Make Your Own Beats

Okay, so you’re interested in quickly and easily making your own beats? You’ve got plenty of creative ideas and you want to express them. How do you get started? What do you need to know?

If you’re like many people just starting out you have some beats in mind and maybe you’ve even tried recording them in some way. Now you’re ready to make beats that sound professional and can hold their own with a vocal track in front of them.

The fact that you want to make your own tracks is a huge first step. There are a lot of people out there who are content to use what somebody (or everybody) else used on their tracks. You’re one step ahead when you come up with your own unique sounds that fit into your beat and your song.

Making beats requires experience with the equipment and software as well as with the sounds themselves. It’s a question of knowing what you don’t know in terms of learning how to mix and work with samples and effects.

You will need software to make beats, a digital audio workstation and good quality monitor speakers.

Some people try to start out with a low-end drum machine but this is not necessarily the way to go. There is online software available that has a much broader range of features than a cheap machine, yet is still very affordable. The problem with the least expensive gear is that while it may be good when you are just getting started, you will soon outgrow it as you learn and develop as an artist.

At first you may just be thinking about getting one or two tracks down, but as you make beats with different sounds you’ll find that you have more and more ideas you want to experiment with. In order to get the most bang for your buck you want to get something that will let you create beats now and a ways down the road when you’ve learned more about the recording process.

A good online beat maker will instruct you step-by-step as you learn the ropes as you make beats.

Another thing to think about is sound quality of the files, both the ones you create and the ones you export. When you export your song to an mp3 or .wav file or burn it to a CD, you want it to be pro level audio.

Beatmaking software is likely to come with a library of sounds and samples. The more extensive the collection of sounds, the more creative tools you will have available to make beats. A custom collection of samples and effects will give you lots of room to play and ensure that you do not sound like everybody else.

It used to be that if you wanted to create your own beats you had to go into the recording studio and learn how to make use of thousands of dollars worth of gear. Fortunately, today, this is no longer necessary. Now by using an online beat maker anyone can have access to recording capabilities that just a few years ago were only available to those who could afford top of the line equipment and producing talent.

Chances are if you are looking into beat making software, you are someone who is focused on the music and isn’t interested in taking a lot of time to research technical details of the many programs that are on the market. How do you know which one is the best choice? As with most software, deciding which online beat maker to buy depends on your particular situation.

It’s important when choosing an beat maker software to think about your current level of knowledge and recording expertise and get a program designed to suit where you are now. You want something that will get you up to speed quickly without a steep learning curve. Ideally, you want something with some longevity, so that you can use now, but it will still be useful as you gain more experience.

Some specific features you will want to look for include:

• Well-designed, easy to use training modules. Good training interfaces will have you making music as quickly as possible. If you can find an online beat maker program that has step-by-step training specific to the genre you are working in, that’s even better.

• A large library of existing sounds. A quality beat making software application will have a variety of drum kit beats, keyboard sounds, sequencers, samplers, and a wide range of effects.

• High sound quality of export files. This is a key feature because no matter how good your creations are, if you can’t take them with you and present them so that they sound good, you won’t get any play. You want to be able to export your digital files as well as burn them to CD, all while knowing they sound to everyone else the way the sounded to you when you created them.

Other features that are nice to have are updates to the libraries of existing sounds. This keeps your software up-to-date with all the latest effects and other audio developments. Another very important thing to consider when selecting which online beat maker to buy is the quality of customer support.

When questions or concerns come up, fast, efficient service is all important. You want to get things taken care of quickly so you can remain in the creative flow.

If you want to produce music today you need to be knowledgeable about how to make your own beats. The beat is ultimately what makes or breaks your song because it is what grabs the listener first thing.

It doesn’t matter whether the music you are creating is hip-hop, electronica, trance, R&B, pop, metal, or any other genre, the beat is the heart and soul of the song.

So how do you go about making your own beats?

• Software: Many people who are just getting started opt for beat-making software. These programs come with an extensive library of sounds and the best ones have an easy to use interface. As with any creative activity, it’s important to choose the correct tools for the job you are trying to do. Beat making software comes in different kinds, and what kind you choose will depend to a certain extent on what genre of music you intend to make. There are basic drum machines and acoustic percussion simulators, as well as comprehensive digital workstations that make use of a broad range of sounds.

• Digital Audio Workstation: If you plan to make beats you will probably get a digital audio workstation as part of setting up your studio. Among the popular brands are Logic and Cubase.

• Listening: In order to make your own beats successfully, you have to develop a feel for the musical creative process. You have to develop an “ear” for great sounds and the best way to do this is to listen to and learn from a lot of different kinds of music. It’s tempting to just stick with your favorites, but every genre of music relies on beats and you never know where you might find inspiration. From the giant kettle drum of the symphony, to the hi-hat of the swing jazz band, to the conga in the tribal orchestra, there’s a sound waiting for you to find it, turn it over, kick it up – do something to make it your own. When you make beats you find the “new” sound that’s built on an old one.

• Sampling: As you do this more and more, you will probably find yourself listening for beats everywhere – in the beeping of the cash register at the supermarket or the ball bouncing on the basketball court. The more you make your own beats, the more beats will live in your head. This is where sampling comes in. As a truly creative beatmaker you can use samples as part of a larger musical vision by making them your own. Add some effects to your samples or mix them in unexpected ways. Create something that’s never been heard before.

One of the big advantages of using beatmaking software is that it gives you access to an entire world of sounds you can use. There are a lot of people out there doing what’s already been done, but as someone who wants to make your own beats, you can use the technology to come up with something truly unique and develop your own signature sound.