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i've been making hip-hop tracks for a couple years now just on the mpc 2000, with all samples from vinyl. i really want to get into making dubstep tunes, but i never worked with making tunes of the pc. what program is best for this? reason? cubase? fruity loops?
also, i have a basic pc. i obviously need a midi keyboard, right? what kinds should i be checking out?
thanks

I use cubase but it really boils down to personal preference, if you can get a demo of a few programs give them a run and see which suits you best. You dont always need to settle with just the one either, you can link say fruity to cubase and make use of its internal synths. Dont know shit about midi keyboards sorry, it is amongst the herds of shit I need to buy to improve my shit set up.

just try out demos.

i still know of people that make tracks on an mpc.. it doesn't have to be hip hop only !

If you don't know anything about computer music, you'd be well advised to start off with something like FruityLoops or Reason.

I'd recommend Reason, but it's worth giving both a go - different strokes for different folks.

Where Reason is quite good is it gets you used to the basic concepts of production without making you work too hard for it.

Once you've outgrown Reason (or FL) you can graduate to something like Cubase or Logic (or Ableton) and re-wire Reason in as a sound source. (FL can be used as a virtual instrument).

i'd stick with your mpc mate unless your really wanting to get into using pc's, or keep using the mpc to sequence and get logic or cubase to mixdown and add efx or whatever. Reason and fruity are effectively exagerated drum machines/samplers anyhow [thats not a dis btw], your akai will be far more effective than either in my opinion, and the grooves etc on the mpc will give you a different swing to most people making dubstep.

You're not going to get really sick bass out of an MPC.

You need a VA synth.

Or a ludicrously expensive proper analogue synth.

so, i don't need a keyboard/controller to use reason?
i guess i don't really understand it, then haha

i definitely need to get up on a synth program to get basslines and all.
here's what i can do with my mpc, grime/dubstep-wise (i made this like a year ago):


http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... 553C7D9978

Sounds really good, like the rawness of it (not a big fan of over-production). There's a free software suite with Computer Music magazine - might be worth starting off with that and see how you go. I'd try and find something as uncomplicated as possible so that you spend more time making music than reading manuals, as that can kill the fun of it - as you get that under your belt, you can then find out how to make new sounds when you need to.

Get reason and a cheap sequencer like Making Waves (about £30). I wouldn't touch Fruity, sorry.

Its like My First Music Programme.

thanks alot everybody.
appreciated.

I just got an akai and am using it connected via midi and audio to ableton and its wicked you can sequence your vsts from it allowing you to still use your mpc knowhow to control your software! Give it a go!

Joseph-J wrote:Get reason and a cheap sequencer like Making Waves (about £30). I wouldn't touch Fruity, sorry.

The sequencer in Reason will be just as good as the one in Making Waves.

TechMouse wrote:You're not going to get really sick bass out of an MPC.

You need a VA synth.

Or a ludicrously expensive proper analogue synth.

Thats bollocks mate . All due respect and that.

TechMouse wrote:

Joseph-J wrote:Get reason and a cheap sequencer like Making Waves (about £30). I wouldn't touch Fruity, sorry.

The sequencer in Reason will be just as good as the one in Making Waves.

True. Better i fact.

Making waves is fun and dead easy to use, but your hard pressed to get proper sounding tunes out of it.

Although apparently daniel beddingfield made 'i gotta get thru this' on making waves.

Actually, I think i just proved my point...

gravious wrote:

TechMouse wrote:

Joseph-J wrote:Get reason and a cheap sequencer like Making Waves (about £30). I wouldn't touch Fruity, sorry.

The sequencer in Reason will be just as good as the one in Making Waves.

True. Better i fact.

Making waves is fun and dead easy to use, but your hard pressed to get proper sounding tunes out of it.

Although apparently daniel beddingfield made 'i gotta get thru this' on making waves.

Actually, I think i just proved my point...

Big ups to the big downs on the large-faced Beddingfield man.

Just say no kids

True. Better i fact.

Making waves is fun and dead easy to use, but your hard pressed to get proper sounding tunes out of it.

Totally 100% agree - I don't use MW anymore, cause the sound is a bit ropey, but if you're a first timer its a hell of a lot easier to use that the Reason sequencer (which I don't like at all actually), and learning how to sequence tunes is a mission in itself.

MW is just more intuitive, but is no way industry quality.

Unless you gotta get thru this, of course.

If you're interested, they're giving away samplitude free with Computer Music magazine this month, mags £6 so you might find it useful - never used it myself though, but have a look at a copy and see what you think

i recommend trying out Acid Pro 6. Been using Acid for a while and i have found that it is bye far the most straight forward program around.

Ive tryed em all and always come back to Acid.

If you've got an MPC, I really, really recommend you carry on using it for beats. The feel and the groove is very very good indeed. (Oh, and a lot of big dubstep producers use one - bit of a "secret weapon"). I'd love to have one.

fruity does basically anything you want to do, but it's a matter of the time consuming, cpu intensive, laboring, grueling work that you could do on the fly in cubase or similar programs. reason is different because you can't use vst plugins