New to the forum, looking for direction/guidance

[Versaceroner]

Hey guys, I'm new here and heard great things about this forum so cheers guys! I look forward to learning and eventually contributing here. This is a completely new avenue in my life. I'm 25 years old from Canada and I have absolutely no musical experience aside from playing the trumpet when I was a kid haha. But after a few long, interesting discussions with a good friend of mine we both decided that we want to pursue something we are both passionate about. This will be a complete 180 degree change in focus for the both of us. We decided we're going to structure our time to allow for at least 3-5 hours of learning/studying each day.

I'm really just here because I feel like it's a good first step to take to join a community who share our interests and obviously are far more educated than we are. Now to be a bit more specific as to the advice we're looking for; I'd just like to hear some input on how some of you guys got started, do any of you feel formal education (audio engineering, production, etc) is necessary or do some of you feel its unnecessary and why?

Another question is regarding how we could best utilize our time in these early learning stages? Should we primarily be reading books on music theory? Or should we just dive in and start experimenting with equipment and software and learn through youtube tutorials along with our own trial and error? Keep in mind we are not in a rush and aren't trying to just create music for the fun of it, or create something unoriginal and amateur. We are willing to go through all the learning curves however long it takes and really do this the right way.

We want to work together and already have a general vision of the style our music will be. It will be like a cross between goldroom (chill, ambient) and various future house artists like tchami or pyrodox. And we're hoping we will just find our own unique signature sounds along the way.

So that being said, based on the styles of music we want to pursue, my last inquiry is about what kind of software and equipment we should look into. It just seems like there's so much out there and I'm assuming it changes every year so I figured the best way to narrow this down and see what you guys are presently looking at. Like for example we're considering getting a Maschine along with their MIDI keyboard, Not yet sure about which DAW we will get. I was also really interested in a large pack of various softwares compiled into one big package. I saw they have the komplete 10, which looked to me like a whole bunch of VST's in one large bundle. I know its early on but we are both very creative and excited to sample from a vast array of different genres. So yeah, any thoughts recommendations regarding software and/or actual physical equipment would be awesome.

Long OP I know so here's some
CLIFFS:
-25 yrs old with no music experience wants to get into learning about electronic music production and possibly music theory if necessary (we will obviously learn theory eventually and we are open to learning it right away, but just want to know what is most important things to learn about first in order to get started quickly as possible)
-I will be working with a friend, our eventual goal to be duo performing artists. So that could be a whole other discussion in itself. Any advice there would be great.
-Tell us about which software and equipment you guys prefer and why? Also recommend any books?
-Also any thoughts regarding our musical tastes and if you feel like it fits with the direction edm music is moving over the next few years or not, and if that even matters?

Thanks guys! Really looking forward to getting some advice. Any really thoughtful advice will not be taken lightly we remember everyone who helps us. Cheers!!

 

[iLLxANT]

Welcome to FP!

I've heard many times from people on this site and from other producers that you don't have to learn music theory. For some people, I imagine it'd be very beneficial. For others, it might really limit how creative you could get when you have to think along the lines of whether or not something fits a set structure of what music is supposed to sound like. I personally have little to no education with music theory. I took one semester of music appreciation in college.

As far as starting out, I would start off by getting a DAW (digital audio workstation). I personally use FL Studios and love it so far. A lot of other people here use it as well along with other DAW's such Ableton, Reason, Cubase...everybody has a different preference. Find a DAW if you haven't already found one and get acquainted with it. Experiment with it for a little bit and see what you can make up from the go. I use Youtube for the most part to learn DAW & VST info/techniques and whatnot. This forum can also be very beneficial. You'll need a few VSTs to (I guess that really depends what DAW you decide to get). I used to make House with Massive and Nexus. They did me pretty good, but I bet you can get plenty of VST suggestions from other members as well.

Really, all I can advise you to do at this point is to get a DAW then learn and practice. Utilize any resources you can get your hands on. Take time to learn. Don't drive yourself crazy but definitely invest a good amount of time into learning. Stay consistent and you'll improve significantly. That's really the most important part at this point. Once you start getting music together that sounds decent, you can publish it and share it in the appropriate section here: https://www.futureproducers.com/for...owcase-your-music-give-and-receive-feedback-/

Best of luck. You can find most if not all the information you need on this site.