Equipment & Quality

[7thAct]

Soo...
Let me start with a DAW, I've been using Fl Studio for 4 years, but then I bought MIDI (M-Audio Axiom Air Mini) and I got Ableton with it so I deleted Fl Studio and learned a bit of Ableton. After all I realised that a MIDI keyboard and a shitty laptop won't help about my shit quality music and knowledge, I spent ages watching tutorials and in the end I just think that it comes down to equipment, should I get Audio Interface, Monitors and some better headphones? Will that increase the quality of my music?
Even though I've been messing around for a 5 years I still know nothing, I come here and read some words and thinking "what the f*** are they talking about" I really don't wanna give up on this, I really enjoy the process of producing but I'm never statisfied how it ends, especially with quality, It's annoying when I put my headphones It sounds decent (for something done on a shitty laptop) and the moment I play it without headphones on the laptop speakers it just sounds like shit... I have feeling I can't EQ & MIX good without the equipment
Sorry If i made 1000 threads but i can't find the old ones, and I really need help from people who understand music production more than me cause I don't wanna give up on this, It's the only thing I love to do

What are your suggestions?
I'll definetly buy the equipment if it's helping to improve my sound
I'll just need to know in the right order which parts of the equipment are the most necessary?​

 

[Griffin Avid]

Just read this thread several times and I'm still confused. You seem to have the answer...

a shitty laptop won't help about my shit quality music and knowledge...

followed by...

the moment I play it without headphones on the laptop speakers it just sounds like shit

So you seem to understand that cheap speakers make anything played on them sound bad....
So you now know you need a better system of creating music.

1) Audio interface is important. Anything is better than that mini-stereo laptop input.
get something like a Focusrite Scarlett box
https://us.focusrite.com/usb-audio-interfaces/scarlett-2i2

2) You should get proper flat studio monitors to create and mix with.

3) You should stop using headphones during any critical step and only use them as a reference- along with you car stereo and any other playback system you can get access to.

4) You should reference well-made music (not popular or catchy) just expert, top level mixing and mastering (HIGH QUALITY) to learn how that music sounds on your set up and train your ear to recognize the levels/balance/sonic space.

5) Your "quality" as far as 'good' music or 'bad' music is all that "musical ear" stuff. That's a whole 'nother issue. There's lots of material out here- charts, tips, tricks - books...lessons....tutorials... and finally there's taste. That's a YOU thing and gets real subjective really quick.

It aint all in the gear, but gear is important.

 

[7thAct]

Just read this thread several times and I'm still confused. You seem to have the answer...

a shitty laptop won't help about my shit quality music and knowledge...

followed by...

the moment I play it without headphones on the laptop speakers it just sounds like shit

So you seem to understand that cheap speakers make anything played on them sound bad....
So you now know you need a better system of creating music.

1) Audio interface is important. Anything is better than that mini-stereo laptop input.
get something like a Focusrite Scarlett box
https://us.focusrite.com/usb-audio-interfaces/scarlett-2i2

2) You should get proper flat studio monitors to create and mix with.

3) You should stop using headphones during any critical step and only use them as a reference- along with you car stereo and any other playback system you can get access to.

4) You should reference well-made music (not popular or catchy) just expert, top level mixing and mastering (HIGH QUALITY) to learn how that music sounds on your set up and train your ear to recognize the levels/balance/sonic space.

5) Your "quality" as far as 'good' music or 'bad' music is all that "musical ear" stuff. That's a whole 'nother issue. There's lots of material out here- charts, tips, tricks - books...lessons....tutorials... and finally there's taste. That's a YOU thing and gets real subjective really quick.

It aint all in the gear, but gear is important.

Well I was writing this while I had meltdown over the bad sounding music I made, so reading what I wrote I got confused too hahah, basicly I was blaming equipment for everything bad about the music I do, but I got answers I needed, thanks man

 

[krushing]

There are certain "minimum requirements" - like good monitoring - that enable you to mix well. There are instruments that can be very inspirational. If you work on a computer, like the most of us, it's advisable to invest in one & a DAW that are powerful enough and comfortable to work in. But none of this stuff makes the music better. That's all on you.

 

[7thAct]

There are certain "minimum requirements" - like good monitoring - that enable you to mix well. There are instruments that can be very inspirational. If you work on a computer, like the most of us, it's advisable to invest in one & a DAW that are powerful enough and comfortable to work in. But none of this stuff makes the music better. That's all on you.

I guess the minimum requirements are studio monitors and audio interface?

 

[scrapheaper]

I guess the minimum requirements are studio monitors and audio interface?

Audio interface if you are recording in audio using a microphone.

If not, I wouldn't say it's essential. A lot of people find it helps reduce monitor noise but a little noise won't drastically affect your mixing, it's just some people find it irritating.

Monitors are pretty essential but I think a really good pro pair of headphones could be a substitute. Skrillex (maybe not the best example but definitely one) has made tracks entirely on the move using a laptop and headphones, no monitors

 

[krushing]

I guess that sort of depends on what you're doing. A decent pair of headphones & a laptop are well sufficient for just making music - if not ideal, and certainly not for serious mixing. Good monitors in a good, treated space are the "minimum requirement" for an adequate mixing environment - in quotes, because despite what I'm saying here a lot of great stuff has been made in less than ideal environments. In other words, I don't think there are any requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to make (great) music. And you can still mix with just headphones, or with cheapo speakers in your non-treated bedroom - again, even though it's not ideal. Even audio interfaces are more in the nice to have category than absolutely necessary from the start.