Music producing software?

[cojak]

I have a confession to make.

I've never played with my computer.

I played the occasional solitaire, but I have no games software.

But having got a you-know-what I'm beginning to have fun with various apps.

So - what to do with something I enjoy?

And then it came to me when I saw this...

So - can anyone suggest what software I can use to make music on my own computer?

Nothing expensive/complicated and it's not for broadcasting outside of my own house.

I used to play guitar many years ago but when I recently went back to it I'd forgotten how to play it and I've lost my cherished song/chord book so I put it back in it's case.

But I can play chopsticks on a piano, if that helps.

There must be something out there that can help the creative stirrings of a musical muppet?

[voodooflux]

Packages I've used (free demos available)...

FL Studio

Ableton

A selection of others...

Reason

Cubase

SONAR Home Studio

Magix Music Maker

Might be worth picking up a copy of Computer Music magazine as they have a full suite of free music production software on the cover disk.

[Ruprect]

I have a confession to make.

I've never played with my computer.

I played the occasional solitaire, but I have no games software.

But having got a you-know-what I'm beginning to have fun with various apps.

So - what to do with something I enjoy?

And then it came to me when I saw this...

So - can anyone suggest what software I can use to make music on my own computer?

Nothing expensive/complicated and it's not for broadcasting outside of my own house.

I used to play guitar many years ago but when I recently went back to it I'd forgotten how to play it and I've lost my cherished song/chord book so I put it back in it's case.

But I can play chopsticks on a piano, if that helps.

There must be something out there that can help the creative stirrings of a musical muppet?

Remember to install little snitch to stop those pesky apps calling home and grassing you up

[Bunk]

It depends what sort of thing you want to do. Cubase is excellent for recording, mixing multi-track recordings and stuff. Reason is awesome for sequencing, samples, synths etc. Both are expensive. FL Studio (or Fruity Loops as it's also known) is fun and quite easy to use but not as powerful as something like Reason, but it is available as a demo to play around with.

Edit: Audacity is a good free recording app.

[cojak]

I already use Audacity for straightforward voice recording, Bunk. I'll look at that.

I guess I just want to make my warblings less terrible and to be able to pad out one-finger tinkling on a cheap keyboard that I haven't got yet.

I'm not after a fully equipped studio - I wouldn't know what to do with it...

(I just want to make a bit of music.. )

[George Parr]

I have a confession to make.

I've never played with my computer.

I played the occasional solitaire, but I have no games software.

But having got a you-know-what I'm beginning to have fun with various apps.

So - what to do with something I enjoy?

And then it came to me when I saw this...

So - can anyone suggest what software I can use to make music on my own computer?

Nothing expensive/complicated and it's not for broadcasting outside of my own house.

I used to play guitar many years ago but when I recently went back to it I'd forgotten how to play it and I've lost my cherished song/chord book so I put it back in it's case.

But I can play chopsticks on a piano, if that helps.

There must be something out there that can help the creative stirrings of a musical muppet?

Personally I'd start with the instument first. A (musical) keyboard invites you to play and create in the way that a PC doesn't IMHO. If you want a low cost way in I'd have a look down at your nearest cash converters for a cheap midi compatible keyboard. Once your creative juices start to flow then you can think about hooking it up to your PC and playing with sequencers etc.

[minestrone]

Cliphead will be the resident expert.

I have cubase and a pretty decent KORG but you can pick up midi controller keyboards for pretty cheap.

Just wish I had more time on my hands, I am actually looking forward to getting benched to get some serious time doing some stuff but there is no sign of that yet.

[Durbs]

FL Studio

Might be worth picking up a copy of Computer Music magazine as they have a full suite of free music production software on the cover disk.

+1 for FL Studio (i used to use it years ago when it was Fruityloops v2 and produced one of the demo tracks that was shipped with it). Its a very slick app and simple to pick up yet very capable when you get under the hood.

Also a good recommendation for Computer Music mag (used to have a page from that framed over trap 2 at home where they reviewed my album!). As voodooflux says, they include some good stuff on the cover disc.

[cojak]

Ta chaps!

I'll take a look in CashConverters at the weekend...

[Cliphead]

Where to start?

I use Sonar Producer as the main application for recording with countless VST plugins and instruments. Outboard I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 box with a couple of condenser mics attached, a CME UF70 keyboard (which has a controller pad), a Yamaha MIDI guitar and a Roland VS2400CD which I sometimes use to record audio and sometimes just use as a controller.

Most sequencing software works the same way, record external audio to a track and / or record MIDI data via a keyboard or controller.

For instance I might try some ideas with the keyboard so that gets a MIDI track recorded. I then assign a VST instrument to that so I get a high quality sampled sound like a Steinway piano (it could be anything I have samples for). I then render that track as audio and add effects like reverb etc.

I might simply record live guitar and vocals then add via MIDI bass, drums, strings and so on gradually building up the layers till I have a finished piece.

I also occasionally use Sibelius which is a score writer, add the dots to the stave as you would writing music with pen and paper. I then export the MIDI file, open up in Sonar and repeat the above.

Unless you want to play with loops which are just little slices of pre-recorded music that you can stitch together the above processes will be similar regardless of the software you choose to run.

Not cheap but you could run with Reason which I use occasionally, easy to use and has lots of great quality sounds but no VST support.

Or get a cheap mic and play with this;

Songsmith

Choose a style and sing, it creates an accompaniment for you. Cheesy but fun