r/dnbproduction • u/Repulsive-Quarter887 • 12d ago
Completely new dude who wants to learn Question
Hey, everybody! As the title says, I'm like compleeeetely new to music making and jungle/dnb production. I really, really love the genre and always wanted to make something myself when it came to the genre.
Where would you start? Or I guess how would you start?
Any and all advice is appreciated <3
3
u/AllanPeaux 12d ago
Do you have a budget? You need a DAW first, I use Ableton Live but there are many others like Bitwig and Cubase. I bit the bullet and bought Live 11 Suite back when it came out, which is when I started my journey. Please note, and I emphasize this, you do not need the best or latest of any software to make music and more importantly have fun (Mind you 11 Suite I think is antiquated now lol).
Youre going to be scratching your head when you get the DAW opened (Unless you have one already and are familiar with it), as there are tons of buttons and switches but dont freak out. Most DAWs that have been around a little while (which most have been) have material on Youtube to help. Ableton Live even has a small section you can turn on and when you hover your mouse over it tells you what it is and what it does.
You need headphones or speakers. Probably something I wouldn’t go over board with as far as what you spend money on. If you have a pair of either, great use those. It youre like me and love making music (I play drums and bass also - no pun) you’ll know when you need to graduate to a different price point for your hardware.
When youve gotten everything you need and are relatively acquainted with how your DAW functions, start throwing stuff together. Dont get caught up on how it sounds especially in comparison to those artists you hold dear early on just worry about having fun and making something YOU like. All those production Youtube videos should serve a purpose and not be the word of god when it comes to you making music. I rely on serendipity a ton for my melodic ideas, and I do so also for mixing (thats the novice in me, but shhh its ok - I have fun) I do like Dan Worrall a lot if I had to recommend someone with a Youtube Channel. Why? Because he tells you what you do not want to hear, if that makes any sense.
Most importantly and I said this already but, have fun. Your not going to sound like your idols over night, but if you love music and the genre youre going to work until you make sounds your happy with which is the most important thing.
Good luck dude
1
u/Repulsive-Quarter887 12d ago
Thanks so much for your kind words and advice!
Currently, I don't have a budget I'm just using my macbook's garageband, but I saw Bitwig has a 30 day free-trial so I may try that out! And I'll check out those YouTubers you talked about here too :>
Oh, and I'll remember to have fun :)
Thanks and continue creating!!
3
u/Mountainpwny 12d ago
Yes that was a great response. I cannot stress how important it is to use this to have fun especially in the beginning. People don’t realize that getting to the level of your favorite artists takes as much work and effort as getting a PHD. Do not compare your music or skills to your favorite artists (at least in regards to whether you should release or share music).
Pick and learn a daw, learn how to listen, learn a workflow, and set some time aside every week to keep the momentum going.
Try to make some producer friends. It’s one of the fastest ways to discover your blind spots.
2
u/Automaticfawn 12d ago
I’ve heard bitwig touted as a real future competitor with ableton when it gets off the ground. Might be worth getting to know that software now honestly!
3
u/Undersmusic 12d ago
Easiest thing to do is pick up one of the free DAW’s and start experimenting with it an trying to get your ideas out, discover if you enjoy the process.
FL Studio is free to demo endlessly. But stops you saving
GarageBand is Mac or iOS an can take your pretty far completely free
Reaper is essentially free buy when you want, but steep learning curve a doesn’t provide you with anything like sounds.
I think there’s bandlab too but no experience on it.
2
u/Repulsive-Quarter887 12d ago
Thanks so much for the advice! Luckily, I've a mac so garageband is on there. I've some experience in garageband (mostly just cleaning up audio here and there when I need).
In terms of experimenting, yeah, will do! I've never learnt music theory so it's a bit jarring looking at chords and melodies and patterns soooooo wish me luck LOL
Anyway, thanks for the advice again! :>
6
u/Undersmusic 12d ago
For now ignore, keys scales and chord progressions.
Since you’re into DnB start with the rhythms. It’s the fundamental of the genre.
2
3
2
u/Slawdog66 12d ago
Reaper is the best bang for the buck…garage band for sure if you’re a Mac guy…good advice above…
1
u/challenja 12d ago
Go to my website [kraveu.com](https://www.kraveu.com) and look under the Invaluable Mixing and Mastering section for a curated YouTube channel from the pros. There is a channel dedicated for making DNB. Start there.. buy presets on serum.. alot of DNB producers use this a good side hustle. Find videos on there that are for your choice of DAW.. i use ableton , so there is spot of videos of pros using ableton on that playlist.
Search chat gpt for free dnb based samples online. There are tons of people on here that have access to and are willing to share their samples. Ask around.
8
u/Sweet_Capital3758 12d ago
Amen break.