By Joe Connor


As technology advances and home computers become more powerful, the possibilities and capabilities of home recording studios have certainly taken off, notably the popularity of beat making amongst novice musicians. Whether you're a keyboard player who needs some backing tracks, or a hip-hop artist who needs a canvas for his rhymes, creating your own tunes can be simple and worthwhile - and can save you time. I'm going to share some tips and tricks for making beats at home, as well as some questions that you should ask yourself before moving on.

First of all, the major component you will want for beat making at home is a computer system, and I'm going to venture a guess that you presently have one. Now, if your PC is fairly modern you should be fine - but if it is beginning to become slow or to crash often, you may think about upgrading your system because many of the more advanced programs do require a modern system. Which takes us into the first question...

What type of hardware and software do I need to produce beats?

Prior to answering this question, you must consider how far you plan to go in your beat making. No matter how far you plan to take this, the beginning steps are pretty much the same. We've already established that you own a PC. After that, there are numerous hardware devices you can consider adding to your home studio. Mixers, mics, amps, drum machines, keyboards and synths are just a quick idea of some of the types hardware that musicians use to make beats. It sounds hard, and truly, it certainly can be.

The smartest suggestion for most people is to start off with a computer program that copies the abilities of all the hardware that I listed above. There are several choices available depending on your budget, but regardless what your price limit is you will be able to find something worthwhile. A lot of budget programs do not have support for .wav samples, this is something you need to look out for. If they don't support .wav files (or "waves") you won't be getting studio quality sound. There are some lower-priced programs that do, however, have support for .wav so you aren't out of luck! If you cannot tell the difference between bad quality sound, and professional quality sound, that's okay.. You will know the difference shortly! It is also important that your selected software includes a sample library, a library of sounds that you can use to make beats with right away. A drum kit, a sequencer and a mixer are all other things to look for in a beatmaking program. Bear in mind that pricy programs are generally more advanced, as well. It takes some time to learn, since the advanced programs aren't meant for novices. With that in mind, here is the next question that you could be considering.

How long will it take to learn to create beats?

How long it takes depends on which route you take. It will take you a long time to get started making beats if you have a stack of hardware and software to learn to use first.. I suggest beginning with a software program that replicates all the advanced hardcare, it greatly brings down the learning curve. If you choose a complete software package that also has sound libraries with a built-in drum machine and keyboard, it certainly will take a lot less time. As long as it includes some great documentation such as a easy video tutorial, I wouldn't be surprised if a complete novice was able to start work on their first beat nearly immediately. To tell you the truth, it really is not very hard to begin making beats when you own the correct tools.




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