Best program for a beginner?

[camper182]

Ok. so i want to make drum and bass ( read : try to ) .... been a dnb fan for a long time. what is the best program to use for making dnb tracks? I have tried reason and i just didnt know what to do

 

[Alexi]

Sorry to say this, but in my opinion Reason is the easiest to get to grips with.

Never used it myself but Fruity Loops is quite user friendly.

Ableton's nice and colourful with lots of helpful info.

If your on a mac might as well throw yourself in at the deep end and start learning logic

 

[Cat Gas]

There is no "best" only what you get along with the best. Try all the demos.

I've now said this so nobody else has to

 

[SmellyChewbacca]

Reason 5 after around year when you learn most of things,take next step into CuBase land..... Reason and Cubase,thats most powerfull DAW combo ever

 

[miszt]

Ableton or Cubase, simply because they are used widely and therefore you will find better info on using it and help when you get stuck

Cubase is an excellent place to start because it will give you a fair idea how a hardware studio works aswell, Ableton has a diffrent way of doing things, which imo is more future proof, i dont think that linear mode production will last more than the next 5-10years (for many reasons), the live possibilities of Ableton are massivly exciting to me, although dont worry about that atm as your just starting out

Reason has a great sound, and so does FruityLoops, when they are used properly, but at the end of the day, it ALL comes down to how much effort and love you put into your music, without that, you might aswell buy yourself a set of saucepans and fart down a pipe

You can get Ableton Live Lite for peanuts

 

[RevTech]

Ableton or Cubase, simply because they are used widely and therefore you will find better info on using it and help when you get stuck

Cubase is an excellent place to start because it will give you a fair idea how a hardware studio works aswell, Ableton has a diffrent way of doing things, which imo is more future proof, i dont think that linear mode production will last more than the next 5-10years (for many reasons), the live possibilities of Ableton are massivly exciting to me, although dont worry about that atm as your just starting out

Reason has a great sound, and so does FruityLoops, when they are used properly, but at the end of the day, it ALL comes down to how much effort and love you put into your music, without that, you might aswell buy yourself a set of saucepans and fart down a pipe

You can get Ableton Live Lite for peanuts

If I would have started out on cubase, I would have fainted.

but who knows

 

[Cat Gas]

If I would have started out on cubase, I would have fainted.

but who knows

This man speaks the truth

 

[T:M]

I'd say they are just about the same. Starting out they will all be equally difficult, but I'd say that once you master one you have a general idea of how they all work. I'd say, from the ones I've tried I found Ableton the most confusing, FL Studio the most user friendly, and Reason is in between the two. If you are familiar with Garageband, it understanding that Logic has a similar/upgraded approach.

All a matter of learning really.

 

[miszt]

If I would have started out on cubase, I would have fainted.

but who knows

I was fortunete enough to know quite a few producers who knew Cubase inside out, admitidly if I hadnt hve done, i'd probly still be stuck with godawful muddy shyte coming out of Cakewalk lol

Having said that, I really dont see the point in starting out with software that limits you as much as Reason does, or have they finally included VST support? if they have, then yes i'd add Reason to my list of recomendations....having said that (again), Cubase is almost certainly the best sounding audio engine available imo, perhaps not an issue when someones starting out tho, still, why learn one interface and then move onto another? i've been producing for a while now, and moving to ableton was a pain in the arse tbh, slowed my flow right down for a while

 

[ARTFX]

Why would you need VST support in Reason?
You know I used to produce D&B in FL Studio and switched to Reason a couple of weeks ago.
Everything needed is in Reason itself, you can create fairly every type of sound if you know how.

 

[T:M]

Why would you need VST support in Reason?
You know I used to produce D&B in FL Studio and switched to Reason a couple of weeks ago.
Everything needed is in Reason itself, you can create fairly every type of sound if you know how.

Exactly. Whilst, you can't get those snazzy VSTs such as Massive, you are given everything you need already. I think Reason has a massive creative advantage with the ability to turn the rack around and route the (virtual) hardware through one another.

 

[ARTFX]

Exactly. Whilst, you can't get those snazzy VST's such as Massive, you are given everything you need already. I think Reason has a massive creative advantage with the ability to turn the rack around and route the (virtual) hardware through one another.

Yeah, because of that you get a really different feeling when you're working on a track. But believe me, I'm still using FL Studio a lot.
It just depends on what kind of track I wanna produce and in which DAW I think it's the most easy to accomplish.
I mean after years of working with several VST's like Massive, z3ta, Albino and more, I can't just stop using them.
They also give me a kind of workflow which I like, so I just use both programs (trough Rewire or as standalone).

Next to that I also found out that when your happy with a sound you've created with any VST(i), save it as a preset in a nicely organized folder.
In about a year you'll have I pretty large folder with self-made presets which you can use in a new project and tweak them any further to create something new.
This way you can stick to a particular sound or setting, but with a subtle difference. Great when creating an EP or album where you want every track to match in sound.
That way you can create your own sound in Drum & Bass or any type of music and it may give you something that makes people recognizing your tracks.

 

[miszt]

there is allot more to Synthesis than Reason offers imo, i'm not saying you cant use reason for awsome sounds, i'm just pointing out the limitations...as for 'every sound', no, i totally disagree

As for routing...well Ableton wins hands down as far as routing goes, and Cubase 4+ comes very close second imo.

 

[logikz]

why you would need vst support? you must be taking the piss. unless you rewiring eason into cubase or some other host thats got vst support. vst support is crucial.