Production with analogue equipment

nskelton

How's it going, few questions that I thought people here might be able to answer for me, googling hasn't turned up any useful results.

I'm planning on getting an analogue drum machine (http://www.korg.com/volcaseries) for myself for christmas and also a synthesizer from the korg volca range, they're great value and have outstanding reviews and I've always wanted to produce house/techno. Now I understand in order to use the two together I need a mixer. I already have a pioneer dj mixer with 2 channels which I could use and it has a master output obviously which I could route to my computer. I also have a traktor audio 6 soundcard and M-Audio 8 inch monitors. My question is, how do I go about actually sequencing and producing a track in say abelton? The the sound coming from the drum machine would be a single stream of audio, and the synthesizer also. How would I sequence each seperately and use effects and oscillators and compressors and whatnot on each invidivual component. How would I record the sound adequately? I'm not sure if the question makes sense but I hope someone can help. Maybe rephrasing the question, what would be the usual way a producer would sequence and record and compile an analogue house/techno track?
Thanks!

SuprSi

Right, there's quite a lot to explain if you haven't done any production before. What I'd recommend, before you buy any hardware, is sequence some music using demo software such as Ableton or Fruity Loops. This will at least give you an understanding of how software synths work, as in a roundabout way it's the same for hardware synths.

Your hardware synths will need to be connected to your PC through a midii controller. This controller will receive midi signals from your chosen sequencer and play the sounds you want. You can then record the sound produced from your synths through the mixer into your sound card.

There are a few diagrams online that explain it like this one;



The midi out (controller keyboard) could be replaced with your PC/sequencer. Here's another example;



Basically, your PC/sequencer will control everything through the midi controller. As for controlling each of the aspects of each synth, you need a device panel like this for Ableton.

Now it's been a long time since I had hardware so I'm sure someone more experienced will be able to comment but hopefully that will get you up & running.

Tomohawk

Here's the way I'd suggest. You will need to buy a midi interface with at least 2 outs, 1 for each Volca. Record their audio directly thought your DJ mixer then into your sound card and Ableton as wav files.

You could of course sequence on the Volca beats and keys themselves, maybe tie them together with sync control and then record their audio into Ableton as wav files.

Plenty of options either way...