Question:Need suggestions for the equipment available to me

Londonopolis · Joined: Aug 31, 2014 Posts: 2 Location: United States

I am new here! I apologize that I am not anywhere near as experienced as anyone here. However, I am a fast learner, and I am resourceful.

I have some equipment available to me for electronic music composing and recording. I am limited with my equipment, but I am going to list what is available to me here. Don't laugh, ok:

Yamaha DJX-II keyboard (missing MIDI plug-ins)

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

An iPad with Garageband (And there are other capable apps that I can buy)
Audacity (some free audio program)
A custom built, capable laptop (Windows)

Additionally I have my couple friends. The man is an audio mixer/recorder/composer professional of some kind in L.A. and his girlfriend is a PR graduate who is in a similar field. They have all kinds studio equipment. They are willing to help me, but I need to send them a song in order for them to have more to go on.

My question is, just starting out and on a budget, what equipment should I plan to get for a 2-3min song to send to my friends for help? I want to make it as easy on them as I can, but I can only do so much with what I got.

I am alone, so all the instruments and vocals are left up to me. The yamaha keyboard has a lot samples and synth sounds. Percussion wise, it is pretty good as well.

So just for a beginner song, maybe youtube or something, what equipment would be considered "necessities"?

Should I get the MIDI cord for the keyboard first?
What free software is essential to download?
Is a decent microphone priority? (all I have is the mic in the laptop or ipad)

Again I apologize for being so low budget. I am actually just a disabled girl in her 20's, stuck in bed all day. Music making from computers or keyboards is not physically demanding for me, and I can do most everything from my lap. I research like crazy about electronic music making, including equipment. But its just overwhelming for me, because I know I may never actually have access to these things myself.

So please be patient with me, and assist me in anyway you can. SSI/disability budgets are tough to work with, I'm sorry >_< I will be continuing half-time next semester, which means I am *required by the classes to get a MacBook Pro (yay, student loans -_-) However, that won't be for a few more months. If you have suggestions for what to download once I get the Mac (or discount programs for students), let me know as well.

Thank you for listening and helping. (*^-^*)

Londonopolis · Joined: Aug 31, 2014 Posts: 2 Location: United States

Nevermind people, just learned there is no true MIDI transmitting, even though it has a MIDI out socket :.( awe why? That is so stupid.

But no one offered any advice anyway, so thanks for nothing (T__T;)

MusicMan11712 · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 7:53 pm Post subject:

This is my first time reading and replying to posts in many months. As for gear on a budget, you can make music with anything--from expensive gear to found objects, from expensive software to free softsynths and sound manipulating tools.

It kind of depends what kind of music you want to do and how creative you can be with your resources. I'd say your computer might be a very useful music-making tool. I can't make suggestions, not being a mac person. Maybe others can help.

Would be nice if the keyboard had midi out and could serve as a midi controller. Is it possible its just turned off, as opposed to not working at all?

This weekend the streaming radio is broadcasting live from the 2014 electro-music festival. If you do chat, maybe you can stop in and pick some brains.

As for doing a 2-3 minute track, with what you have so far as I can tell, you can lay down some tracks and overdub until you have something you want to send off.

Just some thoughts.

Steve