Questions and Ramblings

[Triple_B]

The original title for this topic was "Questions and Ramblings of a Pyschopath" Though I found that a bit innapropriate; no?

Good evening, ladies and gentlecolts.

Questions in blue.

First and foremost, this is my first post on the forums so allow me to introduce myself; I am Triple B. The B's stand for Big Bass Brony, a name I'm having issues living up to, however we'll get to that soon enough. Originally the name was MC Triple B, as I did and still do pursue a semblance of an inkling of interest in the genre of Rap music, being inspired by bronies including but not limited to MicTheMicrophoneZero, and Swagberg. The name recently became DJ; something I did not want for myself, after I did a live mix show or two for a bunch of bronies I work semi-collaboratively on Fallout;Equestria fanfiction with. They loved it; even when I screwed up. They liked what I was doing so much I have a mix up on youtube, and a download link, to the 2 hour mixing session I did just for their enjoyment. (Links to everything mentioned will be at the bottom of the post) I have come to you all this absolutely frigid evening with numerous dilemmas, as well as questions, and seeking a bit of advice here and there. Let's get to it shall we?

Now; Keep in mind, anything I have released at the moment is only using free software (Meaning Audacity, and Virtual DJ) because I refuse to release anything I produce with the pirated software I have; and I have damn near everything, not that I know how to use it, I just have it. I am in the process of becoming employed (As it stands I am exactly two weeks away from the legal working age for a Minor in the state I live in; 16) to properly buy software, and a MacBook, which will take me nearly a year to save up for making minimum wage working part-time (feelsbadpony.jpg) but music is well worth that; so I'll do it!

I started my musical.... eh, 'Career' a year ago after receiving a little kit type thing with an Electric Guitar and amp, at the time I was very much into the hardest and death-est of Metal, going so far as to mosh my brains out every other weekend at local spots. I quickly gave up on that, (easily frustrated, whee~ ) however now as a Sophomore in high school I am taking a Beginning Guitar class, and play fairly well; though every class has that show off playing Iron Maiden in the back of the room, doesn't it? Quite disheartening sitting there trying to learn Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, let me tell you.

A few months later I discovered Skrillex, and with it, electronic music. I didn't fall in love right away; no, I fell in love.... I don't know when. Eventually, but what really sealed the deal for the rest of my life, as far as I'm concerned, was HALLO-FREAKIN'-WEEN 2011, Denver Colorado. My first rave; and oh so very different from Rock concerts. The amount of "Not a single fuck is given; love everything." In the air could've been bottled up and sold. As a result, I am now convinced the first bronies where Ravers, but I digress, because this is all pointless as to why you are here reading this, isn't it?

Now, questions, questions, questions..... Where to start? I think I'll start with what I'm trying to do.

Essentially, I am attempting to teach myself the workings of numerous/one software program(s), and they are not.... cooperating. I detest FL Studio, I don't know why, I just do. I have FL Studio 10, Producer Edition installed at the moment. No clue how to use it at all, or... anything else about it really. I dislike Cubase because YouTube has been unable to teach me a damn thing about it at all besides installing it. I have Cubase 5. I also have Native Instruments: Massive, to anypony that matters to, though I have no idea how to load that as a plugin, which if I am remembering correctly, is what it is originally for. I also have Propellerhead Reason 5, which I have had.... limited, successes with. At least with it, the instrumental plugins are built in, and I can use them accordingly and at will, record, and then export the sound... Though my attempts have had mixed results. YouTube taught me several things about the Malstrom Synthesizer, and in turn gave me a loose grasp on numerous other Synth programs, as has toying with the .exe of Massive. I am using this pirated software to learn, and only to learn, and upon finding something I like, I will remove them all from my everything and begin anew. Finding something I like has become the issue, however.

I also know several people who use the same DJ Software I do; Alex S, and DJ Sleepypony, to name only a pair. I have gotten to the point I am not a.... Master, of this program, but nor am I a novice. It is simple to use and I have even gone far enough to ask for an MIDI Turntable, (Which I will link below for specifics) for use with the program; though the results of that could either be astronomical or catastrophic. Could go either way at this point. However here we have one of the dilemma's I mentioned.My opinion of DJ's is.... Iffy. I like to think that the electronic artist Deadmau5 puts it well in saying, and I quote.... Actually, in reading that quote, I have changed my own mind. However, I am not to be satisfied merely and only playing other ponies' music over another ponies' music; which is still a dilemma.

Another software program I have become very much familiar with, and have produced 3 whole electronic tracks with, (One of which vaguely pony related) is Magix Music Maker 17. I have pirated over 100gb of "Soundpool" bits for the program; essentially it is an arranger much like Cubase, only feels like it was created by Crayola. Everything is simple; there's even a simple and advanced mode for it. It features automation, volume, a Robota synthesizer; which is a Synth and a drum machine combined.... I think. And a... distortion, thingy... Templates for distortion, and loops. The Soundpool bits are your loops, and you arrange them with automation and such on a grid pattern until they sound nice; I guess. I feel cheap using this program, honestly. Besides the fact that I pirated it which should make me feel bad, but doesn't, it just seems.... Too simple. I mean, I have my one track, Livid Parasprites (feat. Pinkie Pie), that took me days to finish, and that I ran through multiple programs to get the 9~ minute progressive song. Then just today I got it to not crash on me instantly long enough to piece together a 7 minute song I entitled Slipping. I am very happy with that, I even used a synth toward the end that mirrors a synth from a Deadmau5 song I can't remember the name of, nearly exactly. But I pumped it out in a matter of hours; how cheap is that? I mean, I see artists like.... I don't know who's a good example... Fuck names, I'll just say Bronies 1 & 2. Brony 1 over here, who totals up his work hours and it comes out to 40-50 hours per song! That's insanity. Then Brony 2 over here collaborates with numerous people because he does vocals so that takes him days to do, plus the time it took mysterious Brony 3 to make the music/beat/whatever that Brony 2 is working with. I just feel like I'm not working hard enough for what I'm getting; does that make sense? I mean.... It doesn't sound like, Alex S grade amazing, but it sounds.... Good.... ish. That make any kind of sense?

Last dilema; I run on a PC and have a very tight budget. As in, I think I have $30; and that's it, kind of budget. Like I said, I should be getting a job here soon but there are no guarantees on that. I have been told, time and time again, "Ditch that $800 piece of shit and get a Mac; best thing possible for Audio production. CoreAudio and Logic Pro and Simple and Non-tech savvy persons friendly and blahblahblah." Is it true? I know the answer to that will end up being "Depends on what you like." But I don't know what I like, so what do I do now? I know the answer to that is probably something like "Find something you like." But if Mac has things only Mac can use; how can I find something if I can't try everything? And the answer to that is probably "Try what you can use." Which will just make me quit trying to argue; so this entire paragraph is redundant, but relevant in my opinion. A beautiful thing; redundant relevancy. Yay.

Now on to actual questions!

> What do you vocalists out there do? Specifically, what do you do it with, and what microphone do you use? Currently I am using the microphone on my Logitech something-or-another webcam. Yay having no money.
>Is there anywhere you can get a Mac cheaper than the Apple store...? I mean Jeeeeesuuus; After buying Logic 9 my 15.5in MacBook would cost me well over $3000. I refuse to go to Craigslist, because almost everything on that website is stolen; sorry, it's true. All my my buddies who steal xBox's and laptops and things like that sell them on Craigslist, which leads me to believe that. Sorry.
>....

I actually think I'm done with questions. For now.

Thank you!

Links;
My Youtube; http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBobjoeguyperson
2 Hour mix, download for the entire thing is in description; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egJJ_WPz6Dc
MicTheMicrophoneZero's YouTube; http://www.youtube.com/user/MicTheMicrophoneZero
Fallout: Equestria Side Fiction..... Thingy i mentioned earlier; https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kao ... t?hl=en_US

11pm here, I have school in the morning; kindly find anything else I mentioned yourself.

[Versilaryan]

First off, hi, and welcome to MLR! ^.^

For your DAW, I really think you should stick with FL Studio, get over your irrational hatred, and learn to use it. It's the most beginner-friendly DAW, IMO, and it comes with just about every kind of plugin you could possibly want. Otherwise, you could try Ableton Live. It's pretty good, too, and its getting started guide is easy to understand, but the built-in plugins are complicated as hell and really hard to use. If you're getting started, don't even bother with Cubase. I hear that one has the steepest learning curve. And Reason's an entirely different beast altogether.

Seriously, though, this isn't like Harry Potter where the DAW magically chooses the producer. You have to learn how to use the DAW and live with it for a bit before deciding whether or not you like it. Sorry for being so blunt about it, but it's true.

Macs have GarageBand. A lot of producers use Macs, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. If you can get a good DAW that isn't Logic, it's still a good DAW. And no, you can't get a Mac cheaper than the Apple store if you aren't willing to buy second-hand. If you have just a problem with Craigslist, you could try Ebay.

For vocals, I use an Audio-Technica AT2020 mic with a pop filter. Assuming you're a man, the Shure SM58 is supposed to be really good for male vocals, and it's a dynamic that you can easily prop in front of your guitar amp and not have to worry about any other dirt getting into your recording. I've got two guides here you might be interested in -- assuming you haven't had vocal lessons, I wrote a singing guide recently, and there's a guide on mics buried somewhere in the Technique forum. TBH, I think you should just drop your moral standards on piracy because a DAW will set you back a ton, those synths will cost you even more, and I'm not sure where the money for a decent mic, mic stand, and pop filter will fit in. But that's just me.

Lastly, I'm not familiar with Magix Music Maker, but I think A LOT of people taking so long on music is that the better you are at something, the more flaws you tend to notice in your own work. I know that I literally spend hours on synths (partly because I'm not that good with them xD) and the kick drum, and once I'm done making the song, I spend even longer mixing and mastering it.

Hope all that helps, and again, welcome to MLR! Feel free to ask any of us if you have more questions!

[bartekko]

I started with Magix music maker myself, and I think it's a pretty decent software for beginners, and gives a good start for those wishing for learning the basics. Then I dl'd fl studio for MAGIX has unexpectedly got unstable, but couldn't get it to work at all. But then I found Ableton Live, where I found my nirvana. So If your soft limits you, don't bother and throw it away.

I don't think that a Mac is necessary for music, considering that only a few people in this whole community have it, and still make awesomeness with it, and a 800$ isn't a piece of shit. If hardware is too slow, Upgrade your RAM, Soundcard and CPU, and that's it.

Welcome to mlr, enjoy yourself.

[sci]

there are not many topics or thoughts I feel strongly about...but I'm going to bust in here and say:

But I pumped it out in a matter of hours; how cheap is that? I mean, I see artists like.... I don't know who's a good example... Fuck names, I'll just say Bronies 1 & 2. Brony 1 over here, who totals up his work hours and it comes out to 40-50 hours per song! That's insanity. Then Brony 2 over here collaborates with numerous people because he does vocals so that takes him days to do, plus the time it took mysterious Brony 3 to make the music/beat/whatever that Brony 2 is working with. I just feel like I'm not working hard enough for what I'm getting;

But I pumped it out in a matter of hours; how cheap is that?

what? no!
if you're happy with the end product, you should take pride in it. If it took 64 hours, fine. If it took 1, even better.

some of my best work was made in an hour. (though, to emphasize: some.)
magic can happen in short periods of time. :3

...and to toss another thought out here: if you're looking for a different, free DAW to try: openMPT
it's leagues away from FL Studio and Reason, but still very capable. (just...not popular.)

[d.notive]

I agree with Sci, in fact I think my best work is the stuff I don't toil on for days and days -- it's the stuff I'm empassioned about and just want to get made, otherwise I lose focus... lose vision. I need to crank out the guts of it in a frenzied hurry, otherwise I stop being motivated to create it ... does that make sense?

In answer to some of your other questions, let me just say this.

When it comes to FL Studio, I understand your frustration entirely. I've been MIDI sequencing since I was 16 (25 now); I remembered trying to make sense of some version of FL Studio back in 2005, and I remember it being extremely counterintuitive for what I wanted to do. I messed with it for a few hours, and finally just shelved it and deleted it, and never looked back.

I've played with Reason too; it crams up my screen, but personally I feel like it's more fun, and more powerful, but that's just me.

Also, the idea that you some uber mega computer to produce good tracks is an absolute misnomer. I mean, MIDI sequencing is as old as salt, and takes very little processing power to get rolling with it. The only places you start to run into CPU cycle absorbtion is when you start using VST's or lots of libraries, but that kind of stuff comes in time.

I also think the idea that you need a Mac to be a 'serious' producer is a misnomer too. Just about every DAW is cross compatible between Windows and OSX, save for Logic and GarageBand, of course. The only reason, I suspect, anyone really wants a Mac is because (in my personally opinion), OSX is a vastly superior operating system, but that's a different thread.

For personal reference, I use a Pentium 4 machine (2.96 ghz), running Windows XP, with 2 gigs of Ram, and a hair under 240 gigs of hard drive space. Is it the most amazing set up ever? By no means, but I make music with it.

If you're willing to let go of the 'no piracy' thing, and you're feeling ambitious, you could always build your own "Mac" (that is to say, you can sort of trick OSX into running on a PC, even though it's against Apple's EULA) -- I've done it, and while it was a neat and informative experience, I wouldn't recommend it for everypony.

Also, my microphone is kinda junk -- Didigtal Reference DXV-R1 or something like that. It's cheapened Audio Technica.

'hope this helps, and welcome to the community. ^_^

[MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN]

Universal answer to all DAW arguments:

"ITS NOT THE PLANE, ITS THE PILOT!"

Now; Keep in mind, anything I have released at the moment is only using free software (Meaning Audacity, and Virtual DJ)

RZA made 36 Chambers w/ a 4 track reel-to-reel, a stack of records, and a VCR. See above "pilot" quote.

Continue.

because I refuse to release anything I produce with the pirated software I have

I'm sorry, continue.

and I have damn near everything, not that I know how to use it, I just have it.

You don't need "everything"....especially if you don't know how to use it. More likely to overwhelm you, having all that crap at once.

and a MacBook

"i need a Apple computer to make music" is sooooo 1990s. -_-

Windows 7 is the best OS MS has dropped since Win98SE.

Continue.

glow sticks >>>>>>> mosh pits

Personally, I respect rock concerts more. Anybody with enough floor space and a DJ can get a 1,000 ecstasy heads to have a good time, but only a big live band can hold down a crowd of 60,000 or 100,000 or more like it ain't shit.

Continue.

Essentially, I am attempting to teach myself the workings of numerous/one software program(s), and they are not.... cooperating. I detest FL Studio, I don't know why, I just do. I have FL Studio 10, Producer Edition installed at the moment. No clue how to use it at all, or... anything else about it really. I dislike Cubase because YouTube has been unable to teach me a damn thing about it at all besides installing it. I have Cubase 5. I also have Native Instruments: Massive, to anypony that matters to, though I have no idea how to load that as a plugin, which if I am remembering correctly, is what it is originally for. I also have Propellerhead Reason 5, which I have had.... limited, successes with. At least with it, the instrumental plugins are built in, and I can use them accordingly and at will, record, and then export the sound... Though my attempts have had mixed results. YouTube taught me several things about the Malstrom Synthesizer, and in turn gave me a loose grasp on numerous other Synth programs, as has toying with the .exe of Massive. I am using this pirated software to learn, and only to learn, and upon finding something I like, I will remove them all from my everything and begin anew.

Oh wow, where to start.

Not only are you unnecessarily burdening yourself by attempting to learn music production for the first time on multiple DAWs, you're also doing it with DAWs that are RADICALLY different from one another. Which has got to be extra-mindfucky. Mein gott, pick one and learn with that. You only *need* one.

FLStudio has the easiest learning curve BY FAR. Your grandmother could make Hip-Hop and Techno beats with FL. The step-sequencer makes every other DAW's method of drum programming look like a cart with square wheels, seriously. Its traditionally also had the worst drum and instrument sounds "out of the box" - they've pretty much remedied the instrument problem over the years, but the default drums are still mostly awful. The amount of features they keep adding with each new version is really impressive though. Slicex will eventually phase out my usage of Izotope PHATmatik Pro for advanced sample chopping and their Edison editor might even persuade me to give up on Sound Forge someday. BTW the creators have always said "No Mac version. Ever." Eeeeeeeeeeyup.

Reason is a simulation of a hardware rack setup, hence the wires in the back and whatnot. That's why people who made music before DAWs existed always prefer Reason. Its always had the best sounds "out of the box". Great instrument/synth sounds and awesome drums. HOWEVER Propellerhead is imho insufferably arrogant as fuck, with their stupid proprietary ReFill™©® formats and this downright-retarded-in-2011 refusal to add VST support. I'm sorry, but if your audio program doesn't support VSTs in today's day and age, you can go fuck yourself. Hell, it wasn't even technically a DAW until v6 came out........this year.

Cubase has the most merciless learning curve, but its the most powerful and the oldest. No other DAW is used for both vocal recording and music creation like Cubase is. Its first version ran on a Atari ST in 1989. It fucking invented VSTs. The Yoda of DAWs.

My opinion of DJ's is.... Iffy.

Watch your tone. A DJ gave Rock n Roll its name. A DJ invented Hip-Hop. DJs Rule The World. Last night, a DJ saved my life. (lulz)

Magix Music Maker 17

Good bargain program for beginners. I know somebody that first learned how to make beats with Magix. He uses FL now.

But I pumped it out in a matter of hours; how cheap is that? I mean, I see artists like.... I don't know who's a good example... Fuck names, I'll just say Bronies 1 & 2. Brony 1 over here, who totals up his work hours and it comes out to 40-50 hours per song!

Don't sweat it, different people work at different speeds. 2pac wrote and recorded Makaveli: The 7 Day Theory, start to finish, in 3 days. Nas took 2 years to write and record Illmatic.

"Ditch that $800 piece of shit and get a Mac; best thing possible for Audio production. CoreAudio and Logic Pro and Simple and Non-tech savvy persons friendly and blahblahblah."

Fuck those plotholes.

Is it true?

NO. IT WAS TRUE 15 YEARS AGO BUT IT IS NOT TRUE NOW. EVERY RADIO STATION IS PC BASED. THE MAJORITY OF RECORDING STUDIOS ARE PC BASED. YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE APPLE CHARGES AN ARM AND A LEG FOR EVERYTHING AND YOU DON'T NEED APPLE TO DO COMPUTER AUDIO ANYMORE.

What do you vocalists out there do? Specifically, what do you do it with, and what microphone do you use? Currently I am using the microphone on my Logitech something-or-another webcam. Yay having no money.

With microphones, you tend to get what you pay for. Much more than say....computer software. From what I've heard, the MXL V63M and Audio-Technica AT2020 are the 2 best choices you'll have for less than $100. Haven't used either but I know that MXL makes fantastic stuff - I once got to compare (@NABshow) their $300 mic against the whole Mercedes-of-Microphones Neumann line and I liked its sound better than everything except the big (as in, "under $3000 on ebay if you're lucky") u87.

Is there anywhere you can get a Mac cheaper than the Apple store...? I mean Jeeeeesuuus; After buying Logic 9 my 15.5in MacBook would cost me well over $3000.

I refer you to the big-ass wall of red font posted above.

Peace, Connecticut.

[MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN]

I remembered trying to make sense of some version of FL Studio back in 2005, and I remember it being extremely counterintuitive for what I wanted to do.

Midi heads and FLStudio been had beef

All I can say is that 2005 means FLStudio version 5....ancient history. Hell, I think that was the first version w/ time stretching.

[d.notive]

I remembered trying to make sense of some version of FL Studio back in 2005, and I remember it being extremely counterintuitive for what I wanted to do.

Midi heads and FLStudio been had beef

All I can say is that 2005 means FLStudio version 5....ancient history. Hell, I think that was the first version w/ time stretching.

LOL, Midiheads and beef with FL.

I didn't realize this was a widespread phenomenon.

I'm just saying, when you're used to something like this:
http://tweakheadz.com/images/cakewalk_screen3.jpg

... it's hard to feel motivated to use something like this...
http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/FLStudioScreenshot1-b5be4c2d04194a5886652c7462356f6c.jpg

If memory serves, FL didn't/doesn't have a lot of support of external MIDI hardware, or at least the integration of it was/is cumbersome. I could be wrong, but that's my memory, and being that I'm an avid "hardware guy," that just wouldn't/won't fly for me.

... besides, now I have something more like this:
http://i1-win.softpedia-static.com/screenshots/Sonar_1.png

[Aussie]

Welcome to MLR!

I pretty much hate FL's guts too, everything is WAY too complicated. The DAW I use is Ableton Live, which I recommend to anyone. It has a much more simple interface, in my opinion. And don't listen to Versilaryan, cause the plugins are awesome. <3

But really, just try out any DAW you can find, and see which works the best for you. And keep learning how to use Reason, cause then you can "ReWire" it to an actual DAW.

Feel free to use some non-pony music in your mixes too, but just don't overdo it. I did a mix for MrPickle's new station, and I mashed up the Beastie Boys with Alex S, just for the hell of it!

Don't worry about how long it takes to make something. Like MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN said, everyone works at different speeds.

DON'T GET A MAC DON'T DO IT NO

I can't help you out with mics. Just listen to whatever Versilaryan says.

AGAIN, DON'T GET A MAC DON'T DO IT NO

[Triple_B]

I appreciate everypony's input greatly, thank you. Regardless of how some of it came off.

Of course, half of that was answers I was expecting already and I suppose that means I asked redundant questions; regardless, I think I may or may not stick with Magix; I discovered a few things playing with stuff that I didn't know I could do last night, and now I feel much more like it is an established DAW rather than a Crayola children's toy.

I think I will hold off on buying the Mac, and will post some things on YouTube, I suppose, since you all seem insistent that releasing music made with pirated software is okay; which I suppose it is, and should be fine with me even if it isn't, considering the places I should have moral issues but don't; however that is another topic entirely.

Thank you all very much for your input, I appreciate it in the utmost.

Also;

MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN wrote:

Triple_B wrote:
glow sticks >>>>>>> mosh pits

Personally, I respect rock concerts more. Anybody with enough floor space and a DJ can get a 1,000 ecstasy heads to have a good time, but only a big live band can hold down a crowd of 60,000 or 100,000 or more like it ain't shit.

I really don't want to start some kind of forum fight, especially in a place that I am the newcomer, however I will simply say I never explicitly stated a preference for either.

Furthermore, using 'ecstasy heads' is a stereotype; simply because some one attends an event where that is typically the case does not mean even the better part of the people there do drugs. Quite frankly that is plain prejudice, and goes against the "Love & Tolerance" That Bronies have come to be known for.

Just. Saying.

Again, thank you all for your opinions. Much obliged.