Good Programs To Make Full Songs

wildchild

I need help in making songs, I want to make drum tracks and keyboard tracks and a bass track.

I am recording the main guitar and vocals using a guitar and my voice.

I need to make the rest of the tracks but I have not found any software that does so.

Wildchild

ChRoMe

You have loads of options. But in my view there are only really 2.

1 Fruityloops. Been around for a while now. Its all grown up and is considered a production enviornment at this time. Sequencing samples, drum machines, virtual synth plugins etc etc. Really easy to use. It gets put down for looking too simplistic and like a kids toy if you are preapred to spend a little bit of time with it you will find it perfect for what you speak of.

2 Reason. A big name in the domestic audio field (and some pro's use it aswell the new prodigiy album was pretty much put together by Liam Howlett on his laptop while traveling Europe). More complex than fruityloops but has an amazing list of options. The concept is different it creates virtual rack where you plug in virtual representations of proper studio hardware. Takes a bit of getting used to but very powerfull.

Or you could download some basic basslines etc as samples on the web chop them up and just loop them in Sonic foundry's Acid 4.0 That is by the far the easyist solution but you dont have much control. If I was you I'd use fruityloops

Kingsize

you wont be able to use your guitar to any great extent if you get reason
it hasnt got audio recording facilties.
im sensing that youre not too into making dancey type music
invariably a lot of these sequencers are geared towards this _reason for example ,i presume your computer is (fairly) high spec, if youre looking for a start-up sequencer for pc which has the facility to record audio & mix in drum loops virtual instruments why noT buy a copy of "Computer music" magazine
theres a free sequencer (& vst host) called c muzys on the cover disk every monthas well as loads of other stuff its only about a tenner .
it might just suit your needs & it will at least give you a taste of what you can do without spending big bucks on software.there are loads of weird & wonderful & free virtual instruments to download on a site called KVR after that its up to you.

Zombienosh

Try protools......

ChRoMe

He can record the vocals/guitar and just sequence in reason using DR Rex.

But yeah thats a fair point that it doesnt natively support the line in.

condra

depending on budget, Cakewalk products are excellent. Sonar 4 is the best thing since sliced bread in my opinion. Cakewalk home studio is a nifty piece of budget software.

If you want FREE software for decent sounding backing tracks which are mostly beat orientated, try hammerhead [for basic easy beats] or hotstepper [for more complex beats with a sequencer and programmable bass etc]

http://www.threechords.com/hammerhead/hotstepper.shtml

Tom Dunne

If you are willing to spend bigish bucks, I use Magix Music Maker Deluxe. Cost me 70$ in the US, so I would imagine it would be around 70-80 Eurons.
It's the standard format - 16 tracks, loads of samples you can arrange (drums, bass, synths, etc.). There are also inbuilt synthesisers where you can create your own music and of course you can record onto various tracks.

I have also used E-Jay. There are various types of E-jay, catering for differing music types, mostly dance/techno. Very easy to use, though may not be what you are looking for. Very limited in features, but gives you a taste of what can be done. I picked up a cut-down version for 10 Eurons.

Diarmuid

n-track I find does all I need to do. Granted to program the drum tracks you'll need something like fruity loops.

elvis2002

buy a mac and get garageband

Rockiemalt

http://www.digidesign.com/ptfree/

A free pro tools thing, max is 8 tracks though & you have to be using ME or earlier. I;m not sure of the mac equivalent