Reddit reviews Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer

You could try checking out a book like Drum Programming (Music Instruction): A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer by Ray F. Badness https://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544

I would recommend reading.

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The Dance Music Manual. The producer (Rick Snowman) who wrote it has some solid credentials. Its presents the knowledge in a very approachable format and will give you a whole overview from construction of drums/melody/harmony to mixing to mastering.

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For drums you'll want Drum Programming by Ray F Badness. This book will teach you how to create drum progressions that catch attention and don't get boring.

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For synthesis, read SOS's Synth Secrets. Its free, and if you read it and try it out on a synth in your daw, you'll be well on your way to synthetic mastery.

> I'm teaching myself how to use a drum machine

Check out Hydrogen (I know it says for Linux, but it also works on Windows and OSX), which is the best free computer-based drum machine I know of. LMMS is pretty cool, too, but it's more geared towards techno. Still, if you want to make chiptune punk, worth checking out.

Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer is also an awesome book to program beatboxes (or Hydrogen) to sound natural. I used that, back when I had a guitar.

I learned to program drums with this book. I don't know how good it is compared to what all is on the market, but it was cheap and explained a lot of the reasoning of using certain things and how to build up patterns. It doesn't explain anything dealing with layering drums or building sounds though.

I have a Launchpad S and a Mini, and I use the Launchpad95 script with both. It takes some time to learn; I would recommend going through the documentation and getting used to each of the different modes at a time, instead of trying to do everything at once.

The way I've been working is like this: I use the drum sequencer mode to create a few drum clips that I like, mostly based on what I learned from the book Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer.

For other instruments I use the melodic step sequencer. I usually chose a scale depending on my mood, and then I use the random button to create a few patterns, until I find a few that I like. In addition, I also add some chords using the melodic step sequencer, creating some pads for the song.

Once I have enough clips for drums, bass, pads and leads I record an arrangement by using the Launchpad in session mode to launch clips. And when I have an arrangement that I'm happy with I'll record the automation of volume and filter parameters on top of it, using a Launch Control.

This book has helped me immensely with my drum loops. I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0931759544?pc_redir=1407362375&robot_redir=1

USB sends midi information to the computer, hun!

https://www.plogue.com/products/sforzando/

this soundfont player has a nice standalone player!

https://www.plogue.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=7090

there are lots of free soundfonts, but the garritan jazz piano that comes with this is really, really nice and I highly recommend it.

Use the soundcard you have, friend! If you're not recording 1/4" or XLR in, you don't need an external soundcard.

http://www.reaper.fm/

here's a DAW I'd highly recommend! Record your piano in midi clips on there to a metronome (or simple drum loop), you can load sforzando in Reaper as a VST

https://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544

here's a book on drum programming! You can easily find a pdf of it on the internet, download some drum samples, n get going with composition.

Youtube is a really good resource for you also!!! Find yourself piano, theory, and composition lessons n give em your all

Good luck friend

In case you really want to buy it it is much cheaper than that.

There's a pretty ancient book about programming drum machines by one Ray F. Badness called "Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer" http://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544/

While it obviously doesn't go into the specifics of modern EDM genres (it's a little dated), it is a pretty solid grounding on the basics of beat programming which should leave you in a better position to analyze the kinds of beats you're looking to replicate.

Stumbled across this today: http://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544/

When I was first starting out I bought a little cheap book on laying drums. It was actually helpful, I kept some techniques and use them from time to time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0931759544/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Recommended:

http://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544

You should read this book by Ray Badness. It helps tremendously, regardless of genre.
(if you DM me, i may or may not know someone with a .pdf copy ;)

https://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544

Ableton and FL Studio especially have a large following, and YouTube tutorials are plentiful (and often very specific to the style of music you're trying to make), so take advantage of those if you end up going with either of those software packages. Also, it seems a lot of USB midi controllers come with lite versions of Ableton, so it might be a good entry point.

You said below you were a drummer, so I'm not sure if this will be as beneficial to you as it was to me, but there's an excellent book on drum programming that I learned several techniques from which apply to pretty much any DAW or hard/soft drum machine you may choose:

http://www.amazon.com/Drum-Programming-Complete-Program-Drummer/dp/0931759544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324166524&sr=8-1

It's dated but it's still very applicable to most software you'll end up working with for techno, dubstep, or hip-hop.

If you're into Linux at all, I'd also like to plug one of my favorite compositional tools, the Hydrogen drum machine:
http://www.hydrogen-music.org/hcms/

You may find this book to be helpful. There is a free PDF of it on the internet as well, I believe.

You may also want to have a look at Renoise, which is what Venetian Snares uses to program his music. Aphex Twin has also used tracker programs for years, and I'm certain that is one of the many secrets to his complex drum patterns.

Music Theory for Dummies is great if you're just starting, and continues to be a good reference, especially if you don't have a musical background. Also, this might help with drums.

Drum Programming by Ray Badness!