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Making beats in any public space quiet enough to do so (i.e. a library) would probably make you some kind of asshole for doing so in that space if you use a keyboard or drum pads, or anything else that makes rhythmic noise that other people would have to unwillingly listen to.

Why do you want to do this anyway? I can't imagine how it would make the process better. Are you hoping someone important approaches you with a record deal like some kind of 80's feelgood movie, and your life is made from then on because you become super rich and famous on the spot just for having the courage to make music in public?

I'm just giving you shit. If you ignore everything I've said so far, you should at least check these headphones out, I've had mine since 2011 and they're still great for tuning out the outside world.

Fellow musician and help desk guy here. If your drive isn’t fried, you can buy an external drive bay and pop that sucker in there and basically turn it into an external drive while you drag and drop your files. Depending on the year of Mac, they may have a proprietary drive, though.

While I don’t know much about this brand, the bay in the below link will support most standard drives. If you’re able to do some research on these bays, it should bring you something you like/can use.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D4F3A7C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MSNBBb8SWHGXS

If you have a Mac laptop that comes without a cd drive or is like...one of the late 2013-2015 models, they most likely have a proprietary drive that may need a special bay. I could do some more searching if I know what you’re working with.

Send me a PM and I’d be happy to try and troubleshoot with you. I know how bad it sucks to lose your work.

Edit: I should also mention to check if you can turn it on and boot into recovery by holding CMD+R, then go to disk utility to see if your drive shows up. If it does, there’s a few recovery options you can try by clicking on the drive and running the repair/first aid options.

Or if it’s literally just not turning on, hold CMD+ALT+SHIFT+POWER for about 10 seconds while it’s completely off, but plugged in. Then release and attempt to turn it on. This may get your laptop booting again at least.

In addition to KCLH mentioned by /u/thugbox, check out Frontier Psychiatrist by The Avalanches. Lots of samples, but only a couple things happening at once (for instance: drums, bass, and horns forming a backing layer, with vocal chops being featured), but switching between samples often.

YouTube

WhoSampled

I would suggest the book The War of Art, which addresses this issue you're having and that I have all the time. It has helped me break through this.

Bottom line is you're not going to be inspired and motivated all the time. It's about ignoring the part of your brain that doubts yourself, and just pushing ahead anyway. It's not about conquering your fears, but more about being aware of those fears and saying "fuck it" and pushing ahead anyway.

We got this!

Start with the main sample. Pitch it, stretch it or whatever, just try to recreate the loop. Try to find drum samples that are similar and make the drum pattern. The bass is the easiest and I don't think that I have to explain that.

There's a low string sample at the beginning that plays 8ths. It sounds re-pitched. Probably he put it in a sampler and played the notes. Shouldn't be hard to recreate if you look around for string samples.

Now the synths. The one in the intro is a simple beep that's arpeggiated with and delayed. It's also a little bit saturated or distorted. Shouldn't be hard to recreate.

The second synth (0:37) sounds brass-ish. Figure out the chords that it play and use advantage of presets. Look online for brass presets on the synth that you use until you find something close. Add some stereo widening to it like a stereo imager or haas effect. (I've heard this synth somewhere else, so maybe somebody here knows where it's originally from.)

hey AC, I run a podcast on music production called "Beat School" where I answer questions (often from other folks on this thread). each episode is a deep dive into one specific topic. not much FL in particular cause I'm an Ableton guy, but hopefully there are a few episodes on there you'd dig.

https://anchor.fm/beatschool

​

i also recommend Blapchat by Illmind, he's had some incredible interviews with dope producers. hope that helps

Backed. I have a licence for the old melodyne (2.0) and even that is the best pitch correction I have.. Now they have version 4 and that can pitch and time correct multiple tracks in 1 window. Meaning you can do all your vocals for a chorus in 1 sweep.

Still, for finding keys it isn’t very reliable, especially with eastern music and dirty vinyl samples. Plus you have to analyse all of your audio to see what key its in and that takes a bit of CPU power. Just for workflow reasons I've included two links here that make finding the key of the song even easier then stated above

app for Mac called key finder... that’s easier to find a key just FYI

http://www.ibrahimshaath.co.uk/keyfinder/

Vst that tells you the key and chord playing. https://www.hornetplugins.com/plugins/hornet-songkey-mk2/

Could try a David Bowie cut up technique. Write several paragraphs about different subjects then cut them up into segments and mix and match them. You might not get fire lyrics but it’ll loosen you up, get you into writing, get you thinking and then the end result might inspire you or you could just tinker with it til it makes more sense.

Another way could be to do an Eminem and just rhyme everything you can think of with a word. Then start on another word. Over and over. This’ll build up your vocabulary but also your ability to connect words together so rhyming itself comes naturally which is half the battle.

http://www.openculture.com/2015/02/bowie-cut-up-technique.html

not expanding is a major thing too.

i can't remember if it was Chamillionaire or Big K.R.I.T that I heard rap about going out of state doing shows losing money for exposure.

i know K.R.I.T made most his connects in Atlanta, an upwards of 7 years until hitting it with KRIT Wuz Here. even though he reps Meridian, MS, the truth is if all he ever did was make beats and do shows in MS, then he would just be another MS rapper.

Makes me think of that rapper Boo, that has been pushing music in MS since the late 90s, and even got on with Jeezy in USDA back in the late 2000s when I actually thought Boo's career had been long gone, but even to this day he's just another guy in the background.

Also, remember KRIT got boo'd at his first NY show, but he kept at it.

Pretty sure Freddie Gibbs wouldn't be where he is now if it wasn't for meeting his manager in Los Angeles and staying in LA for years.

most big artists that rep their small towns dont even live in their said town.

Nice share, these were interesting.

I assume most in this community who sample already know of whosampled.com, awesome resource for researching sample origins and even lyrical references in songs.

Okay MEGA mirror, zip files. Sorry guys, I didn't know that even with a free account firedrive you still couldn't download multiple files or zips. I will also be adding a mediafire mirror in a little bit.

https://mega.co.nz/#F!JtRTEJRK!NxIYZkBhCLcDjYIbcoLslw

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/vbyus1ik992pd//A%20Cappellas

My dad introduced me to rap when I was about 16. Rob Zombie was my favorite artist at the time, but I was slowly moving away from metal. I found The Art of War by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in a box of my dad's old stuff. I was absolutely hooked. I still ask myself why it took so long for me to discover rap.

I'm in my 20s now and have always had a passion for writing and rapping. I tend to gravitate towards Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar-esque expression. I feel like rap needs less shock and more substance. This recent influx of "frat rap" pushes me even harder.

I discovered /r/makinghiphop about a year ago. I think this is a great resource, but I didn't feel the need to actively participate until 3 days ago. I've learned so much here that I almost feel obligated to share my own knowledge.

I agree full heartedly man. Paragraphs 2-4 reminded me a lot of this Ira Glass quote (probably been posted on here at some point?)

https://vimeo.com/85040589

I hope people see and understand this PSA, if you're not doing it for your own fulfilment, your work will never transcend from being a product to an expression of your soul. At the end of the day it doesn't matter how you tune your 808 or how you EQ your synth lead. Do it until it sounds good to you then on to the next shit, that's the only way to close the gap. Music is a very spiritual thing, its about energy more so than anything else. If I'm ever in the lab getting frustrated about technical things I just think about this Jay Dee quote, it's proof that there is more to production than honing your craft...from the greatest no less. "I make it straight from the heart, to take it for anything else is crazy to me"

http://youtu.be/YKGm3wc3qOE?t=3m19s

Yo sampling at the top level is the core of some of those dudes' sound. Kanye...9th Wonder...Just Blaze...Jake One...J. Cole and the producers he works with...friggin 40 himself like cmon man...the f%$#!@%&# based overlord himself Dr Dre???? Tons of sampling going on at the top level. Metro does a lot of sampling...yo fun fact according to whosampled.com: Metro sampled his own beat, Future's Jumpman, in Migos' Bad And Boujee. Jumpman has samples from an Uncle Murda track ft. Future. Beatception. He also uses a bunch of old samples. Dude samples everything and its mom. Timbaland samples sounds he makes with a pencil on his desk and shit, popping his finger out of his mouth with melodies and shit. He's a mad scientist. Among others and I digress.

Yeah there's definitely a lot of tracks built around synths, but those producers typically sample too.

http://www.whosampled.com/Kirk-Knight/ http://www.whosampled.com/Joey-Bada$$/

also just "dig" whereever and whatever you can, make your own sound. so kids can post on reddit and be like "yo where smav daddy get his samples from his shit is tight"

love this idea Neon. i run the podcast Beat School (more of a Q&A show about tactics, inspiration, gear, etc) and my audience is still small but would love to collab someday. keep up the great work brother.

Maybe a gamification app like Habitica would help give some more value to your personal deadlines. I used to use it quite a while back for different things, I think it's quite cool.

So I would suggest the JBL 305's. Same price just a better monitor. $130 is for one monitor. Check amazon as I found my JBL 305's for $123 a piece. There are a few ways to hook these up to your PC. The easiest and most efficient is to hook them up to a Audio Interface. Another way is to get a 3.5mm to TRS cable.

For general listening these are fine, I use my JBL's for music production and youtube watching. My JBL's get pretty loud and these are the smaller monitors so the bigger you go the louder they get.

JBL 305 $135 each

Latin jazz is a fantastic source for samples, and has plenty of tracks in more straight-forward time signatures. For a quick primer, check out these Tito Puente sample flips to get an idea of how that might go.

Sampling songs in 3/4 or 6/8 really isn't too big a deal once you have your head wrapped around the concept or have any prior musical training, but people who are new to performing/writing music in general can find it tricky to get the groove down right. Look up Jay Z's "My First Song" is a great example of how to flip a sample in a 6/8 time signature (from a Latin band, no less!). It's really not much different from regular 4/4 once you're used to counting the groove.

I can host them on soundcloud or something make a stream thing. Badeye what do you think?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/95sqywah0ezufeh/MHH%20Mixtape.zip

there is a zip of the mixtape and here is the soundcloud set.

edit* Took off the songs, I'm sure badeye has the next mixtape set up.

Youtube-dl you can get it on Windows, GNU/Linux, MacOS, *BSD and where ever python runs.

It's open source so it's not shady or sketchy you can analyze the code yourself. You can get it from github or their website.

Before dropping any cash, I strongly recommend trying the demos/trials for the DAWs you're looking at.

Reaper is by far your cheapest option. I usually hear about it in regards to recording rather than sequencing, but it might work for you.

Logic is only $200, and from what I've heard, is one of the best DAWs in terms of bang per buck. It's basically super garageband (you can even import GB projects into Logic). Mac only.

I don't know anything about Studio One haha.

If and when you get the trial for Ableton, realize that you'll be running the demo for Suite (minus most of the 40gb of sounds), but the Intro and Standard versions might not have the features/capabilities that you like. Here's the feature comparison. Also understand that it's very expensive to buy Intro or Standard and upgrade later (you get a big discount if you buy Suite and what it contains all at once). Even with a student discount, Suite is $450. Ableton is my DAW of choice and I love it, but if you're looking for something cheap, it's probably not the best for you.

I'm reading HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Totally the opposite of what you're looking for, but I'd still recommend it 10/10. It's wildly entertaining.

The only non-fiction book I've been reading is Introduction to Algorithms...

No, I'm just being truthful. That google search yielded nothing? That's bullshit. I found this list in under 2 minutes by clicking on links and using Ctrl+F to find key words (e.g. european)

I gave you advice: learn to research. If you want to use the internet to dig, you better love sifting through mounds of information, because that's all there is. Or use databases allmusic if you don't want to use google.

Personally, I find the amount of choice on the internet paralyzing - you're always looking for some "perfect" sample. If you don't like researching (I don't blame you at all), then download shit randomly or buy cheap records. The samples may not be "perfect", but they'll force you to be creative.

The song has 9 samples. Dr. Dre is one the best samplers. Everything is sampled on that beat. The drums sound the way they do because they were ripped from a drum break from some funk record.

When in doubt, check WhoSampled.com

you shouldn't sample hip hop beats (therefore, you rightfully feel bad about sampling madlib). except for that, go in. just be creative with it.

dilla was actually obsessed with sampling oversampled and worn out songs and artists in a mindblowing and completely new fashin towards the end of his life:

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/2796/J-Dilla-Bye.-The-Isley-Brothers-Don%27t-Say-Goodnight-%28It%27s-Time-for-Love%29-%28Parts-1-%26-2%29/

http://genius.com/posts/1669-The-rapper-s-flow-encyclopedia
>When I say the word “flow”, it means the rhythmic structure that arises in a rap from the interaction between the rapper’s words and the strictly musical rhythms of those words. That is, the rapper’s words will always inform how we understand the rhythms of any rapper’s raps.

Depends on your DAW I imagine. With Logic Pro there is a simple and mostly reliable way to extract midi data from a recorded sample.

​

To find the key of the song download an app called "KeyFinder" by Ibrahim Sha'ath.

but if the shit you make sucks, who cares that it's original? you are not remotely talented, and should shut up until you're done being shitty as a producer.

edit: I challenge everyone reading this to find a single track that doesn't suck balls - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=1226011

https://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Presents/dp/0240815807

Tough read, you bet... but it covers so much, rather than youtube tutorials crammed into 20 minutes with 5 minutes worth of adds and shit...

Tells you the ins and outs and the whys of all the techniques, methods etc. I'm about to start my fourth read of this.

I'd even argue that I got more out of this book when it comes to mixing than I did at uni... but maybe its because I was older and already had a basic understanding of the bulk of the book.

get the Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro Headphones on amazon $192 right now. You DO NOT want to use closed back headphones for mixing. It's hard to believe they keep getting recommended.

Not sure why everyone is being so stingy with helping you find samples. That said, it can be simple to find what you're looking for if you use some basic resources online.

For instance, I just did a search for Clams Casino (one of the most popular "cloud rap" producers out there) on the site WhoSampled. The first two artists I see are Bjork and Imogen Heap (both awesome if you haven't listened to their stuff!)

So, I went to Allmusic.com (it's basically the IMDB of music). I typed in Bjork's name and then clicked on the related artists tab. This gives me a big list of similar artists that would be worthwhile checking out on youtube or spotifiy.

This is a quick and easy way to find lots of artists you may want to sample. Hope that helps a little.

It's the DAW I started with and I'm still using it. I like it's workflow, I can chop my samples in Edison, and through SliceX I can play my samples on my QWERT keyboard. Then easily add VSTi for my own instrumentation. Of course shameless self promotion; my SoundCloud page.

https://soundcloud.com/big-schmitty/chin-down-collar-up

I missed the cut off for this weeks Flip This challenge.

Crushed.

Anyways, here it is.

Any thoughts?

I used it to do a remix of Ms. Jackson, by Outkast

Hey man, I do heaps of stuff but it seems like other homies got this covered but if you're ever keen in the future check out my stuff here:

http://imgur.com/a/daGtU or here https://www.behance.net/Crateboy

Best of luck!

Just spent an hour looking for my mic

oh well

Quality is shit, the delivery is at least decent

https://clyp.it/d3ravsg2

*I must add that I fucking hate rapping, especially right on the spot. Well, Hate's too strong a word. I don't enjoy it.

Hmm I'd study the samples these artists use on their work to learn how they flip them. These will probably help you: http://www.whosampled.com/Clams-Casino // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZvq2ka1RDM

Check out the website RateYourMusic, you can look at their charts for the top horror movie soundtracks and also you can check out the other genres on there. It’s a great community with thousands of ratings on many albums but I like it best for its categorization of albums and artists as different genres. Dark ambient might be something you’re looking for. Bohren & Der Club Of Gore are a cool dark ambient group I found there.

This link: https://rateyourmusic.com/rgenre/ has their genre tree.

Something I've been working on: https://soundcloud.com/sperdoj/orlando-first-final

All feedback appreciated. I hope to fix it up, despite "final" being in the name...just my way of differentiating between all my attempts. I'm out the door but I'll reply to more when I get back.

https://soundcloud.com/emuscantfly/from-the-depths

Quick Verse I did over a nice beat...i think i may have posted this as a reply to a comment once in one of these threads but never directly asked for feedback on this one. thanks for listening.

new beat i made, let me know what you guys think..was going for something simple and rap-able https://soundcloud.com/bigossoul/time-waits

EDIT: took some advice and remastered it https://soundcloud.com/bigossoul/time-waits-remaster/s-EDu0l

Part of a new beat I started today

Comments very much appreciated. Still looking for vocal mixing practice so if you want to use any of the beats I've made in the last 15 days hit me up. Beats can be changed to accommode more or less bars or anything else within reason.

Hey dude I've got some tasty drums loops recorded for a sample pack me and my friends put together. Its free u just have to put ur email in, u can use a fake one its just necessary to download.

https://sellfy.com/nofam

Were doing a pack a month and I've been recording live drums for all of them!!

Production skill-wise I'd have to say Fly-Lo's instrumental for Mac Miller's S.D.S track would have to be my favourite. Just check the comparison on the whosampled page and tell me he didn't make that sample his bitch

so this is my first time trying this out, please excuse the awful cell-phone voice recording, if this is worth your time I will take it to a studio for mixing

EDIT; thanks to richmitch helping me out, here's a cleaner version: https://soundcloud.com/esmarelda/foamy-cyph-lymantria-dispar

rhyme schemes. good multis will let you speed your flow up no problem

look at any song you like with double time, and see its just the rhyme scheme that sounds fast. I like this example cause hes slow for the majority of it, but if you hear the spots where he speeds up, then check the lyrics, youll see its just longer lines with more words that rhyme.. also every innanet rapper should listen to Tonedeff, the original innanet rapper
http://genius.com/Tonedeff-masochist-lyrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gEp0yMKn54

Being a dumbphone user on the go, I use IFTTT (If This Then That). I have it set up so if I send a number (saved to my contacts) a text, then it appends to a document in my Google Drive.

So if I'm at work and Pandora plays a sample that I must have, I just check the song and the time. Then I text that number the info and any ideas I have with it.

It really helps if I'm at a block and I need a fresh idea to work with.

Dude, sampling pandora..... it's lame and would get you laughed at. That's the truth. Why do we have to play fake nice here? Why do I have to lie about my feelings? Digging used to be like a Religion, man!

they can ban me again if they really want, but thats not what most of mhh wants. I add quite a bit, even if it's not fluffy. I solve a LOT of mysteries here. Diarreah of the mouth? come on, man. I give away tracks and solve problems.

Oh, and I'm building rainstorms on old synths by modulating white noise, sine tones and resonance levels: https://clyp.it/1en4z5iz#

PS I'm in therapy but it's bollocks and you shouldn't mistake disappointment on a grand scale with me having some huge ego.

Is there a particular reason why you chose Audacity? It's extremely basic.

I would recommend starting on Reaper. It's a full fledged DAW that you can download from http://reaper.fm it is a full evaluation version (that doesn't expire).

Do you currently attend shows often? If not do so to build your network. Be professional, nice and talk to everyone.

You want to look for artists with a similar vibe to you. Approach them and say that you are putting on your own show and want them to play. Ask them if they have any ideas and if they want to contribute.

Choose an appropriate venue. It's much better to book a venue smaller than you think you need. 50 people in a tiny venue looks a lot better than 100 in a huge one.

Advertise smartly and be a direct as possible. What I mean by this is talk to people one on one and build your audience slowly. Networking is huge.

After a few successful events then go back to contacting venues with numbers of previous shows and a vision of how you can help them.

Recommended reading, 'The Lean Startup' by Eric Reiss.. A great book on testing the market to see where you stand by taking action. Very business orientated by can be adapted easily to event management

100% on point. Learning how to create similar techniques is okay, completely copying won't get you far.

People trying to be X is not productive. X already exists, X has a market and followers, X created their own style. If X is done, why not try Y?

There is another argument that hip hop already exists so why do that, but that's for a different day.

A book that explains this concept well is "The Lean Startup" by Eric Reis.

i don't use blue light glasses like gunnars or whatever, i tried them but it didn't seem like it helped out my eyes at all. turning down my monitor brightness and getting flux for my computer helped with that a lot more than gunnars did.

however, i do use special glasses when i'm on the computer to help with dry eyes, they have special cups to help keep the air around the eyeballs more moist. here's the website for those: https://www.zienaeyewear.com/

also, are you using rohto or visine redness removing eyedrops? because those remove redness by constricting the blood vessels in your eyes, which can actually make redness worse in the long run if used regularly. i recommend just using regular "tears" eyedrops. the main brand names i know of are refresh tears and blink tears.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mixing-engineers-handbook-bobby-owsinski/1119329872?ean=9781285420875&pcta=n&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Textbooks_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP237&k_clickid=3x237

This was very helpful for me. Its a little advanced so its taking me a while to get through because ill have to do some side research, but its definitely a good book

Just started this beat a couple hours ago. The blips are supposed to be slightly out of tune, but let me know if it's too distracting. I'll also probably tame down the chops and glitchy shit in the second half. As always, will return feedback. https://clyp.it/ykb52mvg

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/495077/NxWorries-Dntstop-(Interlude)-Jus%27-Us-Don%27t-Stop-Smiling/

knx just looped this sample but he made it sound "fuller" and "warmer". what effects did he use to do this? obviously eq and maybe bass boost but are there any other things he used?

My latest - https://soundcloud.com/sperdoj/dopey-disco

Not a rapping beat but hopefully interesting nonetheless.

I didnt want to make a separate ADD A PART, but this is also a casting call for all you assholes out there with a microphone. I'm looking to possibly replace the "strip to the waist" vocal part. Might be looking for someone to tell a corny joke or say something stupid when they're drunk. Pretty much an open canvas. If you are interested in doing that interlude, hit me up.

Yo whats up, it’s been a minute since I’ve put out anything apart from singles and I’ve been wanting to make a tape for a while. I’ve been pretty heavy into making grime and working with local MC’s and haven’t had much time for Hip-Hop beats, so it was a nice change of pace to make this short little project.

I haven’t had a crazy amount of free time so I’ve been doing little bits of work on it for about two weeks, heavily remixing (or completely altering) three old beats and producing two new ones that I thought fit in with the lo-fi relaxed vibe.

• MΛSTR PLN is the opening track, it’s one of two beats on this project that originated from an FTC challenge. I think it works well as a nice woozy opening track.
• GRV YΛRD Is the first short interlude between the tracks. The sample from a track called Groove Yard. I chose to put it in the project because I felt the textures are so pleasing to my ears, like the sound of the double bass player’s fingers sliding and plucking the strings.
• GTΛR is a complete rework of an old track I made using a recording of my friend messing around on his guitar. The old beat was nice simply because his guitar playing was nice. This version of the beat is more dynamic and engaging, with a much more interesting bassline.
• WΛRM is the other interlude, the sample is taken from a track called Warm Moments by Time Five
• DNT B ΛFRD is the title track and the track I knew I wanted to end the mini tape on. The sample came from a recent FTC, when I submitted I made the beat very quickly and never took the time to mix it properly or do everything I wanted to do it. So I took some time and finished the beat exactly how I wanted to, including a nice extended outro which I thought was a good end for a tape.

Edit: Download link if anyone wants it.

my buddies track https://clyp.it/wul4htdk, we're lookin for people to practice their mixing and mastering on, feedback is appreciated!!!PM me(I have separate files of the vocals and instrumentals if needed)

if you just wanna sample shit, you can easily do it with just a pc and some pirated software. You don't really need to buy equipment to sample.

I made this beat with just my pc although I do have a midi keyboard which I use sometimes. https://clyp.it/4mrjamqs

Some possible solutions I can see:

• Get teams to upload to their own Soundcloud profiles. Create an official playlist of entries under the GHH Soundcloud profile.
• Create a second GHH Soundcloud account (as you suggested)
• Switch to MixCloud premium
• May not be feasible to make work: fundraise the amount. I'm happy to donate a little bit to buy the Pro Unlimited plan. If 30 people donated USD $7.50 each, then we could buy the yearly Pro Unlimited plan for a year.
• Or maybe have a small entry fee to enter the GHH?
• Archive the old entries in the current GHH account to make space for the newer entries. Upload the old files to some other place e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, BitTorrent

I've got a track I need some feedback on. I'm planning on making this track a single and doing some marketing and a video, let me know if you like it.

https://soundcloud.com/saint303/being-real-ft-hypnautic/s-3b64k

So I've been toying with making political parody rap in a Trap-like style. This is my first test, so it's pretty rough (and bad), but would love some feedback. Does anyone actually think this is funny or amusing?

Bills on the Floor

EDIT: I should note the beat isn't mine. I just picked one off of an instrumental playlist I have. I think it's from SKYWLKR, but not too sure.

Change or a Dollar, a song I made with a friend of mine who sings (she killed it), over a beat made by producer Dialectic, a fellow redditor. This is one of the illest beats I've ever had the opportunity to write on, so I made sure to do it justice.

something I'm pretty proud of but not quite satisfied with. Thoughts and opinions? Nepenthe on the chop. Give him a follow...now.

https://soundcloud.com/bad-word-choice/dear-charlie-prod-ethan-sexton

EDIT-- Re-edited version. S/O Bugz Macnair. Follow him too. https://soundcloud.com/bad-word-choice/dear-charlie-prod-nepenthe

When you do it as a hobby most of the people you know are OK with it and a bit fascinated about it. But when you start expressing and showing you want to make it your life goal; many people can not relate or feel intimidated or lost about the specifics of what you are doing. (its like someone infatuated about air conditioning, we don't want to know hear about it and if all this guy talks about is AC we start ghosting him - not much difference.) If you are hanging out with like minded people you will start having a social life involving music. Why don't you check out meetup.com - you can instantly find local people and inspiration and new friends and further your music career. They have everything from song writing-producing-performing quite a nice site. If you are bummed about losing your friends... leave the music at the door when you see them and get into what they are into too.

1. Wrythm
2. 29. 30 in June.
3. Dallas, TX area.
4. Gaming. Basketball. Programming.
5. The Roots, period. I was on a a recruitment trip for basketball to the University of Texas and I'm checking their dorms out when I heard "Don't Say Nuthin'" on MTV. It's crazy that I can pinpoint the moment.
6. Rapping Influences: The Roots, Little Brother, Rage Against The Machine, Brother Ali, Lupe Fiasco, Jack White, Kanye, Early Eminem. Production Influences: Dilla, 9th, Dre, !llmind, Pete Rock, Marco Polo, Alchemist, Kanye
7. Create beat > While creating, start to formulate lyrical idea for hook > Get beat to a good starting point > Record hook > Write/Record verse > Finish the beat around the vocals
8. Personal, Political, Lyrical.
9. Working on a solo project.
10. Always down to work whether it's collabbing on a track lyrically or on the production side.

If you're interested, check my work out at http://www.reverbnation.com/brandtheplanet and http://filthyave.bandcamp.com

havent entered one of these in a while..wanted to make something quick and simple...https://soundcloud.com/bigossoul/mhhflip-week-9 enjoy

EDIT: sorry its such a short beat..i got like 8 minutes left on my soundcloud...

Ill break down this one I did:

https://soundcloud.com/john-anon/john-apocalypse-the-great

I started with the main 'guitar' loop. Then I started digging around in my mp3s. I wanted to sample this chick from the 60's Melanie, she did that rollerskates song. Anyways I was just playing through her stuff and heard this beautiful singing at the beginning of one of her songs. It just fit with the loop I had. I didnt have to pitch correct or stretch it or anything. Magic.

Next I always wanted to sample the There Will Be Blood soundtrack so I went straight to the most memorable part (the violins you hear come in). The only thing I had to do to that is time stretch just a tad, and pitch it up a note. I think it fits amazingly well.

Lastly for the drums I just have a giant "breaks-pack" that I downloaded I have no idea how long ago. I found a loop with the pattern and style I was hearing in my head. The crash cymbal is actually a gong I got from some random single drum hits pack I have from god knows where. The scratchy 'aww yeah" thing is also just some random shit in my files.

So to answer your question, sometimes shit just magically works. I think that ends up being the best stuff. Sometimes I try to fit samples into a mainly electronic based beat. Sometimes I just compile samples together. I dont usually use the method of putting a bunch of samples in a sampler and then playing them live. Although I really want to because I feel like you can accidentally come up with amazing stuff by accident.

Have a great trip 5th! Thanks for taking over Vsx

Here's my latest:

https://soundcloud.com/sperdoj/gruff

Looking at it now, I think I need to compress the kick a bit, but I don't want to lose the hardness of it. I'm thinking about reworking the main loop a bit too... Let me know what you think.

At work but I'll give feedback later - you know I'm good for it!

https://soundcloud.com/nic-lynn/collapse

So this is a song I wrote to a track that Vxynl had made. Its the boom bap beat that he had for download, much respect brotha. The musics dope! Hope you guys like it.

I keep getting "temporary error, retrying"

same problems direct downloading or adding to cloud.

edit: /u/keeping-secrets

changed the upload link to mediafire instead

https://www.mediafire.com/?393vvbucf8f9lub

I'm right here bruh. But I'm a mile from the beach so it's super humid.

I feel bad for you guys every time I open the fridge. :(
To be fair, I do this every winter. The troll thing. The hate makes it warmer, actually.

"Since you don't even have a keyboard I'm guessing you've been doing it for less than a year"

Watch this, and how about when you get signed to soulection you can start shitting on people for not having keyboards.

There's some producers who, when they sample, go find an R&B song from 1997 and loop the 4 bar intro and call that their beat.

Other producers find a cool soul/funk track and sample a riff, add some drums percussions, and play around with the eq/pitch of the sample until they find some dope sounds

Some might take keys from a jazz song, some hummimg from a blues track and a funk drum break and mix them to create a brand new flavor

Still, others might take half second beats from 8 different tracks all of different styles, and create a secondary rhythm to compliment a movie score sample they did add their own synths, drums, and bass.

Sampling can be viewed as cheating depending on how lazy of a sample it is.

One of my favorite samples

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/18822/Raekwon-Ghostface-Killah-Cappadonna-Method-Man-Ice-Cream-Earl-Klugh-A-Time-for-Love/

RZA does an amazing job of really being creative and making the sample into something he owns.

oh no, what you mean is "everybody's something" from the same mixtape

it samples slum village's (j dilla's group) "fall in love", which in turn samples "diana in the autumn wind" by gap mangione. i also sampled "diana in the autumn wind"

peep all the different amazaing tracks here

Very first thing I ever produced, about 2 years ago.

And here is one of my newest beats. Jesus it’s crazy to think that when I made that drum loop two years ago I seriously thought it was like amazing. I remember just being excited that I was able to make something at all.

Here's a feature comparison to the other versions in case you haven't seen it: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/feature-comparison/

It lacks warp mode and you can't have more than 16 tracks and 2 send and return tracks. If that's not a limitation to you than I guess it can work. It also doesn't have some of the native plug-ins so it'd help to have some third party ones. Personally, because of all of that I'd either pirate Suite or get FL for another $100.

You're starting at the wrong end. If you really want this, you first decide to dedicate your life to Hip Hop.

Then you start shaping your life around becoming a more skilled artist.

you become better at writing verses, by vriting verses. So keep writing verses for as many hours a day as you can. First place to look for hours are the ones you are now using to sleep. Then the time you spend doing shit, like tv-shows or chilling, then, like me, you'll come to the enevedible point where you'll have to cut contact with your friends to grind on your shit. Later in life, this applyes to familily, wife, kids and grand kids.And it goes on and on til you die.

If this is a life you want for yourself it starts by shaping your daily routine around practices such as, writing, free-styling, making beats, reading dictionary (http://www.vocabulary.com/ - good reasourse).

Good luck, ether dedicate your life to this or something else, or come to peace with being average and die owning the choices you made.

If you're looking for software to find the key of a song I'd recommend KeyFinder.

http://www.ibrahimshaath.co.uk/keyfinder/

It's very easy to use, you just drag in a song.

As for finding the tempo of a track, if you have a "tempo tap" feature in your DAW you could just tap along to the sample and get a decent idea of the tempo. There's also websites for this:

http://www.tempotap.com/

If I'm unable to determine what the key is by ear, or want to confirm for sure, I use this software called KeyFinder.

http://www.ibrahimshaath.co.uk/keyfinder/

It's definitely a really great tool to use and is very helpful. Ultimately I try to train my ear when it comes to these things, and would recommend you do to, but this is still a great resource.

I've collected some links you might find useful:

http://www.pearltrees.com/johnfromberkeley/drums/id11257283

I'm mostly an iOS musician, but most of this is transferable to any musical environment.

Not OP but I really like the look of this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Tula-Mic-Microphone-Recorder-Compatible/dp/B08SYJR67N

Maybe out of your price range, idk, but it has onboard battery and storage and also built-in noise reduction by Klevgrand (I have the Klevgrand Busfri noise reduction plugin and it's magic). Could be perfect for recording on the move.

Mics die just like everything else. It's probably not worth trying to fix. Just search condenser mics on amazon and read specs and reviews. I hear this one is pretty good. https://www.amazon.com/Rode-Anniversary-Condenser-Microphone-Package/dp/B002QAUOKS/ref=sr_1_32?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1515516074&sr=1-32&keywords=condenser+mic

TBH I ended up just copping this without looking around to much. No drum pads :( but I had an amazon gift card so I said fuck it. I figure if it's such a small investment I won't feel bad upgrading in a few months if I need to

Here's a pretty in-depth review

They're also $6 cheaper on Amazon

get an audio interface and monitor speakers. the audio interface will allow you to record any instrument/mic that uses an instrument cable or an XLR cable. make sure you get one with the right amount of inputs u want. if you JUST wanna record vocals, you can get a pretty cheap single-input interface on amazon for like $40. here's a pretty good cheap one that you can also hook monitor speakers up to with the Left and Right outputs in the back. (https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC22-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00FFIGZF6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1519988949&sr=8-8&keywords=behringer+interface). For monitor speakers, I've only ever used KRK rokits. I have the 8" and the 5" ones. Obviously I like the 8" better but the 5" ones are still very accurate and impressive. you can go to a guitar center or whatever and listen to a bunch of different brands though if you wanna hear for yourself before you buy. and if you have any leftover money, save it for after you find out what your ideal production workflow is. i personally use maschine and it does everything i could ever want and more, but it might not work out for you. i'd say the interface and speakers will elevate your game instantly and will lead to producing better quality music.

I have them and they're alright, but I'd recommend you save your money and skip over them to get something better. They have a pretty dark sound, and the clamping makes them get a bit fatiguing. They also don't have much soundstage.

I really like my AKG K240s, because they're kinda the opposite of everything I listed as a shortcoming of the M20Xs. They sound bright because they have more mids and highs, although you may not prefer this (most producers I've met are bassheads LOL). They're not bass heavy by any means, but I've heard that the bass gets much better if you use an amp. I wouldn't know, I'm a pleb with no amp. They're 55 ohms so everything can drive them, but they'd probably be better with more power. They're also really, really light, and have great soundstage.

On Sweetwater

On Amazon

I've been thinking a lot about this recently. I started producing about 2.5 years ago (was only writing and singing vocals before that, with no music theory whatsoever) and I think right about now is the tipping point when I wouldn't be embarrassed to release some stuff. It's scary because whenever I listen to a project from a few weeks before, I can already hear all the things that are wrong with it - instead of beating myself up about it like I used to, I just tell myself that I'm getting better at what I'm doing and that's why it sounds crap now. If you haven't already, read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield to help you get through the self-doubt, I've got some quotes from it on my desktop as a constant reminder to KEEP WORKING!

Besides sampling straight from the turntable, youtube videos help. Also databases that have audio and film are great. Archive is a great place to find all types of stuff. 1960's toothpaste commercials, 1940's marijuana propaganda, etc...

Save up.. do every single paying job u find. Rockville has a 75$ mic that comes with a stand, back panel, all the cords, and pop filter. Qualities good

Creative Commons audio is one source - https://creativecommons.org/about/program-areas/arts-culture/arts-culture-resources/legalmusicforvideos/ or any public domain audio. Just put an hour or so reading and researching it - get familiar with public domain licensing a bit You will have more than enough. gl

It's not really licensing your own stuff per say, but you can copyright your music with the Library of Congress (assuming it isn't currently shutdown and facing a backlog that'll take months to clear) and tell people that they have a Creative Commons license.

CC is basically a group the created a sharing based licensing structure and makes all the legal documents free. Basically it's an easy thing anyone can slap on there works as long as they agree to it, and they have a pretty strong legal document even though they spent approximately $0 on legal services.

I have a midi to usb This going from my mpc to my computer. I select it in my Midi settings but i get no playback in FL.

RETURNING ALL FEEDBACK!

I needed to come out of my comfort zone real bad, so I tried making a trap beat for the first time in my life. It's really simple cause I honestly didn't know where to go with it, I'll grow though. Love to hear what you guys think!

https://clyp.it/ilj2yij3

Looking for people to produce with regularly (preferably in the Greater Toronto Area, but not necessary) and to occasionally (at least once every two weeks) make a hit single with. Only requirements is a quality mic and acceptable lyrics and knowledge of music (I don't mean you have to be able to read music, just know your shit.) If you know how to mix and master that's a bonus (I know how in case you don't.) Most importantly, need to exchange ideas to help each other grow musically, need to step out of my comfort zone.

Here's some of my work.

And this is my most recent track.

Looking forward to a professional relationship.

P.S. Will only be choosing two people.

It's definitely two layers. A choir layer and a synth layer. This is as close as I could get in about 10 minutes. The synth layer isn't quite right. It's a PWM wave with a lowpass filter. Lots of reverb. The choir layer is tricky. For this I'm using an omnisphere patch. The problem is finding a patch that has the same timbre of the vocal from the song. It sounds like a soloist to me, or maybe two voices. Lots of reverb. The volume balance between the two is important as well. This isn't perfect by any means, but hopefully it gets you closer. https://clyp.it/w2ca1whr

Mixing sounds good. The 808s don't feel like the fit in that well with the context of the song but it still sounds good. Flow's good and your voice is alright too. Not bad man! Here's mine

I'm curious as to how you get that bass sound. It's obviously a sub that's been a bit distorted, but it sounds nice as hell. How'd you do that.

You might actually like this track I made today real quick: https://clyp.it/kyq0jv2f

Oh, I know this beat. Mick Jenkins taught me, and I forget the original, but it's tight. A lot of people use this sample, but, wait, are you Australian?!

You sound Aussie! That's rare around here, I'm aussie too. The mix is fine. I'd like the vocals to be a bit crisper, which could be done by emphasising the high ends a bit more. And then, add some slight 1/16 delay on the vocals. SLIGHTLY.

https://clyp.it/kyq0jv2f - here's me as an Aussie making trap.

While I chew on that, here's what I consider to be my first production, the first thing I actually dug up parts for, sampled and sequenced. I have a lot of lost tape experiments and drum programming that I consider to be practice, a lead up, but this was my first 'seriously' undertaken track. Not a DJ mix, not a tape blend, a track.

https://clyp.it/qzlsuyam

I'm gonna listen to your stuff now, but I am going to take it with a grain of salt because some people just have that producer gene in them, like some kids are naturals at football and shit. I think you are suited to this medium, it's in your blood and gives you a massive advantage.