i haven't really used many forums in my time, and this is my first post on this website. More to the point, i need advice on starting up producing Trance, i have FL Studio producer edition, but i have no midi keyboard/controller or trance plug ins that could get me on my way experimenting and such. I need to know what i should buy for a midi keyboard and a midi controller, and also a list of good club trance/uplifting trance plug ins that i should look at. Now this all sounds very straight forward, but i am on a tight budget, and need the best quality for the lowest price if you know what i mean, i am only a young teenager, with alot of inspiration and no where to put it. Thanks alot if you read this far :)
Senator Clay Davis
* midicontroller/keyboard isnt necesary but can be helpfull for brainstorming melodies. id wait a little with that.
* synth1: awesome, free VST synth.
* read the FL manual and forum.
* read the stickies of this forum.
* search. youtube tutorials for example.
* ask more specific questions.
Pagan-za
I'll bite, even though is is probably the most commonly asked question on forums.
Firstly you need to get a DAW you are comfortable with. Each has its own pro's and con's, and these days its more about workflow than quality, so its just a case of finding one you like, then learning it inside out.
Personally, I love the workflow on FL studio, I find it nice and fast and it works for me, Ableton is cool too but for other things. Its just personal preference.
As for VST's, there is no 'trance' vst's. Its all about how you use them. Best thing to do is find a decent one, and again, learn it backwards. Most importantly...read the manual... you will get much further, faster, by reading the manual. Good ones for trance type music though, synth1, sylenth, albino3, vanguard. Albino3 is currently my fav synth due to the oscillators and the way its set up. I cant live without its modulation matrix these days.
You dont really need a keyboard when you are starting out. It does make things easier though. I only got mine late after I started producing, and even now I dont use it that often, only when I want things to be mapped to physical buttons or when i'm doodling on it to hear how things sound. But I've gotten so good at playing notes on my pc's keyboard that its not really a necessity.
Back to starting out. Best practice for a beginner is to try and emulate your inspirational tracks. Load it in your daw then try to duplicate it exactly. Make all the bars the same and see where everything lines up(or doesnt) and how the whole thing is mapped out. Most songs follow a formula, so its not hard to see it after a while.
Best advice I can give to someone just starting out though is to not rely too much on presets. Rather try and figure out what makes it sound the way it does by deconstructing it. This will help you alot later on when you are trying to make your sounds fit in the mix, because you can not only make changes that you want to hear, but it gets easier and easier to do with experience.
J.L.
There is a lot you can do with just FL.
The most core component of your setup is your computer. Not your monitors, not your expensive synths, not your mixer. None of those will help if your system is not up to par. I try to limit my system to a few games, basic online internet use, and producing. I prefer a PC desktop personally, because you get a lot of bang for your buck if you know what to do.
Your DAW is pretty much almost like an 'operating system' for your music producing. It will come with synths, effects, and samples that won't be too shabby, but simply know that there are better things out there than what your DAW can bring you. For example, it's like sticking to Windows and only using internet explorer, notepad, and paint for web designing.
The most important thing about the DAW is not the tools that it brings you, but the workflow. How do you arrange/edit/create your tracks and the feel of it is most important.
It will probably take a year to learn the basic functions of your DAW and how to arrange a track. This is where tutorials are helpful. But, also learn how to organize a certain work flow and structure to producing. Watch videos on how other producers do it.
Learn what MIDI is and how it works, how to automate a parameter, bitrates, encoding, frequency spectrums, EQing, compression, limiting, and sidechaining.
I know you are just a teenager, but save $50/month and stay away from warez synths (since it could give your computer a virus) and the synths that are pirated are usually crappy. Learn how to use Sytrus and Wasp XT in FLStudio. They are good synths and perfectly suitable for Trance. Learn how to do a synth lead, synth pluck and a supersaw, but don't get into the trap of using them for everything. Get a few good free VST's (Synth 1, Db Audioware Glitch) and learn them well.
Eventually, when you have more money, start investing into your producing. It gets you a lot further, only if you've mastered how to do all the basic stuff well. I got into the trap of getting a bunch of warez synths, not learning how to use them, getting my computer infected, and giving up out of frustration.
I personally took this path in producing:
1) Desktop
2) FlStudio Signature Edition
3) M-audio keyrig 49 midi keyboard
4) Bought AT2020 USB Cardioid Microphone
5) Bought used M-audio AV-40 monitors
6) VSL Symphonic library (it was on sale)
7) Tascam Us-49 audio interface
8) Sold tascam, bought NI audio kontrol 1 audio interface
9) Bought KRK VXT6's, acoustic padding
10) Bought Native Instruments Komplete 7 (best purchase ever)
11) Bought Traktor Kontrol S4 :)
I never bought a product until I knew exactly what it does, how to use it, and why I need it.
There you go, that should give you some direction as to where to go.
Beatflux
quote:
Originally posted by J.L.
the synths that are pirated are usually crappy.
Not usually.
You can get Razor, Omnisphere, Trillian, Massive, Sylenth1...just to name a few.
Senator Clay Davis
what he means is that you cant torrent analog hardware.
Andy28
Not that I use FL but this should be great for noobs, you can download the project and he use's only FL plugs.
Do you still get free trance projects with FL itself, or am I just making this up?? Sure I remember reading somewhere you do (or did).
Pagan-za
Yeah, they still bundle a few songs with FL. Usually a few tutorials too for newer features, then the songs they include usually show off some different techniques.
cristianokeller
stay away from Logic unless you want to cook your brain and run naked in the streets in front of your neighborhood
danny.priestley
Thanks so much for all the help guys :) Really appreciated
sicc
quote:
Originally posted by cristianokeller
stay away from Logic unless you want to cook your brain and run naked in the streets in front of your neighborhood
LOL iknowright
Aurana
Best tip ever: Make sure you like producing music before you buy anything. Starting music production takes A LOT of patience, so if you arent self motivated or you expect to be the next Daniel Kandi in a few months; save your money.
If you are really serious about wanting to produce then start off with cheap gear. Midi keyboards are nice but not needed. My M-Audio Axiom 49 was the first piece of gear I bought and I never winded up really using it much until a year or so after I started. I use it mostly to help with chord progressions, or come up with melody's when I have nothing swirling in my head at the time.
When you do finally decide to get one, buy a basic midi keyboard. The gadgets look nice and all but you rarely use them unless you are mixing live.
But seriously, give it a go with what you have now. If within a few months you still want to proceed, then start putting money into it. You dont want to buy everything now and in a month give up. This profession isnt cheap :P
