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Reddit mentions of Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools, Toys, and Techniques
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Reddit mentions: 37
We found 37 Reddit mentions of Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools, Toys, and Techniques. Here are the top ones.
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Height | 9 inches |
Length | 7.25 inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Weight | 2.55074837134 Pounds |
Width | 0.25 inches |
You are in luck because 2 weeks ago, the new edition of Dance Music Manual came out.
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
You can read the reviews for the previous edition here http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072/ref=pd_sim_b_7
It covers like all the bases to some extent. It does not teach you how to use a DAW though.
Also all the books (Music theory|Composition|Harmony) for computer musician by Michael Hewitt are pretty good if you have no music background.
You basically need to do two things: 1) start analyzing music that you like, both its form and function (harmony, for instance), and 2) start to study the art and science of mixing. Get a good book on the subject like Mix Smart or even The Dance Music Manual and start studying.
Mixing your tracks well can turn a okay song into a serious floor-shaker simply by virtue of significantly increasing its production quality. A simple tune that sounds amazing can have a huge emotional impact on the listener, and so much the better if the music is really well written to begin with.
This, of course, is where the analysis comes in. Try to identify why you like the tracks that you like. Is it the way the songs build? Then replicate the form of the song. Is it the way the harmony makes you feel? Then learn how to play that harmony and try to understand what's happening from a theoretical point. In my opinion, you should take it upon yourself to learn basic music theory at the minimum, but if you have a good ear you probably don't need to fret about it too much. Producers that can read and write music aren't too common (the really good ones almost always do, though).
For a while, you'll probably just sound like the producers that you like, but eventually you'll begin to internalize what you've learned and your "voice" will develop. It a natural progression as an artist to mimic your heroes — don't fight it.
Hey Bjeaurn,
I'm a struggling techno producer myself as well. The main source of learning will, I guess, always be already existing music. Listen carefully and try to understand what is going on in the tracks you listen to. How many instruments do you hear? What effects are there used when and where?
I cannot listen to any music without figuring out what is going on.
Also I'm reading these books at the moment. http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Second-Edition/dp/0240521072
and
http://www.amazon.com/Ableton-Live-Power-Comprehensive-Guide/dp/1598639757
It's a really great help, you learn so much from it.
Also /r/edmproduction is a place you need to go.
And it's obviously important to just make music as much as you can. It's not something you are gifted to just do. You will have to put a lot of time in it.
Also agree.
I've been producing for ~6-7 years and sound design is still my biggest challenge by a huge margin.
There are two approaches that work for me:
The Dance Music Manual helped me too. I still refer back to it when I'm stuck.
1 year isn't long at all. There are some gifted individuals that seem to get it from the go, but usually it's a lot of work.
Keep at it, and as Neutr4lNumb3r said, practice!
Also, make sure to inject your own playing around in your DAW between every step. Your biggest hurdle will be becoming comfortable with the software you choose because they are HUGE.
ps; If you pirate something, please buy it before you release a song. Don't be a leech.
dance music making manual
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Second-Edition/dp/0240521072
http://www.audio-engineering-courses.co.uk/audio-mixing.php
http://www.vintagesynth.com/resources/glossary.php
http://www.markwhite.com/vsp/glossary.html
http://www.sweetwater.com/expert-center/glossary/
http://www.sequencer.de/synthaudio/synthesizer-basics.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11435645/Glossary-of-Audio-Mixing-Terms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesizer
http://www.wannaplaymusic.com/get-started/keyboard-terminology
I started DJing first then have recently been doing some production. Here's my recommendation in priority order:
Finally just a word of advice: stick with it, take your time and believe in yourself. Try to resist copying whatever is the most popular and make what you like the sound of. Find your sound and your DJing style. :)
Music Theory for Computer Musicians & Dance Music Manual in books. You could use Musictheory.net to learn the basics.
Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual
Also check out his Dvd courses, he's a brilliant teacher!
Learned more here, than 4 years of Youtube tutorials, reading articles, and lurking forums.
http://www.dancemusicproduction.com/
Since we're in EDMProduction:
Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual gets recommended a lot, I've only read a bit but like it.
Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook is a splendid read on how subtractive synthesizers work.
How to make a noise is a great free ebook to start you off learning synthesis. The dance music manual is another great book with a section on ambient and chill-out
This! I got the Dance Music Production one and it's fantastic
[Amazon] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376289177&sr=1-1&keywords=dance+music+production)
DO NOT GIVE UP
if you enjoy the process of doing music, and like what you are doing, continue with it. i think you should read some technical resources, to get a better understanding on how things work and how they related with each other.
I highly recoment [this book] (http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Computer-Musicians-Michael-Hewitt/dp/1598635034), and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072). You can find booth on torrent, but buy if you can. they tottally worth the price.
one thing i read from a skrillex interview: "everyone starts making shit music. continue making bad music until they start to sound good"
This book is just awesome to learn all that stuff!
Search for it in this subreddit, you'll find a copy of it if you can't afford to buy it
I also want to be a DJ/Producer. My biggest goal in life would be to play at a festival like Ultra.
I suggest you start by learning as much as you can about your DAW, head over to /r/edmproduction if you haven't, watch many tutorials in Youtube (you'll learn a lot with just practice), and read this.
Okay, in that case you should check out /r/Beatmatch and /r/edmproduction. I'd also recommend you look into this book, which covers everything you'll need to get started producing and then some.
Wait_What_Happened is right about electronic music being difficult to get into, since there are just so many different skills that you have to master, like how to program synths, EQ your sound, and compose music in the style you wish to produce. It's going to be incredibly frustrating at first, but the only way to get better is to keep practicing.
How did I get into it? I started as a DJ. Next logical step I suppose.
Advice/tips?
Read up. Here are some of my favorites, and I do recommend buying them as you will probably refer to them often.
This would be my top pick: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072
This is one on psychoacoustics, which I've found had some helpful knowledge: http://www.amazon.com/How-Music-Works-David-Byrne/dp/1938073533
And this is one on the history of electronic music, which I personally LOVED reading. Great information, and if you truly respect the scene as a whole, you should 100% read this: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419810859&sr=1-1&keywords=last+night+a+dj+saved+my+life
As far as software goes, they are all kind of a personal thing. Some offer things that others don't. My recommendation is to try before you buy, especially considering production software is expensive.
In addition, there is also a large choice of hardware you can use for production. You should look into getting a keyboard and some good monitor speakers at a bare minimum. If you stick with it, I would suggest you buy yourself a drum machine/step sequencer. My personal recommendation is Native Instruments 'Maschine.'
EDIT: A word.
Dance Music Manual, one of my favorite http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0240521072?vs=1
This one is a little broader in scope, but it's been one of my go to reference books for years. Even if you're not into EDM, the topics discussed can be applied to pretty much every genre of production.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240521072
Terrific book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1598635034/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240521072/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This book helped me improve with Reason a lot. The genre-specific sections are pretty dated now, but it is loaded with great advice on sound design, music theory, and mixing.
Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools, Toys, and Techniques https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240521072/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pV1dBb1P15E5N
Here is the desktop version of your link
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0240521072?vs=1
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
If you're going to dump tens of thousands of dollars into a degree, it's usually a good idea to put it towards a degree that will help you pay it back. Unfortunately, music production is likely not going to be that for you. In electronic music production especially, nobody really "hires" you to produce music. You spend years honing your craft and, if you work really freakin' hard and are lucky, somebody will notice you, sign you.... and you still likely won't make any money off of it unless you explode into super stardom like Deadmau5, Tiesto, etc.
You're also not likely to find a public school that has anything like EDM production, so it'll be a private school... and that shit will be expensive.
Save your money and teach music production to yourself via YouTube and practice, practice, practice. Seriously, YouTube is a goldmine for music production knowledge. There's also a great subreddit, /r/edmproduction.
There are some programs that might be worth it, though. I've got a friend taking the 6-8 month (I can't remember exactly) Dubspot program for Logic, and his reports to me say that it's worth every penny... but only if you put more into it than just showing up to class and doing the assignments. There are also schools like SAE that do 6-8 week courses in different topics of music production. A friend of mine did their Intro EDM Production one (I don't remember the exact name), and it was totally worth it. What they have to teach you is nothing that can't be learned off of YouTube, but some people really benefit from having a structured learning environment like that to get them started... especially for things like music production that have such a steep learning curve. It's also much, much more affordable than a "degree" from a college. Pricey (around $2K, maybe?), but still way more doable.
Obviously the Dubspot and SAE stuff aren't available to you for the in-person classes unless you're willing to move from your hometown, but they also have online stuff that may be worth it. In the end, do a lot of research before spending your money.
EDIT: Also, check this book out: the Dance Music Manual. The specific technologies they mention are a bit outdated, but the techniques described are just as spot on now as they were 15 years ago. It's also not specific to any tool, technology, or digital audio workstation, which makes it ridiculously useful to you whichever route you end up taking software/hardware wise.
this book can help, it is helping me
I recommend buying this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072
Limiters often introduce a bit of distortion since you're essentially folding the signal when it clips (or exceeds your threshold). Limiters are normally used to push the 'loudness' of a track (i.e. crank everything up, throw a limiter on it, voila it's louder and you don't have to worry about clipping). Honestly, using limiters has only limited myself. An amateur using a limiter will have trouble getting their tracks to sound right, since louder always sounds better in isolation, but doesn't necessarily mean it sounds better in the mix.
If you're trying to work towards a particular genre or styling of music I'd highly suggest hitting the books a bit. Experimenting in FL Studio will get you far, but after a certain point I found it helpful to read more about music theory and structure as it applies to the type of music you want to produce.
For example, recently I was struggling with a house remix I've been working on - because I don't usually make dance music. At someone else's recommendation I picked up this book and I've already learned so much that has helped me improve my music.
I'll also agree with another poster that picking a particular song (it helps if the song is in a genre you want to compose in, so you'll be able to keep your interest) and trying to recreate it is a great learning tool, but reading about how different types of music are typically constructed is also helpful.
Also, you might want to read---> The Dance Music Manual and Last Night a Dj Saved My Life probably the two biggest jumps in knowledge in this genre you'll ever have.
FL Studio is a great start in my opinion. If you've already put 10 hours in, and are making some cool sounds that you feel good about, you've already overcome one of the largest obstacles!
One way to take it to the next level is to try to re-create a song you like, or part of it, in FL Studio. Take for example this section of your first link. You could roughly recreate that in FL Studio without too much pain. Just don't give up until you get the sound you're looking for. Maybe start with the drum parts, figure out the 1,2,3,4's of it, and try to put that into a loop in FL. Then bust out the synthesizer for the saws on top of the drums. You said you don't have much synth experience, so layering some saws over your drums and tweaking things until it sounds correct would be a great exercise.
For MIDI gear, a small keyboard would be great for experimenting and learning. Maybe get one with some pads and knobs that you can map to your sweet FL saws that you were layering? I'd say skip the drum machine for now, you can do all of that sequencing in FL and 1000x better IMO. However drum pads are nice, where you can bang out patterns and fills using your hands. You could try something like the MPK25 USB controller which has keys, pads, and knobs all in one.
The main thing is to really sit down and learn. You've already got good software and the passion, that's all you need. A small midi keyboard or controller might help you get started, but don't get lost in different devices, plugins, etc. as they will just slow down your learning as they provide instant gratification while you miss out on learning the fundamentals. Books can be helpful as well, I'd recommend the Dance Music Manual. Don't lose your passion, practice or study every day. Read and watch videos! Ask questions!
I've been playing around with electronic music for years, but only started taking it really seriously the past year. I've read a lot of books, and honestly, NOTHING has been more helpful to me than The dance music manual.
You might be interested in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072
Really thorough and explains everything you need to know in order to get a solid grounding in producing dance music.
The same guys also have a series of video tutorials that you might find useful: http://www.dancemusicproduction.com/index.php/tutorials#fundamentals
This is a solid book with a bit of theory and production.
No problem, it's actually really common for people to ditch the distinction since in electronic music so many producers also dj and they may even have "Dj" in their name.
For production, I think the best place to start is with tutorials on youtube and a DAW (Digital Audio workstation) which is just a software client for making music. Also, if you are near a bookstore, try going there and reading this http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Second-techniques/dp/0240521072/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1310497354&sr=8-3. It is a great guide, and very thorough, but it's a bit pricey so I recommend reading it at a bookstore before you consider buying it. A lot of production is just finding your own way and style, but it is hard to overestimate the value of a good resource when you are starting out.
Also, try some good subreddits. There is /r/synthesizers, /r/edmproduction, and /r/Wearethemusicmakers. All of them are really receptive to questions, I find. Starting out you will probably have lots of questions, so don't be afraid to ask.
I just started reading Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools. toys and techniques I like it this far and he mentions in the beginning that most genres will be covered.