Hello,
I'll start with a little bit of background to help guide the thread. I picked up DJing during the pandemic and use a Pioneer DDJ400/FLX4 with Dj Pro AI. Anything that I do is mainly done as a strict bedroom hobby, however I do share my ideas with the world every so often. I am looking into getting into music production, and I really don't have much experience prior other than flipping through instruments/sounds on an 88 key keyboard that I used when I used to take piano lessons. I'm mainly planning to try my hand at genres that are more electronic and dance based.
All this being said, I'm looking for suggestions as to how I should best proceed. I'll start with Hardware. As I currently would like to do everything on software, I'm thinking about a Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A49 with a Mac, although I do have Windows available as well. From what little I've heard casually talking to others, GarageBand is a good starting point. Would others agree or should I try a different DAW in conjunction with the Komplete Kontrol software? I've also discovered KK-Access and that has been helpful to explore so I have a better idea of how to get started when receiving gear.
Any hardware, software, and getting started tips/tricks are most appreciated as I embark on what I think will be an incredible journey of exploration!
Comments
logic.band
I strongly recommend you ask your question on the googlegroups discussion group hosted by logic.band, which itself is an excellent on line resource for how to tutorials and more.
Good luck
EDM Tips
I can recommend EDM tips on YouTube for tutorials on EDM production. They actually don’t use Logic Pro or Garage Band, but you can apply most of their advice in any capable DAW you’re familiar with.
Also, definitely consider getting a MIDI keyboard, because it will make it easier to input music, especially if you don’t have enough vision to use a mouse or trackpad.
GarageBand
You might want to look at my GarageBand series of blogs. Heavy on mechanics, light on technique, leaving the art up to you.
GarageBand really isn't a pro solution, whether your sighted or blind. The biggest barrier to blind usage is the lack of accessibility in automations, which is the feature that lets you dynamically alter gain, pan, and other settings. If I were an audio pro (I'm not, I'm a hack musician), the lack of automation accessibility would be a deal killer. As it is, I put up with it.
Logic, GarageBand, and additional thoughts
Thanks to everyone who has responded so far.
Someone else also did mention logic.band and it has been a great resource for getting started with the resources provided. I'm limited to GarageBand for the time being but do plan to grab Logic in the future. It also sounds like this would be a better option rather than something like Reaper since there are more sounds and instruments that come stock. Paul, I'll check out your blogs as well. I feel like I'd have an easier time getting going going with the Logic and GarageBand route.
Additional comments always appreciated!
Hi Gus, Speaking from…
Hi Gus,
Speaking from experience, I would not recommend Logic Pro or GarageBand as a starting point. Let me explain why. While it is true that both Applications have a good level of accessibility support, Apple has fallen behind significantly over the past five years. Vital features essential to the kind of music you have expressed interest in creating, such as automation, access to native plug-in interfaces, and detailed control of timing and pitch, are currently not accessible in either GarageBand or Logic on macOS. As it stands right now, the iOS/iPadOS versions of these apps are significantly better in some of the areas I just mentioned, but Apple so far has not brought those same enhancements to the Mac versions.
This of course could change in the future, but for right now, I would focus your attention on Ableton Live instead. It is much better suited to electronic music, the company has done an incredible job on accessibility, and while they are still very new progress is being made rapidly. A few things like automation aren't fully accessible yet, but they have already promised to improve these areas in the future. There is a free trial that you can easily download from ableton.com, and if you need any help with getting started, I'm more than happy to assist you. Thanks so much, and good luck.
Ableton
I noticed that Ableton has multiple purchase levels for Live, and the top one is a good deal more expensive than Logic Pro. That's something to keep in mind for anyone whose money is tight. I think Logic Pro accessibility will improve over time, especially if users actually take the time to report issues to Apple.
Re: Ableton
I know the accessibility of Ableton is quite new, but it would be great to see a factual comparison between both Ableton Live Studio and Logic Pro from an accessibility standpoint. I am a student so am able to take advantage of the discount that Ableton offers.
From what research I've done myself from a general standpoint, it does seem that Ableton is geared to those who are djs and EDM producers, while Logic is a mor all rounder solution for anything you can think of. I was taking a look at Ableton Note as well, which also has a lot to offer for some quick drafting creation ideas.