Hardware and Software
The music I make is called electronic music for a reason, it's made on a computer. There is a ridiculous number of ways you can build and set up a computer nowadays, but most setups will be able to run some sort of music making software. That said, some music programs are more intensive than others. The more you have going on inside the program (more audio files, patterns, plugins, effects, etc.) or even if the program itself is beefier, the more processing power and RAM it will require. If need be, you can get around some of these limitations by working on a few tracks or instruments at a time and then mixing them down to an audio file to save processing power while working on the next group of tracks and instruments. If you are a DJ, you will also need some sort of DJ controller, whether it's an all-in-one or a mixer with some CDJ's. Here is my setup.
Desktop Computer:
- Case - CM Storm Trooper ATX Full Tower
- Power Supply - EVGA G3 750 W 80+ GC Full Mod ATX
- Motherboard - Asus MAXIMUS IX HERO ATX LGA1151
- CPU - Intel i7-7700K 4.2GHz
- RAM - 64 GB DDR4 (4x 16 GB sticks)
- GPU - Asus GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB STRIX
- OS - Windows 10 Pro (on M.2 solid state 250 GB HD)
- Storage - 3 additional HDs totaling 8 TB
Other:
- Studio Monitors - Yamaha HS5 (x2)
- Headphones - Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
- Audio Interface - Mackie Onyx Artist 1·2
- Microphone - Blue Yeti (w/ pop filter)
- MIDI Keyboard - Novation Launchkey 25
- DJ Laptop - Sager (i5-9300, 16GB RAM, Windows)
- DJ Controller - DDJ-RR (Rekordbox)
- DJ Speakers - Yamaha HS8 (x2) and Yamaha HS8S Subwoofer
Traditionally, electronic music was made with analog synthesizers that you would chain together with wires and tweak the knobs, but I live in the digital realm. Conceptually, it's very similar. Instead of analog synths, I use digital synth VST plugins inside my digital audio workstation (DAW) program. Some plugins are essentially exact copies of their analog predecessors, and others never had an analog counterpart. The difference is these digital synths will always produce the same sound, while the analog counterparts were each unique because of slight human error variances in their physical construction. I also create visual artwork including my logo as well as 3D animations, and I will occasionally stream. I use many programs to do what I do. Most of these programs complement each other, and I will often take a file created in one and use it in another. Here's my full list.
- FL Studio - A complete software music production environment or Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Compose, arrange, record, edit, mix and master professional quality music.
- Ableton Live - A DAW designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for composing, recording, arranging, mixing, and mastering.
- Serum - A wavetable software synthesizer plugin that uses wavetable synthesis to create electronic sounds.
- Manipulator - A pitch shifter VST plugin that really excels at transforming vocals. You can easily create vocal harmonies or tweak vocals so they sound like a lead synth.
- Shotcut - A free open-source cross-platform video editor which allows you to edit videos, add effects, and create videos as well as trim, cut and edit graphics.
- Blender - A free open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, motion graphics, and more.
- Paint.NET - A free image and photo editing software for Windows with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.
- Magic - A music visualizer and VJ software application with a modular interface used to create live visuals for music performances, or to create music videos for recordings.
- Spout - A video frame sharing system for Windows which allows applications to share OpenGL and DirectX textures between each other, similar to Syphon for the Mac.
- Streamlabs OBS - A free and open-source streaming software that is based on a fork of OBS and employs Electron for user interface. Works with Twitch and YouTube.
- Streamlabs Chatbot - A free live-streaming program that allows you to interact with viewers via automation and preset values/commands.
- Audacity - A free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux and other operating systems.
- Kontakt - A live instrument library plugin that I use when I need choirs, strings, brass, or keys that are realistic and organic.
- Ozone - A mastering suite that has a wide range of tools and can use AI to determine which tools are needed and with what general settings. It can also be used with lens, which will analyze any song you give it and allow you to set your song's EQ to be similar.
- Soothe2 - A dynamic EQ plugin that will automatically adjust in order to remove harsh frequencies from a sound.
All of this is just the setup I use, and it's constantly changing as I find new and interesting software and hardware to incorporate. Most producers and DJs will have their own unique setup with tools they prefer. There are so many different types and styles of DJ controllers, and the list of available plugins can seem endless at times. Not to mention the other DAWs available like Reaper, Cubase, LogicPro, GragageBand, and more. There is no "right" way to make music, which is a beautiful thing. You just use what you prefer and are comfortable with, the outcome is what matters most. Good music is good music.
Author: Psidemica
Published: 2023-05-03
Edited: 2023-12-08
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