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whittam72

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Sep 2, 2009
Hi guys,

first things first i LOVE drum and bass, i mix vinyls to a crap standard but i really want to get into production so just a few questions:

i currently have a standard macbook (not Pro)

could someone point me in the right direction for what i acttually need to start producing at a reasonable stage. i understand logic is the way forward for a mac user (some people might think different - which i am open to sugestions) but what do i need in the way of soundcards and storage space etc etc.

any help would be appriciated,

thanks

Jack
 
Hi, Welcome to the forum. :wave:

I'd suggest trialling a few sequencers first, for example: Ableton, Por Tools, Cubase, Sonar - they all have free trials of their software to download. (usually 14 or 30 day trials)Unfortunately Logic doesn't do this iirc.

You'll need an audio interface - you can pay from £50 to £500 for one of these - depending on the amount of inputs/outputs and quality.

As for storage space i'd highly recommend buying an external Hard Disk Drive. you can get portable ones that store at least 250gb for about £50. You should back up ALL of your pc's data on this. just incase anything happens to the HDD in your laptop.

Samples - there are plenty of free samples on the net - i think there's even a thread on this part of the forum for samples. Check it out.

I'm sure other people will have some good advice - but hope you find this helpful.

Max
 
Hi mate.

A set of monitors is always a good start, headphones don't really cut it when it comes to getting a good mixdown. Doesnt have to be anything brilliant, just a simple pair of nearfield monitors.

If your running a Macbook, then an external audio interface would help greatly, as laptop soundcards are usualy very basic and have high latency, so mixing and recording becomes hard.

DAW wise, Logic would be a good choice, but anything along those lines will get you good results when you've learnt your way around it, and nearly all of them are expandable by adding extra plugins (be it processing ones or virtual instruments)

I use Pro Tools, and you can now get an Mbox2 Mini (audio interface) that comes with Pro Tools software and a few plug ins etc for £200, which I think is pretty good.

Heres a link to one at Turnkey

Anyone with Logic will say Logic, anyone with Pro Tools will say Pro Tools (like I just have!!) But at the end of the day its just what you prefer, try to use a few systems and see what you get on with.
 
technically ur are not very limited with ur current setup. Only some good headphones and monitors i would suggest. What u need now is some nice clean drum samples/breaks, creativity, time and more time and ambition to trial and error. Just read some old posts here about drum programming or chopping up breaks. Dont get confused which DAW u should use, i would suggest a beginner to test ableton, fruity, reason, logic and decide which workflow u like most. Reason has some big advantages and disadvantages but u can still rewire it if u need more options.

2 useful links for absolute beginners

http://www.simonv.com/tutorials/drum_patterns.php

http://www.dnbwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page


good luck and have fun
 
everyone here has made solid points already. i can only tell you my opinions.....

i am using logic express and i love it, it's apple's typical super-easy-to-use interface. express isn't too expensive, and it has more features than you will need if you are just starting. upgrading to studio later is affordable and easy. i also like apogee products, and their seamless integration with logic makes it an easy choice. they have a new audio interface, the ONE, that is also a microphone, all for $250. good deal.

i would also recommend upgrading your RAM to the maximum your macbook can take, regardless of DAW. i would also move to snow leopard if you can. i just installed it, and it is FAST.

for samples, you may want to investigate a few commercially-produced cds or downloads at first - some of the free stuff is junk, and you really need to start with good samples. just do your research, since commercial can be crap, too.

most importantly, don't overwhelm yourself at first. work on learning the DAW and a few software instruments from front to back. you can have a hundred synths to choose from, but all your tracks will suck if you don't know how to use just one effectively. and above all, don't get discouraged. i have been doing this for about 3 years, and all my tracks are rubbish so far...
 
Thanks for all the help guys,, some really good advise. one last thing...
coudl someone post a link for a MAC demo for a DAW??

cheers Jack
 
msmith222 said:
. and above all, don't get discouraged. i have been doing this for about 3 years, and all my tracks are rubbish so far...
Click to expand...
I love this.
Some people round here have their head so far up their own arse, and I'm sure half of them apply sunscreen before inserting.
 
msmith222 said:
most importantly, don't overwhelm yourself at first. work on learning the DAW and a few software instruments from front to back. you can have a hundred synths to choose from, but all your tracks will suck if you don't know how to use just one effectively. and above all, don't get discouraged. i have been doing this for about 3 years, and all my tracks are rubbish so far...
Click to expand...

True sh1t right here...

Everytime I sit down to compose I feel like I'm going nowhere. But the funny thing is, everytime I sit down to compose it sounds BETTER THAN THE LAST TIME.

You will notice this, and just push forward.

Dont get too caught up on the system you use, just learn the basics of sound synthesis and mixing.

GET SOME BOOKS.

Books help a lot.

Get REMIXERS BIBLE and a users manual for the DAW you use.
And then some.

:wave:
 
Maxg said:
As for storage space i'd highly recommend buying an external Hard Disk Drive. you can get portable ones that store at least 250gb for about £50. You should back up ALL of your pc's data on this. just incase anything happens to the HDD in your laptop.
Max
Click to expand...

Dont mean to go off topic //
Pc world -> 320GB external HDD.
55 quid
Links below for anyone interested
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0059909765.1252127197@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfdadeiemkfielcflgceggdhhmdgmk.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=770069&category_oid=-32891
 
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