IDM equipment

Tomnz11 · Post by **Tomnz11** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:22 am

I'm thinking of making my own music but don't know what equipment i will need to do it. I've been looking on the internet for about an hour and can't find any decent answers. Can someone tell what hardware equipment they use or know of? Would be really apreciated, thanks.

futureling · Post by **futureling** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:20 am

Hmmm *strokes imaginary beard*

I'm trying to think of the simplest way to describe this. At the heart of it, you need a sound generator (this would be a synth, a sampler, maybe a drum machine, acoustic drums,) and you need something to record it with.

If you want to do everything in the box (in your computer), what you would need is a DAW (digital audio workstation). DAW is fancy talk for the mixer is "in your computer" as opposed to an outboard mixer.

This article (from 1998!) can give you a basic run down.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr98/a ... dcard.html

To get started, you can use free stuff. A nearly free (I think?) DAW is Reaper.

http://www.soundonsound.com/reaper

You don't need to buy a synth, use a free virtual synth to begin with. There are many free VST instruments. Check out KVR audio, and TAL instruments. I'd try out a fairly simple one to get used to things.

Perhaps a good approach would be start out virtual (free!) and get used to things. However, I personally started with some hardware. But these days, I'm almost 100% in the box & also sampling stuff.

I found the gearslutz web forums to be useful as I was trying to understand this stuff.

Hopefully I haven't given you too much awful advice. Others here will be helpful.

Tomnz11 · Post by **Tomnz11** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:24 am

Thanks heaps!

machinea · Post by **machinea** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 7:58 am

Firstly futureling is right you need some type of source to record into, DAWs are the easiest. Some people still use track recorders to tape but you get the idea. A Daw is basically a software version of a mixer with channels and tape. Reaper is a great option its good and inexpensive and gives you a chance to experiment without making a huge investment.

Next you need something that makes sound. KVR is awfully helpful with software based music with links to free synths and preset banks. PC's have much more free stuff than MACS.

Then you ideally need something to trigger the sound. Right now I'm pretty well gearless since I've moved and things are in storage. I'm using my qwerty keyboard for triggering sounds which is totally shit. I also have an ipad and use touchable 2 (great software totally worth the 25 bucks especially with the new version that just came out) I would also like to get an mpk25

A software sampler is useful but not as useful and those other 3. I get by just using samples as wav files in my DAW (which is ableton live) since I don't do a ton of processing to my samples like adding LFO's etc.

Another option is to look at Reason. It's a complete package especially now that you can record audio into it. It has the recording, synths, effects, drums, sampler all in one and actually I think it can sound really good. Toro Y Moi started on it before buying some hardware, Saturday Index uses it.

I've been pretty much all hardware and all software at different times, I now balance between the two somewhat. But I went through a lot of software and different set ups to figure out how I like to work. That is still evolving, it takes some time.

I started by reading this guy's site www.tweakheaz.com. It was incredibly helpful. He has passed away but his legacy lives on. Pretty much everything you need to know in one place. (KVR is better for information on software instruments)

http://tweakheadz.com/guide-to-home-and ... c-studios/

futureling · Post by **futureling** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 2:09 pm

Thank you for reminding me of the http://tweakheadz.com/ site. That site is very helpful!

cubistking1906 · Post by **cubistking1906** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 4:59 pm

Get a used MicroKorg and a small amp and just jam out.

Tomnz11 · Post by **Tomnz11** » Sun Jan 12, 2014 10:06 am

machinea wrote:Firstly futureling is right you need some type of source to record into, DAWs are the easiest. Some people still use track recorders to tape but you get the idea. A Daw is basically a software version of a mixer with channels and tape. Reaper is a great option its good and inexpensive and gives you a chance to experiment without making a huge investment.

Next you need something that makes sound. KVR is awfully helpful with software based music with links to free synths and preset banks. PC's have much more free stuff than MACS.

Then you ideally need something to trigger the sound. Right now I'm pretty well gearless since I've moved and things are in storage. I'm using my qwerty keyboard for triggering sounds which is totally shit. I also have an ipad and use touchable 2 (great software totally worth the 25 bucks especially with the new version that just came out) I would also like to get an mpk25

A software sampler is useful but not as useful and those other 3. I get by just using samples as wav files in my DAW (which is ableton live) since I don't do a ton of processing to my samples like adding LFO's etc.

Another option is to look at Reason. It's a complete package especially now that you can record audio into it. It has the recording, synths, effects, drums, sampler all in one and actually I think it can sound really good. Toro Y Moi started on it before buying some hardware, Saturday Index uses it.

I've been pretty much all hardware and all software at different times, I now balance between the two somewhat. But I went through a lot of software and different set ups to figure out how I like to work. That is still evolving, it takes some time.

I started by reading this guy's site www.tweakheaz.com. It was incredibly helpful. He has passed away but his legacy lives on. Pretty much everything you need to know in one place. (KVR is better for information on software instruments)

http://tweakheadz.com/guide-to-home-and ... c-studios/

How did you set up your touchable 2 app? I bought it but it wont connect to the server. Is there some software you need to download?

machinea · Post by **machinea** » Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:30 pm

First are you on Pc or Mac? There are several tutorials posted on youtube which I found helpful.

I'm on a mac. I downloaded touchable from the app store onto my ipad. Then went to the touchable website and downloaded the touchable application that goes in my applications folder.

In Live open the preferences, go to midi sync and touchable should be an option for selection in control surfaces now. Select it you can leave the in/out option off. Within ableton you can select the midi in from the touchable keys/ pads/ or overall which is nice if you want to work on drums and a synth separately. I open the touchable app on the computer open live and then open the app on my ipad and they should sync.

That should do it. The youtube tutorials cover creating ad hoc connections which can be useful as they are a bit faster. Of course there are some other details if you are on a PC so I found these useful.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... hable&sm=3

I just got the lemur software since it was on sale 50% off over christmas. It's a lot more detailed getting a connection with different templates (it has the push template called shove which I'm interested in) and I can get the computer and the ipad to connect just not to live. Might mess with that today.

Synthestesia · Post by **Synthestesia** » Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:45 pm

The best IDM equipment in my opinion:
Amphetamines
Anger
Weird Dreams
A computer with a DAW

trust me it makes the best IDM every time

Tomnz11 · Post by **Tomnz11** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 12:39 am

machinea wrote:First are you on Pc or Mac? There are several tutorials posted on youtube which I found helpful.

I'm on a mac. I downloaded touchable from the app store onto my ipad. Then went to the touchable website and downloaded the touchable application that goes in my applications folder.

In Live open the preferences, go to midi sync and touchable should be an option for selection in control surfaces now. Select it you can leave the in/out option off. Within ableton you can select the midi in from the touchable keys/ pads/ or overall which is nice if you want to work on drums and a synth separately. I open the touchable app on the computer open live and then open the app on my ipad and they should sync.

That should do it. The youtube tutorials cover creating ad hoc connections which can be useful as they are a bit faster. Of course there are some other details if you are on a PC so I found these useful.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... hable&sm=3

I just got the lemur software since it was on sale 50% off over christmas. It's a lot more detailed getting a connection with different templates (it has the push template called shove which I'm interested in) and I can get the computer and the ipad to connect just not to live. Might mess with that today.

Dude thanks so much! Im on PC but it should be pretty easy.

machinea · Post by **machinea** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:27 am

Yeah any time. Let me know how it works out.
Everything is the same with Ableton but the directory where you have to put the touchable app on the computer will be different obviously.

It's been an awesome update going from V1 to V2. Totally worthwhile for $25

Perch · Post by **Perch** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 5:50 am

Synthestesia wrote:The best IDM equipment in my opinion:
Amphetamines
Anger
Weird Dreams
A computer with a DAW

trust me it makes the best IDM every time

haha some solid advice^

There have been artists (people like four tet and burial) who develop really sophisticated sounds, but do so solely through the use of creative sampling and minimal personal recordings. One of my favorite breakdowns of the process is this "in the studio" with Kieran himself:

There is so much freedom with personal equipment and instruments, and it sounds like these guys are doing a good job illuminating that direction. However if it doesn't work out for one way or another, (and to put it in the words of someone else) You can make music without being a musician, if you want.

All you would need is a decent multitrack editor (I'm not super well versed on the free software out there for this, I use adobe audition in that regard) and if you like, something to do some decent field recordings with.

PS. For anyone reading, I know these are more producer/dj methods, I just thought I'd share the thought

Tomnz11 · Post by **Tomnz11** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:44 am

machinea wrote:Yeah any time. Let me know how it works out.
Everything is the same with Ableton but the directory where you have to put the touchable app on the computer will be different obviously.

It's been an awesome update going from V1 to V2. Totally worthwhile for $25

I've downloaded the touchAble software and created an ad-hoc network but the app still won't work,do you have any idea why that might be? I dont have Ableton Live, does that matter and will it cost money? Sorry about all this.

machinea · Post by **machinea** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 6:02 pm

well touchable is a controller for ableton. So if you don't have ableton 8.4 or above there is the problem. If you want to do stuff on your ipad I'd look into garage band.

I believe Touch Osc has a template for Logic and Lemur may have other templates for things liike tractor and some others.

jcnporter · Post by **jcnporter** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 8:29 pm

Perch wrote: There have been artists (people like four tet and burial) who develop really sophisticated sounds, but do so solely through the use of creative sampling and minimal personal recordings. One of my favorite breakdowns of the process is this "in the studio" with Kieran himself:

That video is great, fascinating to watch, particularly the last couple of minutes where he explains his 'signature' sound, made me smile because just before he started talking about it, I thought 'there's that jittery mandolin sound that's all over his records'.

Perch · Post by **Perch** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:09 am

jcnporter wrote:
Perch wrote: There have been artists (people like four tet and burial) who develop really sophisticated sounds, but do so solely through the use of creative sampling and minimal personal recordings. One of my favorite breakdowns of the process is this "in the studio" with Kieran himself:

That video is great, fascinating to watch, particularly the last couple of minutes where he explains his 'signature' sound, made me smile because just before he started talking about it, I thought 'there's that jittery mandolin sound that's all over his records'.

I love that he was so open to the point of breaking the tracks down layer by layer. Especially liked the bit about introducing a completely new element towards the end of a track. Ahh I wish more of my favorite artists would be willing to do online masterclasses. Then again, most people aren't so hip on revealing their secrets.

euue · Post by **euue** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:12 am

windows 98 + impulse tracker

SampleScience · Post by **SampleScience** » Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:31 am

To start making music on the computer, there's two good free DAW:

Podium Free (the best): http://zynewave.com/podium-free/
Samplitude Free Edition (good for starters): http://soundcloud.com/apps/samplitude-soundcloud

One I used to use a lot, MuLab Free: http://www.mutools.com/mulab-downloads.html

SampleScience · Post by **SampleScience** » Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:45 am

I forgot about Nanostudio on Windows. It's easy to use and you've got all the basic in one small package, totally free:

http://blipinteractive.co.uk/download.php

It's better for starters because you don't have to download free VST like the other softwares I've mentioned above which need VST instruments and effects to be usefull. For free VST, check KVR database:

http://www.kvraudio.com/q.php