Feedback for maximizing my gear usage? please, thank you!

[MaXiMiLLioN]

Maximizing the use of my gear! Lookin for Feedback/tips/advivce...

aight i'm an aspiring hip hop producer(shoot i jus want 2 make dope music) actually more like a beatmaker at this point, I am sample based...

my gear list is as follows:

Blue sky monitors
Behringer Eurorack UB1202
Audiotechnica AT3035 recording mic
Presonus Tube preamp
Alesis Micron keyboard
Akai mpc 1000 sampler
radio shaq mic stand
that $50 pop filter from GC
turntable and a gang of records 300+
Zoom 1266 Digital Recorder
Zoom st-224 sampler(i want 2 use this to sample drums)
Yamaha DJ-X this is what started it all so don't laugh..wit its 2sec sampler..

oh yeah and bout a year ago i picked up an ALMIGHTY:
Macbook Pro 17"
rocking Ableton Live 5.1, Recycle, came with Garageband plus Audacity

Its been a year now honing my craft, besides the initial excitement, it dawned on me I NEVER EVER use anything besides my turntable and my mpc 1000...to be honest with you i even packed up the micron to avoid getttin it dusty....the macbook pro a paperweight more or less...

so perhaps my question is two-fold..


1. what are the ways I can incorporate all my gear together and put it to use? or better yet what would you guys suggest? based on my gear list and my wish to make hip hop based sample music/beats...ala stoupe..necro..rza...


2.

maybe if i explain right quick how i make a "beat" that will help you understand my question and where i'm coming from bear in mind there is no wrong or right way to make music, I KNOW THIS!!

i get a dope sample, 2-4 bars. I chop it in my mpc or audacity, i set my tempo at 90BPM and play it out and loop it...label that my intro, then copy that sequence over to seq2, play it and add my drums..now seq2 is called my main beat... PI YOW i'm done... here is my latest: http://d01.megashares.com/?d01=215ea4e feel free to rip me a new one...

so yeah i have all this gear but maybe to say i'm UNDERUTILIZING it, is an understatement.... lets NOT even talk abuot the macbook who the female life partner has pretty much turned it into a school tool....


so yeah feel free school a young cat on what I'm doing wrong.. or better yet how I can BETTER grow with what i have...

sorry about the essay!!!

oNe


p..s.. hopefully someone still has it in it to tackle this one.. I have a steal of a deal on a Mackie 1202 VLZ mixer? how if any way would that help or improve my situation here? i.e. should i get it or not? jus finished readin the tweakheadz tutorial on mixers but wanted to see yalls input on it based on my current gear and where i want to be at..

 

[NobleWordz]

I'm getting the impression you want us to tell you how to make beats?

That mixer wont help you make better beats.

 

[Kontents]

Honestly If you dont use the gear or see yourself in need of it, Sell it.


To many people think that a mountin pile of gear is going to make them a hott producer/ Beat Maker.


just keep what you got. and sell the rest for dust blower for the gear you got

P.S.

if you are looking into just making beats and not recording artist professionally you should not get a mixing board or anything in that area. why you ask?? because if your beats are hott enough you will land in a studio where they can get mixed down professionally. SAves you $$$

 

[MaXiMiLLioN]

aww come on yall, I did my h/w i done did my research..and i asked what i thought was to be a thought provoking question...

..but i guess i'm wrong and i guess i kinda see why yall see it like that.. must by why i only got 2 responses....

did any of yall even check for my beat i put in too?


it seems like unless you ask a STUPID quick question nobody bothers to answer.. ..


maybe i worded it wrong but i was lookin for feedback on how yall would do it.. you know i'm sayin... cuz I ALREADY know how i'ma do it.. aka i'm already doing it how i want to... maybe hearing yalls feedback and experience might help me see it from another side that i'm not seein it..


put it like this.. the priceo f the alesis micron BRAND new barely equals the total i paid for alll this.. aka i got a good deal on it.. some would say STEAL of deal feel me.. so i mean i would never pay for this stuff.. but yeah i got it now... but i digres..

i guess i'ma jus have to continue n do how I'm doing and see where that takes me...

but if anyone up to feel free to post any feedback tips or advise..

not lookin for handholdin jus another mans perspective..

THANK YOU

oNe

 

[robb_lowe]

aww come on yall, I did my h/w i done did my research..and i asked what i thought was to be a thought provoking question...

..but i guess i'm wrong and i guess i kinda see why yall see it like that.. must by why i only got 2 responses....

did any of yall even check for my beat i put in too?


it seems like unless you ask a STUPID quick question nobody bothers to answer.. ..


maybe i worded it wrong but i was lookin for feedback on how yall would do it.. you know i'm sayin... cuz I ALREADY know how i'ma do it.. aka i'm already doing it how i want to... maybe hearing yalls feedback and experience might help me see it from another side that i'm not seein it..


put it like this.. the priceo f the alesis micron BRAND new barely equals the total i paid for alll this.. aka i got a good deal on it.. some would say STEAL of deal feel me.. so i mean i would never pay for this stuff.. but yeah i got it now... but i digres..

i guess i'ma jus have to continue n do how I'm doing and see where that takes me...

but if anyone up to feel free to post any feedback tips or advise..

not lookin for handholdin jus another mans perspective..

THANK YOU

oNe

Don't get offended my dude. I don't think anyone were tryin' to be a$$holes. Basically man, all i can tell you is to experiment with every piece of equipment you own. Learn the "In's and Out's" of everything you own. You paid all that money, you owe it to yourself to learn. I know you say you want to sound like "Necro, Rza, etc." Do you my man, that's how you use all that equipment. You think "Timbo" got his name by sounding like the next man? (Nope) That's the best piece of advice i can give. Another thing you might want to look into is getting a little "confidence". If you don't have confidence in yourself, no one else will. Your "swag" is one of the most important thing you got next to having a good "ear". I hope i helped you a little bit. Be easy...

PS. I wouldn't by anymore gear until i learned to utilize what i have. Just my opinion though.

 

[Relic]

The only reason I havent replied is I wouldnt know how to set all that up honestly..
It takes a while to learn gear (for me). I had a mackie d8b and loved it...for show..all I was using was PT and learnin PT was enough so I ended up not having the d8b anymore..It was stolen actually but thats another tale..
SO you have to put your time in to see how it works best for you..But Im not familiar with the gear you have so it would be wrong of me to pretend to tell you the best way to hook it up to maximize it.

As far as the song goes.The timing is off.the beat is basic.and its repetitive.The flute sample has potential tho.Constructive critism.
I think you should keep it all and learn to work it.

 

[Ash Holmz]

samples, soundz, sequence, mix and record .... thats all u need .. if u have 2 pieces of gear that do the same thing... then sell em .... honestly with ur gear ....

i would sell the eurorack, both zoom machines , the yamaha dj-x, and the presonus tube preamp (assuming its one of those "bluetube ones" .. no offense but those really suck) i would buy a high qulaity soundcard with multiple inputs ... something like a rme fireface, digi 002, saffire pro , something like that if u dont already have one ... sample and sequence on ur mpc , record with ur soundcard and mix on your macbook... also u can use vsts and stuuf from ur macbook and sequence with the mpc......and u can use the preamps off of the soundcard or if u have the money get a quality preamp .. something like a groove tubes brick is really good and is only like $350 and pairs really well with the AT mic u have. to me u have alot of mediocre pieces of gear .... id rather have 3 or 4 pieces of high quality gear than 10 medicocre peices... again no offense and take my advice with a grain of salt just my 2 cents... in the end u need to experiment and find out which setup/peices would work best for u.

 

[MaXiMiLLioN]

wattup party peoples?

, nah, nah,

no Offense taken what soever, thing is i'm still "new" to the net so i apologize if i came across like that....i'm not used to interacting with people like this, feel me? its jus i'm sayin nobody round my way make beats and the only feedback i can get is on the internet or like on these forums with yall so yeah believe that, i'm like a sponge when yall post somethign i aint' get mad or nothign i take it all in and try to see where yall comin from with that..

remember that I"m hear to Learn, so keep it real and i appreciate the honesty...


i think what i need to do is research some more and then focus my question... i now see why yall thought i came on some, tell me how to make music thing..


one quick question

1. How do i get my macbook to "talk" to my mpc and what is the benefit of that?

maybe i'm not a tech head like that but i jus NOT seein it..

good lookin!


oNe

 

[Relic]

Its midi... Your manual ought to be able to tell you how to hook it up...

 

[MaXiMiLLioN]

i know its midi and all that.. but maybe what im' askin is WHAT do i need to get my macbook to talk to my mpc....

is that what an audio interface is?

i'm at the www.tweakheadz.com right now all day at the library jus readin up on all of it.. and i think i jus got to the point where i answered my own questiosn..


see i was thinkin of coppin an mbox 2 or the m-audio firewire 410.. not "really" knowin what they is except havin a rough idea that its what i needed to get my mac talkin to my h/w and it seems i was right...

per dudes webpage it says:

3. Mixerless Approach

A third way to connect audio sources to a computer is with an audio interface, which 100% replaces all the functions of a soundcard, with mixer-quality mic preamps and line inputs and outputs. Some of these come with PCI cards and others with Firewire or USB2.0 interfaces. You don't need another soundcard if you have an audio interface--it is your soundcard. If you get one with Mic preamps, you don't need a mixer. We will call this the "mixerless" approach.

so d*m if i cop either of those.. i aint' really need an soundcard and i'll be set to use it wit a pc or my macbook right? and i can even use midi fuctions wit said s/w right?

man i been at this all day and after all i read it would seem to me thats how its done?


but yo set my head straight so i that i can know that i'm right..

in basics coppin the mbox 2 or the firewire 410

will allow me to

1. replace the need for a soundcard since that becomes it for me..

2. allows me to MIDI up in the game, i.e. somehow connect my mpc via midi to the interface which goes to the computer and said s/w like ableton live or pro tools will allow them all to communicate right?

3. it would seem this would even allow me to connect my phantom powred mics to the interface and use those pre amps and then record via the pc?

4. am i right in all this? i mean besides the s/w advantage...we all "know" computers is the way to go for recording now.. how is this a benefit v/s using my current hard disk digital recorder that we use now? its seems like it cost more and harder to use..

but yeah hopefully yall can clear this last cloud of doubt from my mind..

me i'm hoppin back on the pc before the public library close at 5pm and i lose my free internet!



oNe

 

[Symphonic]

just hook your tt on your mpc, connect the monitors, record the sample and the drums, make the beat. Record it on your zoom recorder hook up the mic preamp and mic, record it. Save it on cf card and mix it on the computer, it might not be the fastest way but personally i love hardware because it is realy build for that stuff a pc has it advantages (precise mixing) but also it's disadvantages (trouble with installing and problems with interface etc). You got a nice list of gear son, why don't just get to it and figure out what you are missing and what you are not using?

 

[DJ Udo]

Just master one piece at a time. Don't try to figure it all out at once. Eventually you'll figure out what you need. I started making beats on shareware software. I still use GarageBand as my primary sequencer, cuz I'm maad cheap... You'll find different syles of creativity with each tool.. It's all about putting in the time. I don't have much of that these days.