as a bit of a flex?

Bit of practical market talk before you invest time in one genre....

'Hip hop producer' is the most over popular cliché in the music world right now. There's too many amateur producers and way too much mediocre music trying to be sold.

Sales and streaming indicate Hip hop is loosing its hold on the charts and other genres are gathering momentum. Just look at how the top 10 has mutated over last 6 months. Audiences are moving on.

Music history tells us ALL popular genres peak and then collapse. The music industry is trend driven and hip hop is an old trend that's slowing down. 'Hip hop producer' isn't going to be attractive to managers or labels. They are looking for the next hot style.

This is harsh to hear about something you love, but why climb on a sinking ship that is already full?

I say learn production but also go explore and listen to some new upcoming genres (even underground mutations of hip hip). You are young, find new styles that excite you. This is always where the real energy is. It's what the labels want to sign and there's space for you to make a name and some money.

Get in while something is growing, its far more fun.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 4, 2024

Is it too late to go with Passive Aggressive Trolling for $500?

 

i said hiphop cus its my fav genree but i dont want to just slap hihats and some piano melody and call it a day no

i want to just learn how to make sounds as a whole

i like whole lot of sounds

i want to learn

 

Master the stock plugins. When the FX excites you, and you get it, go 3rd party

 

Great attitude! Having wide music taste and always looking for innovative music is the foundation of a great producer. Without this, your production scope is primitive and limited.

Reading interviews with the most famous producers, they always have crazy eclectic taste. It gives them that edge. To really stand out these days, you have to be very agile and openminded.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 4, 2024

And yet, I believe reversing/reconstructing is the most difficult part of the game because:
you need to know how to use your tools and know their limits (daw, instruments);
you need to have a good ear and (at least a basic) knowledge of harmony;
you need to know how to mix and balance all tracks.

I mean, before you walk you crawl, blahblah, it's a long way up.

P.S.:
I think one of the best "reconstructor" ever is Al Yankovic, he puts huge efforts in recreating sounds and scores for his awesome parodies.

 

@dieughdie you said you want to produce Hip/Hop experimental music.
This is really up to interpretation as it covers too large of a spectrum.

Could you link 3 to 5 tracks showcasing the sounds you are seeking so I can get a clear idea of what you mean ?

One a side note, are you on MacOS or Windows ?
Are you able to afford your tools or do you need the internet to provide them for free ?

 

you are right, I agree 100% and quoting Rick Rubin it was a good move, the more for our young boy, it's the best starting point for him. Hopefully he will study Rick's career.

Anyhow, I'd put it more precisely
The meaning of the word "PRODUCER" didnt change at all, the problem is that NOWADAYS youngsters very often mix its meaning with "BEAT MAKER", which is a very different sport

 

Just do it.

 

yo bro will kill you for a band - edward skeltrix
most of 2093
zo6 GET OUt ! - edward skeltrix

im on windows
need the internet for them to be free

 

C'mon, it's all about the chicks of course..

Firstly, I'd say genre is irrelevant. The principles are the same for all styles of music. Learn the fundamentals and you can produce any genre you want.

The fundamentals are:
Engineering (how sound fits together and the tools to achieve that).
Music Theory (how notes fit together).
Arrangement/production (how both of the above fit together).

A great place to start, as has already been pointed out, is with remixes. Source some multitracks, line 'em up in a DAW, chop' em up and stick them back together in a different order. The genre is irrelevant, it's the practice that's important and hopefully such a simple approach is at least fun.

DAWs - try them all, see which feels best for you. They can ALL can do the job. Don't ever listen to anyone telling you that one is inherently superior to another, it's not true. Sure, they differ and some are stronger than others in particular areas but overall there's nothing in any of them that can stop you getting pro level results. It's entirely down to what suits your workflow.

Learn as much about the technical aspects as possible. This will reward you with the abilities to manifest your ideas quickly when they come to you. I agree with you that 99% of YT tutorials are dull as fuck; many of them are also full of bad information.

You can't go wrong with quality text information in my opinion. Source some of the long established and respected books on the subject, preferably real printed books as the shift away from a screen works wonders in information retention. Others on here may be able to recommend appropriate books.

I wouldn't discount YT videos altogether though, there are some quality ones out there, just don't get sucked into all the "Me, Me, Me, It's all about me" profit driven influencer style ones, they generally suck. Nobody here will disagree about anything Dan Worrall related:
https://www.youtube.com/@DanWorrall
Some other quality information can also be found at:
https://youtube.com/@SonicScoop
https://youtube.com/@Producelikeapro

You mention sound design, which demonstrates that you have a grasp on how this plays a crucial role in modern music (of all genres). A good way of learning this is to grab a few of the best free synths/sampler VSTi out there, hit some notes, turn the knobs and hear what they do. There are of course endless tutorials on YT for designing sounds, which in this case can't be beaten by text (you need to hear the results). I can't really recommend any though as I don't tend to watch them unless it's for a quick overview of a new tool I've acquired. Others will have more recommendations than I in this regard.

I have watched a few of this guys vids however and there's some decent sound design info in there (just take his "engineering" tips with a pinch of salt, he makes some glaring mistakes at times. He's also not so far up his own arse that he doesn't recognise his, own shortcomings so that makes him kinda endearing), completely different genre to where you're currently at but it's all still relevant info from a sound design perspective (it could also lead you in new directions and make what you do stand out from the endless churn of generic artists so that's not a bad thing).
https://youtube.com/@DashGlitch

All DAWs come with a bunch of stock instruments/FX which in most cases are very useable. I'd avoid getting sucked into collecting VST effects/processors initially as they won't provide any benefit to untrained ears. Learn the stock plugins in the DAW of your choice, they're perfectly capable of pro results. A few additional VSTi are good to have though and I can recommend some of the absolute best free VSTi synths available:
https://vital.audio/
https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/
https://www.thewavewarden.com/odin2
https://u-he.com/products/zebralette/
https://www.eventideaudio.com/plug-ins/pendulate/
https://www.discodsp.com/obxd/
https://asb2m10.github.io/dexed/
https://tytel.org/helm/
https://cardinal.kx.studio/ (if you fancy driving yourself insane very quickly )

Music theory - learn as many different instruments as possible, even if only to a basic standard. Start with an egg shaker, it'll cost you as much as a bag of chips. Then get yourself a keyboard controller, minimum 49 keys (preferably full size keys) - this isn't optional, it's an absolute must have. Even if you don't become a virtuoso keyboard player, just being able to bang in beats and hits will get you moving much faster. Look at basic music theory, start with the very simplest aspects, like the 7 notes in a C Major scale and the 7 basic chords in that scale - learn that and you're already a long way to understanding half the songs in existence.

Finally, it can take time to master audio, in fact the learning never ends. Don't expect to be become a wizard overnight but take the small discoveries and gains as an ever-increasing pool of knowledge that you can grow from. Never forget why you're REALLY doing it (your passion) - not money, not fame, not chicks (or guys if you're so inclined), just because music gives you that feeling that nothing else can and it will reward you all of your life.

Oh, and welcome to Audiosex, we hope your time here will be a pleasant experience.

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2024

For Hiphop, learn about sampling and beat making

 

super comprehensive reply thank you ill look into everything you said

and yes i am doing it for my passion but some dollar signs would be nice to earn from music haha aka make a career out of it

 

Yeah sure, getting paid full time to do what you love is a bonus. It doesn't happen to everyone though and some people get disenchanted if they don't "make it". Some of the best musicians/producers I know still work regular jobs and do the music in their spare time so it's not a necessity to be in it as a "career". Just don't lose touch with the passion and you can't go wrong.

 

ai bots are known to lie, so take what you are told with a grain or 2 of salt.

 

@dieughdie This kind of music is whatever will come after what people call Digicore.
(I feel like the terms hip hop or trap are not really even used for this anymore)
It is made using wavetable synthesis, multi effects plugins and sample packs.

The standard tools for this are :
- Serum - Xfer
- Shaperbox 3 - Cableguys
- Decap drum samples.

But you could do it with :
- Vital - Vital Audio
- Infiltrator Devious Machines
- Lex Luger drum samples

Or with :
- Phaseplant - Kilohearts
- Effectrix - Sugar Bytes
- Any Splice or other drums packs geared towards this genre (you can also synthetize them)

Thermal and Portal by Output can be used in this genre aswell
For Vocals you can use Xvox by Nuro Audio and Antares Autotune Pro X,
there are plenty of alternatives such as Izotope Nectar 4 and Slate Digital MetaTune.

All these plugins are available on the Sister site, the Russian site and other magic sites that provide tools for free.
If you type "Shaperbox" in the Sister site you will have access to presets for these tools and drum samples specifically
crafted/effected for this music by the sound designers/producers that established the genre (they have shinny 3D visuals)

I would personally stick to Serum and Shaperbox as it is with these tools that the scene was codified and most of the sounds
synthetized but expanding your horizon and setting your own standards and preferences based on your taste will help you find
your own twist on it that could set you appart from other producers.

This is not a genre where you need to be a musician, a sound engineer or learn music theory (doing so cannot be detrimental though)
This is all about style and personality, so like others said in this thread, just do it.

Learning synthesis will give you some important skills and understanding, experimenting with your tools will allow you to discover fresh sounds. Learning about compression, limiting and equalization will make your music sound better.
You can do that by using the stock plugins from Live and FL Studio which are the DAW of choice for this music.
Adding some forward thinking mixing/mastering plugins from Fabfilter, Sonible or Oeksound will take you further in the long run.

This is really not a difficult genre to produce nor would it be hard to spin it to your own sauce but if you don't have a strong personality to "sell"
and don't make friends with similar interest ton connect with you risk being flooded in the never ending stream of aspiring "beatmakers" on the internet.

Anybody can download these tools for free in less than 1 hour, make a beat in about the same time and upload it on the internet within a day.
Getting people interested in you is another challenge. If you are just doing this as a hobby you don't even have to think about that tough.

If you stick with it, buy a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X (open headphones), if you feel like a small midi controller would be nice, get a Behringer Swing, if you do get involved a bit more, invest in a Motu M2 audio interface. I you keep it up, it will be up to you to get some studio monitoring, KRK Rokit RP8 G4 or Yamaha HS8 will be good enough and will be even better if you do some basic acoustic treatment to your room. Having a powerful computer for what you are trying to do is all that matters really.

Still, get to know your daw and your stock plugins beforehand and learn about synthesis, mixing and mastering. Don't rely too much on presets.
Some people here gave you great advices, don't take my words as gospel and find your way.

There are other tools aiming for more analog or acoustic sounds such as U-he - Diva or Spectrasonics - Omnisphere, it is my understanding that you are not after these textures at the moment.

Don't overthink it, don't spend money on overpriced gear, make friends, have fun, just do it.

Disclaimer : This is just my take on trying to give this beginning artist a straight to the point, relevant advice, based on what he is trying to accomplish. He is certainly not trying to get into music conservatory and learn a classical instrument to become a professional studio musician. I'm aware that we all have different upbringings in music and respect the analog gear enthusiast, the plugins aficionado or the guitar player virtuoso equally.

Hope this helps

 

of course it helps brotherman

huge wall of text super helpful god bless everyone who tryna help me out

 

Learn piano...

 

There is a good release on AudioZ this past week, as an starting point: Computer Music Presents - The Producer's Music Theory Handbook, 6th Edition (2024)
It comes with 5Gb of videos explaining all the basics