Audible Scene

For those of you who are interested in how to make beats online, I am going to review three digital audio workstations that will allow you to make beats on your computer. The three that I have chosen all have a commonality; they are each a sequencer-based program which is essential if you want to make your own rap beats. The following programs I will review are in my opinion, the best beat making programs at their respective price levels. The most expensive being Cubase, followed by FL Studio 8, and Sonic Producer as the most economical option of the three. I will give a short overview of each program before reviewing each in separate posts.

Sonic Producer

Price: $29.95

Overview: This software is perfect for anyone who does not have the budget for high-priced production software. If you are interested in recreational hip hop beat making, then there is no reason to use any other software. The first thing I noticed when I tried the program is that it is incredibly easy to use. If you have no experience in beat making or production, you will still be able to learn this software VERY fast. The interface contains a 16 track sequencer, volume control on for each track, a piano and pads to record with and a few other options. There are thousands of preset sounds in the program that are all crystal clear quality. The production quality of the beats that you are able to create is amazing, considering the simplicity of the program. The program itself is not solely restricted to hip hop beat making as you can produce music in other styles as well.

Bottom Line: If you want a very reasonably priced program that will produce top quality beats and make instrumentals, then this is THE software to get.

FL Studio 8

Price: $100 – $399

Overview: Since Fl Studio is by far my favorite digital audio workstation, I will try to write this overview without being too biased. I would recommend this software to anyone who is looking to do a little more than the conventional hip hop beat making. Though the step sequencer allows for flawless beats to be produced, the program is able to do much more. I personally love this program because it is easy to use, the VSTi, DXi and MIDI support is exceptional (you will need these features if you plan on producing instrumental-heavy arrangements) and it contains my favorite feature – the Piano Roll. The customizable interface is made up five main windows – Sample Browser, Channel Window/Step Sequencer, Piano Roll, Playlist, and the Mixer. It may take a few days to get used to the basics, but once you do it becomes easy to make music. The software is comes packed with some very good plug-ins and an array of sounds.

Bottom Line: If you only want to make beats on your computer, then I would recommend Sonic Producer over FL Studio. If you want a powerful and professional tool that can deliver a vast amount of variations, then this is the best investment that you can make.

Cubase 4

Price: $149 – $599 (Varying prices relate to the Essential, Studio, or Full packages)

Overview: I have not had much experience with Cubase, but I will review it as best as I can. The reason I tend to use other workstations over Cubase has much to do with its cluttered interface and the dimly lit control room. However, this is only a minor setback. Cubase has some of the beast features when it comes to recording and digital audio. It is extremely easy to edit digital audio which is why many use Cubase for comping a large recording session. The mixing features are also a big plus for Cubase. This includes the ability to insert channel effects a four-band parametric EQ on each channel, and a routable channel function. This program is used by many professionals in the hip hop beat making scene and is recommended for those who have some type of background in music production.

Bottom Line: A great program for creating anything from beats to full compositions. The effects and instruments that come with the program lack in quality but this may be easily overlooked by the extensive recording and mixing capabilities featured in this workstation.

Well there you go. If you want to make your own beats then I strongly suggest that you check out some of these programs. I have recently given a full online review on both Sonic Producer and Fl Studio, if you would like more info on these programs and how to make beats online.

Reviews hip hop beat making, make beats on computer, make beats online, make instrumentals