If earlier for music, you needed to have talent or at least an appropriate education, today any person, even completely far from musical canons, notions of harmony or musical notation, using modern computer and mobile programs can easily create their own full-fledged composition for a short time . Next, it will be considered what any program for creating bits should be able to do. The main emphasis will be placed on rap, which in the world has a fairly high popularity.
Program for creating beats: what does a musician need?
Initially, you should decide what exactly the musician performing rap music needs. If you ever listen to any song in this style, it will immediately become obvious that it is based on a rhythm section in which drums with bass take precedence and vocals in the form of recitative. Other musical instruments, as practice shows, play a clearly secondary role.
We are not talking about recording vocals yet, since this process is quite time-consuming, and you won’t be able to record high-quality soundtracks at home (you will need a special room with soundproofing, professional microphones, headphones, monitors and appropriate software), but write a ready-made drums for yourself (even professional level) can be completely elementary.
Thus, it becomes clear that the program for creating bits for rap should first of all have a powerful drum sequencer and a good set of high-quality samples (sounds) from which bit sequences will be created in the part. But that is not all.
It is advisable that the program used to create beats for rap has an integrated sequencer based on patterns (short sequences) that could be combined into one sequence for the final track. This way of creating a complete batch of individual pieces looks much simpler and faster than manually prescribing each batch. Firstly, it takes a lot of time. Secondly, during the game, you can make a bunch of mistakes or just go astray, and then you have to rewrite all the material.
Finally, you need to pay attention to the entry of parties. You can do this on the virtual keyboard (piano roll), use the buttons or a special grid with the location of the drum kit components or notes and step sequencer, after which you can combine the finished loops into a single whole. Naturally, the presence of at least a minimum set of sound effects does not hurt, which will give the sound a unique and originality.
The best programs for bits and different operating systems
Today, the music industry is very widely represented. Among computer applications, you can find programs for every taste - from primitive toys to full-fledged professional virtual studios. But, since many users absolutely do not need all the features of computer studios, packages like Cubase, Studio One Pro, Cakewalk Sonar and many others will not be considered. They can be too complicated for a novice rapper, and it will be extremely difficult to deal with them without a musical education or knowledge of the intricacies of mixing and processing sound.
However, for those who do not have such skills, there is special software. Among all that is offered for use today, we can distinguish the following programs for creating bits in Russian or English:
1. Windows / Mac
- eJay Hip Hop;
- MAGIX Music Maker;
- Nero SoundTrax;
- NanoStudio;
- Beatcraft drum machine;
- FL Studio.
2. Android
- GrooveMixer
- G-Stomper Studio;
- Beatmaker 2.
3. iOS
- Novation Launchpad;
- Drum Pads 24.
Naturally, this is not a complete list of music software. At least any program for bits from this list will be understood by most users of modern computer and mobile systems.
eJay Hip Hop
The music programs of the eJay series have several versions adapted to different styles. All of them are built on the same principle. This program for recording bits is specially “sharpened” for hip-hop.
Please note that the application is not intended for writing your own drums, but for using ready-made loops of professional quality, which are simply combined into a finished track by setting the sequence of their alternation. The essence of the work is simple: select the desired bit and drag it onto the sequencer grid in the sequence that you need. If necessary, you can add effects or edit an existing bit in a special window where the sound will be presented in the form of a wave (as is done in Wave editors). The musician has about five thousand ready-made loops, lots of effects, the ability to export the finished project to WAV format and burn a CD directly from the application.
MAGIX Music Maker Hip Hop Edition
Before us is another simple program for bits, working on the same principle as the previous application. Again, among the products of Magix, you can find several modifications for different musical directions.
To create a full-fledged track, a regular grid is used with indication of instrument tracks and a timeline for placing finished parts in an arbitrary sequence. However, unlike eJay, the effects presented in this program look more professional and more complex, although if you want to deal with them, it will not be difficult. By the way, today you can find not only Windows or Mac versions, but also modifications for mobile devices. Unfortunately, any such software product is paid.
Nero SoundTrax
This shareware program for writing bits (and not only) is slightly different from the previous ones. The fact is that all reducible tracks are presented in wave form. Nevertheless, it has a lot of tools for editing each batch.
For this, the built-in Nero SoundBox module is used, which is nothing more than a step sequencer. In the batch editor of the selected instrument, there is a virtual keyboard with a window of bits, divided by size 4/4 in the form of sixteen blocks. As already clear, each such block corresponds to 1/16 note. Marking the necessary blocks, you can create single patterns, and then set the sequence of their sound. In addition, there is the possibility of recording from external sources (guitar, MIDI keyboard, vocals from a microphone), and the final track, consisting of several tracks, can be edited like professional editors like Adobe Audition or Sound Forge. The interface is completely Russified, simple and intuitive, so there should not be any difficulties using this application.
Nanostudio
Before us is another, this time free program for creating beats, guitar or synthesizer parts, made in the form of a keyboard synthesizer. Despite its simplicity in design and a fairly small set of tools, it is possible to create a full-fledged composition within a relatively short time.
Of course, working with this application will seem to many to be a rather complicated process, but the program itself has a detailed help system, having studied which, you can learn the basics of creating a musical composition in this software product.
Beatcraft drum machine
This program for beats was developed by Acoustica specialists specifically for creating drum loops. In some ways, the application resembles in appearance some of the above programs.
Input is carried out by highlighting the necessary buttons, and the final sequence is set in the playlist, which is located below the main panel of the pattern editor. Nothing special, but as they say, simple and tasteful.
Fl studio
Finally, one of the most popular among computer musicians is a program called FL Studio, which at the moment is a fairly serious virtual studio, which you can’t deal with like that. However, why is it listed? Yes, just because initially (at the dawn of its development and subsequent evolution) it was just a program for beats created in the form of a combination of drum loops in a play list. In those days, it was called Fruity Loops.
Today this package is a fairly serious software product, difficult to master. But since the first releases, the interface has not changed much. Therefore, even seeing it for the first time, you can immediately start creating your own bits by setting single samples on each channel or using blanks as a set of loops. By the way, when you open the program, a new set of four drum tracks is created by default. You can write a part in two ways: either by marking the button blocks of the beats, or by entering note blocks in the piano roll. Combine patterns in a playlist.
The number of tracks is not limited, the effects are superimposed on any track, including the Master track. There is full support for DX, AAX, VST and VST3 plug-ins of versions 32 and 64 bits, as well as the ability to play WAV, MP3, OGG, SF2, etc. files as samples, export to WAV, MP3, OGG and FLAC, not considering the presence of built-in synthesizers and drum modules like Drumaxx, Fruity Slicer, Drum Pad, Bass Drum, FPC, Slicex, Drum Synth, etc. (if we are talking about creating shock parts). For mobile devices with any OS on board, the version of FL Studio Mobile is used.
Groovemixer
This application is a program for bits on Android. Like many other applets, it is designed specifically to create drum loops. The basic version does not contain as many sounds as we would like, however, if you wish, you can download an extended set from the Internet.
The interface is a previously described grid in which the used samples are vertically arranged, and the fractions are located in a horizontal position, which should be noted. Of course, to achieve professional sound is unlikely to succeed, but quickly realize the idea - easily!
G-Stomper Studio
This program for bits is also designed to work in the environment of Android-systems and is a paid software product. The demo has several significant limitations, however, its capabilities are very interesting.
The application itself includes a sequencer, an analog synthesizer and a drum machine, and the interface is made in the image and likeness of the once popular bass synthesizer TB-303 and drum modules (rhythm machines) TR-808 and TR-909. So, if you are familiar with them, there will be no problems with creating your own parties. And those who see such an interface for the first time will have to learn a little, although the program is mastered quickly enough.
Beat maker 2
Now about another Android program. Its interface is made in the form of a button module, which is often used by professional DJs. Each button corresponds to the sound of a specific drum.
Either playing the part manually, or recording the corresponding sequence of bits in the sequencer, the user gets loops that can be combined into a full-fledged sound track with export to WAV, OGG, WMA and MP3 formats. Despite a fairly large set of professionally sampled single sounds (one-shot samples), the drum module can be rearranged as you like, assigning any sound recorded in WAV format to each button. In general, the program looks very interesting. And, if you do not learn how to create your own compositions in it, at least you can just play in real time and feel like a professional drummer.
Novation Launchpad
This software product was initially positioned not as a “clean” module for creating your own compositions, but rather as a kind of remix tool.
Initially, from iTunes you can download the same rap song, accept an agreement on not using it for commercial purposes and process it at your own discretion using downloadable tools. You won’t be able to create something of your own, but when using a kind of groove box with programmed buttons, you can learn the basics of music processing and creating remixes.
Drum pads 24
Finally, this program for bits allows you to create your own compositions in a few minutes.
The principle of its use is similar to building tracks in eJay, MAGIX and Beatmaker 2 programs at the same time. Pressing a button in the main panel corresponds to playing a specific rhythm or melody, the pitch of which can be changed in special settings. Also, from the selected batches, you can collect the finished composition in bricks and save it in the memory of the mobile device or immediately send it to your page on social networks. The free set is minimal, but for a very nominal fee you can download additional content.
Conclusion
That seems to be all. It remains to consider the most important issue related to the choice of software for your needs. For beginning musicians, you can be advised to learn eJay, MAGIX, Drum Pads 24 and Beatmaker 2 software products to understand the concept of creating musical parts and tracks. Then you can move on to more complex programs with built-in step sequencers. At least any person with an innate sense of rhythm will be able to correctly position the strong and weak lobes in the right order. Another thing is to reduce the instruments in terms of volume or in terms of their sound after applying certain effects. But even this, if desired, is not a daunting task.
In addition to the above programs, there is much more. Here we did not consider programs for bits on a computer intended for mixing and equipped with virtual turntables for creating scratch effects, which are quite popular in rap (although they are in eJay). If they are interesting to the user, the Internet is full of them. And to master such applications is a fairly simple matter. But it will be DJing, and not creativity, which involves the expression of one’s own thoughts and ideas. But for practice, such applications will not hurt either.