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Making one's own music
  • 94 Replies sorted by
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    On the topic of MIDI controllers, I would buy Yamaha if I were spending less than $1,000 USD and either Yamaha or Roland if I were spending much more. I'll explain why if anyone asks.

    On the sound tech side, the companies I've consulted for (or otherwise assised or collaborated with) are Numerical Sound, Spectrasonics, VSL and Bela D Media. All of them make at least one "must have" product and some of them make several. On a personal note, I'll mention that Eric from Spectrasonics and Ernest have consistently been great guys in the years I've dealt with them, and the companies they run.

    Oh, and if you ever buy a 7 or 9 foot piano, make it an August Forster. At those sizes, they blow away more expensive Steinways, not to mention Bechsteins at twice the price (in my personal hands-on experience). That's why I'm willing to drive out of town just to play the closest one.
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    Oh, I almost forgot my friends at Impact Soundworks. Their small collection of libraries is very high quality (Will and Andrew are both active composers in their own right) and so low priced. Shreddage should be the first stop if you need rhythm guitar.
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    As far as music generators, I've dabbled in them, but quite frankly, there are more than enough talented, creative composers out there making music that's exponentially more interesting and appropriate that I couldn't ever see myself relying on them, even if I didn't write music myself.

    I do support people using different creative outlets to expand themselves as artists, though, and I've been writing a book/e-book about the processes I developed over the last decade and a half in working with people doing just that, with ages ranging from young children to senior citizens and people ranging from full-time creative professionals to entrepreneurs and CEOs. People really seem to get a lot out of it and sometimes they fly me from one corner of the country to another just to get a few days of individual instruction. So "jack of all trades, master of none" really doesn't have to apply if you go about it the right way. :)

    But I digress. If you want to develop yourself, write the music yourself. If you want great music and you aren't far along with your own music, get someone talented to write it for you or license an existing work (either individually or from a library). If the music you want isn't available to license for free, pay the proper license. If you can't afford to pay the license, use something else that's free instead. Don't just hijack one of your favorite pieces of music because you "like it so much" without compensating the artist. That's part of the reason why too many great artists I've worked with have to get "day jobs" to be able to support their craft.

    Just my 2 cents. :)
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    Oh, and don't forget that performing, writing, recording, mixing, and mastering are all different skillsets and that someone who is good at one may not be good at the others. Don't be afraid to use one person for one part and another for a different one, etc. to make sure you get the best result.
  • stoneystoney
    Guys, thanks for great tips. I've been busy stuffing my tummy with food. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    Happy Thanksgiving @Stonebat - hope you keep having a great one! :)

    Oh, and +1 for using Reaper. There is no other audio recording software that gives you as much for as little (though I have a great fondness for several others, too). It's rare that I'll use the exact same thing for precision mixing that I've taught non music people exceeding age 70 to use it for basic things, too. :)
  • bwhitzbwhitz
    I use this and it's great... http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Advanced-49-Key-Semi-Weighted-Controller/dp/B000EM6TBS

    If you're recording strings and other "non-piano" instruments, the key action doesn't matter that much. Especially when it's all meta-data within Reason or ProTools anyway... edit the key intensity after the recoding.
  • johnnymjohnnym
    M-Audio gear is good for the price. Feels sturdy as well, but don't tell this to a piano player, cause they will laugh in your face. Korg has some nice budget gear, too.
  • soundgh2soundgh2
    Aside from my - how UK TV is shyte in music last diatribe portrayed Im a huge advocate of doing your own thing - sound and music composition like beinga filmmaker is a huge topic but go for it, some great free music making tools out there - far in advance of when I and my compatriots made dance music in bedrooms topping dance charts years ago - like even businesses bane FCP - some good operators come from determination
  • davhardavhar
    So what's a good software for "composing to picture"? Is it possible to run FCPX and such a music composing program at the same time? I've got an Imac and you can't do that with Garageband, or at least I can't see how. You're either in one program or the other
  • johnnymjohnnym
    @davhar DP has support for FCP, if i remember well. Logic doesn't oddly, but maybe Logic X will, who knows
  • soundgh2soundgh2
    Nuendo, Logic, Digital Performer, Reaper (free!) all used to make musak- Pro Tools also has MIDI support but is a but basic still. if you're making dancey stuff and fancy a change try Numerology by Five12 is very good for step based sequencing ( Depeche Mode use it also)
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    @davhar Many of them don't support syncing into a video editor but DO support loading video files. While I found video support a little dicey in earlier versions of Reaper on other systems, it's been a lot more stable in the most recent one.

    Other good options are the many aforementioned sequencers, as well as Cakewalk Sonar. Many of these have things that Reaper does not. For instance Digital Performer and Sonar Producer Edition have video thumbnails.
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    @johnnym I've tried dozens of keyboards, side by side, and I've brought in concert pianists to do the same with me. As of a couple years ago, there wasn't a single M-Audio keyboard that I would feel comfortable asking a pianist to play on.

    While it is true that if you want a feel closer to an organ, you can go with many un-weighted keyboard actions, I think that if you actually start to go with a weighted action, there are a lot of really poor options out there. I'm not ragging on M-Audio in general (I use some of their other gear and recommend it to others) but their top weighted action keyboards lag far behind Roland and Yamaha in terms of both realism and in terms of their ability to prepare a keyboard player to effectively play an acoustic instrument.

    The "heavy" action on an older Yamaha P-60 or P-90 (as one example) is heavy enough that you develop muscle strength and control that will serve you well when playing a live instrument. After being able to coach the desired dynamics out of a more heavily weighted instrument, it is far easier to coax them out of a lighter weighted one than it is to learn to do the reverse.
  • davhardavhar
    Anyone familiar with the Roland Gaia? All those dials of possibilities look friendly to a guy who can't play the keys very well but wants to create the sounds I need…or basically come up with for whatever's fitting for the images at hand. And how much harder is it to put to video than a MIDI keyboard?
  • johnnymjohnnym
    @thepalalias

    Whatever works for you man. I've got a pretty expensive Korg master keyboard with heavy weighted hammers like on a real piano, and i see i don't use it. My M-Audio gets used all the time, and has never failed, despite its low price. I'm a guitarist, not a piano player. So that would explain why i don't feel comfortable playing heavy keys. In that sense, the M-Audio weighted keys are, because of their light feel, much more suited for my needs. Also, you need really excellent playing technique to do fast staccatos on heavy keys. And i need those all the time, using mainly string libraries. That's why i always recommend these lighter controllers to non-pianists. The luxury of good, heavy and expensive keys is a hindrance to them for any fast expression and may induce muscle-strain if the playing technique is improper, which it nearly always is.
  • soundgh2soundgh2
    In the end if it sounds good it is good - what you do with it then is the problem!

    We won a cpl of Emmys the other day internationally and do try and provide an alternative to the stock music choice, and are winning - if any of you guys want to add to a library in the UK and want to be part of that and earn some cash do drop me a line - its all about sharing the fun! We mix the originals, change the music for internationals (i.e. our (your) music!) and remix the Int versions baby steps to overthrow Audio Networks but hey lots of money available even in this stage for you guys
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    @davhar Sorry, I haven't used to Roland Gaia specifically. Would love to hear your experiences if you use one. :)
  • thepalaliasthepalalias
    @thepalalias So true. For some people, playing "non-piano" sounds can be a lot easier with a non-piano touch, and that's what I meant by "organ-like". For some reason, even with string libraries, etc. I really prefer a heavy weighted keyboard.

    I just prefer the touch of pianos, clavichords and harpsichords to organs (even though I love the sound of all of them), but totally respect other musicians who are the reverse. :)
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