Equipment Needed to Make Beats

A lot of friends have asked me for an inexpensive and easy way to get started making beats. They would like to have a basic idea of what they're doing before dishing out for expensive programs like Logic or Reason.

There's an internet only package called 'Sonic Producer' which is arguably one of the best.

This program for a mere $30.00 gives:

-A full music production software
-Samples and instrumentals
-Video tutorials for major DAW's
-PC & Mac compatibility

Most modern music programs operate under the same principles. One might have some piece of candy that the others don't, but when it comes to the meat and potatoes they all pretty much do the same.

Start with something like 'Sonic Producer' and gain some experience by going through the easy tutorials. By the time you decide which big music production software you like you'll be a lot more prepared to justify that kind of commitment.

For this amount you can't even get a decent DVD of instruction, much less customer support which 'Sonic Producer' has. And very important:

*This program has a 100% satisfaction guarantee

In the world of professional music production the reality if that software has taken over. The quality of music that even a modest home computer can achieve today could only be dreamed 10 years ago.

That being said, investing in a digital audio workstation (DAW) is a big commitment and you should research thoroughly before choosing one.


*Avid Pro Tools Mbox Studio
For recording, sequencing, editing, scoring, post production and mixing audio nothing beats Pro Tools. Now on version 9 is finally open to any audio interface you prefer to use. Pro Tools is loaded with instruments and sounds to make good sounding beats, all the usual 'beat making' processors are included, but a large number of beat makers that use Pro Tools do so in conjunction with external hardware. This is in part due to the fact that Pro Tools is arguably the best virtual multi track recorder.


*Apple Logic Studio
Logic is one of the most popular music production software. 40 gigs of content, a very engaging user interface, plenty of software instruments covering all major areas of music production and good sounding plug ins. Plus it comes with other very powerful apps, like Soundtrack Pro and Compressor among others. Only Apple can accomplish a package like Logic Studio for this price. But there lies the only thing, Logic only works on a Mac. And when I say 'only' I mean it, Logic is pretty much flawless.


*Reason
Reason is used by a large number of electronic musicians. It's great for midi sequencing even though it's a closed system (no support for third party plug ins), but the way it forces you to only work with the tools it has actually makes you more productive. You won't be able to record vocals or real instruments unless you add their separate program 'Record', or it can be used within a DAW like Logic or Pro Tools via Rewire. Reason is excellent and has plenty of good instructional material available.


*Ableton Live
Ableton Live truly is a revolutionary audio software. It's great for working with loops and most who have used it would agree that is just fun to play. The main weapon in the Ableton Live arsenal is their time stretching algorithms, capable of taking any set of musical pieces and playing them in perfect sync. I like that Live doesn't come with dozens of instruments, just good versions of the basic ones. It's not a far stretch to say that Ableton Live is the one program that can completely change the way you approach music production.


*FL Studio
If you are starting out and have a PC I highly recommend checking out FL Studio, also known as Fruity Loops. A lot of great producers have cut their teeth with this software. It's loaded with instruments, sounds, samples, presets and everything needed to make beats. For making dance oriented beats this might be one of the easiest to start with.


*Cubase
Cubase is very popular among many independent music producers and studios, especially in Europe and many parts of America not related to the major LA media market. It belongs to the Yamaha corporation and offers intelligent integration with some of their gear. It offers just as much power as Pro Tools, Logic or any other DAW, but normally it doesn't get its due respect.


*SONAR
This program only runs on Windows, remember that Macs now can run Windows. But I don't foresee any beat maker buying a Mac wanting to use it with Sonar. If you own a PC and want a package in the style of Logic this might be the answer. To my style of working though, which is more in the Pro Tools/ Logic arena, Sonar is not very intuitive to use.

A big part of the features in the 'Producer' versions of most DAW's are for experienced users. The Lite editions offered by most of these programs come bundled with plenty of material to get started. When you get to a level that you feel you need the Pro features the company will gladly offer you a discount to upgrade.

Once you choose a DAW try to make it your goal to learn how to use it to make beats. There's a lot of instruction to be found, any platform to make music, hardware or software, requires a learning curve. It's no different than learning how to play the guitar in comparison.

Find out which music software better fits your style and make it yours!

Even though you can make music with just the mouse, especially with Fruity Loops, there is no progress down that path. A midi keyboard is a must if you are planning to spend a serious amount of time making music beats.

You don't have to be Mozart nor buy a $500.00 keyboard. A decent midi controller could be found for less that a $100.00 these days, and believe me you need it. Even if you play another instrument and just want to make beats to play along with them.

I've had these 2 and I highly recommend them:

-->M-Audio Axiom 25 2nd Gen USB MIDI Keyboard Controller


-->M-Audio Axiom Pro 25 USB MIDI Keyboard Controller

Most consumer speakers by default mess with audio, hyping up frequencies because of their inability to fully reproduce them. With a decent pair of speakers designed for music production you can get a more realistic image of the sounds you're producing.

My favorite entry level monitors are the M Audio BX5's, these by official records are the best selling of their kind in the world. They have a very good sound, especially for hip hop and rap.

The BX8 version offers such a healthy amount of bass that you might not feel the need for a sub-woofer. For a more home-hobbyist level the M Audio AV40 are a very good choice, their front grill makes them safer for rooms where kids or pets could damage the speaker cones.

-->M-Audio Studiophile BX5a Deluxe Active Monitors