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-- I give you these TEN COMMANDMENTS
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I give you these TEN COMMANDMENTS

(Copy and paste from future producers)

Lately I have seen WAY TOO MANY �newbies� who have NO CLUE of the magnitude of the journey they are about embark on when they enter into the realm of music production. Thus I am offering these 10 Newbie Commandments as a Guideline of what steps should be followed before one considers purchasing Studio/Recording equipment.

The Ten Commandments:

Thou Shalt �LEARN ABOUT MIDI�

�MIDI� is the language in which just about ALL music production equipment made within the last 20 years speaks! It is IMPERATIVE that you learn as much about MIDI as possible. Learn what it does and how it works. If you DON�T have a good grasp of how MIDI works, I suggest you DON�T BUY A DAMN THING! Purchasing Music production equipment without a basic knowledge of MIDI is like an American being dropped off in Russia and trying to communicate with the locals. You MUST know MIDI because I guarantee you that at some point in your budding production career you WILL have to deal with it. Plain and Simple

Thou Shalt �READ THY MANUALS�

It NEVER ceases to amaze me, how many people come to forums like these asking for answers to complex questions that are covered DIRECTLY IN THE MANUAL! Why on earth would you totally disregard the knowledge given to you by the ENGINEERS, you know, the people that MADE THE DAMN DEVICE! I know that some manuals can be VERY difficult to read but you are gonna have to just �suck it up� and RE-READ it as many times as it takes for you to UNDERSTAND it. Sure, someone will eventually SPOONFEED you the answer if you ask nicely enough but why take someones word for it when the answer is ALREADY GIVEN TO YOU. Stop being so DAMN LAZY and USE the materials at your disposal

Thou Shalt �LEARN ABOUT CABLES�

You SHOULD have a basic knowledge of WHICH cables you need to hook up your gear. This is something that can be EASILY researched. ALMOST ALL of the gear you will use will have to be hooked up to something else at some point and knowing what cables you need is an ABSOLUTE MUST. Once again I have to suggest, If you DON�T KNOW about the various different cables used in music production, DON�T BUY A DAMN THING! You might be able to get someone to hook up your studio for you but if you are gonna RELY on that person every time you get a new piece then you might as well leave the music production to them.

Thou Shalt �RESEARCH THY GEAR BEFORE BUYING�
I have seen too many poor souls fishing around in music gear stores who don�t have a clue as to what they need and why. There are a great many things to be considered before you start to purchase gear. You should put in the hours BEFORE HAND to make sure that the gear you purchase CAN ACTUALLY DO the things you need it to do. You are gonna get taken advantage of if you walk into a store and say. �What do I need to buy so I can make Beats� The internet is available to you so use it. It�s up to you. You could do some research now and get the RIGHT piece for the job OR you can go out �Half-Cocked� and end up wasting lots of $$$$ on stuff that didn�t do the job you needed done.

Thou Shalt �PRACTICE THY CRAFT�

Once you DO decide on a purchase, be committed to it. Don�t be so quick to give up on a piece of gear because it is difficult to learn at first. ALL gear has a learning curve based on its complexity and your personal music production knowledge. The more you use a piece the more its operating system will become familiar to you. Eventually you will be able to operate the gear effortlessly but it takes TIME. If you keep hopping from one piece to another you will never learn anything. Sometimes it will be rough but that�s what the manual is for. You also have places like this to help you out. Just make sure that if you end up parting with a piece of gear that it is because you outgrew that piece or it was not right for you. NOT because you didn�t KNOW how to use it.

Thou Shalt �RESIST THE URGE TO BUY ON IMPULSE�

One of the biggest pitfalls of new producers is what�s commonly referred to as G.A.S. or �Gear Acquisition Syndrome� There will ALWAYS be new and exciting pieces of gear on the market for you to spend your hard earned $$$$ on. Just remember YOU CANT OWN THEM ALL. You have to stay FOCUSED and remember why you got into music production�TO MAKE MUSIC, not to buy gear. Most young producers have limited budgets for gear so for most this wont be a problem but for those who are fortunate enough to spend whatever they like, remember this. The more stuff you buy the more stuff you have to LEARN. I am sure you may have heard the phrase �Jack of all trades, Master of none� Well the object hear is to MASTER the gear that we have and to make only those purchases that are NECESSARY for the advancement of our craft. Having a room full of gear might LOOK nice but it wont make you a better producer only a POORER one.

Thou Shalt �BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS" (SALES PEOPLE)

Keep in mind that the ONLY job of sales people is to SELL STUFF. When you go into music stores sales people WILL help you but their primary job is to sell you something. If you go in UNPREPARED and UNINFORMED there is a much greater chance that you will end up with the Most expensive gear that they can convince you to buy. It has been my personal experience that MOST of the sales people I have encountered had an EQUAL or LESSER amount of music production knowledge than I did! I am by no means a scholar, just someone who uses every available avenue to increase my knowledge about things that are important to me. Your BEST defense against these �False Prophets� is to have your homework DONE when you go in the store. Know what you want or at least what TYPE of gear you want. Know WHY you want it. That way you can keep a salesperson focused on getting you the gear that will best help you to achieve your goals, not the gear that will help him/her achieve their goal. (A Large Commission)

Thou Shalt �CONTINUALLY SEEK KNOWLEDGE�

There are MANY opportunities for us to learn more about music production. As an aspiring �Super Producer� you should seek to learn AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE about music production. The industry is FLOODED with others just like you, who want to make their mark AND make that money. Anything you can do to separate yourself from the �Pack� will be beneficial. Go ahead, Read that article on �Getting better Vocals�, go to the library and check out that book on �Proper Mixing Techniques�. You MUST realize going into this that it is a NEVER ENDNG cycle of learning that you will be involved in. There is SO much knowledge out there and you SHOULD want ALL of it. Read EVERYTHING that may have some knowledge pertaining to your craft. The more you STUDY the better you will be at what you do. It�s like going to school for the REST OF YOUR LIFE�now ask yourself�.ARE YOU READY FOR THAT!?!?

Thou Shalt �PROTECT THY EARS" (HEARING)

I see a lot of people doing STUPID stuff to their ears all the time. Understand this�YOUR EARS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT YOU HAVE! You HAVE TO take care of your hearing in order to do your job well. I know you like to BLAST those headphones when you are working out. Well guess what? You are going to have to give up a lot of the BAD HABBITS that you have learned over the years. No more �Rumbling� down the street with that brand new 1000 watt stereo ALL THE WAY UP in you new pimped out ride. No more playing Splinter Cell on X-BOX with the surround sound MAXED OUT. You have to use common sense. Let me repeat that�.WITHOUT YOUR EARS THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR A MUSIC INDUSTRY BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO MUSIC��..Only Silence..

Thou Shalt �REMAIN HUMBLE�

I know a lot of you are wondering�What does being HUMBLE have to do with music production? Well, I�ll tell you. Remaining HUMBLE will enable you to do EVERYTHING ELSE on this list. Humility will keep you GROUNDED so you will always have something to STRIVE for. Once you THINK you know everything you will become complacent. You will lose your DRIVE and slowly start to lose sight of your goals. Remembering that there is always something you can learn from the �Next Man� will keep you HUNGRY in the game and help to fuel your ambitions. We are ALL imperfect creatures and thus there is ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. Never become so cocky that you are not willing to LISTEN to the Ideas and Advice of other people. Always remember that this journey you are about to embark on is one of COMMITMENT, DETERMINATION and FOCUS. These are the things you will need aid you in you quest for SUCCESS�..

And Remember�.

The race goes not to the SWIFT, nor to the STRONG, but to he that ENDURETH FOREVER!


Good Luck!

The last one is probably the most important.

I should know. I know everything.

you don't need ears for producing, ha i can do it with my hands

quote:

Originally posted by wrzonance I know everything.

Then, you must know that I know more than you do.

This is actually quite great and I reckon sticky worthy. If all newcomers where taught the book of existo(chapter 22) then the world (er..forum) would be a better place.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Then, you must know that I know more than you do.

But If I know everything, and I know that you know more than I do than you know more than everything.

This means you've somehow managed to have infinite knowledge +n.

DIVIDE BY ZERO!!!!!!!

Re: I give you these TEN COMMANDMENTS

This is a good list and I generally agree with most of it, but I would add a few things.

quote:

Thou Shalt �LEARN ABOUT MIDI� It is IMPERATIVE that you learn as much about MIDI as possible. Learn what it does and how it works. If you DON�T have a good grasp of how MIDI works, I suggest you DON�T BUY A DAMN THING!

This is a borderline absurd overstatement IMO. It is imperative that you have a decent working knowledge of what MIDI is, how it works, how it differs from audio, and how to connect the cables and assign MIDI channels. But, those concepts probably only take about 30 minutes to read in a book or on a webpage and grasp. It's not imperative, for example, that you understand the difference between CC and NRPNs or otherwise "...learn as much about MIDI as possible..." to be functional with hardware - if it was, there would only be a handful of people using hardware synths. Many people have gone out and purchased their first hardware synth, got home and realized they didn't have a clue how to plug it in or assign the MIDI channel. They figured it out after-the-fact and I'm sure that no puppies were harmed in the process.

The other point (The 11th Commandment?) is that "Thou shalt ignore those who tell you that you need to understand soft synths before you're ready to buy hardware." Software is not just for beginners and hardware is not just for pros. Up until the last few years, hardware was the only choice and that's what we learned on. There is no requirement to demonstrate "x"-level of proficiency with software before moving on to hardware. If you want hardware and can afford it, buy it. It's that simple.

quote:

Originally posted by wrzonance But If I know everything, and I know that you know more than I do than you know more than everything. This means you've somehow managed to have infinite knowledge +n. DIVIDE BY ZERO!!!!!!!

Dammit! Foiled by math again.

lol!...i like the last 2 comandments. always gotta keep the hearing/ears safe.

This is from a hip hop forum. lol '' what do I need to make beats? '' but still the information is relevant.

the cable advice was a bit..

good advice , but who sets up there entire first music setup with hardware these days?

It's a hiphop forum.

Their entire hardware setup is a Korg Triton

quote:

Originally posted by Subtle the cable advice was a bit..

It's not at all...

Trust me - I've been in the studio with people who have had decent releases and seen them them do things like hold up one end of a USB cable and go "so how do I get sound out of this, I can't see how this fits in to the speakers?"

Knowing cables saves you huge amount of time when something is not right/troubleshooting and is crucial if you're in any form of live situation.

I think every beginner should get know the 101 of cables and connectors.

Re: I give you these TEN COMMANDMENTS

quote:

Originally posted by Existo22 Once you THINK you know everything you will become complacent.

I'll also add, when you KNOW something, your mind is closed and you can't learn anything new about whatever it is you "know". You'll be unwilling/ unable to try new techniques/ processes which may produce an even better result.

quote:

Originally posted by wrzonance It's a hiphop forum. Their entire hardware setup is a Korg Triton

haha! so true...

whats wrong with triton?

Re: Re: I give you these TEN COMMANDMENTS

quote:

Originally posted by derail I'll also add, when you KNOW something, your mind is closed and you can't learn anything new about whatever it is you "know". You'll be unwilling/ unable to try new techniques/ processes which may produce an even better result.

what are you, a fucking twit? When you know something then you know it and you can build from there. Learning techniques isn't a bad thing. Just because you know certain methods doesn't mean you're going to somehow shy away from others. Unless you're a fucking retard. Not everyone is a close-minded dipshit like you seem to assume.

Re: Re: Re: I give you these TEN COMMANDMENTS

quote:

Originally posted by floyd741 what are you, a fucking twit? When you know something then you know it and you can build from there. Learning techniques isn't a bad thing. Just because you know certain methods doesn't mean you're going to somehow shy away from others. Unless you're a fucking retard. Not everyone is a close-minded dipshit like you seem to assume.

I believe this is a matter of semantics - your definition of the word "knowledge" may differ from mine.

I know very little for certain. It's probably safe to say "On Earth, I know that a rock will fall to the ground if I let it go", since gravity can be assumed to always exist, given our present level of scientific knowledge.

However, I can't say something like "I know I need to highpass everything except my kick and bass, to give those instruments space down low". This is true for most of my productions/instruments, but there are times when this isn't the best option. I wouldn't make the above statement, because I don't "know" it. It's a technique which works well in the majority of cases, but it's not something I "know".

the one on
�PRACTICE THY CRAFT�
is really really true ..
+1

This list sounds like it was made for people in 1996. We are entering an age where hardware is pretty much redundant. So is salesmen and many other aspects of the scene. Producers these days [anyone who actually needs an article like this] = a guy in a room with a pc and some monitors...and the rest is software. Thats the majority. Some may get a midi control for nostaliga or to "feel" like a "real" producer, but thats rare.

This artcle doesn't seem to reflect, or even acknowledge that fact. Why is midi, hardware manuals and cables relevent to most of the people coming up?

Why are we still talking about carburators?

quote:

Originally posted by sixofour.604 This list sounds like it was made for people in 1996. We are entering an age where hardware is pretty much redundant. So is salesmen and many other aspects of the scene. Producers these days [anyone who actually needs an article like this] = a guy in a room with a pc and some monitors...and the rest is software. Thats the majority. Some may get a midi control for nostaliga or to "feel" like a "real" producer, but thats rare. This artcle doesn't seem to reflect, or even acknowledge that fact. Why is midi, hardware manuals and cables relevent to most of the people coming up? Why are we still talking about carburators?

The list to me is common sense but it was written for noobs. Your comment on hardware is BS unless you see the "TEN COMMANDMENTS" as exclusively for "trance" "beat making" etcetera. . . Then I would disagree as well but understand your view point. There is also something called bands. Lots of hardware.

How exactly does a keyboard make you feel nostalgic? What is so rare about someone getting a midi controller? Everyone I know in music has one.

Midi keyboards or midi controllers are not really needed for anything anymore. We have mouse and keyboard. Most people either get them for the nostalgic feel [having something phsyical to handle] or because they think they need it in order to be a "real" producer.

Bands are completely and utterly different. Because bands play live. Even the most sucsessful EDM artist is only playing music he pre-made. In EDM, a DJ plays your music. And now-a-days its probably a .wav file that he plays, as vinyl is getting rarer. Bands also play every song differently each show, EDM doesn't. Maby the band adds another section to a song, adds a new vocal section, repeats some stuff, what ever. This doesn't happen in EDM.

Its just a fact of life, hardware is not a "requirement" for anything, so it goes that most people [who make music for money or fame] don't care for the nostaligic sound or feeling. The handful of "pro" artists you see with huge studios full of hardware, are not the majority of EDM producers. They are infact a tiny tiny tiny fringe minority.

Most people who drive cars, don't use premium fuel, or have superchargers or even wash their car, they don't do that little bit of extra, they are content with the bare minimum, there is no reason to think most producers go "that extra level" and get all this hardware gear.

You have a whole generation of producers coming up, who look at hardware as old and outdated. They don't care for it, they have their PC or laptop, and good monitors, and the rest is piratebay.

Go to any electronic forum, look at the questions people ask, and the setups people have, most of them are using pretty much software only, with maby some nice monitors, and in rare instances a midi controller.

quote:

Originally posted by sixofour.604 Midi keyboards or midi controllers are not really needed for anything anymore. We have mouse and keyboard. Most people either get them for the nostalgic feel [having something phsyical to handle] or because they think they need it in order to be a "real" producer.

lol, i couldnt make shit without it.. if you know how to play its the most important tool of all.

quote:

Originally posted by Subtle lol, i couldnt make shit without it.. if you know how to play its the most important tool of all.

I use a mouse.

I mean, I have a midi keyboard, but its too much of a hassle to play the melodies out when I can click them in in less time.

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