Limitations with an mpkmini and ableton live?

[ianbrunohk]

Hey guys, I am real new to producing dubstep and when i say new i mean NEW. I really have no background in music production but dub step fascinates me and i really wanna dive into it. I already have ableton and my friend is offering to give me his mpk mini. I was wondering if this is a good beginner setup? Could i at least learn the basics and then move up to more advanced equipment? I am not in any rush to be making bangers, I just want to take my time and learn at a slow pace, honestly reading all this stuff really confuses the ish out of me. Any help would be great. What other equipment would i need in order to start making some songs?

[mitchAUS]

You already have everything you need to start making songs. The mini definitely won't be a step back. Equipment isn't going to help much at an early stage. Your energy is best served learning some basic music theory and how to navigate around ableton and to start using the program write tunes. There is a lot to learn but it's worth it.

[ianbrunohk]

I saw some stickied threads on here before. Are these a good way to get acquainted with music theory? Also is there any videos or write ups explaining ableton at a beginners level? Thanks a bunch for your help so far.

FYI I am sure some of you want to bang your head on your keyboards from what I assume to be dumb questions on my part. Thanks though i really appreciate it.

[mitchAUS]

The stickies are more to do with mix down. For music theory http://www.worldofbryan.com/rsg2mt.pdf is useful resource for beginners. It will take a while to get your head around it but its worth it. The thing you have to understand is there are so many facets to electronic music production.

The difficult thing with starting production is that all these elements interact there is a lot to get your head around at first.

Interms of ableton training try this 13 video series on youtube:


I got that video with a 2 second youtube search. Most the information you need to get started is already on the net. It can be hard to know what to search for so if you get stuck don't be afraid to ask for help. Ill keep an eye on this thread and ill help as much as i can while you get started but i also work nights and uni days so sometimes google will reply quicker then i can.

Once you go over the music theory link and go through those videos let me know and ill point you in the direction of some other resources that will get you on your way.