ChrisKY

Guys I didn't make this post to be bashed, if you're not willing to help I completely understand but to say nobody is going to help is stupid. That's kinda the point in forums.....But anyways Neapolitan I'm using Logic Pro 9 and I'm working on Hip Hop beats and vocals right now.

grindy

It's not about bashing, it's about developing the right attitude towards making music.
If you convince yourself you need some kind of mentor to evolve, you'll never be able to dig into your potential.
And there's nothing wrong with flat out telling you that finding a mentor is just unrealistic.

__________________
A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

ChrisKY

I'm just lost on where to start...It would be awesome to have some sense of direction.

grindy

Look for a turorial on youtube on how to make hip-hop beats or whatever you're interested in doing. Go from there.

__________________
A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Neapolitan

Honestly I wish I could help. I'm only a music listener, I can only point you to who I know, like Mistabishi (James Pullen) and AraabMusik (Abraham Orellana). I see some books on amazon, there is a book called "Remixer's Bible Build Better Beats" by Preve Franci that looks interesting.

__________________

Guybrush

ChrisKy, there are much better forums than musicbanter to learn about home recording. Really, almost any other sound / music-related forum you could find through a google search. For all the high-throned, arrogant dipshittery that goes on here, there's very little actual skill or knowledge supporting it. Those who might be able to help you here probably thinks its uncool or beneath them to do so.

Still, so you're not completely empty-handed after the usual round of abuse, I got a home studio and just a little bit of experience and can share a few starting tips. Beware that I'm not particularly interested in hip-hop and and I don't know how new you are to this. Anyways, to start with, you're probably gonna want a soundcard / mixer that you can connect a condenser mic to (make sure it has XLR-input and phantom power supply). You're gonna want a decent condenser mic and there are various relatively cheap options for vocal recording, like the Røde NT1-A.

If you're gonna be mixing, you should get studio monitors. These are speakers with a relatively flat EQ which is pretty essential when mixing. M-Audio's B5 (small) and B8 (a bit larger) are a couple of relatively cheap options here.

If you wanna add instruments you don't already own to your music, like a string quartet, you can often do so with a midi-keyboard and virtual instruments. M-Audio Axiom 49 is a relatively cheap keyboard that I use for such things. You can load up virtual instruments (VSTs) and the like on your computer, for example pianos, synths or saxophones, and play those instruments with your keyboard. To reduce latency (the time it takes between pressing a key and hearing the sound), you may want to connect your keyboard directly to your sound card through the use of a midi cable. Note that you can record VSTs without a keyboard, so only get it if playing with your fingers rather than "programming" them is important to you. There are tons of free VSTs too by the way.

When you got that covered, you're probably gonna want to do some acoustic treatment of your room to reduce its reverb time which means the time it takes for sound bouncing around the room to lose its energy and die out. You want the room to be relatively dead and you can do this with soft screens, drapes, etc. that you can use to cover hard, reflective sufaces. I myself have done some basic carpentry and made some soft screens that I can use to make a nook in one of the corners of my studio. Draping duvets or blankets over things might help and stuff like drawing the curtains to cover the window will also help. Another relatively simple and cheap way to improve acoustics when you're recording vocals is to get a mic screen. When you record, you want to use a pop filter. Also, get close to the mic and record at the highest volume you can without the sound clipping.

To help acoustically analyse and treat your room, you can use software like EQ Room Wizard (downloadable program) and RT60 Calculator (runs in browser).

Record various tests of various locations / setups in the room. Document them with pictures. When you're satisfied with your mic placement, treatment, etc. it's time to learn software. For vocals, you're probably gonna want to look into EQing and compression straight away.

__________________
Something Completely Different

TheLhix

I will assist in what I can. I agree with tore and the others, there are better ventures to find better quality advice, as well attempting to dig deep into your own perception and practice would be worthwhile. One thing we forget though, is that its difficult to learn from nothing and not all people had the clues of where to look. Even if tutorials are around, some guidance might be of assistance to the lad, but I highly doubt you will get a mentor in a production industry. Its understood that it is rather difficult to make money off production as well, giving away all specific tips and tricks that make a individuals production is not good for business. I am a amateur and have only been working at this for a little under a year myself.

I am currently doing most of my production with a Yamaha e443, DRV100 cardi unidirectional mic and Cockos reaper software. (Cheap setup, but its works well for what I have and is very beginner friendly)

I would suggest firstly testing your designated area of recording for acoustics with your own ear. While Tore suggested good programs for doing so, I find in my own experience (what little it is) that using your own ears as guidance will work. Reflect and analyze before your record, during the recording and after the recording. Your ears will be training while you do this which will assist in other production ventures and it can make for an accurate and clear recording sound if practiced and done enough.

I would also suggest that you look for cheap equipment. Do your own research for yourself before throwing your money and find something that is reliable but won't break the bank (For example, my entire setup isnt much before a few hundred dollars with some research and bargain hunting) it doesnt have all the bells and whistles or the very very top of the line sound you would get if you broke the bank, but it gets the job done and produces a nice sound. As well, this will also train you to work on your technical skills by using what you have and producing something truly great.

While virtual instruments are no comparison to the real thing, they serve the purpose and can work in a pinch. (AKA, dont break your wallet) I would also suggest that in your research you look at uses for virtual and physical instruments, so you can get a wider understanding of the technicality, industry and sound behind them.

Overall, what tore mentioned is relatively in depth and helpful. I urge you though, to focus on the precision of your own ears and abilities and perform the work of your own research.

What you need to research:
Low cost and effective equipment
Acoustic/Acoustician method
Virtual instruments vs real ones
Ear Training
Low cost and effective production software

I say this for it will give you the feel necessary for the industry and allow you to test if you like this before you get to heavily indepted to it. It will also hone your skills and your perception, without the need for a mentor.

Guybrush

Good stuff, Lhix I'm also rather frugal-minded when it comes to my stuff, even though it's not all cheap.

A fun way to reduce costs, I think, is to buy used stuff. There are obvious risks and downsides, but I love the treasure hunting aspect of second-hand buying and you can often sell stuff at more or less the same price as you got it if you no longer want it.

I bought a 2~2,5k USD stratocaster for half price that I had for a year and then sold at the same price. Not long ago, I bought a used Godin LG for about ~290 USD and sold it again for ~410. My last mic-buy was a mint condition SE Electronics GM10 acoustic guitar mic which also was about half the price. I got my studio monitors dirt cheap too. The guy who sold them had problems with the speakers humming a lot when no sound was playing, but he'd hooked it up in his living room with some strange phono cables and TLR adapters. He was using them as speakers for his TV and not in a good way. No wonder he didn't like them! I bought them, got them home, hooked them up with some proper cables. The dreaded hum was gone and they worked perfectly.

Having to mail stuff is a bit bothersome, so I usually only keep an eye on the used market in my local area. If I find something, I can just take the car and pick it up.

__________________
Something Completely Different

Chula Vista

Dude???

__________________

“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

ChrisKY

I appreciate your messages tore and TheLhix! That's the kind of support I needed. Thank you all so much!