Good setup for starting out on producing dnb?

Ki-Asm

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2012
Location
Belgium, Brugge
I've been fooling around with DAW's for a couple of years now, but really didn't focus on it, but now I've found the will & time to spend some time producing (and some sample packs :D )

Do you guys think this setup suffices for starting out on dnb (liquid) producing?
  • MacBook Pro 15" (Ableton, FM8, Massive)
  • A second monitor (for Massive / FM8 or an equalizer)
  • A pair of logitech speakers + sub
  • iPad for fooling around with Korg apps & iMaschine etc.

Again, really really noob on production, just wanted to know what the friendly forum of DNB thinks about this.
Is there anything I'm missing or things you suggest I need before properly starting (keep in mind, I'm just a student and have a small loan from the job I do)

Thanks, The Bassmentcast.
 
Two monitors is a good idea.

Tbh mate. That sounds like a great little set up if you're just starting out.

There no point in havin all the gear and no idea in my book. You could have a £10,000 SSL desk, if you don't know how to use it then you've just wasted money.

Good luck boss. Look forward to hearing your tunes!
 
Two monitors is a good idea.

Tbh mate. That sounds like a great little set up if you're just starting out.

There no point in havin all the gear and no idea in my book. You could have a £10,000 SSL desk, if you don't know how to use it then you've just wasted money.

Good luck boss. Look forward to hearing your tunes!
Thanks for the opinion, the only thing I was doubting about was if I was missing a MIDI keyboard. Wanted to make some bass in Massive but can't seem to do it without a keyboard, so now I'm making my little experiments on iPad in Korg..
 
Man MIDI keyboards are fairly key, but as long as you've got some kind of instrument in the studio you should be fine.

I produced for about a year with a guitar and no keyboard; I'd come up with a riff or whatever on my guitar and then play it into piano roll on logic.

Also if you press shift in logic you get a little keyboard that pops up that's kinda useful if you're on the road or whatever.
 
Man MIDI keyboards are fairly key, but as long as you've got some kind of instrument in the studio you should be fine.

I produced for about a year with a guitar and no keyboard; I'd come up with a riff or whatever on my guitar and then play it into piano roll on logic.

Also if you press shift in logic you get a little keyboard that pops up that's kinda useful if you're on the road or whatever.
Hmm, better be on the lookout for a keyboard then. Hope to find one for around €100 max.. :(
 
Thanks for the opinion, the only thing I was doubting about was if I was missing a MIDI keyboard. Wanted to make some bass in Massive but can't seem to do it without a keyboard, so now I'm making my little experiments on iPad in Korg..

if your trying to make bass in massive, just draw some midi notes in the piano roll. Stabs or long notes depending the sound your going for. but otherwise your setup seems fine to start with!
 
if your trying to make bass in massive, just draw some midi notes in the piano roll. Stabs or long notes depending the sound your going for. but otherwise your setup seems fine to start with!

Thanks, will look into it. Currently having some issues integrating Massive & FM8 into Ableton Live. Have this other plugin (LoungeLizard) which worked immediately but Massive seems to struggle.
 
Thanks, will look into it. Currently having some issues integrating Massive & FM8 into Ableton Live. Have this other plugin (LoungeLizard) which worked immediately but Massive seems to struggle.

i found getting massice to work in ableton a chore too! it would never find it, then one day it worked! make srure youve got the file in teh same place as the lounge lizard one, do a rescan in ableton, then reboot pc. hopefully that might work!
 
Perfect starter keyboard would be the M-Audio Oxygen series. I have the 3rd gen 25 key one (I have a small work area) And it's perfect! Weighted keys for velocity, 8 dial you can assign to parameters, mod and pitch wheel etc etc. Everything you need for starting out. I paid £80 for mine which is what....90euro's?
 
I don't have a midi keyboard either, I use my keys (on the laptop) for the piano roll (atleast in reason that's possible, but massive should be able to do that too).
 
More than enough. Jeez, i started making music on a pentium 2 computer. I now find less is more. Master one bit of equipment, and use it to the max potential. Then, and only then think to expand or upgrade.
 
Thats a big setup if your just an amatuer. I use just my 15" laptop with a nanokey (not even a mouse yet) and wouldn't think of getting another monitor till I'm 3 years older and professional.
 
Yeah i started with a pair of headphones and they still come handy. Not about the gear at all until it becomes about the mixdown and such and that is usually sorted by listening with many different setups. Like in friends car, or your moms pair of underwear.
 
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As of right now, I only rocking my Sony VAIO laptop and my cheap headphones, since I'm about to move soon.

But I'll be usually rocking my laptop, Sony Stereo Speakers w/ Sub, and my television as a second monitor.
I will purchase a new headphone soon, something designed for music production.
 
Can't be worst than mine; it's so bad I'm embarrassed to mention it publicly now. But I'm hoping to upgrade in a couple of months.

You sound good to go; just cop a pair of good headphones (if you're concerned with how your tracks'll sound with cans on) and a midi keyboard; I've got a Korg Nanokey 2 for a start and it works pretty well, tho I was looking for a similarly priced Akai to start with. They also have some code for free software, which I *still* haven't used yet (hope it's valid still). You can select octaves w/ +/- buttons, sustain, pitch and mod, but I'm not sure if you can program the Mod button to different parameters (if anyone knows if that's possible, please share!).

You should find good 25-key keyboards for about $50-$60, or if you're lucky shop on eBay or Amazon from a trusted dealer.
 
Can't be worst than mine; it's so bad I'm embarrassed to mention it publicly now. But I'm hoping to upgrade in a couple of months.

You sound good to go; just cop a pair of good headphones (if you're concerned with how your tracks'll sound with cans on) and a midi keyboard; I've got a Korg Nanokey 2 for a start and it works pretty well, tho I was looking for a similarly priced Akai to start with. They also have some code for free software, which I *still* haven't used yet (hope it's valid still). You can select octaves w/ +/- buttons, sustain, pitch and mod, but I'm not sure if you can program the Mod button to different parameters (if anyone knows if that's possible, please share!).

You should find good 25-key keyboards for about $50-$60, or if you're lucky shop on eBay or Amazon from a trusted dealer.

NanoKEY 2 = great. I use it alot. But the free ableton LIVE coupon is useless. Who's gonna buy a midi keyboard if they don't already have a DAW to mess around with? Less than half I guarantee. The AAS vouchers are good though

As of right now, I only rocking my Sony VAIO laptop and my cheap headphones, since I'm about to move soon.

But I'll be usually rocking my laptop, Sony Stereo Speakers w/ Sub, and my television as a second monitor.
I will purchase a new headphone soon, something designed for music production.

I'm rocking my Sony VAIO too! and expensive shitty headphones. Stupid Dre thinking his headphones are good. they sound like ass. 0 high end coming through
 
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