Why is it my tracks always turn into beats?

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:00 PM, sneaksta303 said:

get a cheapo midi keyboard with a few knobs

Recommendations perhaps?

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:03 PM, Masonic Boom said:

It's all about striking a balance, really. Many of my favourite songs are the kind where you skip a few minutes forward and the song is pretty much the same, only MORESO. But the trick to that really is, figuring out the element(s) to make moreso of. Dynamics that change so subtly that you don't even realise they are changing until the song leaves you in a different place than when you started - those are my favourite kind.

 

I don't think that learning a little music theory is ever going to hurt anyone. That said, there are so many different facets to it - learning about keys or chord structure or even composition can help you immensely. One tends to think of so much of music as being instinctive but you realise once you start studying it, how much of it you absorb the conventions of just from listening to music all your life. Learning the actual rules behind how it works can help you to figure out your own patterns, and break them if they've got stale.

You sure about that? I'm worried it might limit my creativity as a producer.

how much $ you want to spend?

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:54 PM, sneaksta303 said:

how much $ you want to spend?

How much would a quality midi keyboard cost me?

I don't want any junk.

well, i would say you can get something halfway decent for 100 USD. Nothing fancy, but it will improve your workflow by 1000%.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:02 AM, sneaksta303 said:

well, i would say you can get something halfway decent for 100 USD. Nothing fancy, but it will improve your workflow by 1000%.

I have tried them out at stores and such.

What do you mean by increase my workflow.

Explain.

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:54 PM, The Dark Lord said:

 

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:03 PM, Masonic Boom said:

It's all about striking a balance, really. Many of my favourite songs are the kind where you skip a few minutes forward and the song is pretty much the same, only MORESO. But the trick to that really is, figuring out the element(s) to make moreso of. Dynamics that change so subtly that you don't even realise they are changing until the song leaves you in a different place than when you started - those are my favourite kind.

 

I don't think that learning a little music theory is ever going to hurt anyone. That said, there are so many different facets to it - learning about keys or chord structure or even composition can help you immensely. One tends to think of so much of music as being instinctive but you realise once you start studying it, how much of it you absorb the conventions of just from listening to music all your life. Learning the actual rules behind how it works can help you to figure out your own patterns, and break them if they've got stale.

 

You sure about that? I'm worried it might limit my creativity as a producer.

In what way?

Like, would learning how an engine works limit your creativity as a driver?

If anything, I've found musical training helped me to be more creative, because you have to know what the rules are in order to break them.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:06 AM, Masonic Boom said:

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:54 PM, The Dark Lord said:

 

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:03 PM, Masonic Boom said:

It's all about striking a balance, really. Many of my favourite songs are the kind where you skip a few minutes forward and the song is pretty much the same, only MORESO. But the trick to that really is, figuring out the element(s) to make moreso of. Dynamics that change so subtly that you don't even realise they are changing until the song leaves you in a different place than when you started - those are my favourite kind.

 

I don't think that learning a little music theory is ever going to hurt anyone. That said, there are so many different facets to it - learning about keys or chord structure or even composition can help you immensely. One tends to think of so much of music as being instinctive but you realise once you start studying it, how much of it you absorb the conventions of just from listening to music all your life. Learning the actual rules behind how it works can help you to figure out your own patterns, and break them if they've got stale.

 

You sure about that? I'm worried it might limit my creativity as a producer.

 

In what way?

 

Like, would learning how an engine works limit your creativity as a driver?

 

If anything, I've found musical training helped me to be more creative, because you have to know what the rules are in order to break them.

I suppose I'll give it a try.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:05 AM, The Dark Lord said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:02 AM, sneaksta303 said:

well, i would say you can get something halfway decent for 100 USD. Nothing fancy, but it will improve your workflow by 1000%.

 

I have tried them out at stores and such.

What do you mean by increase my workflow.

Explain.

being able to plunk out melodies, even if you have NO keyboard experience really help get the ball rolling if you ask me. Way better than a piano roll when 1st starting a track.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:17 AM, sneaksta303 said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:05 AM, The Dark Lord said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:02 AM, sneaksta303 said:

well, i would say you can get something halfway decent for 100 USD. Nothing fancy, but it will improve your workflow by 1000%.

 

I have tried them out at stores and such.

What do you mean by increase my workflow.

Explain.

 

being able to plunk out melodies, even if you have NO keyboard experience really help get the ball rolling if you ask me. Way better than a piano roll when 1st starting a track.

Is it a keyboard or a controller?

Or is that the same thing?

These keyboards are a bit pricy I must say.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:16 AM, The Dark Lord said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:06 AM, Masonic Boom said:

In what way?

 

Like, would learning how an engine works limit your creativity as a driver?

 

If anything, I've found musical training helped me to be more creative, because you have to know what the rules are in order to break them.

 

I suppose I'll give it a try.

Just don't turn into one of these jackasses:

http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=15181

The comments on that page are a great example of how thinking only terms of roman numerals can rot your brain.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:16 AM, The Dark Lord said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:06 AM, Masonic Boom said:

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:54 PM, The Dark Lord said:

 

  On 1/18/2010 at 11:03 PM, Masonic Boom said:

It's all about striking a balance, really. Many of my favourite songs are the kind where you skip a few minutes forward and the song is pretty much the same, only MORESO. But the trick to that really is, figuring out the element(s) to make moreso of. Dynamics that change so subtly that you don't even realise they are changing until the song leaves you in a different place than when you started - those are my favourite kind.

 

I don't think that learning a little music theory is ever going to hurt anyone. That said, there are so many different facets to it - learning about keys or chord structure or even composition can help you immensely. One tends to think of so much of music as being instinctive but you realise once you start studying it, how much of it you absorb the conventions of just from listening to music all your life. Learning the actual rules behind how it works can help you to figure out your own patterns, and break them if they've got stale.

 

You sure about that? I'm worried it might limit my creativity as a producer.

 

In what way?

 

Like, would learning how an engine works limit your creativity as a driver?

 

If anything, I've found musical training helped me to be more creative, because you have to know what the rules are in order to break them.

 

I suppose I'll give it a try.

Well, as they say in Finland - try everything once, except incest and folk dancing. ;)

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:26 AM, The Dark Lord said:

These keyboards are a bit pricy I must say.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/KeyRig25.html

i got mine for 70$. sure it's a cheapo, but it gets the job done.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:39 AM, sneaksta303 said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:26 AM, The Dark Lord said:

These keyboards are a bit pricy I must say.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/KeyRig25.html

 

i got mine for 70$. sure it's a cheapo, but it gets the job done.

Hopefully the drivers of these things are compatible with my new laptop.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:47 AM, The Dark Lord said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:39 AM, sneaksta303 said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:26 AM, The Dark Lord said:

These keyboards are a bit pricy I must say.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/KeyRig25.html

 

i got mine for 70$. sure it's a cheapo, but it gets the job done.

 

Hopefully the drivers of these things are compatible with my new laptop.

plug 'n play

no drivers required.

and it works with FL. I've tried it.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:52 AM, sneaksta303 said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:47 AM, The Dark Lord said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:39 AM, sneaksta303 said:

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:26 AM, The Dark Lord said:

These keyboards are a bit pricy I must say.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/KeyRig25.html

 

i got mine for 70$. sure it's a cheapo, but it gets the job done.

 

Hopefully the drivers of these things are compatible with my new laptop.

 

plug 'n play

 

no drivers required.

 

and it works with FL. I've tried it.

SICK NASTY

If only I had some money..

steal a few purses and you should be sorted.

  On 1/19/2010 at 12:59 AM, sneaksta303 said:

steal a few purses and you should be sorted.

Best plan ever!

Learn music theory, learn piano/keyboard, learn to play a lot of songs in a lot of genres, especially classical. Study Bach's Inventions, they were created to teach students about composition. Study Mozart's stuff for ideas on varying a single theme over and over.

This is what helped me, best of luck to you ZAZ.

there's no need to go buy anything. limitations, especially starting out, will only make you more creative. nothing you buy is going to come with a bag of creativity, unless your dealer is selling his equipment.

i recommend, if you have a laptop, try composing in a different part of your house, somewhere you've never sat. and make your music setup as easy and comfortable to jump into, with zero setup. make music making feel like your comfort zone, not like you're at a work cubicle.

  On 1/19/2010 at 4:09 AM, Adjective said:

there's no need to go buy anything. limitations, especially starting out, will only make you more creative. nothing you buy is going to come with a bag of creativity, unless your dealer is selling his equipment.

 

i recommend, if you have a laptop, try composing in a different part of your house, somewhere you've never sat. and make your music setup as easy and comfortable to jump into, with zero setup. make music making feel like your comfort zone, not like you're at a work cubicle.

Thanks. I agree with the limitations = creativity for sure.

The trick is to NOT skip forward in tracks, but let your brain be fucked by itself.

  On 1/19/2010 at 8:08 AM, impakt said:

The trick is to NOT skip forward in tracks, but let your brain be fucked by itself.

Hah I don't understand your logic. But okay.

  On 1/18/2010 at 7:22 PM, The Dark Lord said:

I'm trying to actually make songs which change quite a bit.

But they tend to be so repetitive. It's a bit annoying.

Should I perhaps study music theory or what? Help me.

Listen to music that is not beat driven and repetitive.

make loads of short thirty second tracks in floops, export as wavs, then arrange some of the wavs in a multitrack program. i should do this myself actually.