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Basic configuration


Esker
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Aren't there simple usb midi interfaces you could hook a keyboard up to? I've even seen a few keyboards that have USB built in, although most people prefer a pro sound card/audio interface. Of course PCI/Firewire setups are going to offer lower latency and bandwidth than USB.

As far as a good DAW, I think FL Studio is the most popular right now. Most importantly, the interface is extremely friendly and easy to use, and it's available for as little as $99. The built in sounds it comes with are kind of bleh, but it's extremely expandable with soundfonts and VST's. I've used Cubase, Reason, Ableton and a few others, but I always end up going back to FL Studio.

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I've used Cubase, Reason, Ableton and a few others, but I always end up going back to FL Studio.

Win.

Which is the most basic configuration a PC need for connect a keyboard, using a good DAW and ending up with a good song for nowadays standards?

If your keyboard has USB cord, use that. If not, like Ghetto said, you can grab a MIDI interface by USB (or Firewire if you can).

Good DAW's are not a good way to put it. It depends how much of what style you want or how you like to work.

Do you like flexible and modular with no guides as to how to organize your stuff? FL Studio is your best bet, because it offers so many different ways of workflow other than the traditional track system in most DAW's. The flipside is it might take a couple years to learn how to organize your own work, but it pays off.

If you wanna get something more simple and linear and easy to record, get Cubase or Pro Tools or something. I've tried both, don't really have a preference (FL to me is infinitely better than both of them :P) but get whatever is cheaper.

Or, you can get Reason. No outside plug ins to worry about, you use what you get inside. A nice and cozy little DAW.

What else do you need? Time.

Lots and lots of time. (to practice)

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As far as a good DAW, I think FL Studio is the most popular right now.

You've been spending far too much time on OCR, sir. This forum has a huge ratio of FL users, but in most of the music-making industry, FL's a little fish in the pond and doesn't come close to Protools, Logic, Nuendo, or Cubase. No company or retailer has released their sales numbers, but going off just revenue, Avid makes an annual $844.9 million, Steinberg makes $17.5 million, and Ableton makes a lowly $1.7 million, still over double of Image-Line's $0.79 million

Source: http://www.hoovers.com/

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You've been spending far too much time on OCR, sir. This forum has a huge ratio of FL users, but in most of the music-making industry, FL's a little fish in the pond and doesn't come close to Protools, Logic, Nuendo, or Cubase. No company or retailer has released their sales numbers, but going off just revenue, Avid makes an annual $844.9 million, Steinberg makes $17.5 million, and Ableton makes a lowly $1.7 million, still over double of Image-Line's $0.79 million

Source: http://www.hoovers.com/

Another reason for this besides the whole "little fish in the pond" explanation is because Image-Line charges a lot less than Avid does(which is about $629 for Protools 9), as well as giving people unlimited free updates, whereas in other DAWs if there's a new version out you have to pay for it(usually with a discount, but still).

But yeah, DusK is absolutely right. I can't use Reason worth anything, but in FL Studio I feel completely at home. Meanwhile, other people might find Reason to be the only true DAW, and FL Studio is just confusing for them. And so on with other systems. It really just boils down to "what do I like to use?".

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Another reason for this besides the whole "little fish in the pond" explanation is because Image-Line charges a lot less than Avid does(which is about $629 for Protools 9), as well as giving people unlimited free updates, whereas in other DAWs if there's a new version out you have to pay for it(usually with a discount, but still).

Hence why I said that nobody has released sales numbers. Revenue is really all we have to go by. These numbers also don't incluse piracy, and I have a good feeling that a lot more people pirate FL than most other DAWS.

However, what I said stands about OCR being one of the most densely FL-oriented communities I know of. Everywhere else I go and read, there are far less people using it. A lot more people using Protools and Logic especially.

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Guys, if you talking about someone who starting his way to the top of music scene, you saying difficult things, getting tooo deep in nonsense. Million, trillion, quintillion of backs.. Who cares?

FL is good, but for me its difficult in work process. Too many unnecessary things I have to do.

Adobe is good for recording live instruments and I never saw something better.

Some ppl use Reaper. And saying its cool. I tried.. Awesome real-time vst hosting, but when I wanted to "draw" midi or something.. I failed. But Reaper not expensive and if you give some time to it, you may find something interesting and useful.

I stopped on MAGIX for vst-i and pre-masterin(balance), and Adobe Audition for recording live instruments and final balance and mastering. Also MAGIX and Adobe(and FL, and Reaper) don't need super comp to work good. And you may connect your keyboard or whatever to standard midi-in of your sound card(if it have it).

After all, you have to try almost everything, before find what fists to YOU.

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You've been spending far too much time on OCR, sir. This forum has a huge ratio of FL users, but in most of the music-making industry, FL's a little fish in the pond and doesn't come close to Protools, Logic, Nuendo, or Cubase. No company or retailer has released their sales numbers, but going off just revenue, Avid makes an annual $844.9 million, Steinberg makes $17.5 million, and Ableton makes a lowly $1.7 million, still over double of Image-Line's $0.79 million

Source: http://www.hoovers.com/

Still, (not talking to you, but to the OP) that doesn't mean that FL Studio is a bad or weak DAW. It's actually very powerful, so don't discount it for its sales numbers.

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Got to agree fl is kinda a fish in a pond, and alot of people hear really like it, but i do still prefer protools, cubase, and ableton.

Its really down to what you like to do, i only use fl for loops and some effect vst but thats about it :P

But then again, Avid makes there cash in there hardware marketing and forcing people to by a $3,000+ I/O for there best version of protools, well untill protools 9 i think you can use any interface, not sure about HD tho, but i do enjoy making some track in protools LE cause it feels more smooth, fast,I can find stuff, and recording instuments is smooth for me, almost like in Ableton, but there is sometimes some lathency in Ableton when i record live :P

just try demos and see which one you like!

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Well, a lot of discussion while I'm out. Sadly I forgot to mention a very important information. I wanna take the clean avenue. Suposing I am using reason which is the lightest DAW to use and I have a keyboard to connect to a USB port with which PC configuration I start to bring music to life?

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Are you meaning how should you set up your computer? Or how should you set up your program? If so, google home studio pc setup and I'm sure you'll get plenty of information on how to setup your computer, keyboard, and DAW.

Or do you mean, where should you start on the path of music-making? If so, I'd do a search for Basic Music Theory, as that will start teaching you how music works. Once you've got a grasp on the basics and fundamentals, everything else builds on top of that.

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