These days you don’t need a drum kit and hours of expensive studio time in order to make your own beats for a rap or hip hop song.
Because of the increasing technological advancements, it has become really simple to make some awesome beats. No longer do you have to go through the hassle of creating tape loops or shell out thousands of dollars for a pre-programmed system or master precision turntable techniques.
Now; all you need is the RIGHT software that can help you make your own beats. {Click here for more info on the software that I personally use.}
Making Your Own Beats – The Basics
In order to find the perfect beat for a track, it is important to know first what tone best fits the song.
In other words; if your song is a country tune, then retro-style 909 jungle beats may not be a good fit.
But, a basic simulation of a live kit playing in 4/4 time would be perfect and relatively easy to achieve.
On the other hand, if you’re into something a little more experimental; then a dirty low-fi kit mixed with some 808 or 909 samples might just do the trick
Generally, beat-making software and external devices use some sort of grid format. Here you can choose a pre-programmed beat which that can be altered to make your own sounds. Or you can assign the grid spaces – each of which represents a single hit – to specific instruments (snare, bass drum, toms, etc.) These can then be customized with sounds and fill in spaces using simple clicks of the mouse.
In addition, most beat maker programs let users manipulate key signatures, song lengths, tempos and, depending on the program, effects like pitch, sustain and tone. They can create beats of one or two looped measures or program every single hit for an entirely customized song. The user then typically exports the completed project to WAV or some other file type for later assembly or immediate use.
Software Tools to Help You Make Your Own Beats
Studio Software
Computers were initially used only by recording studios and well-funded home musical engineers, as the first systems fast enough and with enough memory to process multiple tracks were prohibitively complex and expensive. It was not long before technology caught up with demand, however, and by the first half of the last decade, less expensive, more user-friendly programs became available for home PCs.
Reaper and Reason are two popular studio programs capable of recording from external devices like guitars, synths and mics, usually using complementary hardware like USB mixing consoles. However, they are also deigned so that the user can create entirely synthetic yet convincingly realistic songs using instrument samples, including ones for drums. Sequences can either be assembled from the ground up or composed of clips of pre-programmed beats.
The problem with these tools is they have a sharp learning curve which many aspiring musicians find difficult to master. That’s why many prefer the DUBTurbo program that I mentioned before.
Stand-Alone Drum Machine Software
If you’re recording your own songs at home, chances are you already have a full studio program, but if the goal is just to create a pattern to spit rhymes or play along to, a stand-alone product might suffice. Stand-alone beat-making software provides a more focused and often simpler way for musicians, DJs and MCs to make their own beats. One such program is PC Drummer.
PC Drummer is available for $59, but beat-makers can download a free trial version that includes most of the same functions as the paid version. The program features a simple grid that the user customizes from surrounding boxes. The interface shows available sounds, tempo, hit volume and the song sequence, which can be programmed with up to 23 beats of multiple hits each.
The sound bank includes one or more samples of each traditional drum and cymbal as well as pre-programmed fills and measures, all of which you can cut and paste into your own full song. The process is simple and songs can be easily exported as MIDI or WAV files for later mixing or directly for use on an iPod or CD during practice or a performance. The trial version is valid for 30 days and all import/export and save functions are disabled.
What About Beat Making Software Programs?
Finally many people prefer a simple beat making program. (Again, that’s why I love DUBTurbo.)
Programs like this add a whole new layer of convenience to the task of making music. They can be used at alow volume or with headphones, further empowering musicians with no access to studios or practice spaces. What’s more, beats can easily be altered or deleted at any stage of the process – no need to re-record whole songs to correct minor errors.
Anyway…I’ve given a few pointers to make your own beats online. My advice is to start with one of the programs I mentioned and play around with them for a day. You’ll find that it’s not that hard to create rap and hip hop beats that sound like they’re professionally produced!
Photo Courtesy of Jurveston.
