not a musician, yet, never had the discipline. I bought a used NI Maschine Mikro MKI from a college kid. I know nothing about any other drum machine, other than what I've read. I absolutely love the incredible range of possibilities that NI has built into the entire range of Maschine products. In fact, I immediately found that I didn't have enough tactile control over the sounds, so I upgraded to the full Mascine MKII. This screwed my budget (I now have that Mikro to sell). I have iMaschine, too, which I use so much, I get edgy when my iPad needs recharging. IMHO you will not be disapointed. None of these are simply drum machines. I believe that i couldn't have made a better choice as to where I sank the lion's share of my budget. In addition, I was lucky enough to take advantage of the recent NI Expansion pack sale. I have literally thousands of sounds, and many kits, instruments available.

As for a DAW, check out Reaper, it is free, or cheap if you opt to buy, to get a fully functional program. There is a huge supporting community for it. It might not be your final choice, but it's certainly an excellent starting point, for the money. So far, it seems to have everything needed to get a good foundation.

Just my two cents. I hope it helps you and other newbies.

Good luck!
-Ed
 
start with a daw.

the sp-404 is a dope machine, i like roland sps, but it's not for everyone and lacks two fundamental, basic sampler features, pitch and timestretch which are extremely important IMO. i've been able to freak sps when i've owned them but had other tools to pitch/timestretch.
 
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