Who's a Dj/electro music producer here on GLP?

thought this was funnier though :)



Last Edited by johhny on 08/04/2013 07:23 PM

I use Avid Pro Tools, Yamaha Motif keyboard/controller, Martin D28 , Fender Srat with USB interface, Blue Yeti mic, and a pumped up HP workstation with dual monitors....I'm just home studio musician. Do music to fill your inner creativity...if you make $$$ at it, all the better...do do it for you, first. Good luck.

Learn music theory. Learn scales and chords. Learn to play an actual instrument. Then, I will tell you some secrets.

Thats not what I said. What I said is that all we old school djs who are vinyl purists are now using serato. I am a Zulu Nation dj since the early 80s. EVERYONE uses Serato now including Africa Bambaattaa, Jazzy Jay, etc. You can do everything you can do with vinyl with the serato record but you only have to carry your laptop as opposed to several crates of records. We play internationally. CD djing or the computer programs is selling out. All the true school uses serato. Dont fuck with me as you clearly have not a clue what you are talking about.

I never really listened to this type of music but that sounded cool.

How to books written by Sample Magic.

Printed and digital versions.

Your choice.

[link to www.samplemagic.com]

Now, bang some tracks out, will ya!

By the way, it's Native Instruments Massive

And he also uses NI FM8 among other things.

Sylenth and Harmor are other good soft synths for that sound.

and ideally, for God... just sayin'

I also drum in a band, have been drumming for 14 years but this band is more for fun than anything serious.

[link to www.band-kookaburra.nl]

^^THIS^^

If you really want to make dynamic music that stands out from the droves of bland and repetitive music, you really must have a good understanding of general music theory. Anyone can use software to put repetitive and rhythmic patterns together, but, not everyone can make it sound good. Rest assured, the ones that make is sound good have some kind of understanding of music beyond just pushing random buttons.

Hey did anyone like using Reason?


I thought that program was great.

First off ignore all the tards up above saying if your not DJing vinyl its no good. These people have obviously been stuck in the late 80's and dare not move with the times. Its not about how you play music, its about what you play and how you can feed the dancefloor. It really does not matter what you use to play music, its being able to read the dancefloor in front of you and take them on a journey. I have been DJing/mixing music since the late 80's and i have moved with the times i can use vinyl, cdj's, laptops, etc etc. Believe me it dont matter as long as the people in front of you are smiling and having a great time thats all that counts. I also produce music, i use cubase along with hardware keyboards and midi controllers. Cubase has a high learning curve TBH and can be hard to get to grips with. Try Abelton to dip your toes in, once you have got to grips with it progress to cubase.

The biggest advice i can give is to enjoy what you do, if its fun for you, you are on the right track. Dont giveup.

best of luck to you mate.

Im a dj, invest in a mac and buy logic, then watch tutorials

Notice The DJ. using 4 CDJ2000's.....

FROM 2 USB MEMORY STICKS! :P

As usual, a variety of opinions from every perspective and varying from "I have no idea but I still have an opinion" to "Been there, done that. Here's what I think.." ..

So, here comes mine:

I have been a professional DJ for about 10 years now. Been playing in the biggest clubs in Finland for about 6 years, all around the country. Some points that I was thinking after reading all the replies:

1) Being a producer doesn't have to have anything to do with being a DJ or the other way around. Most of the djs are NOT producers/composers, even thou most of the "big names" publishing music have a background at djaying.

2) Many of the "big names" in electronic music producing don't really have much knowledge (or skills) about musical theory or anything of that sorts. They mostly play with sounds, rhythms, loops and all that stuff. When you hear a "nice melody/vocals", changes are very high it was composed by someone very different than who actually produced the track and gets the "credits" from the song.

3) If you want to make and EARN with electronic music (w'ever the genre is), it helps to know what kind of music is played in the clubs and radios. If you do it just for the fun and for yourself, then.. who cares.

The industry standards for club djaying are now mostly Serato Scratch with either timecode vinyls or cds or Traktor Scratch (pro) which is a similar software/hardware by Native Instruments. (The same that makes the Massive p0ack, FM8 and some of the best VST instruments around). However, there are like zillion other programs and controllers (usually a midi controlled usb device that has a built in soundcard and sometimes a mixer too) and the price goes like from 50$ to 1500$. Numark, Pioneer and several other "big names" of hardware have their own controllers that are compatible with the modern computer softwares and most can be played "stand-alone" too, as in without a computer.

Mac laptop is recommended for stability especially for noobies. I have used a powerful Asus laptop for 3 years with Traktor with very little problems. (It has crashed ONCE during a gig. I always have a backup CDs so if there comes some problems, I rather reboot the software/hardware if some glitches appear, before a crash can happen. So far, all of my dj friends whom use Serato have had more crashes. But configuring it to become stabile was hell, don't do it if you are not PRO with computers and software/audio equipments)

4) Learning to (beat)mix a different styles of music and all genres does help, but is not "a must have".

5) Being able to play some (mostly keyboard) instruments is a big plus, but once again -not a must. Most (imo crappy) producers don't play any instruments, they just build the chords and simple lead melodies with piano roll views or another method.

Besides Ableton, many (yes, even PROFESSIONAL) producers use Fruity Loops, which is considered "simple/for noobs/not pro/ameteurish/for kids", but still can do a lot if you know what to do. The block based structure (a bit similar to Abletons block view, it has two different views) is suitable for eletronic music, which 99.5% of the time is in 4/4 time signature and it uses 8 beat blocks that repeats themes using 2,3 or 4 patterns. Other programs worth mentioning are Cakewalk, Cubase, Logic Pro, Reason, Pro tools, Adobe Audition.. the list goes on. Most of those are meant for "serious" business and work non block based and assume you can handle controllers/keyboards and whatnot.

Personally, I produce non dance-music (I get enough of that crap in my work) and I use now a software called Reaper. It is very cheapish and it has tons of features that can easily compete with Ableton Pro and similar, with 10th of the price. I recommended it to anyone who knows how to play some live or midi instruments and wants to do pfofessional work with superior pricing.

Youtube is FILLEd with tutorials for most of the software mentioned here and also for mastering tracks, mixing songs and whatnot. Also the individual VST instruments (software that actually generates the SOUND from virtual instruments) have zillion tutorials in youtube, just find some nice one to start with and go play/learn.

So much text, I leave the rest out and will gladly reply if there is anything the OP or someone else wishes to know/ask/comment on.

I am mearly pointing out the fact what he is doing. Im not taking anything away from him at all. Just pointing out to all those not in the know how he is doing it.

i just made this track using logic and electric guitar...

[link to youtu.be]

WTF did I just hear???

I know you are very truthful.

Thank you for the great info.

erm yes!

First of all: learn what rhytm is!

i never were able to get all my knowledge about "em" if i would have startet with a sequencer and nothing else.

the way i used to learn how to handle the mater "sound", brought me to the point that i could build a mechanic sequencer if i would like to.

the guy who dont wants accept EM as music is stupid like a music-taliban. if all people would think like him , we still would sit in caves, while we playin bongos on mamut skulls.

not the instrument defines what music is. the listener does.

I'm in full agreement.

I also have been involved in computer derived music since 1981 starting in the mod formats.
Today I compose in ableton Live but still use madtracker.

I did have many web sites and many distributors in the hay day of tracking, I was known back then as Maelcum / ModDan and today as Kosmic.

I ran a free music site known as Kosmic Free Music Foundation and never charged for my hobby, as I beleive in Kopywrite liberation.

I have not released much since 2009 as most of the work I am doing now is not complete. But here's one of the last songs I worked on with Quassian from turkey in 2009.

Mate yeh he is ok. are you in love with him or something!!

you dont even need to be able to play an instrument anymore. especially if you want to use a DAW like fruity loops. you can draw the melodies into the piano roll

Ya, but to write a melody, make it fit with chords and a bass line, and then have it go through a melodic progression, you must have an understanding of music theory. Anyone can put patterns together, but to make it sound dynamic takes some knowledge.