What are /r/trapproduction's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Going to add this one for honorable mention, as it's the only production book I have read. I also have had the opportunity to meet and learn from the author a few times. Definitely filled with professional knowledge.

Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: The producers guide to harmony, chord progressions, and song structure in the MIDI grid. https://www.amazon.com/dp/069209329X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_v-qrCb79X50V8

I uploaded the horns/brass from the All Trap Music sample pack for you, there's some that are close to the HudMo style brass you're after if you manipulate them a little bit. Throw them in a sampler and give them a try:

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/k3rqd2kee6c97/Brass

In short, they suck. The reason is that all headphones have an internal equalization that adjusts the audio signal. The issue with the beats is that they boost bass and mid tones. If you were to use it while producing, you’ll find that your tracks will sound like shit on other speakers, because your beats don’t have a balanced audio signal.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/beats/studio-3-wireless

TO BE FAIR, use what you got. But you will forever be frustrated with how your tracks sound on other speakers if you use beats. You want headphones with a flat audio signal, meaning they don’t boost anything and give you the cleanest signal possible.

Here’s the industry standard pair. They’re $100 and give you a nice, flat audio signal that will help you produce the best sound across the majority of speaker systems.

Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone (International Model) No Warranty https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EJVYN3K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MgAvDbKXDBBVQ

I pretty much always have at least 5 songs or beats with potential that I'm working on so I can switch between them whenever that block hits me. This helps a lot with motivation, because you aren't necessarily creating something new which could take your interest off the other project, you are just switching that energy to another project you have the same motivation for, you just lost it for the other cause you have been working on the same section for 6 hours.

Also read some self help books as well! Recently read, "The War of Art" by Steve Pressfield, I'd suggest any creative mind to read this as it puts a lot of things into perspective, especially when it comes to creative motivation and work ethic. One quote from the book that sticks with me is, "I only work when I feel inspired... fortunately for me my inspiration comes every day at 9am sharp".

This was posted in a thread similar to this a while ago. While hey-anon's comment is true (yet lazy as fuck c'mon dude) these should help hugely. I'm pretty sure the Brass sample in the song you linked is in here as well, enjoy.

Done. Here's a sample. The rest of it would be pretty easy to do if you mean you want a copy of EXACTLY the intro he did in his set.

edit: aka i made the intro to the original as a proof of concept b/c i'm not sure what you're asking for.

https://clyp.it/bansvipa

Not sure there's a best vst, as a lot of synths are unique in their own way. Serum and massive are the obvious answer, but I like to use wavetable in ableton. For a free vst option try Helm.

'Music theory for computer musicians' It teaches the theory behind harmony and melody.

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034#:~:text=Music%20Theory%20for%20Computer%20Musicians%20explains%20these%20music%20theory%20fundamentals,simple%20and%20accessible%20way%20possible.&text=truly%20professional%20tracks.-,Beneath%20all%20the%20enormously%20different%20styles%20of%20modern%20electronic%20music,kind%20of%20music%20you%20write.

As far as playing goes, there's no substitute for putting your hands on keys as often as you can. Try learning songs you like.

https://sellfy.com/user/analytics/61454498360ef7a0f2957b86

heres a DL link i've put it up for £2 because i'm broke as fuck and it took me a very long time

Alright, finally got 15 minutes to myself to mess around. Here's what I got

It's not perfect, but it's something. If you use Massive, here's a link to the nmsv file

Basically what I did was I found this preset called "Chinese Banjo", which had a real nice pluck sound to it. I then added three more oscillators, a square wave, a sqr-swl wave and a modern talking osc.

I routed the amplitude of all three through the same Envelope as the pluck to give it that nice quick sound, and I messed around with the release a bit to get it to sound right. I also made sure it was monophonic and allowed for a slight glide between notes for a more guitar/string feel.

Sorry if this isn't the clearest post ever. I've really just started experimenting with sound design and I'm not good at explaining what I've done. It's a lot of trial and error.

Lemme know if you have any questions and feel free to use that preset if you'd like.

EDIT: My synth is definitely lacking the higher end and the grit that's in your two examples. I'd bump the square osc up an octave and through a compressor on it. A low cut filter would help too

Anyone else having an issue getting uTorrent or bittorrent to download this? Freezes and crashes before I'm able to choose what packs to actually download. Any help would be much appreciated!

edit : was able to get it going using Deluge

freesound has a pretty good collection. You need to sign up to download anything, but it's definitely worth it if you're looking for an extensive collection of crowdgathered samples for almost anything in the long run.

I got this by layering a synth with two sine waves at different octaves, a woodblock, and a piano. All have soft attacks, lots of reverb, and are lowpassed. The link has all of them together, then the synth, then the woodblock, and then the piano, so you can hear all of the layers.

That’s an interesting idea, I’ll look into it! Signing up for the newsletter/follow page on Gumroad would be the best place! Anytime I release something new it’s through there, so if someone has bought a plugin in the past I’ll blast any information pertaining to anything new out to everyone’s email! https://gumroad.com/technoir

Upload the soundcloud as private link is a pretty long winded process. There must be some converters out there for this purpose.

I found this but it's for windows so I couldn't check it out.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Other-AUDIO-Tools/MP3-Quality-Modifier.shtml#download

Here's one I have of it. It has a hi-hat layered on top of it, depending on the context you want to use it in, you might be fine with just eqing out the undesired frequencies and let the other instruments/drums or whatever layers cover up the rest. In the Lido and Sampul song, the hat is definitely there.

Not in the least. And to be honest, if you're just starting producing, Massive is not the place to start IMO. FM synths tend to be unintuitive to program and can be frustrating if you don't know what you're doing. It'd be far better to start with a simple additive or subtractive synth, and fully learn that and how synthesis actually works. A good start would be Synth1 or ZynAddSubFX.

I got myself Ableton 11 Standard this year for my music production. At the end I found myself doing a lot more then just music production. Live 11 Standard will be good enough for anything. Mixing, mastering, recording vocals, recording live instruments you name it.

Live 11 Standard comes with all the tools and instruments you need for a start. I highly recommended getting it and if you ever feel the need you need more you can easily upgrade from Standard to Suite.

You can compare all the Live Editions here:

https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/

>https://vidiq.com/?utm\_campaign=888124036&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_content=352849081631&utm\_term=vidiq&adgroupid=47244899689&aff=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2PP1BRCiARIsAEqv-pRQkYlQL1shcPlhA1o\_r3wYsDuG0GvqyFvsGKleS...

this is really helpful, thanks

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50xBT-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B07HKVCVSY

These are actually $180, but they’re the only legitimate studio headphones I know of that have a wireless version. If you were able to save up a little more I doubt you’d be disappointed in sound quality.

Just be aware that Bluetooth will always induce latency (sometimes up to 100-300 milliseconds which when trying to say, play on a keyboard or drum pads can make it awkward to play since there is a noticeable delay between hitting the key or pad and hearing the sound), so if you’re trying to do live recording or playing it could get finicky, so make of that what you will

And just FYI, the wired version of these headphones are exactly $150

I bought a USB hub that has its own 5v 2amp power source on Amazon.

And this solved the problem for me.

​

Self Powered USB Hub.

Mack

hard bro I believe this to be my best work thus far. feel free to judge my other stuff on soundcloud as well, looking for as much constructive criticism as possible. https://soundcloud.com/s_m_o_k_e

I got this by taking a square wave, adding a pitch envelope to make it start high and quickly drop to give it a slight attack, lowpass, delays synced to the beat, reverb for space.

Find an acapella of the song (or make one if an official instrumental is available).

Make your own beat to the song (in the same key/bpm).

After the intro/main vocals, make a breakdown & buildup; buildup usually consists of a kick and/or clap, a riser (white noise sweep), and (usually) ever bar, they get faster and faster.

Here's an example of a shitty drop I made to demonstrate for you (Not sure if this is the type of trap you are making)

Drops usually last for 16 bars, buildups sometimes last for 8-16.

Of course, be creative, and if you are making this type of trap (EDM Trap), make something people can dance to :)

EDIT: Just wanted to add: a bit of silence before a drop creates tension and gives it the impression that it hit a lot harder than it did. (Example: Most CRAY songs)

I'm looking for somebody to help me collaborate on this Adele remix I'm working on. I was gonna do it on my own, but I figured a collab would be cool. Lemme know https://clyp.it/xqm2ik3l

https://soundcloud.com/ballasbeats

According to the website for your model that USB port is just for dumping audio recordings to your phone. To use it like a midi controller you’ll want to connect to the USB Type B jack on the back of the keyboard using a cord like this

MeloAudio USB 2.0 Cable Type B to Midi Cable OTG Cable Compatible with iOS Devices to Midi Controller, Electronic Music Instrument, Midi Keyboard, Recording Audio Interface, USB Microphone, 5FT https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FLWN6G4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_JVVVGAW0MBRVD7K85FJZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I as this problem when I purchased some new monitors last year. I paid £20 for the Behringer Hum Destroyer and it solved the issue. It was signal noise.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000KUD2G4/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_NKVZ162PJDH6AFQP1DF2?psc=1

I got this one

https://www.amazon.com/Novation-Launchkey-Keyboard-Controller-Ableton/dp/B00VVK275Y

Like 5 years ago which started my production journey, probably used it for like 500+ projects and still works great! It comes with Ableton lite too and Ableton still my DAW to this day.

i do. this one

In the Runaway song i feel like maybe messing around with the sub and taking it out at some parts during the drop maybe could make it a bit more interesting. The drums before the drop i think could feel nice with this sorta pattern if you know what i mean? I really like what you did with bringing in the second drop delaying it, some more variation with the hi hats would be nice and maybe some panning.

Okay, so I know this track is not "Trap production". But in Wiz Khalifa's track "See You Again", there is this "Yup" vocal sample throughout the track.

I never thought anything of it, until I heard it again in this song: https://youtu.be/-4h7XT1JNwk?t=42s (@ 0:42)

So now, I'm curious to what the source is. I was able to isolate it from the second track, you can DL that below if you want, it's usable. But more than anything, I want to know the source. Is it from a sample pack? or sampled from an old song?

Any ideas??

Here is mine that I cut and processed: Chop Vox (Processed)

Thanks for this method, never did it this way. Ways I did were with the Ableton's saturator with soft clipping enabled and just simply overcompressing and letting certain sounds clip (like a kick or snare) and try to make it sound good.

Btw, I tried this method and uploaded an example .als and audio clip. The difference is noticable but not you have to listen closely, hope I did it the right way.

-- this is not a song or w/e just trying out this method lmao

Audio: https://clyp.it/dj0vjyae || .als Project File: http://www93.zippyshare.com/v/wlRLqa57/file.html

Aaliyah - Quit Hatin' at 2:19

also sampled by A$AP Rocky in Fuckin Problems

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/192313/A$AP-Rocky-Drake-2-Chainz-Kendrick-Lamar-Fuckin%27-Problems-Aaliyah-Quit-Hatin%27/

https://www.mediafire.com/?2vjk61kjguhep42 Hoping to get some feedback on a track i'm working on. It's nothing fancy but i certainly think i'm onto something here. Never really produced trap music before Feedback

Here's my go at the first one (I literally made this while on the toilet, so it's not the best)

Here is the Massive .nsmv

It's not really the same thing, but it's a similar sound. Basically what makes that sound so unique is the fact that the synth has multiple voices with a slight detuning (similar to a Super Saw). Since it's not a saw wave, the dissonance is much more audible giving it that weird feel. Check the voicing panel in Massive and play around there.

I'll play around with this more later and try and get a more legitimate replication of it for you and go more into detail of what this synth is.

This is the one I use. I have an older Mac. Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub, Ultra-Slim Data USB Hub with 2 ft Extended Cable [Charging Not Supported], for MacBook, Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Surface Pro, XPS, PC, Flash Drive, Mobile HDD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L32B9C2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_6WB1D8N78D1KQFM1P089

thanks, do you think this would be ok for the midi keyboard https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-MacBook-PowerExpand-Thunderbolt-Delivery-Gray/dp/B07YZ48HCT/ref=sr_1_21?geniuslink=true&keywords=anker+ah241+usb+3+0+aluminum+13+port+hub+5v+2+1a+smart+charging+port+with+12v+5a+power+adapter&qid=1640811334&sr=8-21

Howcome the folks here think that I cannot see my subs? I solely watch my subscriptions. The google search algorithm shows how to check your YouTube subscriptions.

How to see your subscription feed on YouTube.

Came up with this idea, not sure if it works, but not sure how to make it work either. https://clyp.it/unnjl0at

Feedback

Here are 12 Big Room/Festival Kicks I found online a while ago. Maybe they will help you out. You could always try layering a few kicks together and EQing out the frequencies you don't want, then compressing them to glue them together. Then bounce them all out to one audio file, so you can add it to your sample library.

Toronto's Very Own Drumkit 808 glides slides Download Here! https://sellfy.com/p/YH8T/ Inspired by Eestbound, Wondergurl, Drake, Future, ASAP Rocky, Roy Woods, Francisgotheat, PND, Travis Scott and much more! 58 Tuned 808’s 14 Claps 205 FX’s 10 hihats 26 Kicks 16 Percussion’s 30 Snares 47 High Quality Vox’s Toronto’s Very Own Drum Kit Extremely High Quality Tuned EQ Product. Professionally Audio Engineered. Thank you!

mr carmack uses many snares, mostly layered and/or EQ'd snares that you can find in any old pack. let me link you to some of the mr carmack packs i made. https://sellfy.com/p/o1ha/ lmk if u want it for free

Idk if you made the beat or you’re the one singing but the vocals are clean and the singing is good the mix is decent too I just feel like the beat has too much going on but he still killed it. https://www.bandlab.com/revisions/39d4f4a9-8d90-eb11-85aa-0050f28a50ba?sharedKey=8iyV5-N3Kk60iKLowsDeAg can you give me some feedback on the remix I did on staring at the sky by x

The mix is clean and the drums hit hard. I love the vocal chops you added at the background they make it even better you just need somebody to kill it man. https://www.bandlab.com/revisions/39d4f4a9-8d90-eb11-85aa-0050f28a50ba?sharedKey=8iyV5-N3Kk60iKLowsDeAg can you give me some feedback on the remix I did on staring at the sky by x

Lol. Same thing with me. Started in summer 2011. Was a middle schooler. Thought i would be the next skrillex. I cringe listening to my old music. Here's my absolute BEST track from that time. https://clyp.it/42hktwco

Don't even know how i still have it since i've switched computers/clean installed OS's so much

does anybody think they could crack the code to creating this bass, and if so in ableton's operator? would a saturator need to be added or could it all be done in operator, like with the shaper?

https://clyp.it/cosbfoc1 <-- bass in question

https://clyp.it/cdd25d5e <-- i can recreate the pattern and low end with Operator, but there's something going on in the lower octaves in the original song that i just can't seem to figure out.

any thoughts would be appreciated.

IIRC, you just unpack it into a folder somewhere on your drive. Then, run a Powershell window in the folder you unpacked it to. I already had Python and Tensorflow installed so it works through command line.

https://github.com/deezer/spleeter - is the repo. They have instructions on installing it.

Enter this in Powershell:

spleeter separate -i spleeter/audio_example.mp3 -p spleeter:2stems -o output

replacing "audio_example" with the name of the mp3 you want to split.

It will input the sound file you specified in the spleeter folder, process it with tensorflow, then output two separate files into the output folder.

I believe they offer a free 30 day trial. The software itself is priced at $99 for the basic &quot;Intro&quot; package which features a number of restrictions not present in the more expensive versions.

Here is a comparison chart that shows the differences between the different price points.

https://vidiq.com/?utm_campaign=888124036&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_content=352849081631&amp;utm_term=vidiq&amp;adgroupid=47244899689&amp;aff=&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw2PP1BRCiARIsAEqv-pRQkYlQL1shcPlhA1o_r3wYsDuG0GvqyFvsGKleSSTqVqk...

Not sure how viable this will be for your setup, but I use Resilio Sync to back everything up automatically. I work on a few different computers, so I get Sync to make sure the important files are all up to date. If this isn't an option, you should do some research into automatically backing up to a HDD, so that the folder you're working in backs up to a HDD every half hour or so.

This is embarrassing as fuck to post again.

I need to recreate this GarageBand sample that I included in a track I made in high school.

Song is here:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=1149248&amp;songID=10299250

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I'm trying to actually finish a project now, and need to redo this song as part of it.

/b/ told me this was trap

So here it is.

The best option in that price range are IK iloud Micro Monitors. They are very compact yet extremely neutral and clear and have gotten extremely good reviews from professional producers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPMTJnHwjWg

https://www.amazon.com/IK-Multimedia-Monitors-ultra-compact-bluetooth/dp/B01C5RZWCQ

There's an awesome book I've got about chords:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Piano-Chords-Progressions-Backdoor-Exciting/dp/0912732687/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&amp;keywords=piano+chords+book&amp;qid=1634554906&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-18

Honestly amazing, breaks down all the chords in diagrams, how to play them and then also goes on to talk about chord progressions in the back of the book.

I really can't speak to this brand but I think for that price and what it offers it won't be as good as you can do elsewhere.

Bluetooth is a big no for music production so paying for it is a waste. It's passable for playback but even then, the audiophile crowd would roll their eyes.

Reputable driver and speaker brands should be your first look. Most new headphone companies are repackaging cheap drivers and if it sounds too good to be true it is.

Even the cheaper models from known brands will be better in the long run than some hyped budget headphone company.

These sennheisers stood out in that price range but that's all I can say. Everyone's ears are different but anyone selling headphones for half of what they look like they costs is suspect.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NFQ9FQQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_QJHJCYN06N4EF208XRYK

A quick google search gives fell well rated books such as this one

However world is changing rapidly and the music business is no exception. Physical sales are low and streams are not good income sources. More artists are franchising, making royalties from not only their sound but also their face. Maybe there are newer books but imo advice on youtube is much more useful. just one example bout social platform promotion

Looks good man! I have the same keyboard, it's a beast! If I were you I would grab some of these boxes for those wires.. I just picked up this brand and am happy, but anything similar should do the trick:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085ZC1KZL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

I got one of those lumbar support attachments for any chair that costed me like 15 bucks on amazon and it has made my days and my posture a lot better.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074TW2YXF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HdAmFbXXMBFZ6

Komplete Kontrol is Godly for coming up with melodies since it has chord/scale mode, an arpegiator, etc.

Those features are only available in the included software, but you can easily export the melodies you come up with into FL studio, or even just drag and drop the midi files right into the piano roll. That's what I do.

https://www.amazon.com/Native-Instruments-Komplete-Controller-Keyboard/dp/B07N2VQ1NH/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=komplete+kontrol&amp;qid=1594061535&amp;sr=8-1

$139 on Amazon. Quick note: Do NOT buy anything used from Native Instruments unless you already have the software. People always run into software/license related issues when they do that.

Thanks, do you think I should get Saramonic SmartRig+ 2-Channel XLR/3.5mm Microphone Audio Mixer with Phantom Power Preamp & Guitar Interface for DSLR Cameras, Camcorders, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Android Smartphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GS41ZX7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_SIR.Db43QXWC2

Or

Focusrite Scarlett Solo (3rd Gen) USB Audio Interface with Pro Tools | First https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QR6Z1JB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nKR.Db3NBNWX9

Definitely upgrade to some reference headphones, you don’t even know what you’re missing. It’s like watching a movie on your phone screen vs on a big 4k tv (and maybe in that case a well treated studio is like a movie theater). In cheap ear buds, you get tinny highs, muddy mids and shitty bass/no sub.

Speakers can be good, and decent reference monitors can be pretty reasonably priced, but monitors aren’t very helpful if the space you’re working in hasn’t been treated properly. If you’re in a small room with no sound dampening, the audio can bounce around the room and cancel itself out, making sound design and mixing very difficult or impossible. In my opinion, headphones are the way to go unless you can afford a proper studio monitor setup.

I definitely second the vote for Audio Technica M50X. Best headphones for the money in my opinion. There are a lot of good headphones out there though, search this sub I’m sure there have been discussions about it before

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GEaNDbSXX7Q0Z

Aight. Get this, and get this. Get some speaker stands as well, and boom--you done. All of those things you'll be able to take wherever you go, and your body will thank you. Your neighbors won't mind either. If you live not on the ground floor you could invest in some speaker stands that allow you to fill the tube--put a bunch of sand in it, it'll help decouple the speaker from the ground. Gonna be a real pain to move those though.

I know they are the least flashy, not very sexy upgrade items but trust me these are what you want.

EDIT: Oh and be sure to set up your room so your desk is in the center of the short side of the wall (you want the speakers "shooting down the room", so they should be projecting down the longer sided walls. Put the speakers on the small wall that has the least number of adjoining rooms and try to get it at least 1.5ft away from wall. Place the acoustic panels as directed.

It will blow your fucking mind how different the sound is.

I currently have a wd elements 500gb and it’s not enough storage for me. Part of the reason why I want to get another is just to be safe and back up my data twice and another reason is to have more space so I can get more stuff. I was looking at the LaCie Mini rugged 2TB. Any thoughts?? LaCie STFR2000800 2 TB Rugged Mini USB 3.1 (USB-C + USB 3.0) Portable 2.5 Inch Shock, Drop and Crush Resistant External Hard Drive for PC and Mac https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N99Q637/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G-R2BbVKR30J9

Sony MDR-7506

Industry standard. Great quality. Very fairly priced. Very flat tone. You'll want a flat tone to understand how the tracks ACTUALLY sound without headphones that are meant for enjoying music to interfere. That can be misleading.

Cons: They do get very hot after a while (a lot of monitors do). They are a bit low on the base end as others mentioned. They also can hurt your ears after a while since they're a pretty tight fit.

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1531312854&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=sony+mdr+7506

this is good becuase it has 1tb hd and you can upgrade it for $50 more and its on sale atm too, also has a good CPU and GPU for the price as a laptop so this will serve you well! https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-Gaming-15-6-Inch-Screen/dp/B071JPYP1Z/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=laptopunderbudget-20&amp;linkId=f6cb71e9f1396ed2a49306644925b3e6

If you can afford it you should really get an audio interface, Scarlett Solo is probably the best entry-level choice.

Then you can plug in and record from any mic OR guitar, synth, outboard mixer, etc. Using the interface as your audio device will also greatly reduce latency as you use plugins, MIDI controllers, etc.

You'll have a way better quality of life than if you just get a budget mic with onboard digital recording (e.g. H4N Pro, which is also a good product but better suited for field or band-practice recording).

Always have your files on a separate hard drive as a backup. Years of work can be lost in a flash. Get a standard external drive and keep a backup of all your files there.

To expand the space on your computer I would get one of those USB 3.0 cruiser flash drives

SanDisk Ultra 128GB Dual Drive m3.0 for Android Devices and Computers (SDDD3-128G-G46) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0QR22B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4S3ozbTJ5HD22

This stays in the USB port without Velcro, etc. I don't like the idea of velcroing a hard drive to my computer, too much can go wrong.

What's your budget? The Numark PT01 USB may be one to consider.

LSR305s are probably the best bang for your buck, but if you're really on a budget get the Samson Studio GT.

= However, I own HS80Ms ONLY because they had considerably better low-frequency flat response. If I never produced music that focused deeply on the bass, I would've OPted for the JBLs or the Samson monitors

Start by learning what scales and keys are then get to chords. After that learn chord progressions with this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kekstudio.chordprogressionmaster

That's just how I did it but I think it makes sense in that order.

Thanks man! It's called Caustic 3. Here's the link for it https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.singlecellsoftware.caustic It's pretty nice. You can use your own sample packs from your phone storage/sd card, download presets, use soundfonts, sidechain, automate everything.. Basically fully functional.