Making your own music?

Soldato
Joined
21 Feb 2007
Posts
9,515
Location
Cheshire
Hey, Just after a bit of advice really.

I've had a fixation in my head since I was about 9 that I want to make my own music, don't really want to go anywhere with it, I just want to do it for fun and maybe see what happens from there. it's taken me a while figure out exactly what my sound would be and confidently figured out I want something Synth based as I'm currently doing things by myself, though I have a friend that is interested as well.

Currently play guitar moderately well but want something more synth based rather than distorted, so I've started to look at Drum machines (Arturia/Maschine) and like to fact it comes with sequencers so I can further mess around with the sound. I want to make something which is quite synth based like Crystal Castles/M83. But I want to use my guitar as a base as I don't play any other instrument.

Anyone got any advice about how I go about this?
 
Dare I say it, but Shayper is probably the best person to talk to about this.

If you were singing you might need some kind of mic. Acoustic or Elec guitar would matter, because for elec you tend to be able to plug directly into a source, and record straight onto something (if that makes sense).

Pretty sure something as basic as GarageBand for iPad with an adaptor you can do this kind of thing on.

Obviously you'd want to then extract it, and fiddle around with it and stuff. Programs for this, again I'd speak to a DJ or such like.

If you actually want to compose stuff, I think Sibelius tends to be the go to program?

kd
 
Reason 6.5 has everything included, drum machines, synths, samplers and so on. There are also a ton of tutorials on the Internet. Luckily, you'll even be able to sample your own guitar straight to the program, as it has Record functionality built in.

What other stuff do you need for it? Keyboard, monitors, controllers etc? I've also been using various versions of reason for the past 4/5 years, so I know a lot about it, and can help you out with anything you need, or get stuck on.

For some guides on the functionality, check out boyinaband.com, as he has some great reviews and tutorials on his website and youtube :)

As I said, if you need any help with this stuff, I'm always available, and I've been producing for a while so drop me a trust message :)

Thanks maccy and KD by the way :)
 
Reason 6.5 has everything included, drum machines, synths, samplers and so on. There are also a ton of tutorials on the Internet. Luckily, you'll even be able to sample your own guitar straight to the program, as it has Record functionality built in.

What other stuff do you need for it? Keyboard, monitors, controllers etc? I've also been using various versions of reason for the past 4/5 years, so I know a lot about it, and can help you out with anything you need, or get stuck on.

For some guides on the functionality, check out boyinaband.com, as he has some great reviews and tutorials on his website and youtube :)

As I said, if you need any help with this stuff, I'm always available, and I've been producing for a while so drop me a trust message :)

Thanks maccy and KD by the way :)

Whats the best way I can connect my guitar to the PC (And Reason)? I remember reading about a Line 6 usb convertor way back when I was a child but I'm taking things have progressed since then.
 
Whats the best way I can connect my guitar to the PC (And Reason)? I remember reading about a Line 6 usb convertor way back when I was a child but I'm taking things have progressed since then.

You can get amps that connect to your PC :)
 
Have you heard of Bandcamp?

Not really, I've never really gave it much thought other than it being something I want to do since I was little. I've played guitar since I was 13 and stopped for a while, getting back into it again I've found I've still got nimble fingers.

I always enjoyed improvising on scales and messing with chords than I did learning tab's.

It popped into my head the other day, and I have friends I jam with now and again and it's something they'd be interested in as well. we don't know any drummers or bassists and it's too early yet to start asking around. so we want to start recording ideas down and make our own drum loops so we've got something motivating and to keep us on our tempo.
 
tbh use ableton, it's a nice simple package and doesn't have an audio engine as turd as reasons.

for a mic, use a sm58; 60 quid, and sounds amazing (they use them with most instrument/live vocal stuff as they're that good), or alternatively, use a beta 57 (doubt you'd find a huge amount of difference between them really, but there is definitely a difference).
 
because for elec you tend to be able to plug directly into a source, and record straight onto something (if that makes sense).

you're on about DI. it doesn't sound nearly as good as running it through an amp, but it is useful with recording bass (i usually take a feed through DI and mic up an amp and then mix them together; the DI gives you more definition on the notes but lacks in bass/warmth, the amp feed gives you that).
 
Whats the best way I can connect my guitar to the PC (And Reason)? I remember reading about a Line 6 usb convertor way back when I was a child but I'm taking things have progressed since then.

tbh if you want it to sound at all decent, get a dedicated external soundcard. there's a massive variation in cost/quality, but shop around and you can probably find something fairly decent for around 100/150 quid.

oh, and get some active monitor speakers, don't use pc/hifi speakers as you don't 'hear' everything you should :)
 
Back
Top Bottom