Avicus Archive

How To Produce Music by TurkishDelite August 19, 2016 at 2:08 PM UTC

Now im not very experienced with producing music and I want to learn how to (mainly remixes) so I decided to make a thread so fellow users in this community could help everyone else out. I roughly know something about syncing the speed of the music with the vocal parts and secondary beat but idk what's the proper term called or where to learn about it

SnowSX3 August 19, 2016 at 2:08 PM UTC

What type of DAW do you use?

IndigoHawkins August 19, 2016 at 3:08 PM UTC

Music Theory is a must to create original music, unless you want to create shitty Progressive House that sounds the same in almost any Prog. House song.

Things to Consider
Where to start

gobernment August 19, 2016 at 3:08 PM UTC

For VSTs, I recommend Synth1 (you can find a bunch of soundbanks online for free, and Synth1 itself is free.) I use it all the time and it produces great results, as well as it's probably the easiest to use to make custom soundbanks.

ApolloIsFunky August 19, 2016 at 4:08 PM UTC

This is starting to become a real big thing now lol. I love seeing things like this because on overcast, i'm one of the only known music producers in the community.

ApolloIsFunky August 19, 2016 at 4:08 PM UTC

Music Theory is a must to create original music, unless you want to create shitty Progressive House that sounds the same in almost any Prog. House song.

Things to Consider
  • DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) I recommend FL Studio but it's your choice.
         - Getting used to the DAW
         - How default plugins work (Compressors, Side-Chain, Side-Chain Compression)
         - Default packs (Drums, Snares, Percussion, SFX, etc)
  • Genre you will be creating (Trap, House, Classical, Hardstyle, etc.)
         - Research your Genre, and look into what is included in that genre
         - What type of Instruments to use (pitch, volume, etc)
  • Sampling (This is essential, since this is how you get unique sounds most of the time)
         - What plugin allows sampling (Default in FL Studio is Harmor)    
  • Layering (This is also how you get unique sounds, mostly percussion such as drums and snares)
  • Mixing & Mastering (This is how you get your music the finished touch)
         - Compression (Making sure clipping doesn't ruin the song)
              - Clipping: A way of Wave Form distortion
         - Side-Chaining (Making your drums stand out and not deafened)
         - Side-Chain Compression (Same thing, making sure your drums don't sound to loud)    
  • Practice makes perfect
         - Obviously your first song might be horrible, that's completely fine, just keep practicing and
           learn more of the DAW of choice to produce higher quality music.
Where to start
  • Busy Works Beats will introduce you to music production using FL Studio (Just search a tutorial on his channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/busyworksbeats)
  • Read about Music theory, this will help you a lot when constructing Chords or Melodies
Funny way you put how you feel about progressive house lol

Lucartex August 19, 2016 at 10:08 PM UTC

I use FL Studio

SnowSX3 August 19, 2016 at 11:08 PM UTC

The DAWs I've been using are Pro Tools and Logic Pro X.

Edit: I also used Guitar Pro 5 and Sibelius 5 back in the day.

ApolloIsFunky August 20, 2016 at 12:08 AM UTC

The DAWs I've been using are Pro Tools and Logic Pro X.

Edit: I also used Guitar Pro 5 and Sibelius 5 back in the day.
Pro tools is nice. I use fl because i love harmor and the eq-ing.

IndigoHawkins August 20, 2016 at 2:08 AM UTC

Pro tools is nice. I use fl because i love harmor and the eq-ing.
<3 same

EDJM9 August 20, 2016 at 2:08 AM UTC

If that's all too hard for u JUST USE GARAGE BAND! Easy

gobernment August 20, 2016 at 2:08 AM UTC

If that's all too hard for u JUST USE GARAGE BAND! Easy
Please don't.

SnowSX3 August 20, 2016 at 2:08 AM UTC

I wish I had a MIDI controller but they're just too expensive.
Has anyone got one / what type do you have / how much was it?

gobernment August 20, 2016 at 3:08 AM UTC

I wish I had a MIDI controller but they're just too expensive.
Has anyone got one / what type do you have / how much was it?
I have one from my grandpa but I don't use it. It's some old thing from RadioShack.

It's neato, though.

ApolloIsFunky August 20, 2016 at 4:08 AM UTC

I wish I had a MIDI controller but they're just too expensive.
Has anyone got one / what type do you have / how much was it?
I have a Nektar Impakt iX-(i forget the numbers). It's pretty good, makes a lot of noise when played though, that's the only sad thing about it...

KroestV2 August 20, 2016 at 1:08 PM UTC

Music Theory is a must to create original music, unless you want to create shitty Progressive House that sounds the same in almost any Prog. House song.

Things to Consider
  • DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) I recommend FL Studio but it's your choice.
         - Getting used to the DAW
         - How default plugins work (Compressors, Side-Chain, Side-Chain Compression)
         - Default packs (Drums, Snares, Percussion, SFX, etc)
  • Genre you will be creating (Trap, House, Classical, Hardstyle, etc.)
         - Research your Genre, and look into what is included in that genre
         - What type of Instruments to use (pitch, volume, etc)
  • Sampling (This is essential, since this is how you get unique sounds most of the time)
         - What plugin allows sampling (Default in FL Studio is Harmor)    
  • Layering (This is also how you get unique sounds, mostly percussion such as drums and snares)
  • Mixing & Mastering (This is how you get your music the finished touch)
         - Compression (Making sure clipping doesn't ruin the song)
              - Clipping: A way of Wave Form distortion
         - Side-Chaining (Making your drums stand out and not deafened)
         - Side-Chain Compression (Same thing, making sure your drums don't sound to loud)    
  • Practice makes perfect
         - Obviously your first song might be horrible, that's completely fine, just keep practicing and
           learn more of the DAW of choice to produce higher quality music.
Where to start
  • Busy Works Beats will introduce you to music production using FL Studio (Just search a tutorial on his channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/busyworksbeats)
  • Read about Music theory, this will help you a lot when constructing Chords or Melodies
You forgot the equalizer, even more important than the compressor :)

@op I use fl studio myself, very easy to understand. Ableton, cubase, and logic pro are pretty good as well. As syntesizer i pretty much only use the Sylenth1, very nice to make your own sound with, and there are a shit load of presets for as well. I also recommend you to start creating a big collection of sample packs for your drums and stuff.

IndigoHawkins August 20, 2016 at 2:08 PM UTC

You forgot the equalizer, even more important than the compressor :)

@op I use fl studio myself, very easy to understand. Ableton, cubase, and logic pro are pretty good as well. As syntesizer i pretty much only use the Sylenth1, very nice to make your own sound with, and there are a shit load of presets for as well. I also recommend you to start creating a big collection of sample packs for your drums and stuff.
Oh lol, I did completely forget that, thanks xD

ApolloIsFunky August 20, 2016 at 2:08 PM UTC

Oh lol, I did completely forget that, thanks xD
And Sound Design is a major key (eyyyyy) in music production. Knowing the presets you use and where yo're going to set them up is a very big deal in Music Production. And i stated about eq-ing above. Parametric EQ is the plugin i use, and almost everyone does as well.

IndigoHawkins August 20, 2016 at 3:08 PM UTC

And Sound Design is a major key (eyyyyy) in music production. Knowing the presets you use and where yo're going to set them up is a very big deal in Music Production. And i stated about eq-ing above. Parametric EQ is the plugin i use, and almost everyone does as well.
Im quite aware of that, and the EQ.

However, you can get by without using sound design, just sampling... and then using sound design, so I guess not lol.

ApolloIsFunky August 20, 2016 at 3:08 PM UTC

Im quite aware of that, and the EQ.

However, you can get by without using sound design, just sampling... and then using sound design, so I guess not lol.
Well that may be the case, it's good to know how to get proper sounds, other than sampling. I like to sample, but not as much as i like to experiment with sounds and create my own presets.

__DONNIE__ August 20, 2016 at 5:08 PM UTC

Music Theory is a must to create original music, unless you want to create shitty Progressive House that sounds the same in almost any Prog. House song.

Things to Consider
  • DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) I recommend FL Studio but it's your choice.
         - Getting used to the DAW
         - How default plugins work (Compressors, Side-Chain, Side-Chain Compression)
         - Default packs (Drums, Snares, Percussion, SFX, etc)
  • Genre you will be creating (Trap, House, Classical, Hardstyle, etc.)
         - Research your Genre, and look into what is included in that genre
         - What type of Instruments to use (pitch, volume, etc)
  • Sampling (This is essential, since this is how you get unique sounds most of the time)
         - What plugin allows sampling (Default in FL Studio is Harmor)    
  • Layering (This is also how you get unique sounds, mostly percussion such as drums and snares)
  • Mixing & Mastering (This is how you get your music the finished touch)
         - Compression (Making sure clipping doesn't ruin the song)
              - Clipping: A way of Wave Form distortion
         - Side-Chaining (Making your drums stand out and not deafened)
         - Side-Chain Compression (Same thing, making sure your drums don't sound to loud)    
  • Practice makes perfect
         - Obviously your first song might be horrible, that's completely fine, just keep practicing and
           learn more of the DAW of choice to produce higher quality music.
Where to start
  • Busy Works Beats will introduce you to music production using FL Studio (Just search a tutorial on his channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/busyworksbeats)
  • Read about Music theory, this will help you a lot when constructing Chords or Melodies
Side-chain compression isn't a Audio plugin :/

A compresser is the plugin, and side-chaining the track to another track (via a bus) is just a way of using it, not a plugin in itself...

Sampling is the act of taking a portion or a specific idea from a previous recording, and either changing it or re-using it in a different way. So theoretically it wouldn't produce as 'unique sounds' as would creating sounds or loops with a synth or instrument from scratch. Just saying...

I don't know if you are talking about sample rates, and/or bit depth but i think you got it a bit wrong.

Usually when you use compression, its only used to minimise the gap between the highest amplitude and lowest amplitude. So you use threshold to find the lowest point in that specific track; using the ratio which when using compression is only around 3:1. Therefore, you can increase the makeup gain to a very high amount, and it wouldn't really clip at all. The major thing that is the cause of clipping is limiting, which is similar to compression, only with a ratio of 10:1. I mean I've seen someone add around 90dB of gain to a track and it doesn't clip. The most important thing is to not let the overall output over 0dB.

Urm, and side-chaining and side chain compression have absolutely nothing to do with mixing and mastering. That's all to do with the use of primary EQ to eliminate the frequencies above and below the human hearing range, compression, secondary EQ to boost and cut wanted and unwanted frequencies respectively and reverb. Mastering is slightly different and more complex than mixing itself. 

There are a lot of very important things you have missed out also. I think you have a respectable understanding of this topic but I'm not 100% sure you know what your on about.


IndigoHawkins August 20, 2016 at 9:08 PM UTC

Side-chain compression isn't a Audio plugin :/

A compresser is the plugin, and side-chaining the track to another track (via a bus) is just a way of using it, not a plugin in itself...

Sampling is the act of taking a portion or a specific idea from a previous recording, and either changing it or re-using it in a different way. So theoretically it wouldn't produce as 'unique sounds' as would creating sounds or loops with a synth or instrument from scratch. Just saying...

I don't know if you are talking about sample rates, and/or bit depth but i think you got it a bit wrong.

Usually when you use compression, its only used to minimise the gap between the highest amplitude and lowest amplitude. So you use threshold to find the lowest point in that specific track; using the ratio which when using compression is only around 3:1. Therefore, you can increase the makeup gain to a very high amount, and it wouldn't really clip at all. The major thing that is the cause of clipping is limiting, which is similar to compression, only with a ratio of 10:1. I mean I've seen someone add around 90dB of gain to a track and it doesn't clip. The most important thing is to not let the overall output over 0dB.

Urm, and side-chaining and side chain compression have absolutely nothing to do with mixing and mastering. That's all to do with the use of primary EQ to eliminate the frequencies above and below the human hearing range, compression, secondary EQ to boost and cut wanted and unwanted frequencies respectively and reverb. Mastering is slightly different and more complex than mixing itself. 

There are a lot of very important things you have missed out also. I think you have a respectable understanding of this topic but I'm not 100% sure you know what your on about.

I was drunk when typing 3/4 of the stuff apparently (not really drunk xDDDD), thanks for clarifying.

ApolloIsFunky August 21, 2016 at 9:08 PM UTC

I was drunk when typing 3/4 of the stuff apparently (not really drunk xDDDD), thanks for clarifying.
Ah lol