Any Hip Hop Beatmakers in here? Cheap hardware/Software options for making beats

[Deleted member 44129]

I used to dabble with ableton 8 making hip hop beats and found it pretty complicated. I want to chop/slice samples and stick some drums and a bit of a bassline to it, but I'm looking to do it cheaply, and in a way that's quite accessable. i have a Pocket Operator KO, and while it's fun, it's a bit of a pain to use, and programming notes is a ball-ache. I've looked at the Roland SP404 but it's a bit expensive. I was thinking maybe Logic Pro, but I feel like it would be a repeat of when I learnt Final Cut Pro X and then realised I was stuck in the Mac ecosystem.

Can anyone advise? Any recomendations? Thanks in advance.

Edit: I last tackled Ableton over 10 years ago. I've got a lot better at using computers since then (I'm a wizard with Apple Motion, for instance), so I've decided to give Ableton Live 10 Lite a spin with an APC Key25 controller. for £60. It looks like it that simple budget setup does about what i want for a price I can afford to casually throw on an impulse buy (Thought my wife disagrees). I'll report back and let you know how I get along with it :)

 

[HardTimesFamilyPride]

I'm sure there are better suggestions from more up-to-date folks but Fruity Loops had a trial version, although that UI has quite a learning curve

 

[nihilence]

Sadsic still doing music?

 

[collige]

Are you dead set on buying hardware for the feel of it or are you considered programs that aren't Logic or Ableton. Cause if it's the latter, there's a bunch of other DAW options, it might just be that you need to mess around with a few other programs until you find one with an interface that you like. FL, Reason, and Cubase are all pretty popular alternatives. I personally use Renoise which is cheap and lets you edit samples really quickly and accurately, but the initial learning curve might be steep.

 

[HiLife]

You should be asking this in Hip Hop Era. There are a few users there who make dope beats and post them.

 

[PlateOfShrimp]

Any reason Ableton 8 isn't cutting it? I forget what was added between 8 and 9, but I think it might have included the instrument called Simpler, which is going to do some of the sampling functions you'd need like quickly slicing samples. Also looking for the SP-404 or some MPC variant on craiglist or on Reverb might get you a deal.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Any reason Ableton 8 isn't cutting it? I forget what was added between 8 and 9, but I think it might have included the instrument called Simpler, which is going to do some of the sampling functions you'd need like quickly slicing samples. Also looking for the SP-404 or some MPC variant on craiglist or on Reverb might get you a deal.

Click to shrink...

Ableton was a bit complicated. I mainly want to put looped or chopped samples to drums, but I was confronted with menus for a whole studio setup.

 

[devenger]

I reeeeally want to make my own electronic, Fruity Loops for $200 seemed steep but it looked like that was the package that you could import your own sounds into.

 

[smileyforall220]

Ableton was a bit complicated. I mainly want to put looped or chopped samples to drums, but I was confronted with menus for a whole studio setup.

Click to shrink...

Yeah simpler and sampler are good for this in ableton. I actually find ableton more simplified than other daws which is why I like it so much for just jumping in and making stuff quickly

 

[Fright Zone]

Same. I used to make beats 20 years ago on Music 2000 On the PS1 and loved it.
Every few years I get an urge to make beats but every like Logic and ever Garage Band seems quite overwhelming.
I just want to it for fun so not looking to spend a ton of my time learning intricate software.

 

[krazen]

Ableton was a bit complicated. I mainly want to put looped or chopped samples to drums, but I was confronted with menus for a whole studio setup.

Click to shrink...

Like someone said above, it's really more getting used to a DAW who's workflow you like first. DAW's in addition to different ideas as far as workflow is concerned, DAW's tend to excel at specific things.

Ableton tends to be really good at looping and splicing samples, but since you aren't a fan of it's workflow try Fruity Loops. You might also want to give Garageband a try since 1)if you like it's workflow you can upgrade to logic 2)They've finally added some things like an easy to use beat sequencer and a 'loop' based workflow option that might also help.

Hardware has its advantages (less buggy etc) but very specific in tasks so its probably better to learn a DAW, but some people like the 'straight forwardness' of a hardware. But people swear by the SP 404, but it's also a bigger investment than a demo or the lite version of many DAW's.

Like me? Ive been using Logic forever to record podcasts/recording instruments (im a hobbyist musician), but I only really got into beat production when I got Ableton because I found it tedious as fuck in Logic even though I knew it so well. But ive seen producers make great logic beats on the fly

 

[saturnineCarrier]

I would argue against the sp 404, it's super dated at this point. If you want to stick to hardware, maybe consider the MPC One?

 

[JonesiiiFromtheMoon]

Yezzir, I write and produce my own stuff, mostly as a hobby, but I've release a good bit of music. I use the NI Maschine. I love it and you can make some chops easily with it but it comes with its limitations as well. I dunno how cheap it is now but there are some older models that should be too expensive.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

The Maschine and MPC products look perfect for me.... Except for the price.

Im wondering whether to get Ableton Live Intro and give it a go. Havent touched Ableton for years and years.

 

[Puroresu_kid]

Is pro tools still a thing?

 

[FiveHandsMusic]

The Maschine and MPC products look perfect for me.... Except for the price.

Im wondering whether to get Ableton Live Intro and give it a go. Havent touched Ableton for years and years.

Click to shrink...

Ableton is what clicked for me after using FL Studio and reason for years. Stick with it and it will make a lot of sense for slicing samples. I havent been active in a few years, but Id assume Ableton is still pretty great.

 

[turbobrick]

The Maschine and MPC products look perfect for me.... Except for the price.

Im wondering whether to get Ableton Live Intro and give it a go. Havent touched Ableton for years and years.

Click to shrink...

I have Ableton Live Intro. Got it on sale for $69 and its great. I highly recommend it.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Oh, wow. The MPC One looks GREAT! But it's very high priced.

 

[wollywinka]

The Maschine and MPC products look perfect for me.... Except for the price.

Im wondering whether to get Ableton Live Intro and give it a go. Havent touched Ableton for years and years.

Click to shrink...

If you keep an eye on the listings, you can pick up a Maschine really cheap on eBay. The only problem is the software that comes with it will be registered to the seller. I don't know much about the MPC range. The last MPC I owned was a MPC1000. It was built like a tank. I used to love the thing.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

If you keep an eye on the listings, you can pick up a Maschine really cheap on eBay. The only problem is the software that comes with it will be registered to the seller. I don't know much about the MPC range. The last MPC I owned was a MPC1000. It was built like a tank. I used to love the thing.

Click to shrink...

Oh, does the Maschine need to be hooked up to a computer? It's not totally standalone like the MPC?

 

[wollywinka]

Oh, does the Maschine need to be hooked up to a computer? It's not totally standalone like the MPC?

Click to shrink...

Yes, with the exception of the recently released Maschine+, you need a computer.

 

[Remark]

If you keep an eye on the listings, you can pick up a Maschine really cheap on eBay. The only problem is the software that comes with it will be registered to the seller. I don't know much about the MPC range. The last MPC I owned was a MPC1000. It was built like a tank. I used to love the thing.

Click to shrink...

Native Instruments earlier this year was selling Maschine software separately on their site but now I can't find the listing. They are selling Maschine 2 upgrade but I'm pretty sure it's only upgrade, not standalone.

 

[Deleted member 13188]

Honestly OP the long and short of it is to just go back to Ableton. Even using it superficially it will serve you better than anything else. You don't have to know how every little thing works in it. Look up some tutorials.

Problem with the sp404 is slicing everything by ear and the sequencer is incredibly limited to use (I'm a former sp555 owner).
Problem with the new mpcs would be the price: I personally use an Elektron Digitakt but they aren't cheap either.
Problem with maschine is tying you to a computer BUT I would recommend trying to find an older unused one on the cheap.

There are some cheap samplers APX16 (avoid this as you have to load your own sample via sd card), Korg volca sampler but they are incredibly limited and fiddly to use they might be worth a look as you can resell them if you don't like the workflow.

Using software you will eventually want an audio interface and a controller so it is a toss up between expensive hardware upfront (mpc, electron $600-$1000) or pretty expensive basic software set up over time ($300-$500 all together). It's easier to get started with software, it does everything you need and you can skill up and upgrade your set up if you wanna go further which makes it the better option IMO. However if you absolutely just want hardware and don't wanna use a computer do the research and budget accordingly: you'll find reviews on youtube of all recent hardware.

BTW Digitakt is great for me, I don't feel I'll ever need another hardware sampler.

 

[wollywinka]

Native Instruments earlier this year was selling Maschine software separately on their site but now I can't find the listing. They are selling Maschine 2 upgrade but I'm pretty sure it's only upgrade, not standalone.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, Native only sell upgrades. You might be able to pick up a code for the software on eBay. Also, I've seen people giving away codes in the Reddit Maschine reddit (/r/maschine). It might be worth asking there.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Downloading the Ableton 10 Intro Trial now.

Wife reminded me I might get a 500 quid bonus from work in the spring. Might buy an MPC one then.

 

[Sounds]

I make a ton of music, not much hip hop... but i dabble in lofi beats quite a bit. MPC One is dope, definitely worth looking into.

 

[Gifted]

Logic if you want to stay in the Mac ecosystem, FL Studio if you don't. You could get a cheap controller like an MPK mini if you want physical keys / pads.

Otherwise getting an MPC or a Maschine is the way to go.

FL Studio probably has the most tutorials out there on YouTube for hip hop beats, with the MPC One still having quite a bit even though it's somewhat newer.

 

[Jellycrackers]

Honestly OP the long and short of it is to just go back to Ableton. Even using it superficially it will serve you better than anything else. You don't have to know how every little thing works in it. Look up some tutorials.

Problem with the sp404 is slicing everything by ear and the sequencer is incredibly limited to use (I'm a former sp555 owner).
Problem with the new mpcs would be the price: I personally use an Elektron Digitakt but they aren't cheap either.
Problem with maschine is tying you to a computer BUT I would recommend trying to find an older unused one on the cheap.

There are some cheap samplers APX16 (avoid this as you have to load your own sample via sd card), Korg volca sampler but they are incredibly limited and fiddly to use they might be worth a look as you can resell them if you don't like the workflow.

Using software you will eventually want an audio interface and a controller so it is a toss up between expensive hardware upfront (mpc, electron $600-$1000) or pretty expensive basic software set up over time ($300-$500 all together). It's easier to get started with software, it does everything you need and you can skill up and upgrade your set up if you wanna go further which makes it the better option IMO. However if you absolutely just want hardware and don't wanna use a computer do the research and budget accordingly: you'll find reviews on youtube of all recent hardware.

BTW Digitakt is great for me, I don't feel I'll ever need another hardware sampler.

Click to shrink...

Listen to this guy, OP. If a software DAW is confusing you, hardware won't be any better. Most music is produced fully within software these days. Ableton is incredibly capable and you can do a ton with it if you watch some tutorials, do some googling, etc. Making simple beat driven music to the grid is so easy nowadays with DAWs like Ableton, FL, Studio One, Cubase, Logic, etc. There's even Cakewalk which is totally free now.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

An absolute hero on here just gifted me a code for Ableton Lite. Thank you masked hero!!

 

[Sadsic]

Sadsic still doing music?

Click to shrink...

I do and I use the current Ableton Live and a Midi keyboard for everything

I also have some microcassettes I transfer audio to and from for analog sound

 

[Santini]

I used to dabble with ableton 8 making hip hop beats and found it pretty complicated. I want to chop/slice samples and stick some drums and a bit of a bassline to it, but I'm looking to do it cheaply, and in a way that's quite accessable. i have a Pocket Operator KO, and while it's fun, it's a bit of a pain to use, and programming notes is a ball-ache. I've looked at the Roland SP404 but it's a bit expensive. I was thinking maybe Logic Pro, but I feel like it would be a repeat of when I learnt Final Cut Pro X and then realised I was stuck in the Mac ecosystem.

Can anyone advise? Any recomendations? Thanks in advance.

Click to shrink...

Compared to when I got into DAWs and audio production many years ago, it is now entirely possible to dive into music and beat making without having to spend hundreds of dollars, or even a penny (aside from the costs of electricity, internet, and your PC/Mac setup).

As you brought up the MPC One in a later post, if you're looking for something with that MPC workflow, you should check out Akai MPC Beats.

What's great is that it's completely free.

If you have MIDI hardware or a controller on hand, you should be able to map the software to work with it if a preset doesn't already exist for it.

Here are some YouTube videos about making a hip hop track as well as another about chopping and slicing samples with the program:







After signing up on AKAI's site, the full download on PC should be around 6GB, as it comes with a variety of producer kits, demos, and samples/loops.

There will be a learning curve, but compared to your past experience with other DAWs, perhaps you'll find that the MPC workflow suits you better. Being able to both enjoy and navigate the software you make music with is very important. You don't want your tool for music making to somehow dampen your inspiration.

If MPC Beats doesn't work out for you, here's a list of other free DAW software, all with their own workflow. And aside from the version of Ableton Lite you have, I'd also recommend downloading demos/trials of FL Studio or Propellerhead Reason if only to see if their particular methods of music creation works for you. MPC and DAW workflows are a bit different, and you never know what's going to "click" with you.

Once you get settled in, later on you might want to get the Native Instruments Komplete Start bundle to go along with whatever DAW you choose. Like MPC Beats, this bundle is also completely free. It contains several quality VST instrument and effects plugins, as well as loops and samples to use and chop up.

After trying all that, once you've found what you like, my advice at that point is to stop downloading stuff and learn how to use what you've chosen. Free stuff is fine, but do your best not to spend any money on something that claims to make or be the "best" for this or that type beat or whatever. It's not about the gear, it's about your skills in using what you have, and it's easy to get caught up in GAS (gear acquisition syndrome).

If I could go back, I would definitely not have spent a ton of $$$ on the latest and greatest software of the time and focused on learning the basics with what I had when I started. If what I listed above were available back then, I may have not spent a cent. Today I have way more synths, presets, and samples/loops than I have time, and I'm passing this anecdote on so that you don't fall into that trap. Best of luck to you!

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Compared to when I got into DAWs and audio production many years ago, it is now entirely possible to dive into music and beat making without having to spend hundreds of dollars, or even a penny (aside from the costs of electricity, internet, and your PC/Mac setup).

As you brought up the MPC One in a later post, if you're looking for something with that MPC workflow, you should check out Akai MPC Beats.

What's great is that it's completely free.

If you have MIDI hardware or a controller on hand, you should be able to map the software to work with it if a preset doesn't already exist for it.

Here are some YouTube videos about making a hip hop track as well as another about chopping and slicing samples with the program:







After signing up on AKAI's site, the full download on PC should be around 6GB, as it comes with a variety of producer kits, demos, and samples/loops.

There will be a learning curve, but compared to your past experience with other DAWs, perhaps you'll find that the MPC workflow suits you better. Being able to both enjoy and navigate the software you make music with is very important. You don't want your tool for music making to somehow dampen your inspiration.

If MPC Beats doesn't work out for you, here's a list of other free DAW software, all with their own workflow. And aside from the version of Ableton Lite you have, I'd also recommend downloading demos/trials of FL Studio or Propellerhead Reason if only to see if their particular methods of music creation works for you. MPC and DAW workflows are a bit different, and you never know what's going to "click" with you.

Once you get settled in, later on you might want to get the Native Instruments Komplete Start bundle to go along with whatever DAW you choose. Like MPC Beats, this bundle is also completely free. It contains several quality VST instrument and effects plugins, as well as loops and samples to use and chop up.

After trying all that, once you've found what you like, my advice at that point is to stop downloading stuff and learn how to use what you've chosen. Free stuff is fine, but do your best not to spend any money on something that claims to make or be the "best" for this or that type beat or whatever. It's not about the gear, it's about your skills in using what you have, and it's easy to get caught up in GAS (gear acquisition syndrome).

If I could go back, I would definitely not have spent a ton of $$$ on the latest and greatest software of the time and focused on learning the basics with what I had when I started. If what I listed above were available back then, I may have not spent a cent. Today I have way more synths, presets, and samples/loops than I have time, and I'm passing this anecdote on so that you don't fall into that trap. Best of luck to you!

Click to shrink...

This is great info, thanks

 

[Deleted member 13188]

Compared to when I got into DAWs and audio production many years ago, it is now entirely possible to dive into music and beat making without having to spend hundreds of dollars, or even a penny (aside from the costs of electricity, internet, and your PC/Mac setup).

As you brought up the MPC One in a later post, if you're looking for something with that MPC workflow, you should check out Akai MPC Beats.

What's great is that it's completely free.

If you have MIDI hardware or a controller on hand, you should be able to map the software to work with it if a preset doesn't already exist for it.

Here are some YouTube videos about making a hip hop track as well as another about chopping and slicing samples with the program:







After signing up on AKAI's site, the full download on PC should be around 6GB, as it comes with a variety of producer kits, demos, and samples/loops.

There will be a learning curve, but compared to your past experience with other DAWs, perhaps you'll find that the MPC workflow suits you better. Being able to both enjoy and navigate the software you make music with is very important. You don't want your tool for music making to somehow dampen your inspiration.

If MPC Beats doesn't work out for you, here's a list of other free DAW software, all with their own workflow. And aside from the version of Ableton Lite you have, I'd also recommend downloading demos/trials of FL Studio or Propellerhead Reason if only to see if their particular methods of music creation works for you. MPC and DAW workflows are a bit different, and you never know what's going to "click" with you.

Once you get settled in, later on you might want to get the Native Instruments Komplete Start bundle to go along with whatever DAW you choose. Like MPC Beats, this bundle is also completely free. It contains several quality VST instrument and effects plugins, as well as loops and samples to use and chop up.

After trying all that, once you've found what you like, my advice at that point is to stop downloading stuff and learn how to use what you've chosen. Free stuff is fine, but do your best not to spend any money on something that claims to make or be the "best" for this or that type beat or whatever. It's not about the gear, it's about your skills in using what you have, and it's easy to get caught up in GAS (gear acquisition syndrome).

If I could go back, I would definitely not have spent a ton of $$$ on the latest and greatest software of the time and focused on learning the basics with what I had when I started. If what I listed above were available back then, I may have not spent a cent. Today I have way more synths, presets, and samples/loops than I have time, and I'm passing this anecdote on so that you don't fall into that trap. Best of luck to you!

Click to shrink...

I agree. Anyone getting started should see what they can do for free (ie spending zero $) for 6 months to one year. If you are still making music 6 months to a year later spend some money on an cheap audio interface and or a controller.

 

[LProtagonist]

I've been thinking about finally learning Ableton. I have a midi keyboard I've messed around with in Garageband, but I've been thinking about the Push and just really getting into Ableton as I want to record some live instrumentation in there too. Is it worth the time to learn, and should I learn alongside the Push?

 

[NotSelf]

I recommend Reason intro it has everything to make beats also it's the easiest DAW I ever used.

 

[Deleted member 44129]

Ah, fuck it, I just ordered an Akai APC Key25. I figured that free software (Ableton Lite) plus a £65 midi controller is a pretty entry level little spend. Can't wait to get stuck in. Just going through online tutorials now. :)

 

[Fhtagn]

Ableton is IMHO the easiest DAW to use, but every DAW is going to be overwhelming at first. There are lots of tutorials on Youtube though, and if you zero in on what you want to do with it, you could get up and running after a couple hours of tutorial watching.

 

[getin_therobot]

I know a lot of people dislike it because of its learning curve, but you can literally do anything and everything in Reaper. It has a 60 day free trial (that never expires) and a personal use licence is rather inexpensive. Just get ready to watch a bunch of tutorial videos.

 

[repeater]

Seems like you already jumped into Ableton, and that's cool, but might want to try out Koala Sampler on your phone/tablet for some of that Roland SP style sampling workflow for cheap and accessible. (I haven't tried Koala myself, but I've heard good things.)

 

[themoralcenter]

Reason is great plus you can easily use it with most other programs

 

[Deleted member 44129]

A couple of hours of messing about.
(link redacted. Probably best not to download from random hosting service)

Give me a minute while I work out how to share audio