(Part 2) Top products from r/makinghiphop

Check out FL Studio. Great beginner program. Although if you can't afford that, you can check out Caustic (Android app that does a fantastic job for a song editor, and very simple to understand.) and do a -shitton- of tutorials.

I suggest also checking out a few books on drums and such, I have one which is about how to program and think like a drummer. Aimed at older drum machines, but certainly valid in FL Studio.

Look into dropping about 100 bucks into a midi keyboard, they're pretty sweet and make melodies and such much easier to create, in my experience.
Check out the akai series, they make good low-end midi keyboards.
(akai lpk25)
(akai mpk mini)

I have the second one and have played with the first. Both solid and super cheap to get into.

There are others, but those are the ones I have experience with.

Also, for the love of all that is friendship and magic, either buy FL Studio or make it work with just the demo. The demo keeps you from opening projects back up, so you'll just have to keep it running.


If you have an old yamaha keyboard, or want to use that instead, buy a midi to usb converter for about 5 bucks. It'll be a cheap midi keyboard to use and it should have a lot more keys to mess with than the akais I linked, but the price is a bit weirder. Velocity is over 100 bucks typically, unless you're getting used. Check craigslist and friends for super-cheap keyboards.

Finally, check out Warbeats and look through their music theory tutorials. They're very legit and easy to understand. Mostly, check out scales, chords, and basic basslines. Those are the most important bits to know.


But, most importantly, WORK. Put in at least an hour or two a day into making beats. Even if it's not all at once, you need to always be making more beats. It's going to suck, you'll hate what you make, you'll want to stop. Don't stop. If you do it every day for a few hours and make a beat, refine it, get it critiqued, you'll get better. After a year or two you'll be pretty good.

The more you pour into it, the more you'll get out.

I'm assuming you have a physical location to record & some type of computer.

Do this:

Get ahold of $100-$500. Buy a microphone & either some really nice headphones or some studio monitors (i recommend headphones if you can't do both). My first mic was a Blue Snowball. I love using my Audio Technica headphones. Probably not gonna win you any grammys but it will teach you some things until you can afford a better setup.

OBTAIN... in whichever way you see fit... some software to record on called a DAW. From the free software Audacity to something like Logic Pro X or Studio One. Just get one. There's hundreds of tutorials on youtube on how to use them. You're also going to want to get some Vsts. Google will be your friend for this section lol.

Practice making songs on here in the cypher & collab call threads. There's also a billion beats on youtube that nobody's going to know you used if you just keep it between yourself and some friends.

Do that for however long it takes for you to feel that you're good. There's plenty of forums out there like gearslutz and this one and some others that you can get info on.

When you feel like you're good start buying beats and all that stuff. Until then you're going to have to practice and learn what you sound like and what makes a good song otherwise it'll be a waste of money. It's much cheaper to collab with people though...

For networking if you make a good song and start sharing it with your friends it'll get around since you're still in high school. That's already 2k potential fans & they all have people that they know. Start with them. It's NYC and the world is much smaller than you think...

EDIT: Also never pay to do a show and stay on the lookout for scammers.

Regarding speakers for your studio, you don't need the huge hi-fi speakers that big studios have, they use those mainly to flatter artists and industry reps. For mixing, you should get a set of speakers with a relatively flat frequency response that spotlights the midrange and has low distortion. The Avatone Mix Cube is good for this. You only really need one because a lot of mixing is in mono. The Yamaha NS10s are also good (these are more expensive and are pretty standard in most studios. The thing about these speakers is not that they sound good, but that, on first listen, you'd probably think they sound bad; they highlight problems in your mix.

I imagine if you're doing hip-hop a lot of your listeners will listen on headphones so it's useful to do some mixing on headphones (you might do mono mixing on your nearfield and work out panning and stereo stuff on headphones, for example), so get two good pairs of studio headphones-one for you, and one for people you record (unless you're building this to record yourself, although if people know you have this cool studio they might want to get in on the action and it'd be good to be prepared for that if it does happen-you might also want to record a feature on your track or something).

Get a DAW and know it back and forth. I would say for your purposes, unless you're already well-versed in Pro Tools or already have a copy of it, don't get Pro Tools-there's a huge learning curve and it's by far the most expensive. Reaper has a free demo that you can use indefinitely and FL Studio and Audacity are free. Ableton is what most producers use but it's not really made for tracking or mixing, so what some people do is they produce in Ableton and bounce the track to another DAW to mix.

Microphone-wise, ideally for vocals you want a large-diaphragm condenser. A small-diaphragm will work too but LDCs are standard. You can record on a dynamic mic but they usually need a lot more gain which might mean more noise and you'll need to be handy at mixing to get the sound you want out of a dynamic mic.

If you're investing in a big project like this, read a lot and know what you're doing. This book will get you started on mixing techniques and the basics. This one is a must, it starts out with some chapters on how to acoustically treat the room you're working in which even though it isn't glamorous or fun is totally vital to a good studio.

I'm going to be a little bit different from these other comments. I think there are some pros and cons to this bundle. I clicked on your thread out of curiosity but ended up realizing this was the bundle me and my friend bought during college when we first started rapping. While this bundle is a good starter kit, we had a lot of issues with monitoring. Monitoring is the ability to hear yourself while recording. Its not super necessary but I prefer to hear myself within the headphones while I am recording. There is something called latency, which is the time you speak to the time you hear yourself in the headphones. With this bundle sometimes we couldn't monitor ourselves at all, and other times we could but the latency was so large that it sounded like we were rapping over our own echoes.

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I would recommend purchasing audio technica M50 as headphones. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVLUR86?aaxitk=cVQsljyy61ps.jPMCOqbVQ&pd_rd_i=B00HVLUR86&pf_rd_p=44fc3e0f-4b9e-4ed8-b33b-363a7257163d&hsa_cr_id=9643844680501&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F81Hajq6vPiL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B00HVLUR86

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AKG perception microphone. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00160PRBU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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and this behringer audio interface. https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-Audio-Interface-1-Channel-UM2/dp/B00EK1OTZC/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=audio+interface&qid=1571236325&refinements=p_72%3A1248939011&rnid=1248937011&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-5

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It comes out to the same price kind of. I have the M-audio M - track audio interface. I dont think they make it anymore but I really like it so if you find it on ebay or something it might be worth it.

If you are looking at a DAW to start recording. I suggest reaper. Its literally free and insanely robust software considering its free. Theres a 60 day limit on the software but you can really use the software past that date. I used it for like 1000 days before i ended up paying like the 60 bucks for it.

You only need an audio interface if you plan on using monitor speakers or recording (Mics or DI). Ableton Live is good software. Everyone has their own preferences but most DAWs do pretty much the same thing. Akai makes nice Midi Keyboard/MPC combos that work very well with Live. I've had this one for about a year now (http://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-MPK25-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B001SGWKR6) and it's been very good to me minus middle C becoming slightly less responsive.

If you're going to get one of the Akai lower end MPCs it's very smart to buy replacement pads as they make a world of difference when it comes to pad sensitivity. Without them you can tap the pad softly and get no reading, then do it slightly harder and it brings the velocity up to 127. Here is a site with a lot of accessories (http://www.mpcstuff.com/mpk25parts.html). The thick pads come in a variety of colors and are relatively easy to install.

I think you'll be fine having a mid grade computer. I have a 2010 Macbook Pro and it's hardly taxes the system at all. I guess I should have asked at the beginning what your price range is as that can make a world of difference, but I hope some of this has helped. Good look with your music man.

My 2 cents is:

1. Everything /u/ChrysMYO said is gold.
   
   
2. Treat this as a learning experience. Working with a rapper in the studio and putting together concepts/songs is an entirely different skill set then just making beats and putting 'em on soundcloud/songclick. Ask for just enough money that it will cover your expenses (travel/food) and so he will value your time.
   It's not about trying to even trying to make money off your friend, but like, assuming you guys make a great mixtape at some point another rapper will ask your friend about you and he will say, "Oh he's dope and he's mad cheap" as oppossed to "Oh yeah he's dope and he'll work for free".
   
   
3. Read this book and get the publishing situation correct in case any of the songs blow up https://www.amazon.com/Plain-Simple-Guide-Music-Publishing/dp/1480354627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510342919&sr=8-1&keywords=music+publishing
   
   
4. Put your producer tag on every song. NON-NEGOTIABLE.
   
   
5. Can you DJ? If not, learn. Rappers always need backing DJ's and that'll get you a little bit of that show money. Also, playing shows is fun AF.

It comes with a power supply.

This one:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/aplusautomation/vendorimages/4e50f9f3-c6f5-4f79-9b3c-c49413136a54.jpg._CB304903745_.jpg

Also it includes every XLR cable you need. I deliver the output into Scarlett solo.

https://focusrite.com/usb-audio-interface/scarlett/scarlett-solo


The quality is superb. The mic was the winner of Pro Audio Review's Excellence Award. But I had only three mics in my life so I lack of some comparison of other mics in the same price range.

My first mic was a yeti blue (for a only USB mic this is the best one you can get)

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Yeti-USB-Microphone-Silver/dp/B002VA464S

then rode nta-1A

http://www.rode.com/microphones/nt1-a

It's kind of hard trying to fit into that budget. I'd suggest saving till you can get a somewhat okay setup. A decent audio interface would be the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but it's $150.

Might try looking into this:

Interface:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-2-Channel-Portable-Audio-Interface/dp/B00BQ6KSN6/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1425251263&sr=1-1&keywords=m+audio+usb+interface

Mic:

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1425251333&sr=1-3&keywords=xlr+condenser

Sorry for the long links. I personally have the AT2020 and I love it as a beginner mic. Just learn to mix okay and you'll be set.

Also if you can't/don't want to buy a pop filter (assuming you have a stand or desktop tripod thing) you can make one out of an old wire coat hanger and some pantyhose (yeah it's kinda weird, but it works okay as well)

Hope I could help.

For the price, the Blue Yeti is pretty awesome. I got one recently and was blown away! And the best part is, it's a USB condenser microphone. Literally all you have to do is plug it in and start recording. Here's a good review of the Blue Yeti

Just looked up this Icicle. That's a perfect fit for me. Small, plug and play, cheap. Awesome, thanks for telling me about this. Headed to Guitar Center right now.

Also, in case anyone else sees this. If Guitar Center will price match, it's on Amazon for $31. I'm heading over there right now, I'll update here if they did price match it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001R76D42/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p267_d2_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1281WTDR9SHARKXBVW1Y&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846


It's small and not so expensive but don't underestimate it and I use it to record my raps good for if your not crazy dedicated to making music but still would like to make good quality tracks. It's usb so you can use it as a gaming mic as well. PM me if you got any questions about the mic!

I'm looking at the AT-LP120-USB from Audio Technica. Looks great and I know a few people that love it. About $230 at Amazon.

Ya that sounds good, dope song by the way. I can't really spend 75 bucks but I'm hoping the BLUE icicle will do the job too since it's cheaper. Does it look like it would work? I'm new to all this.

are in the 3rd group, trying to be like "that guy" i mentioned? haha. its cool. I personally recommend the MPK25 if you want a full sized 25 key board with 16 pads or, what i personally use currently, is the Akai MPKMini. Its basically the smaller version of the 25 but the keys aren't full sized and only has 8 pads. The MPK25 is a bit over double the price of the Mini, but both are good.

The 25-> http://www.amazon.com/Akai-MPK25-25-Key-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B001SGWKR6

The Mini -> http://www.amazon.com/Akai-Pro-MPK-Ultra-Portable-Controller/dp/B00466HM28

other cats might have different recommendations, but these are the ones i have experience with

This is the turntable i have, it is fantastic (it says "dj" turntable, but i use it for sampling) It has a rock solid build quality, you can do usb, or line outputs to go into your interface. You can play back at 33,45, and 78 RPM, and it also has a pitch slider as well. you can also get a slipmat for it so you can manipulate the record with your hand/scratch, etc.
Turntable:
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120-USB-Direct-Drive-Professional-Turntable/dp/B002S1CJ2Q

Slipmat:
https://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Turntable-Slipmats-Pair-Price/dp/B00P9J5SK4/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1485442971&sr=1-7&keywords=record+player+slipmat

If you want something really cheap in which you can control the gain then I recommend the BLUE icicle. You can probably get it for around 31 bucks on amazon.

definitely the best mic for the price http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM57-LC-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B0000AQRST
you've heard this microphone in some way on every studio album made in the past decade, probably. plus you can use it as a hammer.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Bluebird-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000RLI76G/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1450196816&sr=1-1&keywords=bluebird+microphone

Love this mic. Can't recommend it enough. I got mine at a pawn shop (which you obviously have to be careful about - don't buy a used one unless you can return it) for $120. You would be hard pressed to find a better mic for the price.

I used to have a pair of these. They aren't the best, but they are reasonably priced and better than what you have now. I recommend them if you are on a budget.

I will jump in and sayi f you want to get into producing I would highly recommend getting a 25 key midi keyboard. AKAI MPK Mini is a solid choice. If you want to used pads AKAI MPD218 is a good choice as pads on most midi keyboards are not ideal. Other than that, a DAW and some monitors is really all you need to start.

Yes, assuming you have a usb port that supports it on your computer, or alternatively, if you have an audio interface and a cable.

All you need is a turntable that either is usb, or if it isn't, any turntable and an interface with appropriate cables, FL Studio, and records.

Here's the cheap option that serves it's purpose well. I use it, and many others here do as well.

haha a lot of the time i'm in the same boat. I have a pair of these.
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Active-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0051WAM64/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1452322532&sr=1-2&keywords=m+audio+studiophile

they haven't let me down so far and as far as I can tell sound pretty diesel. that being said, once i'm beat i disconnect and attempt to mix with the laptop speakers. hah

I don't know what the major opinion on this is, but if you're willing to stretch to $100, a Shure SM57 used to do me a LOT of good. It's really solid quality, and it's what the president of the US uses to make his speeches.

http://www.amazon.com/BeatTips-Manual-Beatmaking-Tradition-Composer/dp/0989398609/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458171747&sr=8-1&keywords=beat+tips+manual

This is a really comprehensive manual that I think will accomplish exactly what you're looking for. I don't know if it has an index but I have the ebook so I can search for what I'm looking for.

The writing is extremely accessible but it's still interesting, and it's not the kind of thing that you need to read a lot of at once. I just read a few pages here and there when I have time and usually pick up at least one new tip or idea for my beats every time.

Audio Technica ATR2500. Definitely recommend it, i mean jesus, $50?! this isn't even representative of the mics full potential, I didn't mix the vocals at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2500-USB-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B004QJREXM/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1459399971&sr=1-1&keywords=audio+technica+usb+mic

this is what i use. in my opinion, it sounds crystal clear and its a really good usb mic for the price.

You could record the vocals in Audacity for example, which is a free software for this. However you're gonna want to have the song mixed and mastered also. If you don't know anyone who knows that stuff you could try and find someone here or have someone from fiverr do it for 5-10$.

I recorded my first few songs on this mic: https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Portable-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42

The quality won't be great obviously, but at your level it should be good enough, especially considering the price

For anyone looking for a cheap mic that's good quality for the price, I bought a Blue Snowball for like $30 when it was cheaper along with a like $5-$10 pop filter and it sounds really good. It's $69, but the cheaper version, the Ice, is only $49. Tons of smaller youtubers use them, my Blue Snowball has 3 different settings where it can take in sound from the front, the sides, or all over.

The akai mpd 218 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0116X17JW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nnfQzb9XHH9DW

Bought it a little over a year ago. If you have a daw already, it's a really great drum pad

I use one of those cheap USB ones and it works pretty well. I'll try and find the same model.

Edit: here it is http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005A9ZYI4/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_23_of_42?ie=UTF8&dpID=41kUs5koPFL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR100%2C100_&refRID=1ZVR2ZP43DR9ZG77MACB

I found a $40 USB turntable called the Vibe Sound VS-2002-SPK USB that seems like it would be good for sampling. Has anyone else used it or know someone who has? Here is a amazon link to it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005A9ZYI4/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A12LN8IJ7NFEN8&psc=1

It can convert tracks to digital and it is belt driven, but I can't find anyone else who has used it specifically for sampling to know if it can be used for sampling.

You'll need something like this if you're going straight to your computer (MIDI to USB)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0017H4EBG?pc_redir=1411209947&robot_redir=1

and to leave something constructive read this book. Its really good.

https://www.amazon.com/BeatTips-Manual-Beatmaking-Tradition-Composer/dp/0989398609

Listen kid, you don't need a lot of money to make brilliant music. A friend of mine uses this mic: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2500-USB-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B004QJREXM/ref=pd_cp_MI_2

You can Pirate FL studio. If you want to produce, I suggest the MPD18 for a windows 7 PC. I have it, it's lightweight and just beautiful. If your getting a keyboard, get atleast a 54 key, otherwise its kinda lame.

ALIENWARE MAKES THE SHITTIEST LAPTOPS, THEY'RE OVERPRICES AS FUCK. What I do suggest is spending good money on either a Mac, DELL, or Gateway with a lot of ram and a good Harddrive.

Your computer should cost no less than $450.

I use This one I think the problem came when I was mixing this, I also probably had the gain lower than I should have.

I liked your beat man! It has a dope lofi feel to it, the samples are amazing mainly cuz I'm a gamer, no complaints!

I think you need to understand the business side of things. If you make the wrong deal, like a co-publishing deal, you will get an advance, and backend royalties with will go against the advance until it is paid off. check out what an Administration deal. Get an entertainment lawyer. Check these resources out:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/1480354627/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_WCY0Bb2MZXCMA

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1RVDuSiJncq6VQYiqpzLA

https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialBeatStars

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Nothing for 50 bucks is worth your money.

If you just want decent/better than average USB mic, get the Blue Snowball

Blue Yeti For $89 @ Amazon

for $200 you could get this interface and this microphone

and you'd have money left over for a stand if you didn't have one before.

if you want the sm7b then you're looking at a vocal recording setup of $500+

Hit up the dude Bobby Owsinski, those frequency references came from this book. Let him know he must of made a mistake lol

or you can buy an LPK25 for the same price

This one has worked wonders for me

Plugs right into a USB port and doesn't need an amplifier.

https://www.amazon.ca/Numark-TTUSB-Turntable-with-USB/dp/B000G3FNVM

It's on sale. Everything you need.

I have this one, which is why i asked

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM57-LC-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B0000AQRST

the beattips manual by amir said

Nope
Mini and
Mpk25

Yeah man, I'd say just read reviews. That one doesn't look like there's much to go wrong so why not?

The smallest one I've used is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-LPK25-Ultra-Portable-Controller/dp/B002M8GBDI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1453320168&sr=8-4&keywords=25+key+midi+keyboard

Felt a little plastic-y but it gets the job done.

I currently run with this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D0DJ9I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

https://www.amazon.com/SOUND-VS-2002-SPK-Turntable-Built-Speakers/dp/B005A9ZYI4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492975815&sr=8-1&keywords=vibe+sound+usb+turntable I bought this a few months ago and it's worked fine for all my sampling and listening needs, i dont use usb i've hooked it up to my audio interface but i did use the usb for about 2 weeks. one thing with this, could of just been my player i had to tape the rough edges of the player cus i noticed it scratched one of my new records, where it overhangs off the player and all the records wobble !! so it needs some tweeking of some kind to avoid that but it works well for 30$

edit: just saw you said "quality" idk if 30$ is what you're looking for, but maybe it is idk.