We see both experienced and beginner producers at Beat Kitchen. But one of the places beginners often get overwhelmed revolves around the question, “Where should I start?” And that’s not just true for beginners, because to produce effectively, you need to have your head around at least four pillars of information. Think of it like there are four textbooks.
For most of you, the first is going to be the DAW. A digital audio workstation is like the container for your work. You have a lot of choices when it comes time to pick a DAW.
Well, minus one if you’re not on a Mac, because Logic Pro, Mac only. For the most part, unless you’re doing really specialized work, all the platforms are gonna perform really well. The ones we see most often are Logic or Ableton, but Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, FL Studio, Reaper, Digital Performer, Reason, my suggestion is you choose a platform that the people around you are working with.
Collaboration is the name of the game, and that’s only gonna make things easier. The second book, and no, these aren’t in order, is Music Theory, because it will help to know a little about the notes and the rhythms and the chords you’re putting into your DAW. To do that, you’re gonna need Book 3, which is gonna help you with hardware, your MIDI keyboard, microphone, speakers, cables, and connectors, and that brings us to Book 4, Audio Engineering.
The understanding of sound, effects, tools, and concepts you’ll see in synthesizers and mixers and effects units. Add to that a little dash of computer skills, but hey, you’re here, so you’re already ahead of the curve. Those are the four places to start.
DAW core skills, musician basics, effects synthesis mixing primer, hardware and recording primer. Watch for those classes to run or study that stuff on your own. We assemble them as soon as we get four or five of you who can agree on a time.
And in the meantime, we run open office hours every week, which is like a study hall. We have Music Theory Gym, Music Production Gym, Ear Training Gym, instrument workouts, and a weekly beat challenge to keep you inspired and making stuff even when you’re not in a class. That’s how we do it at Beat Kitchen, And if someone who belongs in a beet kitchen class,
