MAKE OWN RAP BEATS

Let's start with the drums. Here we have the kick, the snare or clap and the hi-hat. Compare a house beat with a hip hop beat, and you'll hear the difference. In dance music, like house and techno, a kick or snare hits on every beat, so the time distance between the drum sounds is always the same. In hip hop, the sounds are slightly off the beat, which makes the beat sound laid back and slower. The hi-hat completes the sound range of the drums. We have the kick on the low frequency, the snare on the middle and the hi-hat on the high one.

The base line shouldn't be too complicated in hip hop, it just fills the lower frequency, but it should sound good though. In my opinion, the sound-quality is more important than the melody itself, but everyone has his own style. Just be sure it hits on some of the same notes as the main melody.

Ok, now let's talk about the melody. Here, the sounding and the melody itself are equally important. Many producers start with the melody before the drums. And there's a good reason: the melody is the part people remember most after they heard the song. Make sure you have a middle frequency melodic sound and a high frequency one. Like with the drums, the base and melody should fill out the whole frequency range. Then your beat will sound complete.

Last but not least, the effects. Many people underestimate the power of good effects. Producers use their own special sound effects to perfect their beats, and if you hear those, you know exactly who it was. Timbaland, for example uses his background singing and Lil'John shouts "yeah!". It's not exactly a sound effect but meets the same purpose.

I hope you now have a good overview of the structure of hip hop beats. It's easier to explain this on an example when you can hear it. I recommend you viewing tutorials on YouTube and listening to some good hip hop instrumentals to fully understand this. And don't forget: simplicity is the key. Don't overdo it and make your beats too complicated.

Grandpa Max loved butter cookies. He liked his Chivas Regal from a heavy cut-glass decanter, but the little butter cookies with coarse sugar sprinkles just had to come from a can.

His pleasures were simple born from a childhood of poverty, and his need for tidiness bordered on compulsion. Grandpa did all the ironing and packed all the suitcases, each layer of clothes sandwiched between tissue paper and sheets of plastic recycled from the dry cleaners. It was Grandpa Max who would stand in my bedroom like a soldier and teach me how to reassemble my dissheveld sheets and blanket into a proper bed. I had sleep in my eyes and my Barbie nightgown was twisted around me like a frenzied static sock. "Make ya' bed after ya' git oudda it, kiddo." he offered, dressed in his signature starched Van Hussen and perma-press pants. "This, not orange juice, is the way to start the morning." Then he'd show me how to get a brush through my tangled brown hair.

Grandma would have made him Scottish shortbread from scratch, but the man preferred store bought. When the pretzel-shaped contents, with their stiff little paper cups were spent, each container was reused to hold tea bags, Sweet 'n Low, or tiny packets of soy and duck sauce.

When my grandparents moved to Florida in the early 1970's, those blue cans with their little pictures of Dutch villages became the loving receptacles of Grandma's cookie care packages. Opening each lid revealed layers of Linzer tortes, rugelach, and strudel; each separated by a piece of wax paper. Grandma did the baking. Grandpa did the packing. You never knew what would be inside. Half the fun of receiving one of these boxes, mailed immediately after baking and marked no less than ten times with the word "fragile" , was eating your way through each delicious layer. I'd race to cut through all the tape and open the cardboard flaps just to catch that first wiff--a combination of her perfume and a myriad of cleaning products. At that moment I was transported right into their kitchen. I'd breathe deeply into the box and relive a time when my best friend lived down the block and being grown-up was the distant future.
I was to immediately call Miami and report any breakage. Invariably there were a few. Grandma was shrewd and never took the blame for a recipe that went array. She just may have forgotten some intergral ingredient to bind the recipe, but, the drama of the crumbled cookies, fell on Max for not putting enough tissue paper in with the silver trays.

"Ma-ac," she'd start off, not even calling him by his correct name. "Ya' broke the cookies," yelling to be heard over the soundtrack of Flower Drum Song. Rather than continue his umpeeth solitaire game, he'd scramble to the kitchen to defend himself.

"Lily, wud are ya' tawking bout? Cus-ik-sin I wrapped 'em plenty".

I had one set of grandparents that spoke only Yiddish. These two spoke the worst Brooklyn venacular you could imagine. It was a home were teabags were teaballs, Indians lived on reservoirs, and everything to the front of the house was a stoop.
When I came to spend the night, Grandma once said, "It's a good thing I have a cot, or I wouldn't know wheres to putchuz!" I always got to bed early at their house, 'cuz-ik-sin' I didn't want to catch Grandpa without his teeth in. Besides, at six in the morning, he'd be doing his unintended Spike Jones routine with the plates and silverware from the dishwarsher.

When these care packages still came on my birthday, even after I had had children of my own, I would devour all but one cookie, and there it would sit the entire year until the next batch. I just couldn't eat the last one until a new box arrived. There were definite separation issues tied to those cookies. As long as I held on to one of Grandma's treats I was holding on to her, and that this would somehow tempt fate and keep her healthy till the next year.

The Wild Rose Inn Bed and Breakfast was open for business the year that Grandma, now widowed, turned eighty-eight. I had spent years as an itinerant tradeswoman buying, renovating, and selling my homes. This last purchase of a dilapidated Victorian apartment house would be my finest work, and hopefully an end to my non-settled mode of living. I had shuffled my son, Austin, and Jake the dog, through six houses in six years. His toy chests were labeled moving boxes. I got Christmas cards from the storage company. To help make our situation more tolerable we got in the habit of writing a new and simple song for each house, and would sing it as we drove there.

"We're going home to Willow, to put our head on a pillow. We'll meet Jakey on the street. Our little house just can't be beat".

I couldn't change the past. But I vowed to give Austin a home where he could mark his growing height on the threshold of his bedroom door.

The Wild Rose project took all the money I could beg or borrow to be overhauled into upscale accommodations, never knowing that this endeavor was truly "in-my-blood". I had lived in Woodstock for nearly twenty years and finally had a piece of property on "the Monopoly board", and, even though I had spent my teen-age years living on Cape Cod and working the coffe shop and running the switchboard of my dad's motel, I didn't realize that innkeeping was not for the domestically challenged. With the onslaught of guests came the reality of constant laundry, grocery shopping, and baking.

A genetic disposition to the occupation was welcome. When the grand opening came my family arrived from various parts of the country to help create a grand event: a huge Victorian lawn party complete with a chamber ensemble for guests that would come dressed in period costumes. We prepared cucumber tea sandwiches and trays of pretty petit-fours. When the work was done, over a cup of strong black tea and a plate of cookies, grandma shared with me hand-me-down stories of her grand parents inn and tavern in Russia.

In the days of the Russian czars Jewish innkeepers, unlike their gentile competitors in that profession, were compelled to pay exceptionally high taxes, plus additional big fees for the liquor permit, taxes so extremely high that it was utterly impossible for my distant relative to earn but a poor living with the full help and cooperation of his wife. This matriarch, to help out her husband, would bake delicious cakes and tasty rolls, only to attract the eyes and appetites of non-Jewish customers whose wives did not posses the skill or talent for flavorful baking.

Being that I was now a fifth-generation innkeeper I would have to turn in my tool belt for an apron, get into the kitchen, and learn the family recipe for making strudel. Beautiful Russian strudel filled with raisins, candied fruit, and homemade plum butter.

I come from a long resilient line of Jewish mothers, women that utilized homemaking and baking for gains in an era when women were scarce in professional kitchens.

My great-grandmother was known as Bubbe--a woman that stood only four and a half feet high and measured all of her ingredients with a "yarzeit" glass. (This is a glass that was once filled with candle wax and was lit on the anniversary of a relatives passing). In 1916, with six children and a husband that spent more time in other womans beds that his own, Bubbe owned and operated The Spencer Hotel of Saratoga Springs, New York. It was one of many Jewish boarding houses in that upper-crust town where Yiddish was spoken. I love hearing my grandma speak of the sumptuous furnishings, horse-hair stuffed sofas, and oriental carpets with the softest pile she had ever felt. Gamblers frequented the place and her father, Rueben, would dance the night away with their fashionable wives. One day she wandered into the attic of that mammoth rooming house and discovered an antique trunk filled with Victorian ball-gowns. The attic was eventually renovated with smaller guest rooms, rooms for jockeys at the famous Saratoga Race Track.

Boarders paid twenty five dollars a week, which included three meals a day. Friday night dinners were with matzo ball soup, homemade gefilte fish, and roasted chicken. Satuday afternoons featured Cholent, a thick bean concoction with tender beef, barley, and potatoes that was prepared in the hours prior to the start of the sabbath. The symbolic Cholent, a dish that required no preparation or stove top manipulation, making it therefore Kosher, was served with a side of cold stuffed derma. Sunday afternoons saw dairy kugel, potato blintzes, and fresh fruit. Bubbe's strudel was always the finishing touch of every meal served to her guests.

My own mother and grandmother share a relationship that revolves around food and the kitchen. To this day they still argue about who makes the best mondelbrot. Grandma claims their recipes for this Jewish biscotti are identical, but hers are cake-like (and crumble) where my mother's have more snap.

During World War II, when her husband earned fourteen dollars a week for the family doing electronic repairs, grandma ran a luncheonette out of a renovated tool shack at the Idylwild Airport (later to become JFK). When there was no one to look after my mother, she was tethered--literally--to her mother's apron strings by a rope. Grandma cooked breakfast and lunch for the pilots at what was then a little airport. Her menu was a bit more assimilated than that of her mothers. The breakfast speciality was "The Gashouse Egg", a piece of buttered white bread toast with an egg fried in the center cut-out, with a side of homefries. Add a cup of coffee and the bill came to fifty cents. Dessert carried the blood-line. Russian strudel was always the finishing touch. Wrapping it in a paper napkin, grandma would stuff a piece into the pocket of each of her most loyal patrons.

As a young girl, my mother got to watch Bubble Lena bake strudel many times for the reason that after Bubbe was widowed, she would live with each of her six children for a three-month stay. Like most of the coveted family recipes, their secrets were withheld until matrimony.

My mom and dad began married life in a small ground floor apartment in a two-family house in Brooklyn. One day grandma decided it was her daughters turn to learn the family recipe and offered a hands-on strudel-baking lesson. My mother watched as the dough was worked until paper thin. The filling wasn't difficult, but the dough required a certain expertise. The crucial part was in the initial preparation; the dough needed to be pounded and stretched. As they were slapping it against the kitchen table to work it the ladies worked up a sweat. They continued to bang it around until they were almost done. They were waiting for the dough to gain its elasticity when all of a sudden there was a loud knock at the door. My mom wiped the moisture from her face and opened the door to find the landlady, who lived upstairs, looking impatient and frustrated. With her hands on her hips, she expressed wonder at how her tenants could possibly be cold -still. She had turned the heat up several times. My mom was puzzled. What she didn't know was the standard rule of two-family living: If you need more heat, rap hard on the pipes. My mother and grandmother still laugh about that till this day.

I've come to realize that innkeeping and baking cookies go hand-in-hand. The arresting aroma of the freshly baked stuff can not be replaced by vanilla scented potpouri. When my guests follow the wafting scent up the stairs to my kitchen, like Bugs Bunny following the scent of a carrot, I know I've reached their core. When melting chocolate hangs from their lip all pretenses are dropped and they are, once again, at home.

I've pilfored the family vault to acquire recipes. No matter the diet trend, low-carb or no-carb, the cookies get polished off. On the rare occasions when I have the pleasure of baking with both my mother and grandmother, I sit the "girls" in my kitchen with five pounds of flour and, like the millers daughter in a fairy tale, tell them they can't leave the room until it is all spun into strudel-gold, strudel that is now the finishing touch of the meals I serve to my guests.

Strudel

Filling:

1 box yellow rasins

1 box dark raisins

1 (8 ounce) container candied citrus fruit

1 (8 ounce) container mixed candied fruits

Rind and juice of 1 lemon

Rind and juice of 1 orange

2 apples, cored

1 jar strawberry jam

10 ounces homemade plum butter or 1 (10 ounce) jar prune butter

1 ½ pound walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup sugar

1 shot rye or scotch

Additional:

½ walnuts, chopped fine

Cinnamon and sugar

Dough:

5 cups flour

¾ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

¼ sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup lukewarm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the filling by combine all ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.

In another large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center.

Into a medium sized bowl, mix the oil, water and eggs - pour this mixture into the well of the dry ingredients.

Mix the dough either by hand or with an elctric mixer using a bread hook until it is well combined. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and aggresively knead for almost 10 minutes.

Have no mercy on the dough and bang it against the surface several times. Dough must be smooth, shiny and elastic. Flour a bowl and set dough to rest, covered, for half an hour.

Cut into four potions. Knead each portion before rolling. Roll the dough half way and start to strech by placing your hands under the dough and pulling gently until it is thin. The shape should be a long rectangle approximatley 10" wide by 18" long.

Oil the dough lightly by brushing with a small amount of vegetable oil. Place ½ cup additional finely chopped walnuts on dough, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Add filling ingredients along the width of the dough. Roll up the dough, being sure to tuck in the end edges as you go. Place roll seam side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Score roll every two inches - making deep cuts, but not enough to go through the entire roll. Flatten lightly by hand.

Bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour, or until golden brown.

PLUM BUTTER

1 1/2 lbs. (about 9 fresh lg.) plums, sliced and pitted

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg, cloves and allspice

In heavy kettle stir plums and 1/2 cup sugar over lowest heat. When juices flow, bring to boil; cook 5 minutes or until fruit is tender.

Pour into blender. Chop on low speed, 2 seconds. Return to kettle; add remaining sugar and spices. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat, yet maintain active bubbling; cook 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Test for doneness -- mixture will "sheet" from spoon.
Ladle at once into hot sterilized screw top jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal with clean, dry, metal lids.
Makes 3 1/2 pints.

When you hear how many millions of dollars can be made in the rap music industry these days, little wonder that a lot of people are trying their hands at creating their own rap beats. After all, most of us already have the fundamental piece of equipment required - you computer.

When you start checking in to how to make rap beats you will see that there a lot of software programs that can be used to create rap beats. These range in price from just a few dollars (in some cases for a mere 'donation' ) to very advanced and sophisticated Digital Audi Workstation (DAW), which can cost up to several hundred dollars.

Before you go off spending a lot of time and money on this enterprise though just consider a few things yo need in order to master how to make rap beats:

odo you have any natural ability in this are, such as knowing how to play a musical instrument
odo you feel you have the ability to discern the different notes in your mind
odo a you the creativity needed to come up with various rap beats, and not just the same old same-old
ohow about rhythm and flow - can you put the whole thing together to produce something that really stands out?

In terms of equipment when you are thinking about how to make beats - all you really need at first is some software running on your home computer or laptop. Download some free trial versions to get going initially. Read some reviews first and see what others are saying about ease of use, features and limitations.

Once you have been going through these initial paces on how to make rap beats you will soon get to the point where you begin to out grow the software that you have installed. At this point you may wish to consider an online service so that you can take advantage of more advanced features with having a big outlay of money.

The next natural progression in you quest on how to make rap beats may be to purchase more advance software bringing you to the levels of the DAW mentioned above. But, again, research the products carefully and read the reviews that are available. Check out some retail outlets that may specialize in this and see what they think and recommend. And as usual, try before you buy.

Your next progression will lead you into the realm of adding hardware such as samplers and and keyboards, and as you guessed, these can be extremely sophisticated running into the thousands of dollars.

Just consider us your 9-1-1 Rhythm Responders. With these time-honored solutions, we will have your rhythms resurrected in no time.

Here is a list of questions & problems that I hear regularly.

Musical Rhythm Injury #1: "All my songs have started sounding the same. I keep using the same basic rhythms."

(My answer may seem "dumb" or even impossible for some of you. But don't dismiss it too quickly.)

Stop writing with your instrument in your hands.

Your writing is going to be limited by what you can play. Put it down... sit quietly, and let the ideas develop without your technique leading you around to familiar territory. Make yourself think differently, and when you pick up your axe, try your new ideas.

Musical Rhythm Injury #2: "My band has trouble playing along with me on my songs".

The problem is OVERPLAYING. (The studio version of this problem is similar).

When you play by yourself, you are the drums, bass, guitars & everything rolled into one. It's great that you can do that, but you need a crash course in ORCHESTRATION. The bass player can't compete with your bass lines. The drummer will play, all that "wacka-wacka" rhythm you're playing, on his high hats & cymbals... and you can lose the slap on 2 & 4, a snare drum does it better.

Simplify...Stop working so hard...Delegate...Share the parts with the rest of the team. It's OK. Your one-man-band rhythms just need to be pulled apart and scaled back. Let the other members play some of those notes.

Musical Rhythm Injury #3: "I don't know how to play/write different styles."

Unless you grew up in a household with different genres of music around you, it's easy to have limited tastes and exposure. Just like food!

Initially, I don't suggest the typical, "go out & buy lots of different styles of music...etc." I believe emotional energy is what you should pay attention to.

Listen to TV shows, commercials and movie soundtracks. What gives Tension? Romantic setting? Humor? Competition? Patriotism? Pay close attention to the RHYTHMS involved.

When you make connections between emotional needs and music that expresses those emotions, you'll begin to see certain styles used for certain situations. Your context for learning different styles...should be the emotion expressed, not licks.

For example, everybody can play a "bluesey" lick... but playing the Blues is a lifetime of learning. Don't sell it short. All musical genres require time & commitment to play & write authentically. Get the emotion... the "WHY" of the music first. Then the "HOW" (the mechanics, theory & licks) will come.

Musical Rhythm Injury #4: "I don't know how to change rhythms from Verse to Chorus".

There are no rules here. Only what works.

But an easy concept to grasp is CONTRAST.

A lyric that is very busy/choppy (short notes) in the verses, can open up (smooth out, long notes) in the chorus. The guitar part can be sparse in the verses, and get more rhythmic & driving in the chorus.

Notice that the guitar and the lead vocal will be doing exactly the opposite. One is busy while the other is sparse. This allows each one to have it's own Rhythm Room. (That's kinda like elbow room.)

It works!

Musical Rhythm Injury #5: "I hear these cool beats and licks in the major artists' songs, but I can't seem to write my own."

Truth is, you're often hearing the result of a top-notch Producer, a great Recording & Mastering Engineer... not to mention great Players, Singers and Vintage Instruments...it should sound great! They all bring their technical & creative gifts to the project.

But lucky for us, it still starts with a great song.

When you get the tune as good as you can, little signature licks, riffs and patterns will begin to surface. They're probably already there, you just have to "flush them out".

Find a unique way to say/play something, then improvise with it, stutter it, repeat it... or play just half of it. Elongate (stretch) a vowel sound out longer than normal, and double it on your guitar. See if you're doing little grunts, or phrasings that you can pull out and shine the light on a little. Showcase you doing it your way.

Your Vibe...

If you'll do your part, good musicians can take it up another notch. When you're ready, a capable Producer can take it up again to another level you can't reach yourself. Just do your part.

Musical Rhythm Injury #6: "It just doesn't feel right."

The problem may be as simple as the wrong tempo.

You'd be amazed how the wrong tempo can kill a groove, even if it's a great song. It may be a deeper problem - in the Rhythmic make-up of the song.

Every song needs it's own signature groove. If it doesn't have that, there's a problem.

It may be the wrong basic feel (8ths, 16ths, triplets) perhaps, or wrong stylistic choice for the lyric (i.e. should have been a relaxed 12/8 blues feel, instead of a straight country beat). There is no better teacher than recording it yourself... & walk away. Come back in a few days with fresh perspective and listen. Usually, your instincts can hear the problems.

One thing is for sure. If the tune is STILL struggling, there is no point trying to record it in a bigger & better studio... OR take it out live. You'll just get immunized to its weaknesses.

Musical Rhythm Injury #7: "My style sounds dated. Can you teach me some new rhythms?"

How badly do you want it? A banana tree doesn't grow apples... and it's gonna' be hard for you to lose your vintage stripes.

I've worked with songwriters in their early 20's that had very dated styles. Their listening was limited to older brothers' music, or parents that thought the only "real" music was 60's Rock, Englebert Humperdink, or Glen Miller. Nothing wrong with that, but jumping into the 21st century may be more involved than you think.

If you're determined to change, you've got to hear how things are presented these days.

Contemporary lyrics "get you there" faster, and the FORM has to allow that. Intros can no longer be 30 seconds long and the 7-minute version is best for stage... not the studio. Your drum grooves may sound a little dated too. Rhythms have been computerized and "fixed in the mix." R&B ain't what it used to be.

Rap changed everything... the rhythms have got to be hot.

I'm not trying to get you to chase the latest trend.. I promise I'm not. But today's listeners have infant-sized attention spans and expect great sounding production. From Country to Grunge, if it's on the charts, the rhythm is smokin'. I guarantee it.

These are things you have to address if you want that "newer" sound.

Musical Rhythm Injury #8: "I don't have good rhythm."

Truthfully... you may not! Won't lie to ya. And while music schools won't admit it, you can't fix it.

Know your own limitations, and learn to work within them realistically. There is always a way!

I will never be a math whiz, doctor, lawyer or a star quarterback. All the tutors, lessons and effort in the world won't change that. I can still enjoy the benefits of what those people can do... and I can even play football for fun. (None of the others will I attempt for fun).

This is where a good producer, musical director, and engineer can help hide your weaknesses.

Musical Rhythm Injury #9: "I don't know how to explain to the drummer what I want on my songs".

Hmm...drummers....well I can tell you...

Drummers are very complex people, usually genius (typically off-the-chart IQs), but very humble, understanding and willing to accommodate you in any way possible. They tend to understand songwriters much more easily after you pick up their bar tab several times. :-)

Musical Rhythm Injury #10: "Should you go out with the drummer?"

Yes, I know it's tempting because most drummers are also extremely handsome and sexy.

(It's true, ask my wife!) But I wouldn't advise it. :-)

Check the laws in your state. Some restrictions may apply...

There you have it, a solid list of potential rhythm potholes and how to navigate them for your musical & emotional success. Most of them are spot-on. (The last two may be a bit biased, I am a drummer).

The Bottom Line... Does it feel good? Is the song working? If so, most likely, the musical rhythm is nailed down.

Record it, Listen to it, come back to it and listen again. Experiment until it does.

You'll know it when you get there.

This article will show you the two most popular products on the market: DUB Turbo and Sonic Producer. They're by far the most popular and that's for one reason and one reason only... they are the best!

Dub Turbo is basically a software program that is a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and features everything you need to make awesome rap beats, dance tunes, R&B tracks, you name it, you can create it with Dub Turbo!

Equipment in a studio would be way more expensive and you would get the same quality tracks produced.

This software program is for people looking for an easy and fast way to start making beats & music, without the worry of haivng to learn music theory, study production in expensive schools, or having to get a huge studio.

The software, however, is powerful enough to be used in conjunction with recording studio equipment! Many of the users are studio owners, and love taking beats from DUBturbo into their various other applications.

Sonic Producer is a really amazing new music sequencer that uses the latest cutting edge technology to create pro beats. Tracks can be exported to Mp3 with minimal effort. You can get access to music production tutorials which will help you get started creating beats straight away.

SonicProducer was designed for all ages. In fact, everyone should make beats! Not only is beat making an extremely fulfilling and exciting musical craft, but is easy to begin to do, and great fun to master! There is a reason why most people pursue learning beat making, it's the best musical activity.

Both programs use a 16 track sequencer, they both have awesome keyboard sets, drum machines and synth-sounds, so that you can make a variety of sounds. Beats per minute can be changed very easily and each of the 16 tracks has a volume control of its own.

Both programs are user friendly and you can literally make beats in a few minutes. It will take a bit longer the first few times but once you get the hang of things you will be creating beats in minutes. You get extensive video tutorials and training that will help you get started in both programs.

So what is the price of the two programs? They both go for about . Most other good quality software for producing music is more expensive. Some programs cost hundreds of dollars. But just because these two products are affordable (cheap is not the right word), you shouldn't think the quality is not as good as the more expensive ones. These two definitely give the most value for money!

There are some differences between the two programs. Firstly, the quality of the tracks that DUB Turbo produces is in a.WAV format. Sonic Producer, on the other hand, outputs to MP3. The difference is basically that the quality of.WAV is much better. It is actually broadcast quality which is what the pro's use.

Secondly, DUB Turbo is a stand alone application that can be downloaded and installed on your computer. What that means is you can only make beats if you have your computer with you. That's not a problem if you have a laptop. Sonic Producer is a website to make beats. So to access the software all you need is a computer with an internet connection. This is really great if you travel a lot and you don't have a laptop.

Although a record deal can sometimes come about just by being in the right place
at the right time, there are several things you can do to maximize the possibility of
attracting a major label or production company to get them interested in signing
you.

First and foremost, be ready! Make sure your skills are developed to the point that
they can compete with the best the industry has to offer. A&R, managers, and the
like are subject to hearing some pretty awful stuff. If you can offer something that
sounds amazing, it should greatly increase your chances of getting signed.
Remember if your stuff is not as good or better than what's already out there, the
only thing your demo will have a good shot at is the office garbage can.

If you have to spend money somewhere, spend it on production and mixing. This
can't be stressed enough. It all boils down to having good product. You can do
everything in your power to attract attention to your music, but If it sucks nobody is
going to care. Although some label A&R claim they can hear talent through low
budget production, in my experience it pays to have the best sounding product you
can. Because it is sometimes extremely difficult to get heard at all, it makes sense
not to blow it when you finally do get a chance by delivering the musical equivalent
of nails on a chalk board.

Now that you've got the skills and a tight product, you should be doing everything
in your power to create a buzz for yourself. In order to do this you're going to need
a plan and a team to help you carry it out. You should be doing shows, selling CD's,
trying to get some radio support (even if it's just college radio), and doing anything
and everything else you can to get some kind of following.

It helps to have an established following, a good street team, and some strong
independent sales when seeking a record deal. The more you do on your own, the
less the label has to do, and ultimately the happier they are. In fact, A&R will often
seek you out (eg. come to your show to hear what all the fuss is about) if you've
done a really good job of promoting yourself.

Next you are going to need a manager. Now you might be thinking you want to
manage yourself. Think again. Your buddy that follows you around to all your
shows, again, bad choice. At this point, you should be seriously considering seeking
out a professional manager. The right manager will make all the difference when it
comes to getting signed. What I mean by the right manager is one who digs your
music and will really hustle to get you put on. This manager should also have some
pretty good industry connections; otherwise the help he can offer you will be
limited.

As well as a personal manager, you'll need a good entertainment attorney to
negotiate all your contracts (including the one with your manager) so you don't get
screwed. Also, a good entertainment lawyer (one that actually has industry
connections) will be able to help get your music into the right hands as well. Make
sure the lawyer you retain is working for you, not the label or your manager!

Ok, so let's recap. You've honed your skills, produced a tight product, created a
strong buzz, and got yourself a good personal manager and lawyer. Now what? Well,
from this point on your manager will basically put a plan of action together for you
and together you will carry it out. You should now be well on your way to your first
record deal. This can be a long road, so it's important to keep a positive mental
attitude. Make sure everyone around you (your team) also stays positive. The music
business isn't for the faint of heart! Good Luck!

To make music that will really make people sit up and take notice, you will usually need quality samples and a recording studio, not to mention having to take a course on music production and buy some expensive kit! There is an alternative, and if you've read this far then you'll probably want to know what it is. And guess what, it's not expensive. There are programs out there which will make you great quality music that will really turn heads.

There are complete online audio beat creation solutions that also work as a standalone program. Solutions that come with a ton of samples which you can string together to make the professional sounding music that you've only dreamt of making before.

With tutorial videos, beginners can get started fast. After learning the basics, you'll be making great, complicated, professional-sounding tracks in no time. In the current age of social networking, it's easier than ever before to get your music noticed. Make some tracks, stick them all over your social networking sites and create a buzz. Who knows what might happen next. Every big name artist needs to start somewhere.

So what's stopping you? Create your own beats: http://www.beat-creator.net

With a user friendly interface and professional sounding recordings beat software will drastically increase your self confidence. Just like in all other facets of life, confidence is a key part of finding success in the music industry. All you need to start producing professional title of urban beats is the desire to generate music and very good music composing software package. You could start today by just taking a few minutes to download software and you could have a broadcast quality track recorded in less than an hour.

Think about how expensive it would to try and set up your own recording studio. Simply trying to rent out a new recording studio will be extremely expensive. The studio is only the first thing. You would have to purchase all the expensive professional equipment along with it. This costs huge sums of money. The odds are that since you are looking at purchasing music composing software you are already aware of this.

Beat software is especially popular for urban genre artists and composers however, it is in no way limited to these genres. Some producers are even implementing beat software for the production of country western music. But, music composing software is an absolute must if you are a fan of the urban genre music such as rap, hip hop, jungle, house, and trance. This amazing new software allows you to professionally produce your custom tracks and also beats. The software is very inexpensive, especially when compared to the rates of professional recording facilities. Many people believe good recording software is rather expensive and it can be. There are however many good programs in the marketplace that can accommodate almost any budget. With today's developments in technology it's not necessary to spend all your dollars on recording equipment.

Music composing software packages are getting becoming hugely popular, they are more efficient and even more effective than traditional recording methods! These modern, high quality software programs will give your computer all the same abilities that large, complex studios are capable of. This can all be accomplished at a fraction of the price tag on a real studio. The best element is, you won't even be able to tell the difference between your beats and beats made in real recording studios. With the latest technology music making software will make a truly professional track.

This type of software lets you begin creating urban beats immediately after you finish downloading. There is absolutely no special training essential. There is absolutely no complicated setup, and no classes in song theory necessary. You save a lot of money because there is no expensive equipment to acquire and no business to rent. Simply install that software and in a matter of minutes you can be creating prime quality tracks right in your own home!

Music composing software isn't just a cheap alternative to some real studio. It allows for huge amounts of flexibility in recording which will not otherwise be possible. You don't incur the upkeep or the cost of a studio full of equipment either. Music composing software is a sound investment for all artists serious about producing good quality, professional sounding tracks.

What exactly does someone need to start a project like this?

One needs imagination, an above average music knowledge and a capable computer. Then, how does a hot rap beat get born? Your imagination helps form the basis of your composition. The type of rap must not have been over used so it appears to be original to your listeners. And once you have identified your style you can go on and choose a software program. An advantage to making this on your own is you can control the cost and work at your leisure.

If you want your beat to be striking, you should take your time to organize and put them together just right to get the best results.

Follow these simple stages in order to get the best results:

1: Start with a strong drum pattern or a voice loop.

2: Pick a base sound that fits your style.

3: Instrumentation. This means choose the musical tools that will work together well. Sharpen: To help with the order of things give your arrangement a style like rhythm and blues. This will guide you in picking certain instruments that are associated with that style.

4: The entire song consists of one a beginning, your poem, and choir. Your overall pattern that repeats throughout the song comes first. Should you want something in the middle to be a little better, like the choir for example, just make the needed changes. Remember to be free with your changes and make sure they still work together.

Now that you have that it is time to organize it which is entirely up to you. But you should always be aware of your potential viewers. You always need a good entrance, a poem and the choir in the background.

This is where your creative spirit gets a chance to be seen and heard. Strike and create your beats and show the world your fresh and striking sounds! And if you have some competence for this subject, you may also reap the benefits of selling them on the web. Perhaps you have the talent to be the next big thing.

One never knows unless you take the necessary first step.

Now the very first step is to discover your genre of music. Do you like hip hop more, or do you prefer rap music? According to this you can select the software which you are going to use to make your own music. Now you will hear a lot about how difficult it is to make music beats, but then ignore the people who say that. This should not discourage you from pursuing your dream of producing beats. It is actually very easy, all you have to do is keep your mind open and explore all your options.

Now you can simply make these online and it is really affordable. You can simply stay at home, relaxed on your sofa with a drink and you can make these beats using the online beat making technology. You don't have to run around trying to find different versions of different instruments and so on. Imagine having the capability to produce different beats without worrying about where to place your instruments, buying them and learning how to play them.

Now the best part about this is that it is very user friendly. You won't have to spend day after day tying to figure out what something means and so on. The instructions are so simple and even a grade school student would be able to figure out how to use it. You will find that even if you can't understand anything, the help option includes all the answers to your queries and even more. You might even get a tutorial with some software's which will help you to navigate around the music maker even more easily.

Now when you start, you have to start with buying the software. I would refer that you buy something which has a cash back offer attached with it. This is usually what you look for if you make an online purchase or even when you purchase something in a store. You would want to protect yourself from spending on something that might turn out to be defective. If by chance it isn't as promising as you thought it was or it doesn't function properly, you will not be cheated in any way. So you will be able to make music beats with out any worries of whether the beat is going to work or not or if it can be transferred or not and so on.

These hip-hop music software programs offer you every instrument between drum kits, guitars, brass, to acoustic guitars, horns and so on. Indeed you're in no dearth of choices when utilizing these rap beats software. Along with their affordability such software programs are certainly the top selection that an aspiring hip-hop singer could choose. Despite the fact that most of these hip-hop music software applications are really no comparison for the studio tools when it comes to good quality of audio, their features and also cost more than makes up for this.

You can certainly create any kind of songs which range from hip-hop to rock, reggaeton, jazz and so on. Applying these online music software. For the cost they are available you actually are unable to make a mistake with them.

When getting started into making hip hop instrumentals it is crucial to know that your focus should be on doing just that: getting started. Never permit the shine and glitter of the high priced gadgets drive you away from producing your own hip-hop instrumentals. Keep in mind that you may always acquire the more costly devices later.

In case you determined to give this kind of software programs a try, you will still need to learn some very important basics that will enable you to generate your own rap instrumentals. In case you would like to get this kind of information and lots more, we encourage you to go to the internet site below for more hints and data.

If so, then welcome to the wonderful world of doing your own recordings. I've complied a few tips to share based on my own experience. Some may seem basic to you, but everyone starts at a different skill set. With that in mind, let's dig in.

1. Stop smoking. I know you're saying, "What???" Bear with me. I'm not getting on a soapbox. Recording equipment is not only expensive; it's also sensitive. Smoke congests your lines and jacks and will cause serious equipment malfunction over time, so if you need a puff, get away from your equipment and amps.

2. Tune up. You've got a hot idea and you must get it down, but take the time to tune up. You never know if that first take will spark some magical note that you want to keep and add tracks on top of, so don't belittle your effort by recording some off the wall trash tuning that can't be achieved again.

3. Prepare. Pre-plan some sessions just to tool around on the instrument, not just to record your opus. Eddie Van Halen was once noted to just jam in his home studio for 3 days. According to Sammy Hagar in 2000, there was, "at least enough material for 3 more Van Halen albums from the spare tapes alone".

4. Try writing a song or riff on an instrument you don't normally play. If you play guitar, see what you come up with on a bass. If you think you can keep time sit behind a drum kit and work out some beats.

5. Use effects made for other instruments on yours. Experiment. It may be that the sound in your head comes from a synth and can be achieved using an overdrive bass pedal through your Strat.

6. Sometimes old school works best. I know there are thousands of digital effects and recorders on the market. I also know they are extremely expensive. If you are on a budget, foot pedals are a less expensive way to create effects. Get a delay pedal and run your vocals through it. You can create a very professional sounding vocal track with it.

7. If you have access to tape, use it. 4 track recorders that use cassettes can still be found for little to nothing and cassette or reels are cheaper than hard disks. In fact, some hard disk recorders only allow a short amount of time to get everything recorded. You can fit more songs and ideas on the cassettes. I'm suggesting these to use as your "scratch pad". Work out ideas here so you don't burn up the space you have on the digital recorder.

8. Recruit friends. You can only do so much yourself. Sometimes having an extra hand is helpful. Even if they aren't musical, they can hit the record button for you so you can concentrate on the notes you want.

9. Don't settle for. A lot of the recent recording devices come with standard effects built-in. Some are fantastic, but others lack real substance. If what you have isn't what you want, use the tried and true techniques used by the pioneers of recording. Are you aware a small bathroom has outstanding acoustics? Set your amp up in there and mic it for a bombastic tone or simply record some vocals in there like thousands of others have done.

10. Mic it up. I love some direct or line in applications on various instruments and effects, but sometimes ambience is needed. Ambience will give a recording a fuller sound. Try different configurations and placements of mics on an amp. This technique works best for electric guitar amps to me. This is a personal choice, of course, but nothing compares to a live amp to me.

11. A lapel mic works wonders. One of the hardest goals in home recording is capturing a live sound. Some friends and I once recorded an entire set in our practice room just using a lapel mic (a mic like reporters use on TV) taped to the top of the room. Give it try. You never know what you might accomplish.

12. Drum tracks are beasts. Depending on the type of music that is. Now for rap and hip-hop, electronic sounding drums are desired a majority of the time and adjusting effects such as hall, reverb and ambience can change the phrasing of a loop, beat box or drum machine to exactly what the track needs. But for something like jazz or balls out rock and roll, you need a live drummer. A machine or loop will never match the precision and dynamics that a drummer can, so whenever possible get a live drummer.

13. Dumping tracks - Part A. In the previous tip I suggested using a live drummer, but let's say you live in a small apartment and the landlord just isn't going to let that happen. You can record the live drums in a sound proof area make an mp3 or put in on CD and dump that live track into your recorder, thus giving you an exceptional click track or the basis of a strong demo.

14. Dumping tracks - Part B. On some recorders you'll have more idea than you have room. When this occurs, you may have to dump some tracks together. My suggestion for this is to start with the bass and drums. You rhythm section should be the foundation of your recording, so these parts should be the first recorded and therefore the first that can be mixed together to free up another track.

15. Acoustical is exceptional. Sometimes the very basic is the very best. Two microphones are used. One for the voice and one for the guitar. Hit the record button and just let it flow.

16. Better equipment makes better sound. There's no denying this one. Anyone who's had to start with a Harmony guitar and amp will tell you. Beginner's model equipment will never take the place of the Les Paul, the Stratocaster or DW drums. Handheld 2 track recorders simply can't compete with 16 and 24 track brethren. But better equipment, 9 times out of 10, will cost much more than the starter brands, so you need a way of producing extra income.

Phase 1: Writing lyrics and picking the right instrumental

The first step in phase 1 is picking the right instrumental, whether its "gangster", classical rap, hip hop, club, etc. depending on the lyrics and flow, choosing the right genre in rap is key for a successful track. The second step is the quality of the instrumental and voice. Never rush into things. Use a beat that people bob their heads and like. If you use an instrumental that's not very good the listener's attention span in listening to your music will decrease. Same goes for the voice. If you scream in your microphone and leave your voice distorted, the instrumental can be hot, but people will not like the track because of the bad quality in voice. To fix this issue spend a little more money on a quality microphone. The Samson C01U USB Studio Condenser is a good starter.

Phase 2: Mixtape

Step one: focus on a theme for your mixtape. Basically pick out a name and use an intro to introduce the theme and the outro to conclude your mixtape so people will remember it and/or talk about it. In between you can have any kind of song, just make sure one of the tracks follows the theme. Usually track 2 is the theme song. Step two: do not make your mixtape to long. Eight to twelve songs is the perfect length. Remember a mixtape is not a debut album. Step three: do not make the mistake of having a good mixtape, but crappy self-put-together mixtape. Get a professional to design artwork or do the artwork yourself, but spend some time on it. Use quality paper for the inserts and such. Also, make sure the cds are not just burned and wrote on. Find a company to make real authentic cds. And ALWAYS shrink wrap the cd, it looks better in local stores. Step four: always add the credits to your songs. Make sure you give credits to the producers and featured artists.

Phase 3: Marketing

Step one: use free tools to market your mixtape. Make a music video or just a slideshow and put it up on YouTube. Show the world your talent. Add a link to a website where people can buy your mixtape. Use Craigslist for your local cities (where you perform and such) to promote your shows and mixtape. Last, use social media like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace to promote your mixtape and talent.

Step two: book a few shows around your local city. Performing is a good way to promote your mixtape. Make sure to either hand out or sell your mixtape at the place you perform. There are many bars, clubs, social spots that will let you perform for cheap or free in return for customers.

Step three: Get your own domain and website to promote your music. Stop using sites that let you have a small spot and get your very own entire website. There are free places like weebly.com.

Step four: find a local or online record label that is free and will promote your music on their site. Usually they will add a biography and/or link to your website.

That's it. If you are a good artist these three phases will kick start your rap career and possibly land you a record deal.

There are bunch of online beat making sites that offer free beat maker but those freebie offers limited capabilities and has poorer sound quality compared to that of the paid versions.

With a good hip hop beat maker, it is easy to make your own beats or re-create some of your favorite tracks. The software will have ample functions to build your own multi layered beats with a few clicks here and there without much instruction.

You will be amazed how quickly you will be able to make your own hiphop or rap beats and spice them up with your favorite piano chords, drum beats, bass, guitar riffs and mix them up to make your own style.

If you are a hip hop fanatic like me, I can assure you that you won't sleep for days once you have your hands on this amazing hip hop beat maker. While it takes only about a few minutes to make a beat with the simplicity of the software, you simply couldn't stop and keep making more beats to build your own music library. In fact, my hip hop beats collection was way too large that I then sell it online to make some profits.

Now when you are choosing a hip hop beat maker, there are a few things that you will need to take note of. First and foremost is the file saving ability. You need to find one that allows you to export your completed beats into MP3 format as this format can be played on most if not all media players. This also allows you to easily burn them on CD or save them in your iPod. It should also come with proper documentation and video tutorials so that you can get the most out of the beat maker.

The one I am using also comes with 1000's of royalty free sounds to give you a kick start.

No worry about the sound quality if you are getting a paid version of a beat maker. It will be as good as studio quality. A lot of music producers started their career from home with these beat makers. How? Well, once you are done with your beats, add your vocals and upload them to video sites like ITunes and YouTube to get free publicity. If you get ample of followers and positive rating, you know you are that good to burn your beats into a CD and send them to the record companies.

However, if you are like me, just wanted to make beats because you enjoy doing it, having a hip hop beat maker like mine will definitely bring you to the next level of beat making. And believe it or not, you can sell your beats online for profits too.

This is because most of the time to do the kind of rhythms you hear in your favorite songs you need a recording studio for the king of quality.

This is where you can experience problems, of course, if you have the money and time to learn all the music production, could be the start of its news hobby, but unfortunately many of us are in this position.

Son, the question: How I can start making rap beats fast?

Well, you're in luck because there is a new software that is web by storm!

It's called Dub Turbo and why it is so popular is because it gives a complete solution to start making your own pace from home with ease!

If you think that other products on the market, for example, Cubase, Fruity Loops, which are studies of good music desktop studios, which will also cost an arm and a leg and you need to know about music production and have a song off them!

Dub Turbo is the first DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that sites on your desktop and offers all the features of a real recording studio!

You can also make any kind of music you want!

You can do rap or hip hop, dance music, R&B, drum and bass, the possibilities are endless!

Make your first High Studio Quality beat in just 10 minutes

Step #1: Use the 1-2-3-4 formula

If you want to learn how to rap, then always follow the 1-2-3-4 phase formula. You can turn every hip hop song into a 4 step beat formula. Every time there is an emphasis in the rap, that is one of the 4 numbers.

An easy way to use this formula is to use your hand and move from left to right every phase. That will make it easier when to make your flow rhyme. You want to usually rhyme on the same phase of the formula.

For example, you want to rhyme every 4th phase. So the next 4th phase you want to make your word rhyme with the previous 4th phase of the 1-2-3-4 formula.

Step #2: Rap with other friends

Another secret on how to rap better is to freestyle rap with your friends. It is much more fun to freestyle rap with friends than to do it yourself. But you can make it a playful competition by freestyling against each other for fun. This will make your freestyle rapping skills to improve much faster than before.

If you can't find anyone to rap with, just go to an online voice chatroom and look for a chatroom that has a lot of hip hop fans. You will easily find people who are willing to freestyle rap with you or battle. Just have fun because the more you have fun, the more you will get better at freestyling.

Step #3: Create your own "Emcee Identity"

Another tip to learn to rap is create your own rapper identity. A lot of hip hop emcees try too hard to be someone else. They want to be like the next big hit so they make their hair look like the latest hip hop artist or rapper. But when you do that, you lose a lot of your own originality.

Instead of trying to be someone else, take some time to reflect on who you are. Look into your own life experiences and find out what makes you unique. Whatever that is, add them up to create your own unique emcee identity. Once you create your own rapper identity, you will have more ownership to it and thus you will have much more conviction and power when you rap.

Step #4: Use a rhyming dictionary

To improve your rhyming skills, just get yourself a rhyming dictionary. A rhyming dictionary is a dictionary that gives a list of rhyming words. This is a very helpful tool to help you incorporate words to make your freestyle rhyme and sound better.

Step #5: Focus on your own skills

A lot of rappers focus too much on other rappers. That is not good because you can end up being discouraged if you see other hip hop artists do better. So don't focus on other people's lives or their rapping skills. Instead, focus on your own skills. The more you focus on your own freestyle rapping skills, the faster you will improve as a hip hop artist.

1. Pick a style- Know the style of beat you want to make before you start making it. Like rnb,rap,pop, etc. There have been plenty of beats that I made and could not figure out what style it was.

2. Pick A Major Artist- Think of a known artist that you would want to make the beat for. Like if you chose a style a rap, think now what rap artist do you want to make the beat for. Try to imagine that artist on your beat. This will make your hip hop beat-making experience a whole lot easier.

3. Listen To Their Song- Take a listen to the rap artist you are making the beat for songs. See the style. Get a feel for the kind of hip hop beats the artist raps over.

4. Formatting The Song- Very important. formatting is, the intro, verse, chorus, verse, bridge, etc. That's all it is but basically you just change the order around however you feel like it. Turn on the radio and see how your favorite artist formats there song. When instruments come in, when they drop out. The most basic form to start with is, 2 or 4 bar intro, 16 bar verse, 8 bar chorus, 16 bar verse, 8bar chorus, 16 bar verse, 8 bars chorus. This is the most basic beat-making song format. This is very common in rap. If you want an even simpler way, you can create an 8 bar loop and keep it the same throughout the whole song. I have seen this done a lot.

5. Laying down the beat- I have learned that for starters, it's easier to start with the drums. Kick, Snare, Hi hat, are always a good start. Record a pattern for four bars with those first. Then layer that with maybe some toms, cow-bell, symbols, etc. Whatever you want to use. THE DRUMS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN MAKING HIP HOP BEATS! Your drums must hit and hit HARD. The best way to get your drums hitting hard is by not using "pitty pat" free kits you downloaded from the internet for free. If your drums are weak, then your beat is going to be weak.

6. Laying Down A Melody- This is where most hip hop beat-makers have the most trouble. Because most eat makers can't play the keys. For starters, you might want to learn basic keyboard skills. The major thing you need to learn are, major and minor scales. After you learn that, try and do different combinations and patterns with the drum beat you have made. Use an instrument like, a lead guitar, horns, clav, something that will stand out. Your melody can be however you want it, but for starters, you could do a 4 bar melody, or an 8 bar melody.

7. Layering The Beat- What is done a lot in beat making is layering. If you have your whole beat finished. You can go and make it sound bigger by layering. All you do is fill in some gaps, do the same pattern you did with one instrument with another instrument. Do this throughout your beat. This will make you beat sound a lot fatter.

8. Pan- Panning is basically having an instrument all the way to the right, all the way to the left, and anywhere in between. You pan for all kinds of different reasons. It gives each track its own little space in the stereo field. There are no rules for panning, put you have to do it. So just try it out and see what you like best.

9. The Mixdown- Very important! Very Important! Very Important! If you have a poor mix on your beat, then you have pretty much wasted your time. When mixing a beat, start with each track individually. Solo each track and make sure it sounds good by itself. EQ it if you have to, but if each track sounds good by itself, the whole beat will sound that much better. DO NOT DISTORT! If your master levels are in the red before you bounce to disc or .mp3, your distorting. Don't worry about if its not loud enough. You never ever ever want to distort. If you are distorting, check any instrument that has boom or low end, Like a kick, bass, sub, etc. these tend to distort more often.

10. The Bounce- Now that you made you're beat, Its the hottest hip hop beat ever, you want to put it on cd or upload it to the internet. When you're exporting a beat for cd, Use .wav file. 44.1 16bit. If you want to upload to the internet use, 320kbps (the highest .mp3 quality) or 128kbps. Most websites wont accept 320kbps because the file size is too big. So go with 128kbps.

These are all just guidelines to help you get started. There are millions of ways to make a beat, But this is just to help you get your feet wet if you don't know where to start.

Making your own free beats has taken the net by storm. Networking for amateur beat makers is turning out some great talent that may never have been heard otherwise.

Before laying down your own beats, it's a good idea to listen to some professional beats. This will give you some insight for putting together the beats that are in your head and translating them better when laying your own tracks.

Some people buy beats online, then take parts of those beats and use them in their beat instrumentals. A caution - be sure to get 'royalty free' beats if you don't want to pay out any cash, otherwise you will be trying to use a copyrighted work which is illegal-so don't do it!

Music producing is fun, and can also be lucrative. Choosing software correctly for making your beats is serious. There are plenty out there, both expensive and inexpensive that you can take advantage of. Be sure you match your style of music with the software that it calls for.

Use samples. Then add, twist, and create it into what you want it to be. Some good sample CDs can be had at 'Loopmasters', 'Sample Magic', and 'Modern Beats'. Plenty exist, but these are good. These tips will kick off your knowledge of how to make your own free beats instrumentals.

Depending on your situation as far as finances, this article deals with how to make your own beats for free, but there are many pay programs available to those for who that isn't a problem.

In matching your software also shop the features of the different ones available, and match that against your goals for your tracks. They differ in what they offer, so there may be one that offers one thing you need, and another has something else but not that, and then there may be one that has both. Knowing your music goals will help you in shopping the software.

The first brick in this wall is a good sequencer. Two popular ones are Propellerheads's Reason, and Image-Line's FL Studio.

Sound editor comes next. These you will use for editing wave files, a must when using samples. (Samples are parts of audio tracks used as a foundation for your music).

You can obtain samples from numerous places - CD samples, or old records, etc. You'll see once you start to lay your tracks how invaluable a good sound editor is when making your own beats.

To summarize, this article has given you some good general advice on how to start making your own beats.

During the tracking phase of the recording process you are/should be focusing on capturing the best recorded tracks on an individual basis, making sure each recorded element is of good quality & recorded at an optimized level with no clipping/distortion. The mixing phase is all about making all those recorded elements blend together & sound good with each other to provide a great sounding & interesting song mix as a whole. At the mixing stage you should focus on how things sound along with each other more than how a piece sounds by itself. If you were to solo an element & tweak the EQ, it may sound better when by itself but when placed in the mix the adjustment might be clashing with another part so always make adjustments in the mix while paying attention to the mix as a whole.

When setting up the mix a good way to make panning choices is to visualize your track separated into each instrument being played by a live musician on stage with the main/lead vocal usually panned in the center. Adjust the panning of each instrument around the stereo field in the locations that you visualize the virtual musician standing while playing the instrument sound. Use reverb effects at various decay/feedback settings to add distance & space to parts while keeping some sounds free of reverb to keep the mix up close & personal. It is a good idea to check your mixes on good quality headphones as this give you an idea of how the different panning setting are working & will let you know if there are any sounds that are not showing up too much on either side of the stereo field.

The bass drum & other bass parts are usually served best in the center as bass tends to be perceived in a mono style so may as well place it so. Lead vocals should be panned in the center with over dubs & adlibs panned at varying locations with slightly lower volume than the lead & with subtle EQ differences. You want your instrumental to be like a form fitting foam bed that your vocal is able to "lay" down into & be embraced by. You do not want your vocal to sound like it was just placed on top of a flat beat. You want your mix to have changes in dynamics, with ups & downs that will build anticipation then release it & so on. Be sure to check your mix on a mono playback device as well to make sure all parts are still heard, if you have any very wide instrument panning you may lose the sound when heard in mono so make adjustments to sound good in mono & stereo. The level on your stereo mix should be Peaked at about -3db on the meter without hitting the red. This will give the mastering engineer the headroom needed to maximize the sound of your song & mastering will bring the level up to the max.

The final mix of all parts should be listened to on as many different types of sound sources as possible such as ear buds, laptop speakers a bookshelf system, and/or a car stereo. The more different sources the better as this will allow you pinpoint any re-occurring problems that may then be fixed "in the mix" Once you have a completed mix that you have done A/B comparisons with commercial tracks and you believe your mix is close enough, you will be ready to enter the mastering stage. If you are a beat maker that has no vocal tracks, you can still mix your beat/instrumental using the same tips/techniques above while saving the vocal mix tips for later.

The information in this article has given you an overview of the Hip Hop song mixing process in the home studio that I myself tend to follow, you may adjust your procedure to fit your own tastes as what I have intended was to give you a kind of mixing roadmap to follow when you are not sure how to proceed.

But what if you're child is stubborn and refuses to do so yet shows a keen interest in listening to rap music? Investing in a hip hop beat maker might just spark the creative flare you know your child has!

So just what exactly is a hip hop beat maker anyway? It's a musical program that runs on your computer allowing a person to mix music, sounds and samples to produce great sounding beats. For many parents, the idea of this is a little different or perhaps even a little strange but given so many young people listen to hip hop music, it might be one way of encouraging your son or daughter to express themselves with music.

What are the benefits of using such software you might ask? Good question! In order to make it clear and how this may be one possible avenue for your son or daughter to pursue, the following points will make it clear and concise.

• Affordability - Beat maker software can be purchased at an affordable price. For less than the cost of a guitar lesson, you can give your child a suite of software that will allow them access to a sequencer upon which they can practice producing music. Better yet, many beat maker programs come fitted out with tutorials at no added cost which is a great bonus for the beginner.
• Portability - Because the software runs straight from the PC, should you or another member of the family need to use the computer, your son or daughter can pick up right where they left off by using their own laptop or a friends PC. This solves the problem of arguments that can erupt when everybody wants to get on the PC at the same time.
• It's fun! - Your child will be exposed to a wide range of things that go into the production of music. It's quite common for hip hop artists to use varying types of instruments in their beats. This can range from piano to guitar, violin or even the saxophone. Your child will gain important knowledge of music production which could lead them to picking up other instruments or pursuing a career in the music industry.

Using a hip hop beat maker to garner attention of music in your child may be the simplest solution yet!

In the event you are getting in the market of making tracks and in particular gangster rap & dance music files it can be really hard to find a software program that will enable you to ultimately accomplish this task using your PC without you being forced to get too techie.

One other thing that you must know often you will find a few virtual percussion machines on the market that target individuals that are new to developing popular music for this reason they do not offer you ample features. If you ever want to get where you can make money selling your beats, or maybe you just want proper recording studio music quality remember these instructions to be sure you will receive a productive virtual music software program:

1. verify that the virtual drum machine you decide on will use.wav file types since this allows you to retain recording studio quality and will make a big difference when you go to export.

You will be able to obtain a 44.1 stereo 16 bit master.wav file and that means that NO quality is lost. Additionally, you will be able to make.mp3 files from the original, try and do it the other way around and it will sound just plain bad, low sample rates, striped Bass and minimize highs!

For that reason make certain you choose a virtual drum machine that offers 44.1 stereo 16 bit.wav files!

2. Another feature that you will have to watch out for is to be sure that the virtual drum machine you choose can do at least a 16 bar loop. I see this a lot where you just get 1 bar It's hard to create fresh unique beats with just one loop.

With those virtual drum machines All you can produce is one repetitive bar. Not good in case you want to be creative!

So make sure that there is a minimum of 32 bar option with the virtual drum machine that you pick. (Try and make a progressive house tune with 1 bar! LOL)

3. Finally when you begin producing your own beats you will probably want more fresher sounds so you"ll want a virtual drum machine that allows you to add you own custom sounds. This will make your music solid unique and is an amazing feature to have to make sure your tracks continually sound fresh.

Above you have learned the 3 most essential items to get you started and make sure that you purchase a good quality virtual drum machine.

First, be reminded that every beat is a different one from the other. There is no similar beat or songs produced. Each rap song produced is unique from the others. As a musician and producer, you should also have that kind of thinking. You are in a different state now than just tuning in to your favorite radio station and listening to your favorite rap music. It might be easy to just adopt the beats from your favorite rap singers. Of course you do not want to be tagged as the next LL Cool J or Snoop Dogg, Junior. By creating your own unique beats, you got to create the new you. When your music soars high through the air waves, you will be the very first special you that your fans will look up to!

The next thing that needs serious consideration is the set-up. You may be deceived into believing that before you can come up with creating your own music, you need to have an expensive studio completely lavished with luxurious musical instruments and technology so that the perfect beat will be delivered. The truth is that you do not have to invest in millions of dollars just to come up with your own distinct beat. Since the internet provides a long range of sites to help you create your own beat online, you might as well take advantage of that.

The next significant thing to consider is the mix and match of the beats. Harmony is very important. It plays the role of a quality guide between music and noise. One beat may be good in itself. Another beat may seem perfect using another musical instrument. But all beats should work beautifully together to create harmonious music. A beat should not stand out from the rest. Remember that you are creating music, an ensemble of beats put together.

Creating your own rap music is never far from reality. With constant efforts on exploring your own kind of beats and firm determination, you are on your way to create delightful music. Who knows? Maybe in a week or so, the rap music played on the radio, adored by thousands of fans could be yours!

The reason that they are so popular is because it allows you to make your own music with little or no experience in musical production. If you have a look about online there are some software solutions that you can use to make your own rap beats, although they will require a lot of musical theory knowledge and if you are just getting started this can get very complex quickly!

That is why a good rap beat maker can be a good solution to start off with!

If you are going to use one of these make sure that you get professional sounding beats as these will either make or break your music. Some of the rap beat makers that you can find online are really bad quality so make sure you get a preview before you actually commit to anything.

The next thing that you want to look for is that you get updated sounds, and drum kits as the more choice you have it will enable you to make lots of different music.

So in order to make sure you're getting a good software package check to see if there is a preview of what you are getting.

Lastly, a good idea is to make sure there is a full guarantee and then of course if you do not like it you have not lost out.

I hope this article has told you what to look for in a good rap beat maker and if you follow the tips above you more likely to get a good rap beat maker.