StandingInMotion Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Hey everyone. This may not be the right place to post this, but I wasn't sure where it should go, so yeah. Anyway... I've decided I want to get into the remixing scene a little bit, but I have no idea where to start. I've got a pretty good understanding of music and sound manipulation, but as far as hardware and software goes, I'm lost. I'm not proficient enough at any one instrument to be able to actually record samples from myself, so I was looking for something as "point-and-click" as possible. As far as MIDI software goes, I've been using Anvil and Finale to at least get my ideas down, but I'm looking for something a little more... "real" as far as sound quality goes. Obviously, I need the software. I don't know what kind of hardware I would need (like a Mixer), if any at all. Anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Ok, go here and find a free program. If you can make good music with it... So yea, try 'em out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Try FLStudio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Taucer Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Some really good stuff here. I especially reccomend zircon's tutorials. Also, it would help if you could give us an idea of how much money you're ready to spend on this. It can be done perfectly well for free, though you can also greatly expand your options by throwing some money at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StandingInMotion Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Some really good stuff here. I especially reccomend zircon's tutorials.Also, it would help if you could give us an idea of how much money you're ready to spend on this. It can be done perfectly well for free, though you can also greatly expand your options by throwing some money at it. Because I'm cheap, let's say $100. Here's the deal (and I don't mean to offend anyone): but I'm not looking to be incredibly serious about this as far as amount of mixes go. I know there are serious audio mixing people here, but I'm merely looking to do this in my free time. As far as options go, they don't concern me as much. As long as I can get my ideas out of the tinny MIDI sound and into an acceptable .mp3 format, I'm happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Taucer Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Ok, here's what I'd do: spend the money on a soundcard and headphones. Find the best soundcard you can and the most accurate headphones you can, and just go with free stuff for software/samples. this thread and this guide will probably be very useful to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halt Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Try FLStudio. I second this. FLStudio is great and not very complicated, but very powerful too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteo Xavier Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 My advice: If you're not looking to be that serious into this, don't even start. This sounds curt, but there's a reason for this. $100, even in the video game remixing corner of the music world, will not get you far at all. That could buy you the drum machine version of FLStudio. Don't even bother pirating either, thats time and energy and computer resources all wasted by the end. And even if you had even 15x the budget, it would still take you roughly 2-5 years to learn how to remix and mix and master properly, depending on your innate talent. And even after, the chances that you'll be able to put that hard-earned skill to use beyond getting a Super Metroid mix across the Judges Table is so infantisimal (spellt right?) I cannot, in any good conscious, tell you. Remixing and music making is a LOT of fun, but its also very addicting and for all you need to invest to do it right and only maybe have something come out of it.... well, you're better off doing something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 My advice: If you're not looking to be that serious into this, don't even start.This sounds curt, but there's a reason for this. $100, even in the video game remixing corner of the music world, will not get you far at all. Absolutely false. Buy FLStudio Fruity edition for $99. This is not the drum machine version, it includes piano roll, and I used this version for years.I bought the Fruity Soundfont Player for $30, but there's a free alternative, so you can use soundfonts.I have quite a number of remixes posted to this site that were made using FLStudio Fruity Edition and freely available soundfonts. If $100 is your absolute cap, you can get by just fine. And even then, why is the ultimate goal in remixing to get a song posted to OCR? If this guy wants to remix, then he wants to remix. Plenty of people make lots of music and don't even care about submitting or the Judges Panel or OCR's standards or anything like that. They just do it for their own sake. Hell, I've got a couple of remixes that I don't plan on ever submitting to OCR. They're for my own enjoyment. Remixing video game music is a hobby; it's not an all-or-nothing field of expertise. Don't discourage someone just because they say they're not going to spend night and day at the DAW cooking up phat beats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StandingInMotion Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 My advice: If you're not looking to be that serious into this, don't even start. See... DS did a good job explaining, but I'd just like to re-iterate he's right. Now, I have a LOT of respect for the remixers here. I guess that's what I meant when I said I didn't want to offend anyone... I don't want to be the guy that just freeloads and makes remixes saying, "See, it's not that hard! Any hack can do it!" I don't believe that at all. I've just got some pretty awesome ideas (well, I think so) and i want to see them come to life. Whether or not OCR accepts them, or even if anyone else likes them is far beyond my purpose. I may forgo this, though. I have a friend who was reading over my shoulder, and he said as long as I give him my MIDI, and then whatever other notes I have, he'll be able to do the mixing himself. He's got far more advanced equipment than I can hope to afford right now, so yeah. If that doesn't work out, I'm still going to try to do it myself. If THAT doesn't work, I may ask around here to see if anyone would want to team up on this. I'd REALLY like to see this come through somehow. Thanks for all of your support, people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rig1015 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Dear StandingInMotion, I read your whole topic; Sounds like all you're looking to do is step your "sound" up to the next level, this is easy and can probably be done with NO new hardware. Whatever DAW you are using (Anvil / Finale) make sure you can utilize VST plug-ins as well as Direct X plug-ins if you are using PC, AU if you are using MAC. If your DAW can handle using VST plug-ins then you can either buy or pirate plug-ins for it! IK Multimedia and Native Instruments have GREAT plug-ins that you can get, of course I recommend paying out for the plug-ins. What you are doing now is fine you just need better libraies and keyboard instruments to get a more "Pro-Sound." Everything I do is in MIDI (full) I just use a really powerful keyboard instrument tool like Absynth 4, to play back really high quality sample libraries. So if it is all in the sample library make sure to allocate about 50+GB for libraries. Then you should have an extremely prosound but still using the simple tools you already have. Computer specifications nullify everything so if you have a bunk / old computer and try to use the plugs in a really hardcore way make sure your specs are up to par. Hope that helps in a more productive way. AmR ][ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 or pirate plug-ins for it! Don't let anyone fool you, encouraging piracy makes you look cool and mature. It totally doesn't make you look like a bratty teenager who thinks they're entitled to have everything they want for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnappleMan Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Discouraging people from creating music is disgusting. I've said my fair share of harsh things over the years, but I don't think I've ever told someone to stop. Honestly... People on both sides of the coin need to stop obsessing about what software you're using, which plugins are the best, and what your favourite remixer uses. Just fucking make music. When you get good enough at it that you can form a real opinion on which software works for you, or which plugins sound best to you, we'll be here to discuss. Just please, get there first Always remember, little Japanese men created incredible music under limitations that you and I will never experience even using software that was created as far back as the mid-late 90s. Even the smallest, cheapest, seemingly useless plugins/sounds can sound incredible when used correctly. Just learn to write music and how to properly use MIDI controllers, you'll be golden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 People on both sides of the coin need to stop obsessing about what software you're using, which plugins are the best, and what your favourite remixer uses. Just fucking make music. If you don't even know what's out there, it's okay to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StandingInMotion Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Just fucking make music. When you get good enough at it that you can form a real opinion on which software works for you, or which plugins sound best to you, we'll be here to discuss. Just please, get there first Some of us have a problem getting there in the first place. I'm still stumbling through the different softwares that have been told to me in this thread... I'm used to seeing a staff and inputting chords and singular notes into it with MIDI. So far all I've seen is a blank screen with a bunch of tools I can't use until I have some sort of sound. I'm getting things figured out though... little by little Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rig1015 Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 StandingInMotion, have you ever considered working across two DAW platforms? Like the way I'll sequence in Logic but mix in ProTools. You could write out all your sheet music in Finale and then export that score as MIDI file. Then import the MIDI file into the newer DAW that seems overwhelming and viola! your sequencing work is done, now you just pick sounds and fine tune it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj Mokram Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Rig1015, for some reason that method just now seemed a little complicated... I think what some are trying to say, is that you will have to pass through this less-fun 'picking some gear & learning how to use it' phase. At least if you really want to get to were you intended to go. This is an unavoidable but necessary effort, but you'll be glad you've put some time in it later. Whether or not you decide to give your midis to your friend so he can enhance them for you, know that there are lots of people here on OCR up for collab and willing to help you getting started. So if you really want to start remixing, with whatever budget you have, then go for it. The only thing that really matter is the desire to put your thoughts in motion, to create, and having fun while doing so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StandingInMotion Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Whether or not you decide to give your midis to your friend so he can enhance them for you, know that there are lots of people here on OCR up for collab and willing to help you getting started. I have seriously considered this, as my friend has expressed a few concerns on doing this. There are a couple of things that happen in my arrangement that he's not dealt with, so we'll see. He's also going to be extremely busy once summer school session starts, so I don't have a lot of time to finish the MIDI anyway... Where would I post to see if anyone would like to collab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj Mokram Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I'm wondering where it'll be better to post your midi... In Requests, another person already did that and successfully found people to help him. Or you could post in the Workshop 'remixes' if it's a remix, or in 'others' if it's not. And basically ask for the people to help you give life to your track. Ultimately, if none of the previous work (which I doubt) you can still contact a remixer whose work you like, and ask him/her personally. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoboKa Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 And even then, why is the ultimate goal in remixing to get a song posted to OCR? If this guy wants to remix, then he wants to remix. Plenty of people make lots of music and don't even care about submitting or the Judges Panel or OCR's standards or anything like that. They just do it for their own sake. Hell, I've got a couple of remixes that I don't plan on ever submitting to OCR. They're for my own enjoyment. Remixing video game music is a hobby; it's not an all-or-nothing field of expertise. Don't discourage someone just because they say they're not going to spend night and day at the DAW cooking up phat beats. Well said DS. I wish a certain other people would share the same view as you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rig1015 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Rig1015, for some reason that method just now seemed a little complicated... It's only complicated due to lingo. Make MIDI's at A, because making notes is easy at A, but making a pro-sound is hard. Move MIDI to B because here making notes hard but NOT a pro-sound. Sequence in one DAW. Program your patches, FX, etc. in another one. All free, no money spent upgraded sound, that is the goal right? When we want to spend money totally different options become available. ProTools SUCKS and sequencing compared to Logic, and Logic's Mix Bus SUCKS compared to ProTools. So... you sequence in Logic, Mix in ProTools, you don't go out and buy an AWS-900+ series console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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