| If you love to listen to Hip Hop, East Coast or Dance | | | | between $100 and $200 it becomes expensive. |
| and you may get the feeling that you would love to | | | | So, what do you do if you are just starting out to mix |
| have a go at producing some of the beats that you | | | | your own beats? You want to have a go and have |
| hear. | | | | some fun, you want to make a professional sound but |
| You may think that this is an impossible dream but | | | | only have a few dollars to spare? Well I have two |
| remember they too were like once and so why not | | | | recommendations. |
| you. Even if you do not feel that is what you want to | | | | 3. Sonic Producer only costs $29.99. The reason for |
| do for a career, it can be a real fun hobby to mix your | | | | this is that it is an online program. You do not download |
| own beats. | | | | the program but use it on the internet and then |
| It used to be that there was an insurmountable | | | | download the beats that you have made as an mp3. |
| problem if you wanted to mix beats on your computer | | | | Whilst it does not have all the extra bells and whistles |
| - it cost the earth for the software. You would have to | | | | that Reason and Fruity Loops have, the sounds are |
| pay out hundreds or thousands of dollars to get a | | | | good and mixing deck is excellent. Sonic Producer is |
| professional sound out of your computer. | | | | cool because it gets you up and running quickly and |
| However, this is not so anymore. There are now | | | | you can mix you first beat online in as little as 10 |
| programs around that do not cost much and will allow | | | | minutes. They also have some great tutorials. |
| you to make good professional sounds. Here are four | | | | 4. Music Producer Pro costs $39.99 - Compared with |
| programs that vary greatly in cost but all allow the | | | | Sonic Producer you get an extensive library of video |
| creation of good beats. | | | | and e-books that help you understand every aspect |
| 1. Reason, an industry standard costs around $600 | | | | of Music Production for the extra $10. What I like about |
| which puts it out of reach for most people just starting | | | | Music Producer Pro is the fact that thy set out to |
| out - it is however fabulous and if you are further | | | | teach you how to really produce music and have all |
| down the road and know this is your chosen career | | | | the tutorials to help you do that. |
| path you could do far worse than choosing this piece | | | | So if you are just starting out or just want to have |
| of software. | | | | some fun my advice to begin with is to buy either |
| 2. Lower down the scale at around $200 you can buy | | | | Sonic Producer or Music Maker Pro - they are both |
| Fruity Loops - again a great piece of software and | | | | cheap, create excellent beats and should you become |
| used by many professional musicians. The basic cost | | | | serious about a career in the music business you can |
| is about reasonable but when you add the cost of the | | | | always graduate to Reason or Fruity Loops later. |
| extra modules that you will want that each cost | | | | |