Q&A – What Software Do You Use

Email question received:

wat program did you use to first create music or Are you not a Computer Music Producer And Wat Genre Did you Start On .. 9 YEars Old is A  Nice Age to Starts still Im 13 and i started 4 to 5 Months Ago !

Reply:

Congratulations on the early start. Yes, age 9-12 is a great age to start. I never underestimate what someone in that age group can do. You have the mental freedom of not having learned the rules (confinements of protocol) yet.

These are software programs I use for music production:

  • Digidesign ProTools
  • Sony Acid
  • Ableton Live

And here are other popular programs that friends of mine use:

  • Fruity Loops
  • Cubase

That’s a very incomplete list – there are many great programs that you can use for music production. Technology advances fast – I am told that my ProTools TDM system from 2002 (which I spent about $30,000 on including plugins) is equivalent to a 2008 loaded computer with ProTools LE (under $6,000 including a super loaded computer).

I can remember vividly my first computer for music applications in 1989 (that must seem like a long time ago to you) with very basic programs that always crashed. It is really amazing the current programs.

Here are my suggestions for starting out in music production:

  1. Purchase the best microphone you can afford
  2. Purchase the best mic preamp you can afford
  3. Learn how to really slice and layer your beats, don’t just drag and drop
  4. Learn midi (playing a keyboard into the computer)
  5. Don’t worry about technology, it will always change. Focus on the vision in your mind.

Special tips for kids: Make sure to burn your new music on a CD and give to family members as gifts at holiday gatherings. When it comes around to gift giving times of the year, make sure you let it be known you might be a rich music producer if you only had that new microphone and/or software. And make sure you research the exact models you want so they don’t buy you bogus karaoke stuff. And don’t tell them I told you to do that. Shhh….. 🙂

And if anyone else has other programs they use for music production – please leave a comment here and let us know about it. Thanks!

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