Are you thinking about getting into beat making as a hobby or industry? Well then, you need to know techniques that will help you get a jumpstart. But let us first determine the different tools and equipment for making beats that you need.
Making beats would not be possible without equipment. Most beginners purchase way too much equipment; more than they need to get started. This article identifies the most important pieces of equipment that are essential to start making beats without breaking the bank.
Equipment for making beats that you need to buy first
You can save a lot of money when you identify and purchase first the basic equipment you need to get started. Start small and then gradually increase your equipment as you also gradually develop your experience and knowledge.
Therefore, instead of purchasing all the equipment for making beats at once, begin with the most important basic equipment – the machine which contains software and hardware for making beats. Here is a list of precise equipment for making beats that you need to have first:
Computer
The most important tool for making beats is the computer because it is the center of a beat producing studio. So if you want to conveniently and efficiently make beats, invest in computers that have high technical specs. With slow computers, you will get glitches and hang ups.
Check the specs such as the amount of RAM, internal storage or hard drive space, and the quality or brand of processor. Are you thinking of choosing between Mac and PC? It doesn’t matter which one you choose as long as you are comfortable and will provide you the important specs that you need for making beats.
Headphones
You don’t need to buy expensive headphones in order to produce high quality, good sounding beats. You only need a good pair of headphones which won’t cost as much as $500 and as low as $100. Even a pair of headphones worth $50 will do.
Some beginners are too excited about beat making and they get expensive speakers, sound isolation pads, bass traps, acoustic wall treatments, and more. This set would cost $1000 which is not really necessary if you are a beginner.
Sounds
As a beginner, you need some sounds to create music and use sounds to build beats. You also need music to sample if you want to make sample based music. Digital samples in MP3 and WAV formats are recommended.
Maschine
There is a huge library of sounds that are bundled with Maschine. It is the main tool to make quality beats and create music. You don’t have to purchase it with DAW. As you progress and have more experience in beat making, add DAW such as Ableton, Reason, Pro Tools, and others to Maschine.
VSTs
Virtual Studio Technology or VSTs are software made by third party companies that help you create music. VSTs come in different types – the VST effects and VST instruments. As a beginner, use free VSTs which can help you get started. There are a lot of good quality free VSTs so you won’t have to spend a large amount of money from the beginning.
Other equipment for making beats
When you get the hang of making beats and have more knowledge and skills, you can add more equipment for making beats to improve your studio. The following is equipment for more advanced beat making:
Keyboard controller
A keyboard controller helps you control your VSTs and sounds much easier than controlling them directly on a Maschine with 16 levels. It allows you to add more elements to your beats.
Studio monitors
Studio monitors are helpful equipment to make accurate mixing decisions while making beats and music. A studio monitor, though, needs a significant acoustic treatment so you can get the most out of it. That is why you should wait until you gain more knowledge and experience in making beats before you purchase studio monitor.
Acoustic treatments and bass traps
Acoustic treatment and bass traps help you hear accurately the sounds you make to properly judge your mixing activities. The only way to make sure that you only hear the low end of your tracks is to have a good acoustics treatment in your room. Without acoustic treatments, sound issues such as resonance problems and comb filtering will be a major problem.
