New Beat Making Software
Reviews Of Beat-Making Software For Hip Hop Heads by Kurt D Robinson
Sonic Producer
Sonic Producer is a fun program which will have you Making Beats in no time at all. It has been designed for ease of use, and comes with hundreds of professionally recorded sounds – drum beats, guitar chords, hits, string sounds – that you can use to make your own beats. You can export the beats to MP3 very quickly, so you can start rapping or singing along to them on your iPod. If you don’t have much experience in making beats, Sonic Producer is a good program to start with. Sonic Producer can be purchased for $29.95.
FLStudio (previously known as Fruityloops)
FLStudio is a solid program, and has come a long way from its origin as a drum loop creator. Used by many celebrity producers including 9th Wonder (producer of Jay-Z’s “Threat” from The Black Album). It has an interface that is very easy to learn, and you will be able to Make Beats right away, however it also has many more precise features to help you tweak your songs to perfection. Despite having a reputation of being a simple program or just a loop creator, it is an extremely versatile tool, including many sample-editing and chopping tools, and has support for VSTs, which means you can use it with many freely downloadable plug-ins to make unique sounds. The mixing desk within the program is also very versatile, enabling you to route channels into groups of different effects. You can program entire songs in FL, and use it to record audio as well. It also has Rewire functionality, meaning you can use it in conjunction with Reason, or with a sequencer such as Cubase, combining your favourite programs. One cool thing about buying FLStudio is the lifetime free updates, so every time a new version is released you can download it. FLStudio comes with different suites depending on your budget, ranging from $49 for the express version to $299 for the signature bundle, which includes additional plug-ins.
Propellerheads Reason
Reason is a unique program, and many producers who have used hardware for years now use Reason, as it is like using an arrangement of virtual hardware. Software beat-creators may experience a steep learning curve, but once you understand the logic of the program, you will be able to plug the virtual machines into each other with ease. Rewire functionality means you can plug it into a sequencer such as Cubase, and then using Cubase to record your audio. Reason comes with a lot of instruments that you can use to make awesome synth (or Dirty South style) beats, and also with a drum designer and loop chopper. Reason is a powerful tool, especially if you’re planning on making synth beats. Reason comes with a large variety of samples, for example, an entire piano sampled on every note, which makes it good for composing your own melodies. The latest version of Reason is available from selected retailers for around $500.
In conclusion, I’d recommend Sonic Producer for beginning beatmakers who want to ease their way into it, or for rappers without much experience who want to make hot beats fast. FLStudio is a more advanced program, which doesn’t come with quite as many sounds, but it does have a lot more functionality to manipulate samples. If you’re a sample-hunter or like getting your fingers dusty with vinyl, you’ll probably find it more your style. It also comes with a variety of synths, which might be nice for someone more influenced by crunk or Swizz Beats style. Reason is designed more for the dance-electronic scene, but it’s also a very powerful program for more advanced users to compose their own tracks.
About the Author
Kurt D Robinson has been Making Hip Hop beats by sampling and digital composition for seven years. To find out more information about FLStudio here (and get a 10% discount), Sonic Producer here, and Propellerheads Reason here
New Beat Making Software Overview Part 1