Welcome to the ILL!

This article is about explaining the basic steps that you should go through to make your beat sound as good as you can make it. You should really go through these steps with every beat you make, so that with practice it will all start coming together.

From getting the right hardware and software to learning the basics, this series shows you all the steps you need to take to properly make beats. These articles will not only get you started, it will point in the right direction so you can continue on your beat making journey.

Ever since I first touched a piece of studio equipment in the 90's, I was fascinated with the process of making music. I read everything I could about studio recording in magazines and books, where all the techniques were laid out right there in black and white on paper. I read about how to overdub, how to mic a drum, and how to mix, but one thing that these magazines and books always left out were the REAL lessons. This is part 2 of the series.

What you have in your studio is extremely important. You can always make beats with just a simple drum machine and sampler, or your favorite beat making software program, but you should always try to have the best possible setup, as it will make a huge difference.

With all of the software options available today, it can be difficult to choose which digital audio workstation or plug-in you should use, because the choices seem endless but also complicated. It doesn't have to be hard, so here are some tips on how to improve your production.