How Did You Get Started?

Sheff · Post by **Sheff** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:16 pm

Tried searching for this but came up with 329 pages of results.
So yeah, title says it all really.
Did you take a production course? Get help online? Teach yourself?

Everytime I open up Fruity or Reason I start to make a nice drum beat then want to make a bassline or synth but seeing as I have no real idea how to work anything properly I just end up rage-quitting and deleting the tune. Then rinse and repeat once a fortnight haha.

Would love to hear your stories and apologies if there's been bare of these threads already.

Nacklewicket · Post by **Nacklewicket** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:34 pm

heres a similar thread: http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=181252

just keep at it exploring your daw's and see what suits u the most.. just expirment alot and find out about your daws features, read on this forum, search utube for tutorials... i dont really understand why u getting mad tho, when i started out it was really exiciting just experimenting with everything never managed to make a proper track until i had messed around in FL for about 6 months.. really only thing i learned from utube tho was sidechaining but besides that ive learnt stuff by myself and reading on this forum has helped a little aswell.

theres no real "getting started" for ideas tho, only thing i can think of is getting inspiration, and that u really dont get infront of the computer..

edit: dont delete tunes, ive had tunes ive started up months earlier then opening them up again and re making them into something else much better

good luck to you! hope u get it sorted

amphibian · Post by **amphibian** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:17 am

If you're rage-quitting so early, you'll never make it. Just keep trying, keep practising. It takes thousands and thousands of hours to be any good at it.

If you get stuck, play around doing something else. In all honesty, the most progress I've made has always been in the sessions where I'm not trying to create anything in particular.

FlatBeat · Post by **FlatBeat** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:30 am

Im still really new to production as well and battle with the same problem everyday pretty much,the most important thing is figuring out what works best for your workflow and keeps you interested

Whenever I can't figure out what to do that day I'll follow along with a tutorial (either video or an article) for either my DAW or a particular synth and that will usually open up some ideas.I also like to look up problem areas in my production,i.e kinds of synthesis,samling,eqing etc and look up articles on particular subjects

and lastly just have fun with it! Experiment and don't set any unrealistic goal,this is the key IMO,everyone learns differently so dont be hung up on what you feel your music should sound like or what other people are doing. Just take your time and enjoy the process.

I started producing six months ago and by putting in an hour or two a day and staying patient I have made a ton of progression,you just gotta stick with it

3za · Post by **3za** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:47 am

In the womb mofo...

I used to play the most crazy kick patterns.

+3 · Post by +3 » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:03 am

3za wrote:In the womb mofo...

I used to play the most crazy kick patterns.

Trebek · Post by **Trebek** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:15 am

Kinda like me, I have been trying to produce on and off for a few months. I haven't accomplished anything besides the intro to like 3 songs, then I am at a loss of where to take it next. But like today, I've screwed about in Massive for 5 hours, didn't get anything accomplished, but I think I learned some stuff.

amphibian · Post by **amphibian** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:37 am

Trebek wrote:Kinda like me, I have been trying to produce on and off for a few months. I haven't accomplished anything besides the intro to like 3 songs, then I am at a loss of where to take it next. But like today, I've screwed about in Massive for 5 hours, didn't get anything accomplished, but I think I learned some stuff.

Watch tutorials and masterclasses during those periods. You'll pick up a couple of tips of what to do with some things - awesome for giving you a kick up the ass

Trebek · Post by **Trebek** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:08 am

Yeah I just need to practice more, maybe just try to make as many songs as possible regardless of if its shitty or not, I think I'm trying to hold too high of standards for my first song I'll ever make, its like I want it to be a golden song. But I need to hop that fence and realize my first songs aren't going to end up as I really expected. I fear I'm almost too much of a perfectionist.

On a side note, is there a link that has most of those master class videos on it? Or something of the sort.

Thanks

halifaxer12 · Post by **halifaxer12** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:00 am

Started with piano lessons when I was around 13 or 14 years old...Dad bought me a keyboard and I started recording midi stuff using a shitty headphone--I bought a bunch of software after that and have been producing music ever since; But I just recently got into the dubstep scene after attending my first rave and fell in love with the genre; Then I decided to get my hands on DJ equipment and now my dream is to hopefully perform my own (as well as other) dubstep productions at EDM festivals.

thekeeftheef · Post by **thekeeftheef** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:16 am

My parents forced me to play piano for about 10 years, and I was also in percussion/drumline (snare) for 7 years through school. I've come from a hip hop background and in 8th grade me and friend wanted to make a rap cd, but we didn't want to use other peoples instrumentals, so I probably googled "beat maker" or something and got started on a bootleg of Fruity Loops 3 or 4 lol. Didn't realize there were tutorials till about 6 months ago, up untill than I just mashed my way through by trial and error/turning every knob to see what it does.

upadeg · Post by **upadeg** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:31 pm

I'm in the same position as you (deleting songs and just rage quitting), but I'm sure if you have a genuine interest in wanting to make quality music then you'll always have that urge to carry on.
I've found that if I don't go out then I'll stay in all night after work and just watch tutorials on YouTube. There's so much to take in that i'll pick a topic and maybe watch the tutorial 2/3 times and have the program open so I can pause the video and try it out immediately. It seems overwhelming but I'm sure a little perseverence will see you succeed.
Also try to remember, everyone is different and you may take longer to learn something than someone else. Unfortunately we can't all be freaks of nature like skream who seems to bust out a quality banger in a day

serox · Post by **serox** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:48 pm

Rage quitting with music? its annoying as fuck sometimes when I cannot make a noise but its still fun learning. If your rage quitting often then your not really into it and are prob just forcing it for the wrong reasons.

benjam · Post by **benjam** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:11 pm

I loved It when I first started, constantly learning new things anyone remember that feeling when you realised what automation was and what you could do?
My only tip is be realistic, your not gonna be happy with your music for a long long time. No one nails a van halen solo the first time they pick up a guitar, and most people never will.
If your "rage quitting" you need to lower your expectations.

Nacklewicket · Post by **Nacklewicket** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:22 pm

benjaminC wrote:I loved It when I first started, constantly learning new things anyone remember that feeling when you realised what automation was and what you could do?
My only tip is be realistic, your not gonna be happy with your music for a long long time. No one nails a van halen solo the first time they pick up a guitar, and most people never will.
If your "rage quitting" you need to lower your expectations.

Yes!! i felt like a freakin wizard

tintala · Post by **tintala** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:55 pm

I can relate to this sooooo much! When I learned automation and about cropping, how to make my own drums I thought I was on track, NOT!

I have soo much more to learn! I have recently got into dubstep, Love David Starfire....

what I don't get is: Why is dubstep played by Dj's?

I am quite confused as to how dubstep is played or produced, you don't have to be a dj to produce dubstep? Why not "produce" dubstep if your not a dj.

does this make sense?

Nacklewicket · Post by **Nacklewicket** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:06 pm

i think for many djing and producing dubstep goes hand in hand and its a good way to get your tunes played out

but there are people who only dj and vice versa

erratech · Post by **erratech** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:18 pm

I started by playing round with protracker on my mates amiga making my own songs out of other peoples mod files. Then got given a P1 piece of shit computer and bought (managed to convince my grandparents to give me half the money) a second hand Korg M1 and muddled my way into learning shit. Couldnt find shit on the net about anything either, it was shit about chopping breaks and then dropping the tempo a few bpm to create a 'pocket' at the end and how to create a sine wave sub using resonance on a filter and tuning it and shit. I swear that was practically it lol. At least learning to do shit on my own (and using hopeless gear, M1s a beast tho) helped me develop my own style i guess, mainly because I couldnt emulate all these other stnuc till id past the point that i was interested in that kind of thing. Am drunk, hope that makes sense.

Audioslave · Post by **Audioslave** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:23 pm

Trebek wrote:Yeah I just need to practice more, maybe just try to make as many songs as possible regardless of if its shitty or not, I think I'm trying to hold too high of standards for my first song I'll ever make, its like I want it to be a golden song. But I need to hop that fence and realize my first songs aren't going to end up as I really expected. I fear I'm almost too much of a perfectionist.
s

When I first read your post, I totally agreed.
When I read the replies, I exactly thought of this quote.
Basically we're at the same spot of production right now D:

When I 'rage-quit' my production, I usually start to make some mixes.
This way, you still do things you love, it's easy (er) and you get to know more about the music you'd like to produce!
I hope this helps mate and good luck with your production!

Saharadubstep · Post by **Saharadubstep** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:07 pm

a friend of mine plays dubstep on party's, he's also producing and somehow i found that interesting so i asked him to teach me a little about FL and spinning.
he helped me for like 2 days and i just wanted to make music so i tried and tried for a long time. now im makin music for like a year.
If you really want to, you can find it out all by yourself i think. spinning is actually more easy than it looks btw.

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