Making music with hardware

Hey guys, I've been listening to electronic music for quite some time and like a lot of you, I've had an interest to make some of my own. Rather than go the software route, I'd like to dabble with hardware. I'm majoring in electrical engineering at the moment, though I'm only on my second year and still don't know nearly enough.

Regards, what books and readings would you recommend to get started. As I stated, I'd like to stay away from software and much as possible and learn about the hardware.

Where are you studying?

I will get you some names and links, unless someone beats me to it. BUt just to let you know there are TONS of build it yourself (DIY) kits available for a very wide array of synth and drum machine type boxes. Should be up your alley. There's also tons of great hardware for people just starting out, and it's affordable. I recommend checking out the korg electribe series.

bbl with some more stuff

sound on sound magazines "synth secrets" is a must read.

As is honestly the nord lead 1 manual. Total intro to synthesis and presented in their awesomely laid out panel style. If you get a nord lead to go along with it, bonus, but that may be a bit pricey just getting into things, and being on a student budget.

  On 5/27/2010 at 4:14 AM, Lascaille said:

Where are you studying?

University of Delaware.

While I'm at it, what options are available for me with a degree in electric engineering that relates to music?

  On 5/27/2010 at 4:25 AM, Brandi_B said:

 

As is honestly the nord lead 1 manual. Total intro to synthesis and presented in their awesomely laid out panel style. If you get a nord lead to go along with it, bonus, but that may be a bit pricey just getting into things, and being on a student budget.

absolutely.

also, it's not exactly the best intro level book on the subject, but check out allen strange's "electtronic music: systems. techniques, and controls." awesome book for learning more about a wealth of things related to analog synths and some bits about recording techniques. it's out of print, but there are pdf's of it floating around the web, if you choose to follow. it may be available at your university's library; i know it is at mine, and their selection for electronic music related literature is not exactly fantastic.

  On 5/27/2010 at 4:25 AM, Brandi_B said:

I recommend checking out the korg electribe series.

agreed, electribes are a great (and fast) way to get a feel for many elements of music production/creation. they are dirt cheap these days as well. with an electribe you'd be able to dabble in modulation, effects processing, filters, oscillators, sampling, sequencing, automation, as well as constructing melodies and drum patterns with all sorts of experimentation in between. I still use mine all the time.

try your university library

you should be able to find quite a few cool books on electronic music, midi, synthesizers etc

then get a nice/cheap polysynth like a roland alpha juno or a kawai sx240 and jam every day :D

http://www.synthesizers.com/

http://www.soundonsound.com/

+1 to electribes

if you want analog that you can sequence with the electribe you can get a Doepfer Dark Energy for like 300 Euro.

Read a lot about MIDI and also read any tutorial on the basics of subtractive synthesis until you feel comfortable with oscillators, envelopes, LFOs, and filters and can say "i want to make a horn patch" and be able to make it from an init patch.

Also, Tweakheadz.com is my favorite resource for learning about home studios. You can learn almost everything you need from "The Guide".

If you get an electribe like the EMX-1 and go in depth learning all its functions you will know enough to make whole compositions with multiple parts parts, patterns and even automation of parameters.

Read/study/learn with software. Find out what is what, find out what you want and what you need. Get hardware.

i agree with impakt entirely

this analog fetish is just marketing. software is so much better. i use reaktor and ableton and a little knobby controller. nothing more is needed.

  On 5/27/2010 at 11:04 PM, impakt said:

Read/study/learn with software. Find out what is what, find out what you want and what you need. continue with software. tell people you use hardware. that's what everyone else does.

  On 5/28/2010 at 1:57 AM, Hanratty said:

this analog fetish is just marketing. software is so much better. i use reaktor and ableton and a little knobby controller. nothing more is needed.

Not many companies are marketing analog anymore, outside of the big bucks stuff, all of the in-demand analog gear hasn't been made for 20 years for a start! You certainly don't need it, there are many 'proofs' of this, but its fun and exciting and that can lead to great creativity!

the best advice i can give is to not pay money for anything that you cant sell for a similar or higher price in ten years time

basically, if you're an autechre fan you're going to sink a lot of money that you won't get back. if you're a ceephax fan you might do pretty well out of it.

Buy a TR808 for beats, an SH101 for bass and an MKS80 for all the other stuff.

  On 5/28/2010 at 1:57 AM, Hanratty said:

this analog fetish is just marketing. software is so much better. i use reaktor and ableton and a little knobby controller. nothing more is needed.

you obviously have never owned a decent analogue and I bet you haven't paid for any of your software either?

If you're totally new and youre not sure you will get into making music, then yeah, get some cheap ass or free software and muck around. But it sounds like you are confident that you want to play with hardware so you have to spend some money. Electribes are cheap as hell so it's a good start. Or any other cheap hardware sequencer with digital synths.

Analog is not a marketing ploy, but you certainly dont have to go buy a TR-808 as your first drum machine, unless you shit money and won't be happy with anything else.

Another solution is to get a cheap midi controller like an m-audio Axiom 25 which has some good controllers or a Novation remote SL (even cooler) for like $200 and acquire whatever software you like for a pseudo hardware experience. Reason is fun and integrates well with control surfaces and will teach you loads about sequencing, midi, synthesis, sampling, etc.

Thanks a lot guys, honestly. You've got a solid community here from what I can tell and I'm a little upset that I didn't come here earlier.

  On 5/27/2010 at 4:25 AM, Brandi_B said:

I will get you some names and links, unless someone beats me to it. BUt just to let you know there are TONS of build it yourself (DIY) kits available for a very wide array of synth and drum machine type boxes. Should be up your alley. There's also tons of great hardware for people just starting out, and it's affordable. I recommend checking out the korg electribe series.

 

bbl with some more stuff

 

sound on sound magazines "synth secrets" is a must read.

 

As is honestly the nord lead 1 manual. Total intro to synthesis and presented in their awesomely laid out panel style. If you get a nord lead to go along with it, bonus, but that may be a bit pricey just getting into things, and being on a student budget.

Can you recommend any DIY kits?

Alright, hell, I still a bit over my head. How did you guys start with EM? Just get something like FL or Reason and fuck around? I'm looking at books to buy and whatnot and feel overwhelmed. I should just start with software, shouldn't I?

What DAW would you guys recommend, as well as tutorials to go with it?

On a side note, would it be beneficial to read something like this: Theory and Technique of EM or would that just drive me away?

Thanks again

  On 5/28/2010 at 11:09 PM, illway said:

Alright, hell, I still a bit over my head. How did you guys start with EM? Just get something like FL or Reason and fuck around? I'm looking at books to buy and whatnot and feel overwhelmed. I should just start with software, shouldn't I?

 

What DAW would you guys recommend, as well as tutorials to go with it?

 

On a side note, would it be beneficial to read something like this: Theory and Technique of EM or would that just drive me away?

 

Thanks again

I don't think you need books or something. You can learn everything on youtube. There are millions of tuts about everything you need to know.

There are many DAWs and they all are different. I would suggest you to download demos and try which one you like the most. Anyway I think the best are these:

Fl studio (simple, intuitive),

Reaper (cheap and everything you need),

Ableton ( awesome ),

  On 5/28/2010 at 4:28 PM, soundwave said:

  On 5/28/2010 at 1:57 AM, Hanratty said:

this analog fetish is just marketing. software is so much better. i use reaktor and ableton and a little knobby controller. nothing more is needed.

 

you obviously have never owned a decent analogue and I bet you haven't paid for any of your software either?

i did pay for the software. i used to have a nord modular and before that a micromod and before that a korg ms2000, so you are right, never had an analog. The analog thing just seems like a reaction to the fact that software can do basically anything you want with sound. Granted my laptop doesnt look as cool in a picture as a rack of knobby synths, it can do all of that.

I mostly use FL, though I have a cracked version of Ableton (which I'm quite frankly too lazy at the moment to figure out how to use to its full potential). Both great DAWs, though I think FL is probably best for a beginner. Its real noob-friendly.

  On 5/29/2010 at 1:57 AM, Hanratty said:

  On 5/28/2010 at 4:28 PM, soundwave said:

  On 5/28/2010 at 1:57 AM, Hanratty said:

this analog fetish is just marketing. software is so much better. i use reaktor and ableton and a little knobby controller. nothing more is needed.

 

you obviously have never owned a decent analogue and I bet you haven't paid for any of your software either?

 

 

i did pay for the software. i used to have a nord modular and before that a micromod and before that a korg ms2000, so you are right, never had an analog. The analog thing just seems like a reaction to the fact that software can do basically anything you want with sound. Granted my laptop doesnt look as cool in a picture as a rack of knobby synths, it can do all of that.

there is a gigantic difference between analog and software, and analog and digital. That's neither here nor there in this thread, but once you own some analog gear and really key in on what is so different about it, you really grow to appreciate it. I don't think there is any better or worse on either side. Sure software is always going to win out on more options and greater polyphony, but it's amazing what you can get out of a bare bones 2-3 osc mono analog, as far as timbre is concerned.