QUESTIONS: All answers will be appreciated

[Wingo]

Ok, I'm 100% new to dubstep production, in fact, making music in general. So this might be rough. I've been meaning to get on the internet and ask for help with this for months, but was too lazy to do it. Basically, I have a ton of questions, if you only answer one, I'll be very thankful. I kind of skimmed through the bigass tutorial that was pinned, but I didn't get much out of it. Basically, I don't know shit. I have a pretty good mind when it comes to making music in my head I've just never known how to put it into my computer and do something with it. I'm gonna look like the biggest tool but thats cool because I kind of am. This list is gonna be long as dong.

1. I'm on a mac, what do you suggest is a good software to get to start out? If its pricy thats cool too. I kind of want a lot of opinions on whats the best to buy.

2. What am I gonna need? Not like hardware, but like an actual mixer or something. I know there are like little boards with buttons and you program the buttons to do stuff but what? And what kind of mixer or whatever do I need, I'm sure I could do most stuff right off my computer but I bet its a lot easier with the extra shit.

3. How much is that going to cost?

4. Am I gonna need to know a lot about music? Because I can't read it very well and If I need to learn then that can be done but if it's not necessary then forget that.

5. How many programs am I gonna need? Like do I need a program specifically for like a tune or something?

6. What the fuck is a synthesizer?

7. Am I allowed to use cuss words on here because I kind of did. Mods feel free to edit them out if needed, sorry If I broke a rule I didn't really read them.

[oWLinDaylight]

By big ass tutorial do you mean the huge guide to producing dubstep? because that has the answer to just about all of your questions.

[Wingo]

Yea pretty much. I'll go back and read dat real quick.

[jrisreal]

1. Logic is great software you can get on Mac. But if you don't want to spend all that much, Reaper is also an amazing software and its relatively cheap.

2. You won't need any hardware, really. but later on if you want to play melodies out instead of click and drag, you will want a MIDI Keyboard Controller

3. It depends.

4. It helps to know music theory or atleast be able to create melodies by ear.

5. You'll only need one program. Using more than one is possible if you want to.

6. A piece of hardware or software that generates a sound based on the user's input.

7. LOL. you can swear as much as you want. Not alot of censorship goes on here.

[Wingo]

1. Logic is great software you can get on Mac. But if you don't want to spend all that much, Reaper is also an amazing software and its relatively cheap.

2. You won't need any hardware, really. but later on if you want to play melodies out instead of click and drag, you will want a MIDI Keyboard Controller

3. It depends.

4. It helps to know music theory or atleast be able to create melodies by ear.

5. You'll only need one program. Using more than one is possible if you want to.

6. A piece of hardware or software that generates a sound based on the user's input.

7. LOL. you can swear as much as you want. Not alot of censorship goes on here.

Thank yer. I'm taking a look at the guide to producing dubstep and seeing what I can find out there. I'll get Reaper and when I get into it I'll buy Logic, thanks for the tip. I think I'm just gonna start with producing simple beats and adding to them as I find out how to do other things.

[jrisreal]

I'll get Reaper and when I get into it I'll buy Logic

thats not such a great idea. It takes a lot of time to learn your software inside and out, so switching to Logic after having learned reaper will be difficult. But honestly, reaper can do anything Logic can.

[oWLinDaylight]

Thank yer. I'm taking a look at the guide to producing dubstep and seeing what I can find out there. I'll get Reaper and when I get into it I'll buy Logic, thanks for the tip. I think I'm just gonna start with producing simple beats and adding to them as I find out how to do other things.

Thats definitely the best way to go. Start with drums, and once you can put together a decent beat start working on bass sounds to layer over it. That will give you a solid base to start adding melody and texture and fx and all that fun stuff.

I would reccomend downloading some of the free plugins from TAL. Specifically the noisemaker and filter. Reaper with tal-noisemaker and tal-filter is what I use on my laptop for making simple filthy bass lines.

[Jacob15728]

Thank yer. I'm taking a look at the guide to producing dubstep and seeing what I can find out there. I'll get Reaper and when I get into it I'll buy Logic, thanks for the tip. I think I'm just gonna start with producing simple beats and adding to them as I find out how to do other things.

Thats definitely the best way to go. Start with drums, and once you can put together a decent beat start working on bass sounds to layer over it. That will give you a solid base to start adding melody and texture and fx and all that fun stuff.

I would reccomend downloading some of the free plugins from TAL. Specifically the noisemaker and filter. Reaper with tal-noisemaker and tal-filter is what I use on my laptop for making simple filthy bass lines.

+1, Noisemaker is a great synth to learn on. Sounds good and very easy to use.

Also I would suggest not falling into the "Massive trap". Lots of (probably most) producers get Massive as their first synth, then never use anything else and never learn to use other synths. Massive is a good synth but it seems better at first because the workflow is so simplified that most people can quickly get cool sounds from it with very little knowledge of synthesis. But compared to most other high-end commercial synths it's sound quality, modulation and creation possibilities are not all that impressive. I just realized this like a week ago but I wish I knew that from the start. Seriously, just learn the principles of synthesis and apply them to any synth, doesn't have to be Massive!

[wormcode]

Couple of tips: don't spend any real money until you are positive you want to do this as a serious hobby/endeavour. By real money I mean stay well under the 1k mark until you think you''ll be doing this for years. Because it does take years, at least a couple. Unless you are one of the lucky few. The first major purchase should be an interface/soundcard and some proper monitors, but that should probably come after you are comfortable and turning out some good ideas and loops. You can search here for all kinds of good info on entry level monitors and interfaces.

Don't get caught up in too much software. Stick to the basics until you learn what they all do. If you download http://www.reaper.fm it will have everything you need included. The included plugins are great, then just search here for other free bonuses. Don't make the mistake of downloading too many though, then it becomes confusing. Skipping around on plugins is more detrimental, save it for when you learn what they are doing and how to control them.

Imo etc.

[sunny_b_uk]

But compared to most other high-end commercial synths it's sound quality, modulation and creation possibilities are not all that impressive. I just realized this like a week ago but I wish I knew that from the start.

massive can make ANY sound, the modulation capabilties are endless.. sound quality is amazing too. yes its easy for a newbie to get an OK sound out of it in 5 seconds and therefore not learn much about synthesis (because they only put an lfo on the cutoff).. however on an advanced level its definately one of the best synths out there IMO
if you are comparing it to the likes of spectrasonics omnisphere and absynth etc.. then maybe??
still, massive is highly capable of creating tonnes of excellent & unheard sounds (not just brostep bass) regardless of it not being a monster 10million gigabyte synth.
what made you realise that it wasnt all that?
id say its nothing to do with massive capabilities.. its how the users uses it that makes it special.

[Wingo]

Thanks guys. I got Reaper and its cool but I hardly have any clue what I'm doing. I understand how to use the keyboard simulator thing with the instrument but the only ones I can seem to get to work sound like pianos and I really feel like a dumbass. Anybody wanna give me a tutorial on how to atleast even MAKE a drum/snare beat? Sorry I'm so stupid.

[oWLinDaylight]

This tutorial was really helpful for me when I started using reaper, he does a really good job of going through the different parts and how to use them. Its the first in a series of videos and he goes into how to set up and use synths in a later video.

[oWLinDaylight]

Thanks guys. I got Reaper and its cool but I hardly have any clue what I'm doing. I understand how to use the keyboard simulator thing with the instrument but the only ones I can seem to get to work sound like pianos and I really feel like a dumbass. Anybody wanna give me a tutorial on how to atleast even MAKE a drum/snare beat? Sorry I'm so stupid.

Its hard to explain where all of the different menu things are so check out that video I posted and these instructions should make sense:

For making a drum beat find some free random drum samples and download them. In reaper open the media browser, and browse to the samples. Drag some samples in so each drum sound has its own track. Enable grid snapping and set the grid to 1/8 beats. Set up a loop over two bars, then drag a kick to the first beat of each bar, and snare to the 5th beat (assuming 1/8 beats). If that still doesn't make sense after watching the video you can send me a message and ill help you out.

[DrSpliff]

Not tryna be a tnuc, but I think it's fruitless to tell stupid people step by step how to do shit. Rtfm.. Send 'em to the bible and leave them there, don't send them to the bible and then answer their question.. It's not teaching them to do shit themselves. How is this gent meant to sit and make tunes if he can't even sit for ten minutes to open a manual and click ctrl f ?