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 Post subject: When did you realize you were getting better at making beats
PostPosted: Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:25 am 
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Location: San Fernando Valley, LA
Peace guys, hope you're doing well. I'm wondering, what made you guys feel like you leveled up at making beats? It could be anything about it, sampling, chopping, structuring, writing progressions, SP workflow, finishing beats, anything.. Just what made you guys feel like you advanced as a producer? I put my experience below but its a bit of a read so feel free to skip if you want.

For me, I was working on a beat the other night when I had the realization I'm actually getting a little better at this shit.. I've been making music in different ways since i was a teenager (bass guitar, lightly producing on a computer) but a year or two ago while I was in a hard place in life I ended up coming up on a 404sx and seriously committing to making beats. Every single day when I had time I was working on music, Any chance I got. If its 30 minutes cool, if it's 6-8 hours dope. Outside of work and taking care of my family making music became my number one thing. Occasionally I would try to take a day to chill but I literally couldn't take a break for more then half a day. even if I felt burnt out or creatively blocked I would just watch cats make beats on youtube or lurk the forums.

For a while I couldn't use the 404 alone, I had to use a computer or later on a MPC 1K cuz My timing was bad. Also with sampling after the first 2 months I stopped using pre made loops and starting digging records or youtube to sample. And man I struggled. I couldn't find shit and I would go through so many songs just to find that one piece to pull. I would also struggle with chopping and structuring a song. Each beat would take a few weeks to put together, it would be frustrating, wanting to create something but being blocked by my skill, but something in my head just goes haywire if I'm not making music.

But over time after experimenting again and again and lurking the forums hardcore, I started learning more techniques and as of recently something clicked in my head and I've been using the 404 standalone. It's so dope. Others have said this but once I found workarounds for the limitations and I found a groove it was very liberating, like theres magic in the box but you gotta be patient it to get it, its not just handed to you. In my MPC and computer I spend more time tweaking parameters then actually making the beat. The stripped down workflow enables me to work more straight forward and actually finish tracks. Also with sampling after developing my ear better, I look at tracks differently now. Almost like looking for different elements through the whole track instead of just a 2-4 bar to chop.

Please don't get me wrong though I still have a long way to go. I've been listening to a lot of the beats from the 'your favorite SP forums music of all time' threads and some of the music in there is insane.. By no means am I even trying to apply that Im advanced at this shit. More so a beginner turning to an intermediate. It feels so dope to be able to make music now, before it was almost a battle at times with my short comings but now I feel like Ive found a flow to work with and I'm just happy that I committed and didn't give up.

I would love to hear what your guys story is and how those moments felt for you. Much love. 8)

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 Post subject: Re: When did you realize you were getting better at making b
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:29 am 
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Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 2:04 pm
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Location: Whittier Blvd, CA
Quote:
But over time after experimenting again and again and lurking the forums hardcore, I started learning more techniques and as of recently something clicked in my head and I've been using the 404 standalone. It's so dope.


MY BRAIN CLICKED IN THE OPPOSITE WAY.

For years i tried to be an SP only purist. An SP Ninja if you will. Many folks you listen to here on the SP-forums or watch on youtube performing masterful beatflips use ONLY SPs. They astonish and amaze me regularly to this day!

I so desperately had tried for years join their ranks as a formidable SP Liquid Swordsman but it turns out my brain is not wired in the same way. My obsession with SP as the only way of beat-making corrupted my brain with devils that plagued me with joylessness frustration. :twisted: I became a lifeless husk of a man because was trying to be something i was not destined for.

6 months ago I traveled to new lands in search of a cure to this debilitating malady.

New Lands where things are much different.

*Lands where sounds can be quantized easily if needed*

*Lands where sounds can be easily muted*

*Lands where Drum patterns exist in a Step Sequence and need not always be resampled.

*Lands Where everything stays in time forever and ever and ever...

ENTER THE KINGDOM of MIDI


I'm happy to report to you Sir USEDPAPERBAG, that all of my ailments were cured by this fine lands apothecaries.

Behold Thee Benevolent Royal Family of this Greatest Realm:

King Digitakt
Queen MIDI Quadra Thru
Princess KORG Volca
Prince Roland 404sx
Royal Servant Rolls

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 Post subject: Re: When did you realize you were getting better at making b
PostPosted: Mon Jan 27, 2020 8:53 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:21 am
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Location: San Fernando Valley, LA
Devee wrote:
For years i tried to be an SP only purist. An SP Ninja if you will. Many folks you listen to here on the SP-forums or watch on youtube performing masterful beatflips use ONLY SPs. They astonish and amaze me regularly to this day!

I so desperately had tried for years join their ranks as a formidable SP Liquid Swordsman but it turns out my brain is not wired in the same way. My obsession with SP as the only way of beat-making corrupted my brain with devils that plagued me with joylessness frustration. :twisted: I became a lifeless husk of a man because was trying to be something i was not destined for.


Hey Devee! Thats some great insight bro! Thanks for responding. Quite honestly I can really relate, It kinda occurred to me reading your post that for me personally had I not gotten my MPC I wouldn't have understood certain concepts that are crucial for making music on any piece of gear. Also the sequencer on the MPC is really intuitive so for me it helped me develop a sense of timing with my drums and Melodys that would become crucial to what I do now. I don't think I would have been able to use my SP the way I do without first learning the ropes on other gear if that makes sense. Plus the pros and cons of every sampler/DAW/groovebox are so different that one machine just may not click with how our head works. So its all about trying to find what is best for your workflow I believe

Quote:
*Lands where sounds can be quantized easily if needed*

*Lands where sounds can be easily muted*

*Lands where Drum patterns exist in a Step Sequence and need not always be resampled.

*Lands Where everything stays in time forever and ever and ever...


Dude dope setup!!! :shock: Trust me I get that 100% regarding the benefits of sequencing. For me I've made a couple beats via resample but for me the pattern sequencer is where its at. I get much more done much quicker and I can trade out/edit/mute sounds later on if need be. I couldn't even imagine how the sequencing is with the digitakt I had my hands on one for a few months and that shit was nuts, I barley scratched the surface though cuz I had no time, so I couldn't even imagine what its capable of with the parameter locks and everything. Between the Digitakt, the Volca sample, and the 404 you have a lot of your bases covered bro, if not all. If you don't mind me asking how do you use each piece of gear usually? Do you chop your samples in the digitakt or just midi sequence chops in the 404? What about the volca sample? If I'm not mistaken Lord BeatJitzu is making beats under the alias Voltron and he uses a digitakt in that project. Those tapes are dope. You might have heard them already but here is the BC link. https://digitron.bandcamp.com/


For me I think that our minds are all vastly different so we all need different ways to achieve what we are capable of. So Im glad for u you found the best tool to work for your brain so that way you can make dope beats faster and better. Thats what matters. 8)

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 Post subject: Re: When did you realize you were getting better at making b
PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 2:02 am 
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Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:40 am
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hasn't happened yet

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