trying to make music. just a very rough start

[basicdrummerman]

could really use some input, it's just barebones, trying to form an idea of what to do. just kinda wondering if i could get some pointers.



https://soundcloud.com/nick-nyland/w...know-how-to-do

[midnghtraver]

There's a whole book of pointers people could post on this thread. After listening to what you uploaded, my first suggestion is to go on youtube and watch people use FL Studio. I don't mean watch tutorials, though that's one way to do it, but just watch people who are fluid with the program work. It'll give you a better understanding of how to do things and it'll make you more familiar with FL Studio. That's the other thing, even though you just started and it's totally ok now, in the future, stop using the sounds FL Studio gives you. Find drum samples elsewhere if you're going that rout, and make your own synths. Even if your synths sound worse than the presets at first, I promise it's incredibly important to keep at it.

In terms of that track specifically, I can see how you were experimenting with some things so this criticism doesn't entirely apply, but your form is really boring. You wait for 4 measures, add something, next 4 measures, add something else, rinse and repeat. It doesn't make your track flow very interestingly and without transitions between sections, your "exciting" parts aren't going to be as exciting.

[Herogashix]

That sounds pretty good for just a barebones project. Add transition effects, EQ everything a bit, and make an outro that's not abrupt. That's about all the I can say about what you have so far. Keep going! You did much better than me for my first try at anything. I was and am still too embarrassed to post it. LOL

Originally Posted by midnghtraver

and make your own synths. Even if your synths sound worse than the presets at first, I promise it's incredibly important to keep at it.

This.
I worked with presets for the first year of FL just to understand how to make them (jk I was a preset whore and I didn't understand shit). But I eventually took time to learn Sytrus better, and I've been making my own stuff (they're bad, but they're getting better).

1. Being a PRESET WHORE.
Last year I was using presets (last year like 2012, oops). It sounds like this when you get used to arrangement. (All presets and samples.)

2. Being a SAMPLE WHORE.
I joke around sometimes and just use Vengeance sequence samples. It sounds like this when you become a sample whore. (Please don't be a sample whore.)

3. Making your OWN SYNTHS.
The past 6 months I've been making my own sounds. It sounds like this when you start to understand sound design. (I made all the synths.)

It sounds better when you make your own synths. That and you don't get in trouble when people recognize a preset you illegally downloaded.

Originally Posted by midnghtraver

but just watch people who are fluid with the program work. It'll give you a better understanding of how to do things and it'll make you more familiar with FL Studio.

It could also confuse people, too. If they're doing things too fast and not really explaining anything anyway, it's harder to understand what's going on and how things are changing.

I'm adding more than necessary to this post.

Look up information on how to use an EQ VST effect (such as Fruity Parametric EQ2), a Compression VST effect, and a Reverb VST effect, since those are the more important things when adding effects to sounds (= mixing).

With sound design, look up how to use a VST instrument of your choice (I suggest Sytrus), and learn the basics of how to use the instrument. That'll help you understand what does what, how to get x sound, and what can be changed in the instrument.

Do you plan on doing music stuff as a hobby or professionally?

If you plan to go pro, at least learn about this.
As a hobby, just do what you do, and everything will be fine.

[midnghtraver]

You're not wrong about that, Herogashix.

The reason I suggested watching other people work in FL is just so he can see where people go in order to do things. For instance, for the longest time I thought you couldn't automate anything from a VST outside of FL Studio natives until I saw someone go to tools>last tweaked>create automation clip in a video and it changed the whole game for me.

[danny53x]

@midnight Can you make a video of you doing a track in 1-2hr?

[Herogashix]

Originally Posted by midnghtraver

For instance, for the longest time I thought you couldn't automate anything from a VST outside of FL Studio natives until I saw someone go to tools>last tweaked>create automation clip in a video and it changed the whole game for me.

I knew about going into the generators list in the current project, but I didn't know about last tweaked.

That's gonna change the whole game for me as well, won't it.

[midnghtraver]

Originally Posted by danny53x

@midnight Can you make a video of you doing a track in 1-2hr?

If you can point me in the direction of good screen capture service I would love to.

[Tharringbone]

Making anything is always tough. Keep going though it's always worth it.

[Ohaider]

Miles Davis, Michelangelo, Claude Debussy, Pablo Picasso all had rough starts haha

no matter what medium, you don't start an expert
keep at it duuuuude