What Do You Make Your Beats With?

[TonyBelmont]

What are you sequencing your tracks with???

[cajonezzz]

I make my beats with a drum kit dammit!

[halfguard]

i do all my sequencing in ptle. im about 3/4 midi and the rest straight audio. id like to get it to only the drums with midi, and the rest all audio. i use a

fantom s
reason (with sonic refils)
reaktor
imposcar
micro q
emu xl lead

[Stoneface]

I think I remember a thread like this...same problem though...wish I could choose more than one.

Performer
MPC
Fantom X
Motif

Performer is really my big dog for midi. But I use the others equally. Will sit down at any of them and bang out ideas, bring them into performer and combine them all.

[elephantaman37]

Have to list other,
although I use a combination of mpc, cubase, gigastudio...
for the most part I use a relatively unheard of program that you can get free of the
net called buzz.
many of my friends diss me for using this, the usually quotations include, but are not limited to: "your an idiot, that's going to completely negate all the high quality gear your using, your an idiot, that program sux, and your an idiot."
I find the program is limitless unlike fruity loops and sonar, you have the ability to expand upon the expansions of your original idea and use a combination of soundfonts, mp3 input, wav files, original synths, midi support, sequencing, tracking, wav. table, and oh yea even vst support.

I like being able to get quality results outta stuff people tell me is garbage.
just a lil' man complex I guess.

[rickrock305]

well i start with an MPC1000, a 5080, and a TR Rack. Then i track that into Logic for overdubbng with some of the software instruments. Then all that gets ported over to Pro Tools for editing, tracking vocals, mixing, pretty much everything else.

[Stoneface]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

What are you sequencing your tracks with???

What do you make your beats with?

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by Stoneface

What do you make your beats with?

I sequence with Cubase SX3 or Logic mostly.

[XHipHop]

I'm a logic man, myself. I couldn't ignore all the integrated instruments and the strong midi capabilities so I switched from a PT Mix+ rig when Logic 6 came out.

[Stoneface]

I bought Logic, some years ago and tried to step up from some early versions of Performer and master tracks. The manual is like a NY phone book and the interface sucks. (No offense) I just couldn't get into it and turned around and sold it. I have no doubt that it is the most powerful of all the software based sequencers but the learning curve... DP4 is just so straight forward, learning curve is minimal and it keeps me doing what I do..making music.

Whatever works...

[XHipHop]

Stoneface, I'm def. not a fan of Logic's (earlier) manuals. If you get your head around the environment, then you can just jump in and reference the manual when you need it. They seemed to have cleaned up the manuals now since they got bought out by apple. I also bought some official training guide book from apple that helped me out on one or two things...

Digital Peformer is a nice setup though... I probably would've switched to DP but they didn't support Audio Units at the time, so i went with Logic.

Live 5 has me REALLY curious...

[scruffydog]

Logic and Ex24 sampler..perhaps a little bit of AkaiS3000 from my library and also sometimes sample through EMU SP1200..most things end up in EX24 land.

[blayz2002]

Battery 2 and Logic..with quantizing comming from some MPC groove templates.

[digiman]

Originally Posted by XHipHop

I'm a logic man, myself. I couldn't ignore all the integrated instruments and the strong midi capabilities so I switched from a PT Mix+ rig when Logic 6 came out.

I'm a Logic man too. I started out in the MPC arena. Yeah I too got caught up in the mythical "MPC feel/swing" hype. Although I loved the sound of the MPC, the sequencer in my opinion was not very "musical". To put a song together it was really more of a mathmatical approach where you had to create patterns and make sure you have the right number of patterns for each of the different parts. As tight as the timing on the sequencer was, it really took away from my creativity.

Then I found Logic....
At first I was ready to throw the whole dang thang out because it was so complicated just to get set up. Setting up enviroments and just getting used to the way the application works was crazy. It took me about 3 and 1/2 months to really get to the point where I could get a track going. After I learned it, it was really worth the learning investment and I haven't looked back since. Being able to really "see" the song from a graphical perspective really cut down on the time it took me to put together a beat. It sure beat trying to sequence on the tiny MPC display. I don't know how the rest of you do it.

[digiman]

Originally Posted by XHipHop

I'm a logic man, myself. I couldn't ignore all the integrated instruments and the strong midi capabilities so I switched from a PT Mix+ rig when Logic 6 came out.

XHipHop,
Did you say you gave up your PT Mix+ rig in favor of Logic? Tell me about that? What does your setup look like? What kind of interface and computer are you using? Do you notice any difference in latency between the two going from TDM to native.

Do tell....

[illynoise]

Logic since 1996, from Cubase on Atari and Cakewalk Dos and Win.

I have DP, Cubase, Logic, PTLE, Sonar all of them. I use everyone a little bit. There is NOTHING that touches Logic from the standpoint of soundquality, bang for buck, and power. The AU's are bananas to me. I wish I could have L7 and a HD 192 working together, that would be a hot combo.

Cubase SX comes close in the Midi dept. DP and Cakewalk are way too menu driven.

If you want to learn to use Logic, there are two things that you have to know: enviroment and key commands, and they are both customizable.

BaseJase
ILLYNOISE

[azwun25]

Nuendo 2.0
Fantom XR
TR Rack
NI Komplete Bundle
Other assorted soft-synths ie. Spectrasonics etc

[moeses]

i use nuendo 3...

i have pro tools le which i liked as well, but it was so limiting...

but for cutting and looping, i usually use an old version of cool edit pro
then i bring it all back into nuendo, cus i like nuendos work flow

but i like the wave editing on cool edit

when you think about it, a nuendo 3 set up with a rosetta 200 and the Firewire card, i paid 3500 for

i couldn't get HD3 set up for that

and my nuendo system does everything and more minus a few plugins that i wouldn't use anyway

[Disco D]

i start almost everything on the mpc - 4000 in nyc 1000 in brazil - then when i got something i like i dump it into pro tools hd and arrange that ****er - sometimes ill do the entire sequence on the mpc but lately no. i play almost all the keyboard parts live jamming ove the sequence and then chopping up the best parts and either arranging that in pro tools or dumping it back in the mpc to freak it more. if im sampling i chop the sample in pro tools with beat detective and by hand then dump it all to the mpc via usb. i can't get into sequencing on a computer it just aint funky enough for me

[kwilliams]

Originally Posted by Disco D

i start almost everything on the mpc - 4000 in nyc 1000 in brazil - then when i got something i like i dump it into pro tools hd and arrange that ****er - sometimes ill do the entire sequence on the mpc but lately no. i play almost all the keyboard parts live jamming ove the sequence and then chopping up the best parts and either arranging that in pro tools or dumping it back in the mpc to freak it more. if im sampling i chop the sample in pro tools with beat detective and by hand then dump it all to the mpc via usb. i can't get into sequencing on a computer it just aint funky enough for me

Yeah I feel you....computer sequencing looses something when it comes to feel. I think the interface isn't hiphop enough...if that makes any sense. Beat detective is cool....ever try Recylcle ?? kinda like beat detective but with more functions. It kinda sounded like you used Recycle/beat detective in Ski Mask Way...lot of cool chops...I checked the original...you freaked it nice...especially in the breakdown!

[Stoneface]

Originally Posted by kwilliams

Yeah I feel you....computer sequencing looses something when it comes to feel. I think the interface isn't hiphop enough...if that makes any sense. Beat detective is cool....ever try Recylcle ?? kinda like beat detective but with more functions. It kinda sounded like you used Recycle/beat detective in Ski Mask Way...lot of cool chops...I checked the original...you freaked it nice...especially in the breakdown!

Naw, Beat detective is on some whole other. It's like quatizing audio. Recycle is good for slicing up samples on the snare, kick and others, instantly. Then again, maybe you know something about recycle I don't. Please share if you do...but Beat Detective is just...wrong! (I mean that in a good way...wish I had HD)

[halfguard]

i sequence in pt and i dont find it limiting or non musical at all. ive had 2 mpcs and this is (to me) much better and easier. editing, rearanging tracks, doing some light mixing as i go.......

[ozzborn]

i know most guys would laugh but i like the work flow of acid and reason.
ive used protools,nuendo/sx,and sonar but none of the manipulate samples and loops as easy as acid.
the midi sucks,but for loops acid is great.
reason gives me everything i need because i have about twenty or thirty refills.
sonic refill,roland string libary,planet phatt refill,lapjockey,and over 100 sample cds.
dont get me wrong all these programs are great but i think i like keeping it simple.

[ILL]

I am really starting to LOVE the ableton live 5 for sequencing... Seroiusly it's astounding

[XHipHop]

Originally Posted by digiman

XHipHop,
Did you say you gave up your PT Mix+ rig in favor of Logic? Tell me about that? What does your setup look like? What kind of interface and computer are you using? Do you notice any difference in latency between the two going from TDM to native.

Do tell....

I sold the mix + (a little after HD came out) and i bought a few Motu Hd192s (a big upgrade over the 888/24's, that's for sure) and i'm using a G4. I recently started buying powercore cards off of ebay for under $300 each and i'm liking the extra power from them.

The latency has not been an issue for me at all. That includes when i'm tracking entire bands. If I wanted to, I could use Motu's cuemix to monitor with zero latency, but I don't.

The only thing i miss is the ease of shifting around audio in protools edit window. Sometimes things get clunky for me in Logic's arrange if i'm trying to move huge sections of a song...other than that, i totally love the upgrade.

I have bought and sold an mbox, a digi 002, and a digi 002 rack for various sessions that I HAD to do in protools, but i bought them all used and probably even made $200 in the process of selling them.

[Disco D]

yea, i used beat detective to chop the track up. usually what I do is I make 3 stereo tracks. I record the entire song i want to flip on the first track (even if I only think I am gonna use a small part I take the whole track) - then I go through the entire song and do 'coarse' chops by hand and pull those to the stereo track below. then I mute the top track and go thru all my coarse chops with beat detective's region separation and split those up, then in loop play i play different combinations of the splits - i take the combos I like, pull them to the 3rd track below and heal separation/consolidate selection. then I select the entire 3rd track and export the selected regions as 16 bit wav files and then dump those in the mpc. I usually end up using most of the coarse chops but a lot of times beat detective finds loops/chops for you you might not normally expect.

[halfguard]

i was just reading this thread. disco, thats alot of work!!!!

[GL Respect Due]

SP-1200, MPC 60.

Those are my primary sequencers.

I occasionally use an EPS16+ as well. I use the 60 when I want more complex cuts with midi'd synth (SP doesn't record note duration).

S950 is my primary sampler that I trigger from the SP/60.