Wanna get started

[Coco292]

I was looking to get into remixing but had a couple concerns. 

I know I need software like FL studio which is fine. I also know having a grasp on basic music theory is a must as well. I was just wondering if knowing how to play an instrument is absolutely 100 % necesary. I don't have the cash to pay for lesssons/buy an expensive instrument but I definitely wanna get into remixing as soon as possible, so any help would be appreciated!

[Rozovian]

Basic music theory isn't the same thing as formal music theory. You can learn this stuff by messing around with the program, trying to recreate the music you like to listen to, following guides and tutorials, and through getting feedback on the music you make. "Music theory" sounds daunting and complicated to a lot of people. It's really just a system of explaining why some things sound good. If you can make something sound good, you know music theory. At least some of it.

Knowing how to play an instrument is 0% necessary. But it helps. It makes learning faster, it's useful for working out melodies and developing ideas, and it teaches you the capabilities and limitations of the instrument.

Get FL, or REAPER, or some other music software, and start messing around with it. Make notes, make sound, and see where that'll take you. We have some guides and other threads that can point you in the right direction when it comes to this stuff, too. Welcome to ocr.

[Jorito]

Basically what Rozo says. And just get started, and learn stuff as you go. As for playing an instrument: 0% necessary. You can go very far with just a DAW and some plugins. I have been doing this music thing for over a decade and only beginning of this year decided to learn to play an instrument, so I dare say it's totally optional. So just get going and have fun on this amazing journey!

[Sir_NutS]

Learning an instrument or music theory is not necessary, I can't really play anything for example, but it can make your life much easier when composing.  I would recommend trying to learn before spending years trying things out until things fall into place. 

[classic_gamer_76]

Finding a DAW that really suits you is important in my opinion. However, for a newcomer, it's pretty easy to get lost with all the FL Studio, Cubase, Reason, etc. Fortunately, they usually let you download free trails of their softwares before you start spending money on the full versions. Some of them also emulate MIDI keyboards on your computer one, so -- even though it's not as ergonomic as having a real one -- it still allows you to play simple melodies and chords for now.

Once you have your DAW and figure out how it basically works, check out tutos and guides everywhere you can to make sure you can use all the ressources it offers you.

One thing I'll also recommend doing (if you're more of a visual kinda guy and do not necessary have a very good ear yet) is trying to find MIDI versions of some of your favorite VGMs, import them on your DAW and take a look at how they were composed -- the structure, the melody, the counter-melodies, the chord progression, keys, etc. Since it's a track you enjoy, you'll feel more motivated to learn what it is that makes it so great to you and, as you study more and more tracks, figure out some 'rules' constantly repeat themselves and, before you know it, already will have better ideas of how music works.

Learning an instrument is optional and you'll quickly learn everything you need to know about music theory all by yourself while messing around with your mixes. Just like any other art, the more you practice, the more you learn and you'll never stop never learning new stuff as you keep up making music.

[Gario]

Hey there, welcome to OCR! I'll say this first and foremost: the best thing you can do in order to get into making music is to... well, make music! Every DAW has it's perks, and people have made great music using nearly anything (FL, Reason, Famitracker, Milkytracker, Audacity, etc.). Fruityloops is apparently a good starting place, Reaper being a great free option, too.

As a guy who studied music theory thoroughly, I'll let you know the ups and downs of music theory. The biggest benefit of basic music theory is that it teaches you a language for communicating musical ideas. It can be tough for others to convey what notes to fix when one doesn't know what the names of the notes are, for example (I should use C instead of C#? What is this magic?!). The more music theory you know and understand, the more concise you can convey and receive advice, which can speed up your learning process. Basically, if you know what notes and chords are, you'll know what others are saying when they claim notes X, Y and Z are sounding off, or when some chords are not meshing well.

To be honest, there isn't really a downside to learning theory, but sometimes people can mix up music analysis with composition. Often, people learn theory in the context of older classical music, and how THEY used chords. Strictly speaking, back then there was a "right" and "wrong" way to utilize chords, so sometimes overextending older analyses with your own (or other people's) compositions, you can needlessly be thinking there's a wrong way to write music, when in reality it more comes down to making things that you enjoy. Keep that in mind and you'll only benefit from music theory.

Learning an instrument is very useful for being able to... well, hear what you're writing or composing. I highly recommend at the very least learning to sing what you write, as that saves a WHOLE LOT of time when you make music. This might be a more general recommendation, but being able to hum your themes and melodies as you write saves you the time and effort in playing the music back to know how it sounds. There are other more obvious benefits to knowing how to play an instrument (Hey, I can include guitar in all of my music because I ROCK!), but that's one relatively hidden benefit to being able to play your own music back.

Otherwise, hang out here, show others your work and be receptive to advice that others may be able to provide. I personally like learning how to use a DAW by doing covers and arrangements of VG music, so feel free to listen to music and see if you can imitate. People on here will likely be able to give you the advice you need in order to move forward on your music (especially if you post your music in the workshop forum), so do take advantage of that. Good luck, and I hope you get the help you need, on here or elsewhere!