There are four basic components you will need to start making beats. The bigger your budget, the more options these individual components will offer. But keep in mind that sometimes more is not better, so don't get discouraged if your budget is low. The 4 items needed are a computer, speakers, a digital audio workstation (D.A.W) and a midi controller. As I stated above, your options are endless when deciding what gear to use, but the four items mentioned will get you started on your dream to making beats.
Computer: With the price of computers falling everyday, entry into the world of hip hop production is within everyone's reach. As the power of computers increases every day, systems considered powerhouses a few years ago can now be found online for less than $250. Keep in mind that the greater the processing power of your CPU, the more effects and audio tracks you will be able to work with at the same time. I would recommend getting a system with at least a Core 2 Duo processor, 1 gig of ram, and 300 gigs of hard disk storage. If your budget is tight, try searching online auction sites for used laptops which meet the specs above.
Speakers: Look for small, self-powered monitors with RCA or 1/4" input jacks on the back. By self-powered I mean speakers that do not require a separate power amplifier to produce sound. You are more than welcome to use your home stereo system if money is an object. Since many laptops and home computers already have built-in sound cards, the only thing you will be missing is an adapter or wire to connect your computer to the speakers. Although speaker monitors are recommended, headphones will do the trick. But wearing headphones for 3 to 4 hours at a time can get tiring.
Midi Controller: A USB midi controller will allow you to play notes into the computer. This controller can either be in the form of a piano keyboard or a controller with small square pads which can be used to bang out beats. Again, if your funds are low, you can always use your computer keyboard to input notes into the D.A.W. I do recommend at least buying a small 25 key controller since this will allow you experiment with musical ideas easier than trying to type out a melody on a computer keyboard.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): This is the program that will allow you to record and put your musical ideas together. A basic DAW will allow you to use a combination of midi instrument tracks and audio tracks to create beats. Many of today's DAW's have virtual instruments (VST's) with piano and bass sounds that you can use along side drum samples which you place on audio tracks. If you search online, you will find that many high-end DAW's have light versions for free or very little cash. You can also find trail version DAW's for free on DVDs which accompany music production magazines.
As you can see, a basic set-up can run you less than $300. If you have a smart phone and ear buds, you can get into producing hip-hop beats for as little as $10 using any of the many available music production apps. With the power of today's technology costing less and less, your dreams of becoming a hip hop producer are within reach.
Computer: With the price of computers falling everyday, entry into the world of hip hop production is within everyone's reach. As the power of computers increases every day, systems considered powerhouses a few years ago can now be found online for less than $250. Keep in mind that the greater the processing power of your CPU, the more effects and audio tracks you will be able to work with at the same time. I would recommend getting a system with at least a Core 2 Duo processor, 1 gig of ram, and 300 gigs of hard disk storage. If your budget is tight, try searching online auction sites for used laptops which meet the specs above.
Speakers: Look for small, self-powered monitors with RCA or 1/4" input jacks on the back. By self-powered I mean speakers that do not require a separate power amplifier to produce sound. You are more than welcome to use your home stereo system if money is an object. Since many laptops and home computers already have built-in sound cards, the only thing you will be missing is an adapter or wire to connect your computer to the speakers. Although speaker monitors are recommended, headphones will do the trick. But wearing headphones for 3 to 4 hours at a time can get tiring.
Midi Controller: A USB midi controller will allow you to play notes into the computer. This controller can either be in the form of a piano keyboard or a controller with small square pads which can be used to bang out beats. Again, if your funds are low, you can always use your computer keyboard to input notes into the D.A.W. I do recommend at least buying a small 25 key controller since this will allow you experiment with musical ideas easier than trying to type out a melody on a computer keyboard.
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): This is the program that will allow you to record and put your musical ideas together. A basic DAW will allow you to use a combination of midi instrument tracks and audio tracks to create beats. Many of today's DAW's have virtual instruments (VST's) with piano and bass sounds that you can use along side drum samples which you place on audio tracks. If you search online, you will find that many high-end DAW's have light versions for free or very little cash. You can also find trail version DAW's for free on DVDs which accompany music production magazines.
As you can see, a basic set-up can run you less than $300. If you have a smart phone and ear buds, you can get into producing hip-hop beats for as little as $10 using any of the many available music production apps. With the power of today's technology costing less and less, your dreams of becoming a hip hop producer are within reach.
Ernesto Santana has over 20 years experience producing and engineering hip hop tracks and served as a recording engineer in many New York City studios.
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