Which music software to buy. Help.

[TheB0a]

http://www.magix.com/us/music/
The whole "Premium", "Soundtrack Edition", and "2013" editions confuse me. I am going to be experimenting with hip-hop and techno mostly, but I want to experiment with other forms of musik. I don't know which to buy.
So what would you guys say ? Anyone here use magix ?

[BrokenDeck]

At 10/29/12 08:49 AM, TheB0a wrote: http://www.magix.com/us/music/
The whole "Premium", "Soundtrack Edition", and "2013" editions confuse me. I am going to be experimenting with hip-hop and techno mostly, but I want to experiment with other forms of musik. I don't know which to buy.
So what would you guys say ? Anyone here use magix ?

No.

Don't buy Magix Musik Maker to use for music to upload to this site.

Anything you make from Magix automatically belongs to them.

Using Magix Musik Maker will earn you an automatic ban from this site unfortunately, since their ToS is incompatible with a CC liscense.

I would recommend you get FLStudio

[TheB0a]

At 10/29/12 08:51 AM, BrokenDeck wrote: Anything you make from Magix automatically belongs to them.

Nooo. What do you mean automatically belongs to them ?

[The-iMortal]

At 10/29/12 08:59 AM, TheB0a wrote: Nooo. What do you mean automatically belongs to them ?

It means that any audio you create in Magix Music Maker is not rightfully yours. If you're gonna buy a software, buy something that actually gives you the rights of your productions. Magix is also a terrible tool for creating music, and should only be used if acquired for a free through a magazine's promo or something (that's how I discovered it, about 6 years ago).

Most quality DAW's (digital audio workstations) have trial/demo modes as well, so you can try before you buy.

I recommend Fruity Loops Studio to all beginners. The layout looks nice, the pattern maker is really fun for making beats, and many people use it, so there are countless tutorials. And to top it off, the free demo lasts forever. The downside is that you cannot save your work files unless you buy it (but you can export your work as a sound file).

[The-iMortal]

At 10/29/12 09:07 AM, The-iMortal wrote: The downside is that you cannot save your work files unless you buy it

Actually, from memory, I think you can save your work files with FL Studios' demo, you just cannot re-open them until you buy the software. So if you happen to have a breakthrough while using the demo and you think "OMFG I JUST CREATED SOMETHING AWESOME I DONT WANNA LOSE DIS KOOL STFF!", you can save it, so it's safe until you purchase FL Studio.

[TheB0a]

At 10/29/12 09:07 AM, The-iMortal wrote: I recommend Fruity Loops Studio to all beginners. The layout looks nice, the pattern maker is really fun for making beats, and many people use it, so there are countless tutorials. And to top it off, the free demo lasts forever. The downside is that you cannot save your work files unless you buy it (but you can export your work as a sound file).

Anything else or better than Fruity Loops ?
Looking at the musik resource page right now.

[MetalRenard]

At 10/29/12 09:12 AM, TheB0a wrote: Anything else or better than Fruity Loops ?
Looking at the musik resource page right now.

Well "better" is a completely subjective term as is choice of which DAW to use. Personally, I never understood FLStudio, I hate its interface and I hate its user base (Only the immature loud mouthed ones. If you feel offended then I probably meant you.), but that's just me. I chose to go with REAPER because it just worked for me (plus it has a REAL unlimited demo - you can save and reopen files and do whatever you like before even spending a penny).
The difference is that REAPER doesn't come with its own instruments like the more expensive FL packs do, but you can find thousands of free ones online anyway. You can't make professional sounding music with FL's basic plugins anyway so there's no loss there.

Put simply, Google "DAW" or something and look at the features of a few different ones. Try demos. Buy the one you like most. :)

[TheB0a]

At 10/29/12 09:46 AM, MetalRenard wrote:

:I chose to go with REAPER because it just worked for me (plus it has a REAL unlimited demo - you can save and reopen files and do whatever you like before even spending a penny).

The difference is that REAPER doesn't come with its own instruments like the more expensive FL packs do, but you can find thousands of free ones online anyway

I'm going to try reaper out. Does the demo only come without instruments ? Where do you find your instruments ? Any sites or links you usually go to ? If I like reaper and I decide to purchase it W\would it come with it's own instruments ?

[Ectohelix]

I've been using Ableton, though I'm not the best to give examples.

I also hear Reason is good.

[la-yinn]

At 10/29/12 09:46 AM, MetalRenard wrote:

At 10/29/12 09:12 AM, TheB0a wrote: Anything else or better than Fruity Loops ?
Looking at the musik resource page right now.

You can't make professional sounding music with FL's basic plugins anyway so there's no loss there.

To be fair, you definitely can. Sytrus is an amazing tool, but you can achieve a sick amount of sounds with just about any synth granted you know what the fuck you're doing.

FL is a nice starting point because it's sort of the 'mainstream DAW' and is easy to interpret. Some may like the more straight-forward interface of Ableton etc. It's always gonna be a preferance thing so I recommend experimenting when you get down the basics.

[dem0lecule]

At 10/29/12 12:36 PM, la-yinn wrote:

At 10/29/12 09:46 AM, MetalRenard wrote:

At 10/29/12 09:12 AM, TheB0a wrote: Anything else or better than Fruity Loops ?
Looking at the musik resource page right now.

You can't make professional sounding music with FL's basic plugins anyway so there's no loss there.

*Vomiting* *Holding the fucking temptation of not starting a plugin/DAW/stuff war*

Tools do not define the musician's product. It's the musician defines the product by his own creation. The OP right now can throw out a grand to get Komplete, and in the end, his music may still sound like shit.

Granted, with the same logic, you can say Dj-Nate, F-777, Kr1z, Bjra, Reasoner and tons of other NG big guns used FL's synths to make their music; are all shit.

But hey, until now you never become so skillful like they all do, right?

[Ectohelix]

Answered this one before with, "The wand Chooses the Wizard"
... which is true. It sort of just jumps out at you once you find one you're comfortable with.

[FaeryTaleAdventurer]

At 10/29/12 08:49 AM, TheB0a wrote: http://www.magix.com/us/music/
The whole "Premium", "Soundtrack Edition", and "2013" editions confuse me. I am going to be experimenting with hip-hop and techno mostly, but I want to experiment with other forms of musik. I don't know which to buy.
So what would you guys say ? Anyone here use magix ?

I don't use Magix, and I haven't really heard of it until today. Assuming that you use Windows as Magix is a Windows-only music application, i recommend giving MixCraft look at as well.

On the preceding link, there's a place you can download a trial of the software, to see whether or not it's right for you. Acoustica's website also features video tutorialsthat can help you become familiar with and in time make beats with. It has an interface and workflow similar to Apple's GarageBand music software, which at least I thought was nice about it. It's arguably one of the most in-expensive pieces of music software you can find to get started in music production.

If you were a member of SoundCloud during this past spring, Ableton had a free Ableton Live Lite edition offer for SoundCloud users that they could use unlimitedly. The offer is now over, apparently, but new deals may arise on SoundCloud in the future, so if you're not a member now, I highly recommend registering an account there.

[JJM121]

At 10/29/12 09:10 AM, The-iMortal wrote:

At 10/29/12 09:07 AM, The-iMortal wrote: The downside is that you cannot save your work files unless you buy it

Actually, from memory, I think you can save your work files with FL Studios' demo, you just cannot re-open them until you buy the software. So if you happen to have a breakthrough while using the demo and you think "OMFG I JUST CREATED SOMETHING AWESOME I DONT WANNA LOSE DIS KOOL STFF!", you can save it, so it's safe until you purchase FL Studio.

Actually, you were right before. You can't save the project files unless you have the full version. But the demo does last forever.

[MetalRenard]

At 10/29/12 01:29 PM, dem0lecule wrote: But hey, until now you never become so skillful like they all do, right?

If I could understand you, I'd probably be offended. Sadly, your English gets in the way of your ability to convey your outrage.

[Troisnyx]

At 10/29/12 07:24 PM, MetalRenard wrote:

At 10/29/12 01:29 PM, dem0lecule wrote: But hey, until now you never become so skillful like they all do, right?

If I could understand you, I'd probably be offended. Sadly, your English gets in the way of your ability to convey your outrage.

One only needs to see the better FL artists on NG. Demolecule and I had been bringing it up in various threads in the past. And by the way, I am a regular FL user.

Not saying one is better than the other, though, because I have experience using Logic Pro 8 (the university's music faculty has Macs in its studios, hence why). The person a few comments before me who said that "the wand chooses the wizard"... I tend to like his analogy a bit. Except that we are choosing that software which fits us best.

[The-iMortal]

Guys, remember, OP is a beginner at this. Let's not discuss our little debates when the OP needs some good beginner advice.

First off, almost every DAW is incapable of producing professional quality with just stock plugins. That's why people pay good money for third-party plugins.

Second off, I don't think OP is concerned whether or not the DAW is capable of producing professional quality audio, but more concerned about enjoying and learning production of audio. The software that gives you the most ease to work with is the software you should go for.

FL Studio is my recommendation for all beginners who want to have some fun.

[midimachine]

FL Studio is probably the easiest to learn first, but it's kinda ass-backwards compared to all the other main DAWs - soooo if you ever have to go from FL to say Cubase or Logic (which are also really good!) for any reason then getting used to that style of interface will be way more confusing than if you started with REAPER or even audacity or whatever.
Reason is really cool and the sequencer is a lot better than it used to be, but I still don't like it. The sequencer, that is. I really like how routing is done, sidechains are really easy to set up and the way the interface is designed means you always know where your signal is going. It's coooooool!

If you're more of a vertical thinker you could always try Renoise, which uses a tracker style interface (ON STEROIDS). There are other trackers around like SunVox and Milky which are really cool but probably not for what you want to do - they specialize in more lo-fi sounds.

the DAWs I wouldn't recommend are any of the budget ones like Magix Music Maker, Mixcraft, Dubturbo etc. - these are either kinda shitty and/or have you heinous licensing agreements as mentioned by brokendeck. I also would stay away from LMMS, even though it's free. You kinda get what you don't pay for, if you know what I mean. It's buggy, cumbersome and has far worse stock sounds and effects than FL*. Also, fuck ProTools.

*i don't actually think FL's stock sounds/effects/synths are bad at all. they're actually pretty good! WASP XT in particular is severely underrated imo.

[MetalRenard]

At 10/29/12 09:18 PM, midimachine wrote:

Also, fuck ProTools.
I know, right? Hahaha

[dem0lecule]

At 10/29/12 07:24 PM, MetalRenard wrote:

At 10/29/12 01:29 PM, dem0lecule wrote: But hey, until now you never become so skillful like they all do, right?

If I could understand you, I'd probably be offended. Sadly, your English gets in the way of your ability to convey your outrage.

Still, I got my point across. U mad bro?

[joshhunsaker]

At 10/29/12 01:29 PM, dem0lecule wrote: Tools do not define the musician's product. It's the musician defines the product by his own creation. The OP right now can throw out a grand to get Komplete, and in the end, his music may still sound like shit.

In a sense that is true but at the same time you will never make tracks that will compete with what a-list film score composers are doing if you're using GPO and Sampletank.

Try making a piece like this with less $1k in plugins:

http://audiojungle.net/item/orchestral-trailer-finisher/1495 31?sso?WT.ac=portfolio_item&WT.seg_1=portfolio_item&WT.z_aut hor=garethcoker

Tools definitely define what a musician is capable of accomplishing.

[dem0lecule]

Hm, yeah you have good points.

I listened to artists that make music on free music tools, which some hardly can even consider as a DAW, more than 10 years ago. In fact many of their work can be comparable to expensive A-list musicians.

Nightbeat, Awesome, Gopher, Azo.

It changes my perspective on tool usage. And in fact currently I regret from getting EWQL products. Apparently someone composes some tool that's over 10 years old can never compare to mainstream tool.

[Troisnyx]

At 10/29/12 10:16 PM, joshhunsaker wrote: Try making a piece like this with less $1k in plugins:

http://audiojungle.net/item/orchestral-trailer-finisher/1495 31?sso?WT.ac=portfolio_item&WT.seg_1=portfolio_item&WT.z_aut hor=garethcoker

Tools definitely define what a musician is capable of accomplishing.

Give me time, and I assure you, I can. Perhaps I can even surpass it. I'm saying this with confidence even if all I have is full FL Studio, a computer keyboard and a mouse.

[joshhunsaker]

At 10/29/12 10:33 PM, TroisNyxEtienne wrote:

At 10/29/12 10:16 PM, joshhunsaker wrote: Try making a piece like this with less $1k in plugins:

http://audiojungle.net/item/orchestral-trailer-finisher/1495 31?sso?WT.ac=portfolio_item&WT.seg_1=portfolio_item&WT.z_aut hor=garethcoker

Tools definitely define what a musician is capable of accomplishing.

Give me time, and I assure you, I can. Perhaps I can even surpass it. I'm saying this with confidence even if all I have is full FL Studio, a computer keyboard and a mouse.

Well, the issue is that if you're getting paid good money to write music - you don't have unlimited time. You might have 10 hours to spec a track for a client that requires you have some extraordinary mock-up skills and high-quality libraries on your hands. A lot of what clients end up paying for is the level of the libraries that you own. Talk to anyone that makes a decent amount of money from licensing their music and they will tell you having a number of very high-quality usable libraries on hand is critical to getting the job done at the end of the day.

[Troisnyx]

At 10/29/12 11:08 PM, joshhunsaker wrote:

At 10/29/12 10:33 PM, TroisNyxEtienne wrote:

At 10/29/12 10:16 PM, joshhunsaker wrote: Try making a piece like this with less $1k in plugins:

http://audiojungle.net/item/orchestral-trailer-finisher/1495 31?sso?WT.ac=portfolio_item&WT.seg_1=portfolio_item&WT.z_aut hor=garethcoker

Tools definitely define what a musician is capable of accomplishing.

Give me time, and I assure you, I can. Perhaps I can even surpass it. I'm saying this with confidence even if all I have is full FL Studio, a computer keyboard and a mouse.

Well, the issue is that if you're getting paid good money to write music - you don't have unlimited time. You might have 10 hours to spec a track for a client that requires you have some extraordinary mock-up skills and high-quality libraries on your hands. A lot of what clients end up paying for is the level of the libraries that you own. Talk to anyone that makes a decent amount of money from licensing their music and they will tell you having a number of very high-quality usable libraries on hand is critical to getting the job done at the end of the day.

I see where you're coming from, but really, how short or long is this track? 37 seconds?
Considering I did this in four days, and that while I was still learning, I still stand by what I said. And if you didn't already know about the 800+ soundfont thread on the AP forums, you'd do well to check it out.

Now, I'm not saying that tools are completely negligible. Some of them, I can do with. A good mic, for instance. If anyone has been telling me anything, it's 1) mixing, 2) mic quality that I'm lacking in. So yes, tools are useful and helpful: they are still not the be-all and end-all. What determines a piece is the person's capability, and I'm sure there are people equally capable to your example who are just as hard-up as many of us on here.

[joshhunsaker]

At 10/30/12 05:46 AM, TroisNyxEtienne wrote: I see where you're coming from, but really, how short or long is this track? 37 seconds?
Considering I did this in four days, and that while I was still learning, I still stand by what I said. And if you didn't already know about the 800+ soundfont thread on the AP forums, you'd do well to check it out.

I've used soundfonts for quite a while. Most of them are technically illegally acquired samples stripped from other previously available commercial soundbanks. Anyway. The song you linked to is good, and certainly well composed... but the instrument quality is still a world apart from most anything you'll hear from a guy like Gareth Coker.

[BrokenDeck]

Here is a list of software to avoid, for several reasons.

Either they are duplo programs (music made primarily of pre-made loops and therefore not your own music), or have usage licenses not compatible with Creative Commons (such as MMM).

-

Audiotool (online based) - Duplo

EJay product line. Duplo

Garageband - DAW / Duplo - Garageband if limited to it's DAW functions is perfectly acceptable. It's pre-made loops however belong to Apple and are not considered your own work.

Jamstudio (online based) - Duplo

Magix Music Maker - Duplo / Incompatible license.

Mixcraft - DAW / Duplo - Better to avoid this programs altogether as it's ToS is hazy at best, and is more geared towards duplo music.

musicshake - Duplo

Soundation - Limited DAW / Duplo

Punk-o-matic - Duplo (It's Evil-Dog's flash game)

"Mix Superstar" - Wii game based on Duplo samples

[BrokenDeck]

Here are some programs you should really consider if you don't want to try FLStudio

Pro-Tools: This is pretty much the music recording industry's standard. Depending on different versions available, it's cost can he pretty high.

Cubase / Nuendo: Another industry standard, although used more by orchestral composers and game composers. This is hte program that i personally use and it has all the same capabilities ProTools has. It's a matter of preference, and it's the user, not he software that counts.

People have also mentioned LogicPro, Sonar, Abelton Live.

None of these DAWS are worse or better than the other.

[MetalRenard]

At 10/29/12 09:41 PM, dem0lecule wrote: Still, I got my point across. U mad bro?

From the moment I arrived here you've done nothing but act aggressively. To say I was disappointed with you would mean that I thought highly of you before, but that's not the case anyway. What I am disappointed in is the fact that no one puts you in your place when you continue to act like an attention seeking child.
Mad? No. My opinion of you as a person is too low to be bothered by your taste in music or view of my ability to create music.

For the others - Yes, I spoke too soon. Some plugins can be used to make good music, what I was referring to is their premium packs of virtual orchestral instruments. Those are in no way professional sounding instruments and are targeted at those who are unable to tell the difference. It's not really fair marketing. :/

[dem0lecule]

At 10/30/12 11:42 AM, MetalRenard wrote:

At 10/29/12 09:41 PM, dem0lecule wrote: Still, I got my point across. U mad bro?

From the moment I arrived here you've done nothing but act aggressively. To say I was disappointed with you would mean that I thought highly of you before, but that's not the case anyway. What I am disappointed in is the fact that no one puts you in your place when you continue to act like an attention seeking child.
Mad? No. My opinion of you as a person is too low to be bothered by your taste in music or view of my ability to create music.

Says the one who was aggressively and ignorantly accusing other.

Even though my time on NG is short, I don't regret on what I put down on here. I correct and defend what is reasonable whenever I have my chance. Loosely accused someone else of stealing ain't right. I targeted you, because of that. In fact I target anyone else on here that's unreasonable, equally aggressive. You are just the latest person in my train wreck of thoughts. A latest jerk.

Also, thank you for almost thinking of me highly. Do I even look like an attention seeker? No, more like a one-way troll.

No no, I don't want to derail this thread before BFP locks it. If you think you are still a righteous ignorant manly jerk, bring it on PM and we'll sort it out.