Anyone who has access to a computer with speakers can make hip hop beats. Most people who are just starting to get into it do not know where to begin. These 5 steps will help to get you setup and you will be able to make hip hop beats in no time.
1. Access to a computer with USB or Firewire ports.
Every computer these days comes with USB or Firewire ports. These are necessary to make hip hop beats because they will enable you to connect your MIDI controller (piano/keyboard) to your computer.
2. Buy a MIDI keyboard or controller
Purchase a MIDI controller or full MIDI keyboard online or from a local music store. These days, you can get a full-featured keyboard for as little as 0-0 which will do all that you need it to do to make hip hop beats.
3. Buy music production software.
Purchase music productions software such as Fruity Loops, Reason, Cubase, Logic, etc. This software will enable you to:
- Load sounds which can be played through your MIDI controller or keyboard
- Record these sounds into the program so they can be edited and arranged
- Program sounds into sequencers with the click of a mouse
- Import downloaded sound expansions to keep your hip hop beats up to date
4. Installation and Setup
Now that you have what you need to get started making hip hop beats, it is time to set it up.
First, install your production software onto your computer. This should be a relatively straightforward process, with full walk through instructions provided by the software.
Next, install your MIDI controller drivers. Again, there should be an installation CD which comes with your keyboard that will easily install your keyboard software.
Once both are installed, open your music production software program. Look for the program's Options, Preferences, or Setup section, and locate the MIDI Controller or Keyboard Setup. Locate your installed keyboard and select it for use with the program.
Your software and keyboard should now work with one another.
5. Load sounds. play sounds, record sounds.
Now that everything is set up, you can begin to make hip hop beats on your computer. Depending on your software, there are different ways to load sounds into it. Please check your manual to determine this, as every program is different.
Once loaded, you will be able to play the selected sounds with your MIDI controller.
When you click the "Record" button, everything that you play on your keyboard will be recorded as MIDI data into the software program. You can then edit it, change it, move it, arrange it, etc.
Once you become good at the recording process, you can begin to make hip hop beats and full songs right in your software program! Add drums, piano, guitar, or anything else you wish. A lot of these kinds of sounds can be loaded into your keyboard from your software program.
I hope this article has helped you to begin your journey to make hip hop beats!
