Making beats on the cheap.

M

Murde Mental

New member
So here I am. Lots of things to say but no music to accompagny what it is that I have to say.

So I figured that I need to get my act together, make myself some beats and record my music.

So far here's how I plan to do this:

1- roll a basic drum-loop optained through the demo version of Mixvibes 6, run that loop again and maybe add a melody loop or something to the equvalent and burn all of that onto a cd.

2- use the cd to play from one end of my mixer and maybe mix a few things from an old vynil or using the mic output record things from actual instruments (ie percussions, banjo, keyboard, vocal back-up)

(the recording from the mic to the computer can also be used just to MAKE the drum line or anything else trying to use the keyboard as some sort of cheap drum-pad and whatnot)

3- so what I have now is my finished beat that I can play on my cd player, add my vocals and perform a scratch solo with if I ever wanted to perform live.

4- or if I chose to I can record using this cd the whole song and solo directly onto my computer.

I understand this may not be too clear but what I'm asking is: Is this a practical solution? Will it still let me be creative in my music or will I soon reach some sort of plateau? So far I'm not very satisfied using mixvibes. It's basically like trying to make a simple mix but you're not able to listen and cue it properly and you've only got one hand to handle the effects! Is a sampler (something I have no idea abomut how to use) or a drum-pad (ditto) something I should be interrested in getting?

I hope you guys can help me out with this.

Thanks.
 
Murde Mental said:
So here I am. Lots of things to say but no music to accompagny what it is that I have to say.

So I figured that I need to get my act together, make myself some beats and record my music.

So far here's how I plan to do this:

1- roll a basic drum-loop optained through the demo version of Mixvibes 6, run that loop again and maybe add a melody loop or something to the equvalent and burn all of that onto a cd.

2- use the cd to play from one end of my mixer and maybe mix a few things from an old vynil or using the mic output record things from actual instruments (ie percussions, banjo, keyboard, vocal back-up)

(the recording from the mic to the computer can also be used just to MAKE the drum line or anything else trying to use the keyboard as some sort of cheap drum-pad and whatnot)

3- so what I have now is my finished beat that I can play on my cd player, add my vocals and perform a scratch solo with if I ever wanted to perform live.

4- or if I chose to I can record using this cd the whole song and solo directly onto my computer.

I understand this may not be too clear but what I'm asking is: Is this a practical solution? Will it still let me be creative in my music or will I soon reach some sort of plateau? So far I'm not very satisfied using mixvibes. It's basically like trying to make a simple mix but you're not able to listen and cue it properly and you've only got one hand to handle the effects! Is a sampler (something I have no idea abomut how to use) or a drum-pad (ditto) something I should be interrested in getting?

I hope you guys can help me out with this.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
There has to be a limit as to how much text is allowed in a post!
 
And this has to do with sampling/record digging how?
 
wow, first time I got complains on a newsgroup for trying to write a somewhat structured and precise thread.

Psssshh I'm already getting the "wrong forum dumbass" treatment? fun. Had you read what I wrote you'd see that I was asking about wether this method of "sampling" my own music through a crap demo version of some dj program or my actual instruments using a mic would be a, if proven to be workable, cheaper alternative to buying a proper sampler.

Now once I get that question answered I can trod along specifying what i should be looking for in a sampler etc etc.

But you're probably right, this can't possibly have anything to do with sampling.
 
Id say get a proper sampler. There will be limitations you'll find, and it already sounds like more work than it should be, even though I lost you about half way through. It will cost a little money but in the end with a sampler/ other recording programs, it will be easier to sample..alter those samples, lay drums, the record your voice, scratches an anything else. Recording on the cheap isn't easy, at least if you want it to sound good!
 
I don't see the point of getting a sampler if you already have a computer, especially when you state that you want to do this cheaply.

I too was lost when reading your post. What you seem to be saying is that you want to burn your beats from Mixvibes onto a cd, play it while recording stuff from vinyl and vocals, mixing it together through a hardware mixer.

My question is, why?

Why the whole CD burning process. Render you beat, load it up in a multitrack sequencer, and record your live input that way. Why would you record to CD, only to rerecord that same content via your analog soundcard inputs. This doesn't make any sense. Not only are you losing quality every time you go through your A/Ds on your audio interface, it's unnecessary.

Oh, and for sequencing your beats, you can try Renoise. It's a top-down sequencing package (tracker) with full VST support. It's what I use, but I come from a tracking background. They style of sequencing might be hard for some to grasp. It's only 50 bucks or so to register.

Also, Tracktion used to be free. It still might be.

These packages (and many others such as FruityLoops, Reason, etc) will allow you to compose your music, instead of simply regurgitating pre-fabricated loops with MixVibes.

Peace.
 
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yeah if i were doin it crazy cheap i'd prolly get a copy of fruity loops an do it that way an look on the net for other free programs...

i know you can get an older version of fruity free if not for like 20 bucks.... hell i think its like 100 new right? i dunno. (i'm a hardware guy) but really sonus has good advise there. and as far as sp404.... no need if your doing it in software cheap. hardware is easy to use but expensive.... if you go that route i'd look at somthen like the sp 505 (you can get em for like 200 bucks wich is about as cheap as it gets for a sampler/seq.) granted you'll wanna upgrade not long after you master it but it'll do for now. or even the sp 808 wich you can get for about 300 and it can record your audio tracks (vocals) too. hope this helps...
 
It turns out that being dirt cheap is no longer an issue. At the time I was just tryign to see if there was anything that could be done using only the material that I have at the moment but now it looks like I'll be getting some money in and frankly I would much rather work with hardware then software. I'm not a computer kindof guy. So I think I'll be looking into buying myself a sampler. I've looked at the sp-404 and that looked to be pretty decent for what I'd want to do with it.

I've also been offered a free "never opened" copy of Home-Studio 2004. Anyone know if that's something I should be interested in grabbing?

(oh and yeah maybe it would be a better idea to move it to the "getting started" forum.)
 
even if you're more the hardware guy, you should get started the software route (my personal opinion) because you need to learn the basics first..

if you have no plan on midi, how do you expect to set everything up and then use it correctly?

also one huge advantage of software is the simple "load and play" feature (you simply load the track and start playing.. all settings are as you saved them earlier, this is not the case with hardware, you have to set up everything new, change the settings on each controller, and of course need to memorize/write down those settings


i'd suggest get yourself a demo version of FL or reason until you're familiar with the basics (also read the guide on www.tweakheadz.com) and then you can always still decide if you want to go the hardware route, when you're familiar with midi, the routing of the sounds and such :)
 
def get the fruity demo... jsut cause it's free. but speaking as a harware head (i use an mpc, and a roland vs 1680 as my main tools) i'd take a really deep look into exactly what you get with each peice.... the 404 is ok, same with the 606 but they do have limits.. so be aware. also make sure you take a strong look at used equip ( sp 606, sp 505, sp 808, all go used pretty cheap) to save loot. also an asrx is pretty cheap.
 
dude just get magix midi studio 2005 or 2006 can't remember, get a little casio keyboard with midi in and out on it, get a cheap as sound card and your straight. nice cheap set-up
 
I wouldn't overlook software since you already have the computer.
Even though your "not a computer guy", I think you'll find multitracking/sampling alot easier to get the hang of on a cpu.

Hardware is just dedicated computers to making music, there still menus and parameteres and all that.
 
man i'll tell ya the comp. things is great but if your partial to hardware an you feel thats your way then just do it. the stuff i make on my mpc and vs recorder / other synths come together for me quicker and nicer thananything on the protools set up. or with the reason or fruity loops set up.
some people are just a certain mind set so just go with what ya feel.


what i've also found true (though i have no idea why) is that u won't really be happy until you are using what your heart has it set on.

i've had lots of diff. drum machines and sequencers but knew the mpc 2kxl was what was really for me well when i finally got it even though i had never used one b4, i learned it quicker than any other peice and made beats that were more akin to what i truely had envisioned. (this maybe true on the software side for you who knows) i'm just sayen go with what you feel.
 
My take on sampling would be for me to buy a hardware sampler go out to the used record store. Bring home a bunch of weird vynils/cassettes/ceedees, listen to them, see if I find anythign interesting in them and if I do to sample it and use it in making a beat.

I wouldn't be able to do this using fruity loops though and it would kill all the fun of record digging. Not to mention that you don't get the same "oomph!" from arranging a drum line with your mouse instead of drumming your fingers on pads...

I'll keep looking at programs but honestly I think I'll just buy mself a sampler. That's how I see myself doing things.

Also I've gotten my hands on a free copy of Home studio 2004 which I have yet to check out so I could use that to record live instruments.
 
if you feel if thats what you want get a mpc man,

i would prob get the mpc-1000 so you can use it with you comp easier and you time stretch and **** in the comp to and bring it back into the mpc

and you can prob get a mpc-1000 for around 500-800 dollars on ebay
 
and on the flip the 2kxl is going for about 900 tops now that that 2500 is coming.....


so that adds timestretch......


man i hope they do an os update on that 1000 so it gets timestretch... i'd love to have a 1k to rock in my work truck (i'm in hvac) thats the only reason i would even consider the sp 404 is for how portable it is.
 
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