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Hello I'm just starting in dubstep production, and I need some help. I looked through the big guide, and it seems very confusing. What kind of MIDI keyboard would I need, and what is the difference between the ones without keys and ones with keys? I'm interested in ones below $200 so I'm open to any suggestions. Can't really afford any other hardware at the moment, so which MIDI should I get and what else do I need to know to get started? Thanks!

You don't need a keyboard to create music. It's a bonus.

You could use google
But

You need a DAW like Ableton/logic/reason etc
And you're basically set.
Other extras just improve your workflow.

You need a DAW, not a keyboard. Learn the DAW - there is soooooooo much you have to learn before you'll have any real need of a midi keyboard.

For $199 you can pick up a copy of FL studio producer edition, but I'd get my feet wet with Reaper first, it's free and you can upgrade to a commercial lisence for $50. FL studio has a highly functional demo as well. If you're dead set on midi controller the alesis QX25 is lovely for the price: $99. It has 25 keys, 8 potentiators (fancy talk for knobs) one fader, pitch bend and mod wheel and 4 drum pads. Also has built in transport buttons (play, stop, record, rewind, and forward).

Listening analytically is the first step. Its much easier to learn the technical aspects required in production if you understand song structure and sound selection. If you have clear goals in what you want to achieve you can structure your learning.

"I'm a bad player, but a good programmer. I'm forever trying to explain to great players that want to become composers that they need to treat learning and practicing the computer as seriously as they practised their guitar or piano. The computer is a musical instrument and the more virtuouistic you get on that, the better you can express your ideas."
-Hans Zimmer

Midi controllers are not essential. The best advice I can give is to choose a DAW and learn it inside out. Once you get your head around using the DAW as a platform for your ideas things will start to come together. Start with the basics:
-difference between midi and audio
-instruments vs effects
-inserts vs sends
-how and when to bus audio

when starting out it is useful to have a spectrum analyser on the master channel to help visualise the music you are creating.

In terms of learning plugins... Choose a synth, learn it inside and out. Choose an EQ, compressor, distortion, delay and reverb. You only need to learn one of each to begin with. It will take time to get your head around all of these but thats what it will take to start producing good tunes.

Hey, thanks for the replies everyone. So from what I understand it's best for me to first pick-up a DAW and learn it before getting a keyboard? In that case I think I'll get myself a copy of FL studio and see what I can do with it.

mitchAUS wrote:Listening analytically is the first step. Its much easier to learn the technical aspects required in production if you understand song structure and sound selection. If you have clear goals in what you want to achieve you can structure your learning.

"I'm a bad player, but a good programmer. I'm forever trying to explain to great players that want to become composers that they need to treat learning and practicing the computer as seriously as they practised their guitar or piano. The computer is a musical instrument and the more virtuouistic you get on that, the better you can express your ideas."
-Hans Zimmer

Midi controllers are not essential. The best advice I can give is to choose a DAW and learn it inside out. Once you get your head around using the DAW as a platform for your ideas things will start to come together. Start with the basics:
-difference between midi and audio
-instruments vs effects
-inserts vs sends
-how and when to bus audio

when starting out it is useful to have a spectrum analyser on the master channel to help visualise the music you are creating.

In terms of learning plugins... Choose a synth, learn it inside and out. Choose an EQ, compressor, distortion, delay and reverb. You only need to learn one of each to begin with. It will take time to get your head around all of these but thats what it will take to start producing good tunes.

No clue what any of the things in the last paragraph are.
Are there any good FL studio tutorials I should follow that anyone might know of?

Some users to look up on youtube: Warbeats, howtomakeemusic, SeamlessR.

Pencil and paper

wakki wrote:No clue what any of the things in the last paragraph are.
Are there any good FL studio tutorials I should follow that anyone might know of?

There is a ton of info on the net on all of them
http://www.sae.edu/reference_material/a ... lindex.htm

Get reading, just focus on one thing at a time

if you're just starting out use your money for a quality synth or quality samples. keyboard is really just a bonus. once you've decided whether producing is fun for you or not you can think about getting one.

Get this book

Also this book, it's the first in a series of three, so, seek out the next two in your own time.

reading those 4 books alone, given you use them as study tools and apply what they are teaching you, they will honestly bring you up to par with post-grad level sound engineering / musical theory and composition, from there it's up to you.