What Next???

[JakeFiend]

I have Reason 5 and a pair of KRK monitors but unsure what to purchase next to improve my sound? Any suggestions appreciated

 

[Simply D.]

are you just starting out?

 

[JakeFiend]

yeah pretty much, iv played around with reason for a while now and kind of getting more comfortable with it. but now not sure what direction to go in with equipment etc? should i be worrying about equipment at this point? thanks

 

[Simply D.]

nah at this point you dont need to worry about too much equipment right now. youve got the monitors and thats pretty much all you need in the beginning.

what you should be doing is watching/reading loads of tutorials, carefully listening to tracs that are similar to the genre you are making. Try and break them down and figure out how the artist put them together.

start learning how to EQ, and properly mix what youre making.


but to answer youre original question, id look into getting a midi keyboard a little later on.

do you have any tracks made? or any loops that you could post up so we can get an idea of where youre at currently?

 

[JakeFiend]

I have been DJing for roughly 2 years now so i know what direction i want to take with it.

I've only really played around on reason and haven't saved anything as nothing has really been to my liking.

Not really sure on where to begin (drums, bassline, breakdown, synths) when starting a track.

Would you suggest getting a drum pattern down first and then going from there?

Thanks

 

[Simply D.]

well everybody works at their own pace, in their own way, so its kind of hard to say.

what i do is i build a main drum loop, then i'll make a lead of some sort, followed by a basic bassline. from there i make the chorus of the song, then i'll move to the intro and drop. in my mind, by doing it that way, the intro and drop will match better with the chorus. then i just let my mind flow from there.

on the other hand, i know people who will start with just a sub bass and build their track on that.

it relies heavily on your own creativity, which is easy to take control of for some people. but us unlucky ones have to work a little bit harder.

EDIT: also, ive only been producing seriously for about a year now.

 

[vexx]

yeah man i agree, i spent ages worrying about setup, equipment, hardware, software. too long. as said sit down , get comfortable, watch tutorials, get your drums sorted, EQ, synthesis and get used to your software. it's LONG man believe me!

 

[jimjimjim]

keep making tunes in reason - save everything though - you might have some bass in one tune thats good and maybe you could use it in another one etc.
It will take time to discover what "works" and doesnt. so be prepared it might take months before anything sounds the way you want it to.
Watch youtube tutorials "boy in a band" will get you up and running quite quickly or youtube (hydlide) for more advanced synth stuff in reason.
Oh and smoke a big bifter when you produce

 

[vexx]

well back to your original question. it depends what your funds are like. if you have money to blow then IMO go get a mac and logic pro! and native instruments komplete 7, its sick.

 

[logikz]

a big soundcard and a desk. what kind of money do you have?

 

[JakeFiend]

Thanks for all the replies.

@jimjimjim your last comment makes a lot of sense

I have a couple of hundred to spend, cant really see myself going back on reason now, definitely don't have the money for a mac! (i wish)

In July I'm moving in with some mates, one has a drum pad already, would midi keyboard be the next step? If so whats good?

At this stage (nothing produced/saved so far) would i need to upgrade my soundcard?

I have a nice desk already

Thanks>

 

[djdevz]

I have a nice desk already

is it a wooden desk?

 

[richie_stix]

im at a level where im starting to get releases... and the only hardware ive got is a sony home stereo! LOLOLOLOL its not what ya got, its what ya do with it (thats whats SHE SAID!)

 

[groelle]

you a jamp ap kid maaayne. that doesnt count.

id suggest getting a midi keyboard of some sort. doesnt really matter which one aslong as it has at least 5 octaves imo.

and save what youre doing! youll never know!

 

[richie_stix]

you a jamp ap kid maaayne. that doesnt count.

 

[miszt]

midi keyboard is the only extra you might need now, possibly a hiquality soundcard (audiophile 2496 cheap as chips, almost, london chips anyway), the only other thing you need, which you cant buy, is a huge amount of hard work, no amount of equipment will improve your sound without that, just keep at it, keep things simple, follow tuts, keep at it till it starts to click....the only time to buy new equipment, is when your ears tell you that something is needed, and you know why you need it and how it will help you

same boat here as richiestix, i'm mixin down on a 1990's hifi, big pile of shyte (although i used to have some good monitors which definitly helped me learn eq)

ps. forget mac and logic if u have money to spare pfffffffft. PC and Ableton, no contest.

 

[RedRavenRuler]

Maybe a MIDI keyboard... it took me a lot of adjusting to get used to it since I not trained on piano and always just used my mouse to do melodies but now it's the only way I compose my melodies because you can get into the emotion and FEEL it better IMO. Also a good sound card either internal or external will be essential if you want to take this seriously. I mean you CAN produce on stock crap cards but the latency and audio bit depth and sample rate are usually shit compared with a proper card / interface.

 

[JakeFiend]

Nice one for all the help guys.

Yes the desk is wooden is that good?

Im starting to get the idea, a midi keyboard and new soundcard will be useful?

But basically just to crack on with what I've got untill it all starts to fall together..?

So is Reason 5 not what i want then? From these posts looks like everyone seems to favor Ableton; all my friends that produce are either on Reason or Logic, I only know one guy who uses Ableton.

Thanks.

 

[miszt]

Nice one for all the help guys.

Yes the desk is wooden is that good?

Im starting to get the idea, a midi keyboard and new soundcard will be useful?

But basically just to crack on with what I've got untill it all starts to fall together..?

So is Reason 5 not what i want then? From these posts looks like everyone seems to favor Ableton; all my friends that produce are either on Reason or Logic, I only know one guy who uses Ableton.

Thanks.

Reason is fine, espcially if you know other people that use it coz its always good to have people to bounce ideas off and get help, essentially it doesnt matter what software you use, its all down to learning how it works, there are diffrences, but you'll figure that out latter, then you can make a choice based on what you need/want from the software, rather than other peoples opinions

 

[T:M]

Even though my DAW of choice of Logic I find that the few times I've used Reason it is a very reliable DAW. One advantage I see to Reason is that ability to flip the rack around and route cables yourself, stuff like having the synths LFO modulate effects module parameters in a way that you can't with other DAWs.

In the end it just comes down to your knowledge of the software though. People with software A can do the same as the folks with software B, though the process might be a bit different. If you chose Reason then good for you! Learn it well and post up your tunes!

As for additional gear a midi keyboard and a soundcard will definitely serve you well. The midi keyboard, whether or not it is used to play in stuff, helps immensely in helping you get an idea of the sound you are working with and how the velocity and aftertouch may effect it. The soundcard, well, that pretty much just helps with the sound quality and recording capabilities, as I'm sure you know.