If anyone has questions, answers or info to add, please post them and I'll edit them in. Useful links are particularly good.
* Golden rule: use the search button. Lots of topics have already been covered a lot of times, and you'll probably actually find more helpful answers by looking at the old threads than you'll get by asking again for the 517th time.
Other golden rule: read 'the Production Bible' at the top of the forum, it's full of great advice. It's also got links to older threads about things like monitors and VSTi's in the first post, so check that before starting a new thread.
* What do I need to make dubstep?
- A computer. Well, some people use hardware sequencing, but basically this is a must have and is fairly self explanatory. A decent soundcard is useful - search 'soundcard' and you'll probably find a load of threads about which ones are popular.
- Headphones / speakers / monitors. Headphones aren't ideal, since they won't give you the 'feel' of the bass, and if you're not careful a mix can sound good on headphones but cack on real speakers. Proper monitors are ideal - home stereos often 'colour' the sound to make it sound better, so you're not getting an accurate picture of what the sounds you're producing are, and if you play them on a system that colours the sound differently, they might sound rubbish. Monitors will generally give a more neutral sound, and tunes that sound good on them should sound good on anything. Your normal stereo is probably alright to start with, though. There are already lots of threads recommending monitors and headphones if you search for them.
- Software. Basically, you need a bunch of synthesizers and samplers that produce sounds, a bunch of effects that alter the sounds, and a sequencer, which lets you enter which notes get played when. The VST system lets you load up the synths and effects as plugins from a program called a host, which incorporates a sequencer and normally some other stuff. Conversely, a program like Reason includes the sequencer, synths and effects in a single package. Note that cracked software is illegal so using this forum to talk about where to get it might get you or the forum into trouble.
- Hardware. Optional. Some people like to use hardware synths and effects - a lot of them sound very nice or unique. On the other hand, they cost a lot and need dusting. MIDI controllers - which let you play notes on a keyboard or otherwise enter information via knobs and sliders and have it sent to be used by your software are quite popular too.
* Which [WHATEVER] should I use? Which [WHATEVER] is the best?
- Whatever you're asking this question about, there's probably been a thread on it before, so searching should throw up a few opinions. Lot's of them are listed (and linked) in the Production Bible thread as well.
- Hosts: pretty much every commercial host has all the features you need to make 'professional sounding' dubstep, to a large extent it comes down to which one suits you. Logic and Cubase are probably the most popular in dance music. FLStudio is intuitive and easy to learn. Some people find it limiting compared to (say) Cubase, others find it does everything they want. Ableton Live is popular for (surprisingly enough) it's live performance capabilities, among other things. Reaper is worth looking at if you're short of cash and still want a fully featured sequencer. Reason is often good for beginners because it has everything you need in one package. Again, some people find that limiting although it can be combined with ('rewired into') other hosts to expand it.
- Synths / effects: there are loads of good ones, and not using the same ones as everyone else might help you to find your own style. However, it's probably worth checking out
Payware synths: stuff by Rob Papen, Native Intruments, Steinberg, Korg
Freeware synths: stuff bundled with your host, Synth1, Crystal, loads of others
Freeware effects: Kjaerhus Classic series
Big lists of stuff: http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php
- RhythmCreation article with loads of info about choosing gear.
* How do I use [WHATEVER]? How do I make this sound?
- Often a given sound is really easy to make if you know a bit about how your synths work, so try learning more about them. Also you're more likely to come up with your own variation on the sound, and not just sound like a ripoff / wannabe.
- There have been lots of this sort of thread so try searching the forum.
- Learning synthesis: experimenation is good - just try stuff and see what works. Some people like reading the theory of how a given synth or effect works, others like to figure everything out by trying stuff. Here are some useful links if you like reading about how stuff works:
How to Make a Noise (free book)
KvR Wiki
Harmony Central: Effects Explained
Really good synthesis tutorial
Sound on Sound Synth Secrets articles (advanced / occasionally headfucking)
Sampling for beginners
Youtube tutorials for Reason's Subtractor synth parts 1 and 2.
- RTFM. Most hosts come with a fairly detailed manual or help system, so you shouldn't really need to ask the forum for basic stuff and might risk getting flamed if you do...
* Where can I get free samples
You can find a lot by googling (for things like 'free drum samples' or whatever) or by searching this forum for previous threads. Anyone know any good sites to mention?
[AdDiCT] here is a link to a topic in the DNB forum with more links to free samples than you can shake a stick at.
* How do I produce dubstep? What is the basic dubstep rhythm?
Personally, if you don't know what dubstep sounds like or feels like, I'm not sure why you're trying to produce it. Listen to stuff, get the feel for what you want to do, and then try to do it. Then maybe come back with more specific questions if you want.
* How do I make my tunes sound better?
Read the Production Bible and do the stuff it suggests. Learn to use compression and EQ and find some tutorials on mixing. Work on using better sounds and better arrangements in the first place.
Lots of magazines have good information and articles, gear recommendations, and sometimes some free software, samples and so on. See, for instance, Computer Music (comes with a good set of free software), Electronic Musician, Keyboard Player, Remix, EQ, Mix, Sound on Sound. Their websites may also have some good articles.
* What is mixing, what is mastering and how do I do them? How can I make my tunes sound louder?
Macc (of Subvert Central Mastering) says
Transition Studios FAQ saysMixing is the process of fitting the parts of a recording together to make a cohesive, good-sounding result. This final result is usually called the 'mixdown', or similar.
Mastering is the process of preparing that mixdown for the final destination medium (CD, vinyl etc) so that it represents the musical idea in the best possible way on the greatest number of reproduction systems.
Here are some useful resources and tips. Different people have different opinions on mixing, so try a bunch of stuff and do what sounds best.Mastering is all about tweaking the final presentation of a mix to fit the context of the album, the genre and the marketplace. Often it's simply correcting unintended timbrel coloration caused by particular monitors and equalizers. The main tool is monitoring that is good enough to tell when to leave it alone or to hear which gear to use and what settings help more than they hurt.
- Learn what compressors, limiters and EQs do and how to use them. (Anyone got any useful links?)
- Make sure stuff sounds as good as possible as far up the line as possible eg if your drums sound weak, it makes more sense to fix the individual drum sounds than try to do something to the whole mix to make them sound good.
Mixing advice (aimed at recording bands rather than dubstep, but it's still good).
Compression / limiting tutorial from the same site.
Dance music specific mixing article.
Dancecreation compressor tutorial.
Useful EQ tutorial
- Most commercially released tunes are mastered by a studio like Transition rather than by the original artist. If you're sending them off to be mastered, don't try to do anything to the final mix yourself - the mastering engineer will have a better idea of what to do to it than you do, and better tools to do it with.
What do you guys think of my tunes?
You'll probably get more replies and less sarcasm if you post your stuff in the Dubs section of the forum - that's explicitly what it's there for.
