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Underground > Radio & Music >

How Do You Make Music on Your PC?

02:08 / 22.02.04

how do you make music in your PC, fellas? I've heard from a musitian friend that connecting your keyboard to the computer's MIDI and then toying with the tunes/editing the whole thing with a suite. I've heard of Cubase, Modplug Tracker, Logic Reason etc.

I don't own a keyboard and would like to use my PC's as a music keyboard. I've downloaded stuff like Sweet Piano to shitty results. so, what's best to do with a 6G HD and 240 processor? =/

08:54 / 22.02.04

Seriously: you're not going to get very far with a 240mhz processor. If you're basically wanting to play notes on your keyboard and hear them come out of the PC - especially in real time - I'd say it's almost not going to happen. It's the whole 'realtime' thing where problems emerge. To negate latency, you need a fast computer with lots of memory.

I mean, you don't need a keyboard, and can happily work in step sequencers like those in Fruity Loops... but even some of the effects/synthesizers in that will chew up processor.

Basically: software-based music is a system hog. That said, you can probably do quite a bit on, say, a 600mhz system with about 128 memory. Reason is quite clever in the way it negates latency, mainly because it works with quite low-CPU instruments. It's also £200. And I'm not a very big advocate of downloading music software illegally.

Oh, and using a text-keyboard as a musical keyboard is a nono. It's just spidery and wrong - no velocity, for a start. Seriously, an external USB or MIDI thing is about £50 up these days. I am sure you're trying to do things on a budget, but sometimes you can't cut corners, you know? Not everything on computers is free.

If you want more detailed advice or have more detailed questions, feel free to PM me.

18:27 / 22.02.04

I may have researched badly my PC configuration: guess 240 is my RAM memory, not my processor, which is 500 or 600. a cheap used keyboard player is on top of my buying list - it seems I can't scape from this and I always wanted to own one anyway. thanks a lot for the tips, Pale!

at the scarwash

19:38 / 22.02.04

To through another shell around this matrioska of a topic, here is a link to a thread that contains a like to a thread that contains a link to a thread wherein some things pertaining to this topic have been discussed.

All Acting Regiment

20:38 / 22.02.04

Try the free version of Anvil Studio. (google for it)

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

22:37 / 22.02.04

I've "borrowed" reason for a while, but since I worked out how to use it, I'm thinking of buying it. Won't be for another couple of months. Great program, like

Phex: Dorset Doom

23:29 / 22.02.04

Yeah, I've got 'borrowed' versions of Reason, Cubase, Abelton Live, Cool-edit Pro, Acid 4... I'm the music software industry's worst enemy... a man on the edge...
Using all of above I've managed to put together about forty-minutes of stuff that sounds pretty damn good, all without any musical knowledge. In fact somebody's downloading it from Soulseek right now.
To get started first you'll need a better PC. Alternatively an older Amiga or Atari ST might be the ultra-ultra-budget option (don't discount it though, there's a lot of songs out there made on the old 16-bit workhorses.)
If money is no object, then buy a mid-range system (2200-2500 mHz, 512 Ram, largish hard disk, CD-burner.) then invest in:
A) A second hard-disk. It doesn't have to be huge, just enough to store your sequencer (programs like Cubase that allow you to string together Midi data and audio samples) and VST instruments (or 'soft-synths', basically non-physical versions of the £600+ synthesisers and samplers, mostly free off the internet). This prevents a lot of problems with crashing and latency.
B) A soundcard. Most soundcards that come with PCs don't let you connect up much beyond headphones into the 6.35mm jack. If you're planning on plugging in something like a guitar or mike then you'll need the 3.5 connections.
C) A MIDI keyboard. You can get these on Digitalsystems.com, or pretty much anywhere that sells music stuff. Shop around. Get one with USB connections, if you just get MIDI connectors then you're pretty much screwed.
Then add a sequencer, the freebie sequencer on the front of Britain's 'Computer Music' magazine is a good starter, and then you can make music.
Or if money is REALLY-REALLY no object:
A) A vintage Les Paul.
B) A stack of Marshall amps the size of an aircraft carrier.
Then you can THRASH IT UP.