zircon Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 (edited) Getting Started What we call "ReMixing" is just another kind of music making. Don't be intimidated! If you're already a musician, then you already have the skills to ReMix. Learning an instrument, practicing with a computer music program (also known as a "digital audio workstation"), studying up on some music theory, or watching YouTube guitar tutorials will all help you make better ReMixes. If you have no musical background, we highly recommend picking up an instrument like piano or guitar. While in-person lessons are ideal, you can check further in this post for some online resources. You can make music on most any PC or Mac. We have a list of some recommended programs below. While getting a ReMix on OCR is a great goal, creating music should be fun. You should enjoy the process, no matter what the result! Music Making Programs A digital audio workstation is a program used to create, record, edit and sequence audio. In this day and age, most DAWs are quite fully-featured, so if someone tells you that one is "better" than another, that's mostly nonsense. Pick whichever DAW has the best workflow for you. Ableton Live (PC/Mac) $99-749 This is the current leader in the industry, it's relatively easy to use, great for performance/live recording and integrates well/performantly with VSTs. Logic Pro (Mac) $199 FL Studio (PC) $99-499 One of the most popular DAWs on OCR. Though a little unwieldy for audio recording and editing, FL's non-standard workflow can be very fast, particularly for sequencing (writing MIDI notes). Thanks to its large userbase here, there are plenty of folks to answer your questions. REAPER (PC/Mac) [free-ish] $60-225 Fantastic for audio recording and editing, REAPER is a great choice if you plan on recording live instruments. Though its MIDI capability is a little weak and it has no built-in instruments, it's an excellent, fully-featured program with a very customizable workflow and unlimited free demo. REAPER also has a growing fanbase on OCR. Cubase (PC/Mac) $99-579 Like Sonar, this is another venerable DAW with plenty of great features and instruments. Whether you prefer this versus Sonar or REAPER depends on your personal preference. Reason (PC/Mac) $499 ($12.99/month) Another popular DAW. Reason boasts perhaps the best variety of built-in sounds, effects and instruments of any DAW. Like FL, it has a unique workflow and large userbase. Sonar (PC) $99+ ?? - need updates on this One of the first sequencers ever created. Sonar comes in many flavors but has a powerful traditional workflow and a strong suite of built-in instruments. There are many other DAWs out there that aren't listed here. Experiment! Finding New Sounds As you begin making music, you will no doubt want a nice palette of sounds to choose from. On a PC, you will typically look for "VST plugins" which are added to your DAW and add new functionality to create and alter sound. On a MAC, you want "AU plugins". The single best resource for both free AND commercial plugins is KVR Audio. It has an amazing database and search engine allowing you to find all sorts of instruments, effects and samples, sorted by platform, commercial vs. free, etc. However, before downloading more instruments and sounds, you should try to acquaint yourself with the tools available in your DAW. It's easy to download lots of plugins and become overwhelmed; we recommend picking a handful at a time and learning them really well before moving on. Music Education Resources As mentioned earlier, taking music lessons is the best way to improve yourself as a musician (that, and PRACTICE!) There is no substitute for a good teacher or class. If you're in high school, you may have access to basic music theory or technology classes, while most colleges have something similar. Private music teachers often start at around $30/hour, but just one lesson a week will provide substantial benefits over time. That being said, if you simply don't have access to music classes or lessons, there are a few resources you can check out online: MusicTheory.net - Almost any musician from beginner to expert can benefit from studying theory, which helps in both writing and arranging music. Berklee Online - A fantastic resource with free classes from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Everything from piano and guitar to production, songwriting and arranging. You can't go wrong here. Hardware & Computers The world of music hardware is incredibly vast, but the truth is that you need almost nothing to get started. Your key pieces of hardware are as follows: * A decent computer. Desktops are generally more powerful than laptops, but either will get the job done. Ideally you want something built in the last 6 years. If you're buying a new machine, look for a fast processor and 4+gb of RAM. A solid state drive is also good to have. * A solid pair of headphones.... Good headphone brands include AKG, Sony, Beyerdynamic, Grado, and Audio Technica. More $ doesn't necessarily mean better, and stay away from consumer-oriented headphones like Beats, or bass-enhancing Sennheisers. Something like the ATH-M40 headphones may not be blinged out but they are excellent for listening critically and cost only $50. * ... or speakers / monitors? This may be controversial to some, but I don't recommend doing the bulk of your music-making on speakers or studio monitors unless you can afford to spend at least $150-200 on an entry-level professional-grade set AND you can do some basic acoustic treatment to your room. It's fine to double-check a mix on speakers, but without proper speakers or treatment, it's hard to get a good sense of balance. If you're starting from scratch, start with headphones. * An audio interface. (more to come!) Edited April 9 by Xaleph Daylectorbr, fxsnowy and Rafael A. A. Merlo 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSO Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Presonus Studio One: Best of both worlds. (audio + MIDI) Fantastic Customer service/forum price: Studio One Free: try it out Studio One Artist: $99 Studio One Producer: $150 Studio One Professional: $299 Hayeser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSBooter Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 (edited) Tracktion 5 - $59.99 (comes with Melodyne Essential) Edited November 16, 2014 by OSBooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaris Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Presonus Studio One: Best of both worlds. (audio + MIDI) Fantastic Customer service/forumprice: Studio One Free: try it out Studio One Artist: $99 Studio One Producer: $150 Studio One Professional: $299 Seconded. You can also find the Pro version used on KVR for around $100-$200. It's drag and drop and speed is amazing. It's very easy to learn and start making music. The Pro version comes with some really samples for dance music from Vengeance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Thirding Studio One. I've been using FL Studio for 7 years and just made the switch. I still ReWire FL in because audio and MIDI routing is so god damn easy, but anyways, yes, it is a super fast and simple DAW that does not compromise on functionality at all. Very easy to do complicated music production techniques and never once does it get in your way of anything. It also automates a lot of things for you, like clicking a button to set up 8 MIDI tracks sending to your favorite sampler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goshujinsama Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 this is another site to download very good vts plugins http://www.dskmusic.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabuhli Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 "Good headphone brands include AKG, Sony, Beyerdynamic, Grado, and Audio Technica. More $ doesn't necessarily mean better, and stay away from consumer-oriented headphones like Beats, or bass-enhancing Sennheisers." What's wrong with Sennheiser? And don't Sony headphones break easily? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 tabuhli said: "Good headphone brands include AKG, Sony, Beyerdynamic, Grado, and Audio Technica. More $ doesn't necessarily mean better, and stay away from consumer-oriented headphones like Beats, or bass-enhancing Sennheisers." What's wrong with Sennheiser? And don't Sony headphones break easily? Keywords are bass-enhancing and consumer-oriented. Bass enhancement tends to favor the experience of the casual listener (or gamer, perhaps) more than of the music producer (if you examine the frequency response graphs of these 'bass boosting' headphones, they look pretty bloated in the bass---a 6-14 dB boost below 100Hz...). Consumer-oriented headphones are rather self-explanatory; they're not for producers at all, but for the average gamer, listener, etc. Also, not all Sony headphones break easily. Some of them are pretty bad (MDR-7502 was way too band-passed; never broke though for me), but he's probably referring to the higher-end ones, like MDR-7506 or MDR-V6, which have better luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hipnotyk Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Lots of good information here, and I wanted to add some extra advice for anyone looking to get started. A few companies offer some great software freebies that could come in handy for anyone new to the production game. Korg offers a very useful bundle of software with the purchase of any of their small USB MIDI devices like the MicroKey or nanoKontrol2. You may have to set up some logins with third-party companies but it's worth it to get some extra instruments and plugins for free. Also, purchasing an audio interface through Focusrite or any sort of MIDI gear through Novation will get you set up with some more plugins and a version of Ableton Live Lite, another DAW that has some stylistic similarities to FL Studio. It will have limited capabilities compared to the full version, but it's still a risk-free opportunity to see if you like the layout and workflow. Other hardware-producing companies may have partnerships with certain software vendors, so be on the lookout for similar bundles. If you play your cards right, you could end up saving some money in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Stuart Garfinkle Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Hi All, I just joined the group and wanted to share a host of the educational blogs I have created. I hope you all find them of use! Composing to picture using "Point of View" Composing to picture using "Point of View" part 2 Video Synchronization in Logic Pro X and the Tempo Change Trick The Ultimate Tempo Mapping Exercise: Anuna Recording Layered Tracks and Gain Matching Beware of Duplicating Track Names, a Cautionary Tale Composing Under Dialogue, the Unwritten Rules My Download Link Doesn't Work, What Do I Do? Creating a Click Track Best of luck to all of you, Craig Stuart Garfinkle Composer/Director/Producer/Surferhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-stuart-garfinkle-202581http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0307306/https://www.facebook.com/Craigstuartgarfinklehttps://twitter.com/csgarfinkleOur current "Conductrix" Kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/songsofzelda/eimear-noone-presents-conductrix-vr-tutorials-and"Malach, Angel Messenger" from "World of Warcraft, Warlords of Draenor"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGnHx4jcrDU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikurotoro Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 this is some really good info i really want to start remixing but im completely new to this! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audiomancer Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 I know I'm new here, and this is an old thread, but Zircon in his original post mentioned in bold print "picking up an instrument like piano or guitar." I believe he specified those two instruments for a couple of reasons. One of them is that you can play more than one pitch at a time, therefore getting yourself used to hearing and playing multiple notes at the same time/chords. Number two is that you can "see" the music theory right in front of you. Moving from one key to the very next on a keyboard (including black keys) is a half step, and every fret on a guitar is a half step. The only extra thing on guitar is knowing what pitch the different strings are:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnStacy Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 @Craig Stuart Garfinkle Oh wow You're the real deal! Looking over your blog, this is some killer info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eino Keskitalo Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 This 12tone video about improving listening skills to figure out arrangement is directly relevant for transcribing VGM you want to rearrange: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daylectorbr Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 On 3/28/2021 at 5:23 PM, evktalo said: This 12tone video about improving listening skills to figure out arrangement is directly relevant for transcribing VGM you want to rearrange: This is actually something I've been practicing for the last couple months so I'm glad to see someone made a video on it. Eino Keskitalo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaleph Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 Since this was written, Reason supports VST3. It costs $499 ($199.00 upgrade, $299 for teachers/students). They have a more expensive version called Reason+ which comes with a ton of features $19.99/month. The DAW marketshare changes often - you typically want to find something that has a lot of support, reasonable features, is relatively cheap, and has longevity (something that will be around for a long time). The benefit of something like FL and Reason is that it comes with a lot of features you can use without having to buy a ton of extra VSTs. I'm tempted to swap to Ableton Live as I use it often for various groups - I just have a hard time stomaching the $749 cost for Suite (I'd want Operator if I bought it for personal use). Reason isn't bad - I was burnt by Cubase (v4 was not a great version to try to swap to). I rely more and more on VSTs (Serum and others), but the Reason upgrade cost is relatively cheap compared to $749. I just don't find Reason bad or different enough (anymore - you can look for my old posts) to warrant the switch. If I were starting out and hand $1-2k for software, I'd get Ableton Live with a few choice VSTs (instruments, fx I like, and some mastering). If I had $2k to blow now - I'd probably spend it on a new studio speakers/monitors, mics, or other audio gear... not a new DAW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mi Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 (edited) On 2/16/2023 at 11:00 PM, Xaleph said: Since this was written, Reason supports VST3. It costs $499 ($199.00 upgrade, $299 for teachers/students). They have a more expensive version called Reason+ which comes with a ton of features $19.99/month. The DAW marketshare changes often - you typically want to find something that has a lot of support, reasonable features, is relatively cheap, and has longevity (something that will be around for a long time). The benefit of something like FL and Reason is that it comes with a lot of features you can use without having to buy a ton of extra VSTs. I'm tempted to swap to Ableton Live as I use it often for various groups - I just have a hard time stomaching the $749 cost for Suite (I'd want Operator if I bought it for personal use). Reason isn't bad - I was burnt by Cubase (v4 was not a great version to try to swap to). I rely more and more on VSTs (Serum and others), but the Reason upgrade cost is relatively cheap compared to $749. I just don't find Reason bad or different enough (anymore - you can look for my old posts) to warrant the switch. If I were starting out and hand $1-2k for software, I'd get Ableton Live with a few choice VSTs (instruments, fx I like, and some mastering). If I had $2k to blow now - I'd probably spend it on a new studio speakers/monitors, mics, or other audio gear... not a new DAW. If you already own a certain DAW which runs smooth and stable and to which you are used to for several years, I'd stick with it. If you manage to get more into your DAW, figure out all the functions by studying your manual and trying out a lot of things, you might be able to compose, arrange, mix and master great soundtracks with nearly any DAW on the market out there. The last thing I would do is changing your DAW regularly after a few years just because of some brand-new features by other DAW developers. There are some general features you may have in all DAWs, and there are often some unique features in several DAWs. But you can also see that some those unique features tend to become general DAW features over the years. And you don't have to go for every upgrade of your DAW if you don't like or need the new content - I'm sure there will also be coming upgrades and developments of your DAW you will like again. If not - don't hesitate to write your DAW developers about the new things you like, you don't like and things you want to see improved (I also do it sometimes). I wouldn't go for 365 days or monthly offers from DAW companies because you are always kinda forced to get the newest content, the newest operating system and the newest hardware (if necessary). And I don't always want to set up a new PC with a new operating system after just a few years. If you don't mind to live several years in the technological past and rather making huge jumps after 10 to 15 years, you won't miss too much. But you can save lots of time, money and nerves. And in case of being a Windows user, you will have a lot more information of the private customer "Windows test subjects" who have made their early experiences with the latest program versions. ... But back to the DAW topic... So, if you already own Reason and you are used to it, stick with it. If you have questions on this DAW software, you could also ask the composer Thomas Mende. He works with Reason and he also composes some really good electronic video game remixes with this DAW made by the Swedish developers Propellerhead/Reason Studios: If you own Cubase and you are already used to it, stick with it. This famous DAW software was originally developed by Steinberg, a German developer which is in the hands of the well-known Japanese Yamaha corporation since around 2004. And these Japanese companies - especially Yamaha - develop lots of highly sophisticated technological products for musical purposes and they aim to improve their results continuously with their (for the Japanese society pretty famous) Kaizen concept over time. Even if you own FL Studio (Fruity Loops in the past - a DAW I really don't like because of the less intuitive access to the main functions) and you are already used to it, stick with it. When I tried this DAW for the first time without any manual, I really hated this DAW because of the kinda annoying pattern system and because I couldn't even manage to create a single empty MIDI object for hours. But if I remember correctly, even famous video game music composers like Zircon work with FL studio - and they compose outstanding soundtracks with this DAW in combination with some further 3rd-party VSTis, synths and VST plugins. ... But if you are a newcomer and still not bound to any DAW, you might have also a closer look a Samplitude Pro X Suite (definitely the Pro X Suite version because of the hugely enhanced content). For me, it was a really close race between Cubase and Samplitude back then - but in the end, Samplitude won my heart because of the really intuitive access to the main functions, the complexity and really huge content of the DAW (which you can use for quite every common music genre), the clarity and flexibilty of the interface and the really stylish black Carbon design you can choose in the settings: There is still a good video of this DAW which shows some of the content and functions of Samplitude Pro X (the first version of the Samplitude Pro X series) from around 10 years ago. And even back then, it already had an amazing content of high-quality metering devices, VST plugins, VST instruments and synths - even a sophisticated guitar and bass amp was (and still is) part of the enhanced Suite content: With the current Pro X7 Suite version, it got even more content. And I am still fine with Samplitude Pro X4 Suite. Many years ago, Samplitude Pro X Suite was around 1000 bucks for the first buy. But over the years, it went down to around 600 bucks, sometimes it's already around 400 bucks and during several special offers during the year it can be around 200 to 300 bucks, while upgrades are around 200 to 250 bucks. For the case you want to check out the features in detail, have a look at these links: https://www.magix.com/int/music/samplitude/pro-x/functions/ https://www.magix.com/int/music/samplitude/pro-x/version-comparison/#c1574623 ... If want to build up your studio environment, really take your time and inform yourself well about the stuff you want to go for before buying it. Never be in a hurry, because a huge amount of information and experiences can save a lot of money, time and nerves in the long term. Rather buy a drop of a product after bathing in an ocean of information than the other way around. I have built my home studio within a time of around 10 years, and aside from my electric guitar of choice, I'd say it was complete around two years ago, hardware-wise. If you save up some money for 1 or 2 two studio gear elements per year, it might not stress you too much in times of permanent financial crises and geopolitical changes. If you don't have any studio gear yet, I would buy the stuff in the following order: 1 - a good ergonomic office chair with adjustable headrest (a healthy and upright sitting position is a really good start before composing and mixing for several hours at once) 2 - a good DAW of your choice 3 - professional studio headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro (with these you can compose and mix in a really accurate way) 4 - professional audio interface (increases your DAW performance and stability - especially when composing bigger tracks) 5 - a good allrounder MIDI keyboard with at least 49 synth action keys (synth action keys should not make any annoying noises compared to some MIDI keyboards with weighted/hammered keys), 8 drum pads, pitch wheel and mod wheel, a good amount of faders, buttons, knobs and editing/programming functions, together with some fitting pedals for your MIDI keyboard 6 - a professional studio microphone with a low noise floor like the Rode NT1 (if you want to use singing voices or instrumental microphone recordings in your musical projects), together with a good and stable microphone stand 7 - professional studio monitor speakers, which harmonize with your room conditions (speakers should rather be a little bit smaller than too big for your room), together with some fitting isolating studio monitor stands 8 - maybe a good compact studio subwoofer to enhance the frequency range of your speakers into the deeper bass range 9 - professional headphone amp (which will drive even high-impedance studio headphones in the best possible way to unleash their full potential) 10 - additional instruments, VST instruments, synths and VST plugins Edited March 11, 2023 by Master Mi Xaleph 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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