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This article was taken from the August 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
When DJ Ammo (real name: Damien Leroy) toured with the Black Eyed Peas in 2009, he was asked what he needed to set up his studio. "Just a place to plug in my laptop and speakers," he said.
Here are his pro tips on how to make music on your own computer.
Get your perfect DAW
The first, most important step to get is your digital audio workstation (DAW) -- software that controls all the features of your music mix, allowing you to record, edit and playback digital audio. "I use software called Ableton," says Leroy. "It's pretty popular and very easy to use."
Add virtual instruments
Ableton has a lot of built-in options, but you can buy additional virtual instruments online and plug them into your DAW. "I like electronic music, so I use virtual synthesisers. My favourite is the Massive synth by Native Instruments," says Leroy, "but you can get whatever you need."
Lay on some audio effects
If you're mixing the sounds yourself, you'll need audio effects over your virtual instruments. "This is so you can equalise the sounds -- adjust their frequency, add delay or distortion," says Leroy. German company Vengeance sells sounds and plug-ins, which is a good place to start.
Create a sound library
To make original music, you need to collect a lot of samples. "I spent a long time searching for sound packs and samples," says Leroy. "For electronic music, you want a large sample library in drums or audio loops that you can manipulate." You can buy sound packs at Beatport.com.
Learn from the best
YouTube is a great resource. "If you type in ' how to make Laidback Luke synth' or ' David Guetta synth' it gives you a video tutorial," Leroy says.
He also recommends listening to new music constantly. "I always urge producers to be on Beatport -- see what the current sounds are."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
