Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with electronicmusic

I want to make my own Geogaddi

tumples — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:42:08 -0800

Where do I start if I want to make my own electronic music? Like many, many people I love music. My tastes have always been pretty rock based, but in the past couple of years I have branched off into the amazing world of 'electronic' music and I am pretty much hooked. However, I also play bass and half of the fun for me about music is imagining how I would create the tracks I am listening to, or blend everything I like together into one sound that I could label as my own.
Making music with a guitar is very easy, just plug in and play whatever you like, but when it comes to electronic music I have no idea where to start, or even how my favourite musicians do what they do.

What software, hardware or otherwise would you recommend so that I could start combining the ideas in my head with the instruments and techniques that my favourite artists use?

For reference, when I talk about electronic music (which I know is a massive and largely useless term), I am talking about acts like:
Four Tet
Amon Tobin
Burial
Boards of Canada
Bonobo
Fila Brazilia
Nightmares on Wax

These artists all create a lot of atmosphere, dozens of layers of foundation beats and melodies, all with the general aim of creating a feel and mood as opposed to a fast soulless dance record etc.

Thanks!

Help me find emotionally resonant music with electronic elements!

noboru_wataya — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:21:54 -0800

Help me find electronic-themed, yet emotionally resonant songs like "Heartbeats" by The Knife & "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. After a lifetime of not really getting it, I'm finally beginning to appreciate songs with a lot of electronic elements to them. I can get into some ambient stuff if it's the right kind (I really like "Happy Cycling" by Boards of Canada), but I mostly prefer songs that have a more traditional structure, but incorporate electronic elements. The two that I mentioned above are the best examples I can name of what I mean. Songs that have electronic elements, yet can still move you. I'm open to anything really, as I'm basically a neophyte in the genres I'm describing.

"You've got trouble coming!"

Inspector.Gadget — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:55:56 -0800

On Geir Jenssen's (AKA Biosphere) 2006 Album Cho Oyu 8201m - Field Recordings From Tibet, the song "Summit" features a speaking sample near the end where someone named Boutros calls in on a two-way radio and warns the other party of an oncoming typhoon. The next-to-last line of the conversation is "The good king in his infinite wisdom declared the two-way radio illegal in the mountains." Where is this sample from?

Best techno albums since 1990?

Ultra Laser — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:46:09 -0800

What are the best techno albums since 1990? After discovering Basic Channel and Chain Reaction, I'm left wondering what other essential, must-have techno recordings I might have missed (1990-ish to present day). I mean "techno" in the stricter sense of the term, but I'm also interested in IDM and clicks & cuts type stuff. I'm NOT looking for proto-techno, synthpop/electro, radio-friendly electronica or trip-hop.

Help me find a good software sequencer!

greenie2600 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:22:29 -0800

Looking for a software MIDI sequencer/DAW that meets my needs. Making electronic music used to be one of my main hobbies, but I gradually drifted away from it. I'd like to get back into it, but I'm having a hard time finding software that works for me.

A bit of background: I'm a hardware guy, through and through. I have no use for VST plugins or softsynths, or even virtual analog hardware. I have a few analog synths and a rack full of effects and other outboard gear, and I like it that way. There are two things, and only two things, that I want to do on a computer: MIDI sequencing, and recording/mixing the sounds produced by said sequences. (Okay, three things: a solid VST sampler would be very cool for percussion and the like.)

My first platform was an Alesis MMT-8 (a hardware sequencer), and I liked it. For a while, I used a version of Cubase (not sure which one) on a System 7 Mac, and that was probably the most ideal setup I've used. Later, I got Pro Tools LE with the Digi001 interface, and though it served me okay for a couple of years, I eventually realized that I needed something with a little more sophistication in the MIDI department.

It was around that point (maybe five years ago) that I stopped making music. Earlier this year, I tried to get back into it, so I figured I'd try Cubase again. Well, I quickly learned that things have changed a lot over the last few years: even with a tutorial, I found the latest version of Cubase to be overwhelmingly complex (mind you, I'm a computer programmer). I haven't completely given up on it, but I'd really like something more stripped-down and more focused on my specific needs.

What I'd really love is something like System-7-era Cubase, with DAW capabilities tacked on. Or, to put it differently, like Pro Tools LE but with the MIDI capabilities of System-7-era Cubase.

I have a Windows XP machine, with an M-Audio FastTrack Pro audio/MIDI interface.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated!

dub techno

zennoshinjou — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:47:09 -0800

Recommend similar artists to bvdub and quantec. I'm interested in this "dub techno" genre of electronic music that is kind of down-tempo borderline drone-y. Kaito is also kind of in the ballpark but he is more melodic than what I'm looking for. Any recommendations that are similar would be appreciated.

What songs should my electronica cover band play?

greenie2600 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:33:56 -0800

Help me think of classic electronic tracks for my (as-yet-hypothetical) classic electronica cover band. I came across Orbital's Doctor?, a cover of the Doctor Who theme song, and I thought "man, this is great; I bet people go nuts for this at parties".

And then I thought it would be a hell of a lot of fun to start an electronic cover band with a couple of my synth-geek friends. Easier than starting an original band, since you wouldn't have to worry about all that pesky creativity—and, y'know, people would go nuts for it at parties.

So what tunes would you want to hear if you came to see my band? Kraftwerk offers a whole smörgåsbord of possibilities, of course, but what else?

Tracks should be familiar and recognizable (to electronic music geeks, at least), party-friendly (or amenable to being played that way), and not too techno-oriented. (I like techno, but that's not what this project is about. I'm sure we would put a more danceable spin on some tracks, but I don't want to just cover the big rave hits of the 1990s or whatever.)

Cannes Lions 2007 intro tracklist

arcticwoman — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:27:35 -0800

Where can I find the tracklist for the 2007 Cannes Lions DVD intro? I recently went to a screening of the Cannes Lions advertising fest, and was impressed by the music played in the intro segment. Just to be clear of what I'm talking about, the showing began with a ten minute (or longer) clip show from the actual fest in Cannes - people schmoozing, commiteeing, etc. The intro ended with a list of the music played, but all I caught was Calvin Harris and Kasabian. Does anyone have/know where I can find this tracklist?

Trance covers/remixes

jmd82 — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:47:20 -0800

Looking for trance covers/remixes. I love trance. I'm particularly fond of female vocals in trance. I stream it all day from the Internet at work.
I've also always loved covers of popular songs.
Fuse the two, and now I'm looking for trance remixes of popular songs! I'd be interested in forms other electronic music (techno, jungle, etc), but I always come back to trance in the end.

While I'm already aware of OCremix and more than have my fill of console remixes, I'm not particular to any specific genre. Anything from classical music to 80's pop to heavy metal, I'm all ears.
Artists who specialize in creating remixes are a plus.

Beat Detective wanted

Jon Mitchell — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:40:31 -0800

Are there any free realtime osx beat detection plugins or applications? I have a Roland Jupiter 6 synth - it has a very basic MIDI implementation, but no way to set the arpeggiator clock via midi, just via the knob.

A realtime beat detector would at least let me tune the arpeggio clock manually to the desired tempo, or at least let me know there's no way I can coax the required tempo out of it, and change the tempo of the track accordingly.

All the Google results I've come across are for beat detecting pre-recorded tracks, not live, which isn't really what I'm after.

Finding 1920s Style DJ Sets - Big Band Bush Doofer Seeks Similar

mikw — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:10:03 -0800

Help me find some DJ sets / albums that prominently feature music / samples from the 20s and 30s, such as big band, jazz and swing. I'm hosting a 20's themed birthday party for my wife, and am looking for some great music to play. I'm planning on opening with some traditional recordings, such as Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Betty Boop and some other artists I've discovered since starting to research this, but as the night wears on I'd like to put on some more modern takes with the same prohibition-era feel.

Ideally I'd like to find a couple of well put together DJ sets, albums or even single tracks that have a chilled out dance beat with samples or tracks that borrow from music of the eras in question.
I'm not especially picky as to the exact era things come from, as long as the vibe and flow remain fairly consistent. I'd also like to hear suggestions for other original recordings of great artists in the same style if anyone has favorites.

Here's some interesting artists / links I've found just to get things started.

Wax Tailor Interesting mix of samples from old movies with some great production
Wax DJ One of my favorite resources for full DJ sets, and finding excuses to go clubbing here in Seattle
Hybrid Music Interesting question on combining music genres

Thanks!

Free Digital Audio Workstation?

alona — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 06:32:26 -0800

ElectronicMusicFilter: I'm familiar with Cubase SX through school and I've played around with FruityLoops in the past, and I'd like to download something similar that's free for use at home. I don't have a MIDI keyboard. I do have windows XP, and fairly good knowledge of Cubase SX as I've worked with it in the past few months at school. I'd rather it be a free program rather than a free "demo", because I'd like to keep this thing for a while.

Electronic music hardware gadgets & gizmos?

univac — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:39:53 -0800

DAWs are cool, but I really like the feel of instruments in my hands. Where can I obtain potentially-electronic-music-producing electronic gadgets, oscillators, noise machines, etc. in Southern California?

Getting the most out of Fruityloops

drezdn — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 07:33:15 -0800

How can I avoid the "FruityLoops Sound?" I use FL Studio 5 as my main music making software. I really want to create songs with as high quality as possible and want to avoid "Fruityloops Sound". I plan on adding in more live instruments, but what else should I do?

Name the tune

shannymara — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:19:39 -0800

Name that tune. This [mp3, 100 Kb] is a shamefully crude MIDI reconstruction of part of the tune in question. I'd place it around 1975, Moog type Top 100 pop music; sounds something like Hot Butter but is not. Any ideas what it is?

My office is not a rave, dammit!

cyrusdogstar — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:59:56 -0800

Can anyone recommend some good electronica Internet radio that has absolutely no vocals? I enjoy listening to electronic music Web radio stations (usually via iTunes' listing) in the background while at my computer. However, I really dislike 99% of the vocals that show up in the genre, and no matter what stream I listen to, I'm pretty much guaranteed to end up with some irritating high-pitched woman's voice breaking my concentration at some point (er, besides that of my co-workers').

Has anyone found any half-decent streams that don't play anything with vocals?

Electronic for beginners

p3on — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 19:34:47 -0800

I'm very interested in learning to compose electronic music, but don't know where to start. To try to seperate this from a previous post, I'm looking for programs that will be good to learn with, what I should work myself into, and if possible any tutorials for those programs. Also, I'd like to know what software is good for what - i.e., IDM, glitch, organic-sounding, etc. I'm very interested in incorporating samples of various recordings, as well. Any help will be appreciated beyond measure, since this is something I've had my eye on for a very long time, and every guide I've seen thusfar makes a lot of assumptions regarding experience with this kind of thing.

How to pull off programmed music live?

thedaniel — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 10:27:10 -0800

I make music with singing, guitars, and somewhat fast/complex backing tracks that I sequence in Logic. How can I pull these songs off live with zero to one other humans? Is software+a midi pedalboard the best solution? A sampler of some kind? I have little knowledge of electronic music production outside of software (Logic, FL Studio, Reason), but really want to play live. If it makes any difference: the backing tracks are vaguely in the style of older Mindless Self Indulgence or Atari Teenage Riot, but most of the songs have at least one tempo or time signature change. I don't want to just plug in my iPod and press play, as I'd like a little flexibility to stretch out intros, breakdowns, etc.

Cheap drum trigger to MIDI converter

phrontist — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 20:18:33 -0800

Is there a commerical version of something like this eDrum project? I've found severa "drum modules" that take input from drum trigger devices and turn them into MIDI, but most of them are quite expensive. I'm hoping this is because they include built in sound generation. I am simply looking for a box that will take trigger inputs and produce MIDI output for as little as possible.

What goes beep and entertains a geeky boy?

ITheCosmos — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 09:53:56 -0800

Fun sound toys. My boyfriend has a menagerie of old synthesizers, electric chord organs, assorted keyboards, and even a home-made theremin. Can anyone think of a fun little electronic-music-toy I could get him? This can be a kid's toy, or anything else that makes interesting noises.
Thanks, I know this is fairly vague.

Is Reason and other programs making music production too easy?

Napierzaza — Sat, 04 Dec 2004 08:01:49 -0800

I have a question that relates to the recent announcement about Reason 3. Reason is a intuitive and relatively simple (probably the easiest) software based music program. Is Reason and other programs making music production to easy? Has it been demystified? Coupled with the internet there is certainly a lot of electronic musicians nowadays.

I just have trouble when I think about it because I make music (with Reason) and I'd like to believe it's original and everything, but maybe it isn't.

I have a friend who makes short movies and he says that it has happened to movie making because of Final Cut and Premiere. But I can't imagine this is so because films are (or should be) complex and there are so many things that have to be done right.

Is the musician not special anymore? Does anyone think that music is too simple a thing to learn? I've been making it for a little more than a year and the learning curve has really slowed down, I'm learning less about music and more about the program itself.

Will people who listen music have to change what they're looking for? Vying for the more complex and unique than the perfectly timed? I myself (I'm using my own opinion to try and relate to everyone else) am moving towards the more and more complex music and genres.

Is it like that for many of you here?

What laptop should I get to make music on?

drezdn — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 09:25:43 -0800

Laptop Music filter- Can you help me pick out a computer to make music on [mi]? I'm interested in making electronic music on a computer and would like to reproduce it live from the computer (so I can manipulate it). Until I can save up to buy a really nice laptop, I was thinking of buying a tower and a flatscreen monitor to set up live (and to save some money). Currently, I've been using Fruity Loops 4.0 plus sound forge to do most of my music making but I'm thinking of getting Reason in the future.

Would a tower with a processor around 2.0 Ghz be able to run most music software without playback problems? Should I get a special soundcard? Should I just save up and buy a particular laptop?

non-American access to the iTunes Music Store?

timeistight — Sun, 02 May 2004 18:14:43 -0800

Is there any way for a non-American to finagle access to the iTunes Music Store? Does anyone have reliable information on when it might be available in Canada?

Computer music project involving midi keyboard, each note triggering a sample .wav file, multi-tracking and layering. What program will allow this?

Pericles — Sun, 18 Jan 2004 04:10:54 -0800

I'm an amateur musician and since Multiple Sclerosis ate my hands, I can't play my guitar. So want to try to make music with my computer. I've got a fast Win XP machine, a SOundblaster card with midi and a midi keyboard, CoolEdit, Cakewalk and lots of ideas.

What I want to do is find a program that'll let me play my midi keyboard and record the music, allowing me to edit/ Quantize blah blah (Cakewalk allows me this). But I want those midi notes to trigger samples that I've got as . wavs, transposing them to correct note (so it plays the real sounds, not tinny midi stuff), and obviously allow me to multi-track to layer the stuff into the songs in my head.

Anyone recommend a program that's easy to get to grips with/ a way of saving the samples so I can do this/ a book or online resource to get me started?

Trance/techno rhythm question

ao4047 — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 11:55:57 -0800

In trance/techno music, where does the following pattern come from: A major bass hit on the first beat of the measure, then doubling to the first and third beat a couple measures later, then every beat, then eighth notes, sixteenth notes - usually accompanied by a melodic glissando climbing octaves or a vocal loop stuttering - until it releases (usually to a short pause) and then plunges into the full bass loop (and usually the chorus). Where'd this come from? What/who was the first song or DJ to use it?