/muprod/ - Electronic Music Production

Oh also, in that vein, where is a good place to go to get free percussion and other audio samples? Free, preferably, but I know a lot of that stuff you have to pay for.

Hardware is not required at all, the only stuff I would recommend is a sound card (mines external) and studio monitors (speakers). But I didnt have those starting out, so theyre not essential for a beginner.
I also have a hardware synth (a virus TI2) but software synths these days are awesome, and if you want, just pirate everything, VSTs are expensive, and if you just want to do this for fun, pirate away.

I usually go to piratebay or something similar and pick up sample packs, like the Vengeance ones, then of course add extra processing and layers different elements together to achieve different sounds. If you know of any sample packs that are paid, just find torrents for them

A really popular beginner synth is sylenth1, as well as Zeta and Zebra2.

Also keyboards are a necessity, but merely a convenience, so dont worry about it. Most, if not all, DAWs support yourm computer keyboard as a midi keyboard, so you just hit letters and notes play. I hardly use my keyboard when I write my music.

>>45
No NI Massive?

And answering OP's question, I've managed fine without, you could get away with any half-decent headphones so long as the frequency response isn't too fucked.

>>48
Yeah I use massive, but I use my virus for most things

>>43
bro all I have is my laptop, a daw, and a shitload of sample packs from torrents. First learn your daw play with it, as you progress you start adding things like keyboards/pads/etc… One thing I would highly recommend to get first are good headphones/speakers, everything else comes after.

NI Massive used to be my main synth but now I used a lot Sylenth1 and Reveal Sound's Spire

This is kind of off-topic, but has anyone here tried the Ableton Push?

I'm considering whether or not it's worth the cost for one as an FL Studio fag who's done everything by mouse and keyboard for years and can't physically play an instrument.

>>297
Neber used ableton Push, but im pretty sure its not a replacement for mouse/keyboard. You still need those for composition and arrangement. Push is just a sample pad

>>300
From what I've heard you barely even need to touch your mouse and keyboard at all with the Push.

Since I wrote that post, I ended up buying a $50, 26-key MIDI controller and it seems to have ended my creative drought.