I got a 404sx last week and since then ive been trying to make stuff and im absolutely shite. Ive been listening to some of the beat battles and some people put up amazing stuff that i can actually listen to, and others put up..well, noise. I dont want to be that guy so it might be a dumb question but like. How do i stop making boring shit? Today is the last day i can return the 404sx, been saving for half a year and if i return it i get instore credit. For what? to buy shit i dont need. Im very young so im also freaking out about school, and the music i make. I keep thinking there is some sort of chance for me to make it by making house music, although deep down what i like is experimental stuff like dibiase, and unique stuff like toro y moi. I would really appreciate any help and encouragement just please try to convince me on something. It takes me like 30 minutes to make a house song that people like, and i do enjoy it but the thing is i feel like im unproductive with the 404 because the stuff i make isnt going to help me build a career? I feel like anything that people dont enjoy in the public is a setback from what i want to achieve. Another thing is if i want to become good at making 404 beats, i would have to take out time from the other stuff i enjoy making too, so what if in the end i become just "average" at everything i make?

Only make beats if you enjoy it and to release emotions you want to be released into the world. Not to build a career or to appeal to an audience. Ask yourself, do you want to dedicate the time to learn every aspect of this machine in order to express yourself or is the time not worth investing to you. I recommend learning every single aspect of the machine and use the try beat battles or resample challenges so you can compare your results with other people's results and learn how to be more creative with your work. Hope you figure something out man! peace

Many people r telling me that but it sucks because i work hard on a beat then show it and they say its shit, even though online people say its good. also i was considering getting monitors but apparently they are useless if you use an acoustically untreated room? Im not sure if you can confirm this. I am using one of those shitty sony 3 disc changer stereo systems to do my mixdowns. Also have aiaiai tma1 but dont know what to mix on, been researching forever as well. Thansk for the reply

The most important thing to remember is make the music YOU like.

Don't make music for anybody else except you. And you just started this shit, people are going to be able to tell you have very little experience at the craft. It takes time! You have to work at it.

But whatever anybody says to you, use it to your advantage. I'd rather have somebody tell me my music sucks than somebody just tell me what I want to hear. You don't need "yes men" around you. They hurt you more than help.

Whatever negative response you get, try to let it roll off and go back to the lab. But if you love music and you truly want to make music...fight through it. Keep doing it.

10,000 hrs first

I've been through the same thing as you, people used to always say my shit was garbage but you gotta realize: nobody starts out at the top! as talented as Dilla is, I'm positive he didn't just decide to make beats and made bangers from day one. He was seasoned and learned how to perfect his craft

*edit* also, I just use headphones. Monitors seem to be more for a studio environment like acoustically treated walls etc. and for mixing rather than production

I used to feel the same .. thought I wasted my money,started so many projects and felt buyers remorse time and time again , through my journey I've tried all kinds of methods to get my beats right .. now I make what I like and .. that is it .. can't expect to pick up a guitar and be Jimmy Hendrix from day 1

.. to me the 404 is the foundation ,learn how to use it in and out..

note ..the SP on its own is not the full answer..

thank you guys for the advice. I am gonna keep it. Do you all have any soundpacks you would recommend for drums? Or any methods to make a dull drum sound good with the built in effects? I usually try using isolator to increase low end and then add vinyl sim for a crispy feel. Im really into sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFtMl-uipA8&feature=kp

My mom always likes my songs.

Dig for breaks and layer drums and make your own sounds or search the forums for kits and breaks that some of the dudes on here have posted. Make sure to thank them though! also some daws have usable sounds that you can edit, resample, and layer.

Making beats is a journey, not a destination.

You journey starts off rocky, shitty, learning to get your footing. As you progress, you learn to run, then to fly.

monitors are definitely not useless in an untreated room. keep making beats and youll naturally get better at it if you genuinely want to. i remeber no one liked my stuff when i started but i didnt care what other people thought because i enjoyed making beats

Practice. Practice. Practice.
The only way you will get you music to where you want it is to put in the time.
Read through these forums, watch YouTube videos and ask questions. Oh yeah, rest the manual if that helps you.

I'm a huge fan of the 404SX, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help. Get at me on twitter, I can reply faster than here: @vitamint805

Lot's of good advice on here already but I'll throw in my 2 cents.

Anything worthwhile is going to take time and practice. Of course you sound like shit. What do you expect? You didn't come out of the womb running marathons, did you? You know all that famous shit by Van Gogh? Yea, most of that was put out in the last few years of his life. He quit his job and then spent 10 years doing nothing but painting. Go to his museum in Amsterdam, most of his work is absolute trash or amateur art class stuff. Same thing for you, and me, and everyone else here.

Because of the internet, we've grown accustomed to instant gratification. Want an album? Don't have to save up, or drive to the record store. You can listen to it immediately. Want to watch a movie? Same thing. Then we go to make beats and expect bangers. We go to paint and we expect Starry Night. Luckily passion trumps all, and those who genuinely enjoy an activity will persist.

And speaking of passion, don't let it get muddled by economics. Don't make music if it's a means to an end. Make music because you want to make music, not because you want a career and want to be famous. Everyone wants to make money doing art they love, sure. But try and get the career out of your mind. Some of the best local beat makers here in LA fucking work minimum wage jobs and I worship their material. Even if you're some natural talent and put in the time commitment you'll burn out if it's for money. And even if you don't your art will probably feel contrived and trite.

If you like house, make house. If you like beats, make beats. Who said you have to stick with one genre, one daw, one piece of hardware? If you research most artists, their style changes overtime and many have side projects. Hell, with famous artists, oftentimes their lesser known side projects are WAY better.