what is the bare minimum for producing good music?

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b9
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12 Aug 2017, 1:54 am

i just have a simple casio keyboard with plastic keys, and i play it through a midi conversion program located on my soundcard.

get a midi enabled sound card so it doesn't have to reference every note in a software file.


so the bare minimum?

bass, drums (rhythm), and a layer of accompaniment and a lead track.

you can easily automate a drum track if it is not designed to take centre stage in the songs progression

it is good to try to formulate your own songs by thinking about musical compositions during your time away from the equipment and then translating your ideas on the equipment.

if you have no capacity for composing, then you are consigned to having to play very well to perform cover versions of other songs. you have to appeal to those who know the original song and can recognize immediately that you are playing it.

i use many techniques to refine my music.

it is manuscripted as i play it with a program, and when i read the notes while listening to the playback, i know exactly what notes do not fit, so i remove them and insert an equivalent silence to cover the compression due to the removal.

i use multiple layering and am careful not to over iterate any track with decoration.
sometimes, if i want to play a particularly difficult quick tempo'd track, i will record it at half speed (with midi, tempo changes do not affect pitch or timbre)

here is an example of something i played on a cheap plastic keyed synth that i thought of (it is quite simple as you will find if you analyze it)

i must implore you however to press "stop" at the end or else you will get an endless influx of other songs which i am not wanting to illustrate with this post.

http://www.soundclick.com/html5/v3/play ... 10733&q=hi



Taylord
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31 Aug 2017, 4:33 pm

i found a website with free vst plugins but i can take recommendations



Aristophanes
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31 Aug 2017, 5:11 pm

I'd recommend getting familiar with how the plugins work at this point before I made any financial investment in a purchased one. On the free vst site download a compressor and get to work manipulating it to see what it does, and how it changes the sound. Then download another and experiment with it in the same fashion and notice that on the same settings the two compressors will most likely have different sonic characteristics. You don't need the most expensive equipment to make the best sounds, technique and experience will make even the shittiest vst plugin sound decent-- so start downloading and playing around. I'd recommend starting with compressors, moving onto EQs, then reverbs/delays, and then 'exotics' such as fx, multiband compressors (kinda like the result of an EQ and a compressor making sweet sweet love), etc. In all honesty, the fun part is done, you got to make some snazzy purchases and have a rig you can produce with, now's the work: you need to learn how to operate it and that's an art in itself.



Taylord
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19 Sep 2017, 4:09 pm

I don't have a midi keyboard, should I get one before doing any of that?



b9
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19 Sep 2017, 10:57 pm

a fundamental understanding of chordal structures is the highest priority.
practice them when you work them out.
practice as much as you can.
an understanding of tempo is the second priority.

here is a loose rendition i did of a paul mccartney song called "maybe i'm amazed", and i understood immediately the chords in the song and played it from memory.
improvisation within chordal structures is another handy talent to have.

some wrong notes and tempo mistakes, but it's ok...

https://clyp.it/qvzseqli