What equipment for making music on the pc?

Dange

Dange

Dange

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I currently use an sm57 hooked up to my pc to record my guitar, but i want to be able to create and add drum tracks as well as synth/piano and other stuff to the guitar ive recorded. I assume i'll need some kind of midi keyboard and software to do this? What is good software to do this sort of thing and what equipment do i need?
 
Well a midi keyboard isn't completely necessary but it does help a lot. I've used fruitloops (now called flstudio) from time to time, but i'm still pretty novice. There's a free trial version you can get. Try it and see if you like it.

http://www.flstudio.com/
 
Just get a cheap usb midi controller keyboard for playing soft synths on the pc, then get some music software, so much to choose from, cubase, logic, fruity loops, ableton live, reason.
 
Chaos said:
Just get a cheap usb midi controller keyboard for playing soft synths on the pc, then get some music software, so much to choose from, cubase, logic, fruity loops, ableton live, reason.
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Do all of these allow you to add externally recorded tracks such as guitar to the computer created stuff?
 
Dange said:
Do all of these allow you to add externally recorded tracks such as guitar to the computer created stuff?
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Most of the big apps will let you import audio, add fx etc.
Most packages support VST virtual instruments so you just need to get say a piano virtual instrument and load it into the app your using then import your guitar music and play the piano parts with the midi controller.

Ableton it pretty cool for creating music check out some of the vids on there site.

http://www.ableton.com/pages/movies/movies?type=artists

Heres a guy making a track from 1 guitar note!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0MzfdJdNJc
 
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If you want to do it for free, look up Audacity. Not a bad program at all.

EDIT: I'm not actually sure if it can do synths, and you'd need to make the drums in a different program, a good one I found for this is called Hammerhead.

This is an example of something I did with the aforementioned stuff.

My song
 
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Fruity Loops is great for making drum loops, and has an extensive synth built in.

You can even get ok-ish guitar sounds out of it.
 
I recorded my track here using the Reason drum sequencer for basic beats, then I used single drum samples I found freely on the net (hi hats, cymbals, congos) and manually cut and edited these in Audacity.

Keys samples also were from Reason. Guitars recorded straight onto the PC through a Boss multi effects. The whole thing multi-tracked and edited in Audacity.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=29703511

If you have the time and inclination, you can do an amazing amount with very little. Software or lack of it does not restrict creativity.
 
DingleBerry said:
Is that just with the standard ableton software or do you need some other plugins?
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Looks like hes just using the standard ableton, when he mentions the sampler you can see abletons simpler on the screen. Ableton has a lot of cool stuff out of the box, nice fx etc.
 
Sorry for going a little off topic but i have a few questions for you guys:

What will i need to hook up my keyboard and fender to the computer? (keyboard has MIDI port afaik, will have to double check).

Will a Sound Blaster AudigySE 7.1 OEM suffice? (its either that or AC97 onboard :o ) Do i need more power?

Thanks. :)
 
I'd use a USB MIDI interface for the keyboard. To hook up the guitar, use a guitar preamp/amp modeller like the line 6 guitar pod, or a multi effects pedal. Connect thier outputs to the sound card line in.
 
Terratec DMX6-Fire Soundcard and breakout box.

Vocals recorded with SM57 into a Joemeek KQ1 then into the breakout box.

Guitars recorded by sticking an old Marshall valve practice amp in a cupboard with everything turned up to '11', sellotaping an SM57 to the middle of the grille and covering it with Duvets so the neighbours don't complain...too much. Then feeding that through the JM and Into the Terratec.

Keyboards 'played' on this generic, sub-£5 QWERTY keyboard.

Absynth, Cakewalk, Sonar, Ableton Live, Reason, Fruityloops, Hammerhead, Cubase and so on for bleepy sounds, drummy sounds, sequencing and makin' 'cup o' yaaaaksha' tea.

Part of the reason I haven't upgraded my 'music' PC in six years; all that software cost a fortune...But it's mostly paid for itself :)

*n
 
Oh and if I'm feeling particularly experimental, I'll edit *.wav files using Notepad.

*n

PS: Wavelab can have it's uses too.
 
The simplest 'notepad trick' works best with MP3s:

Record guitar.

Encode *.wav as *.mp3.

Right-click file, open with Notepad.

CTRL+A.

CTRL+X.

Start>Run>Notepad.

CTRL+V.

File>Save As>blah.mp3.

Play file.

*n
 
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