Ok, what all am I going to need if I want to seriously start making some trance music?

I've already bought Rick Snomen's dance music manual and read all that applies to me. I've still got the demo version of FL studio but I'm hearing that programs like cubase are better. So, I'm still trying to figure out which program/s to go with. Also - will I need any hardware (midi keyboard, etc)?

This post was edited by Aimed_Shot on Mar 2 2009 04:37pm

get Reason or Cubase. cubase is much less limited than Reason, but it is also much harder to learn how to use.


as for hardware, no you don't need any, its optional. If you don't have a good sound card / good speakers/headphones, get them.

Prices are rough on both programs. Hmm...

lol.

www.warez-bb.org

Good man.

Alright first of all - don't completely disregard FL Studio. I realise you have just the demo but the full program is a little workhorse and can easily be compared to most of the other "big" programs out there. You'd just need to invest in a few soft synths but you would have to regardless.

If you're willing to spend some money on it you should purchase Vanguard by reFX, it is one of the most essential soft synths for house/trance/electronic dance music in general. Unfortunately it retails for some $350 USD so just use a torrent/warez website Great little thing though.

Hardware isn't really necessary like the guy above me said but I have to put emphasis on how important soundcard/speakers are, especially monitor speakers. Of course you can make music without them, I used to use headphones for a long time surprisingly but I was quite used to them. Monitor speakers are one of the (if not) most important piece of equipment you will find when it comes to making any type of music. You will be able to notice things in songs that you never noticed before, truly a required item for any serious musician. Though they do retail for a fucking shitload so it's understandable if you can't get them right away/opt not to.

I don't make trance myself but I do delve into the genre and similar ones from time to time but you should also try to find a few sample packs - The Vengeance Essential House sample CDs have some of the best quality sounds I've heard, great range of sounds for drums and various other effects and percussion. Once again you could probably torrent it or something, not sure.

sennheiser HD280 pro headphones. $99 USD

So sample cd's have sounds that I can use in my tracks?


Hah, found both the vengeance essential samples and Vanguard on a warez site. Thanks.

This post was edited by Aimed_Shot on Mar 3 2009 09:50pm

Sample CDs will be useful for kicks, percussive instruments, etc. You can even get sample packs with copyright free (be sure to check this as well if you are planning on doing it for purposes involving monetary gain) sounds such as bass melodies, leads, etc. I don't normally use the melodies but I often sample kicks and snares from cds like that.