Hey everyone!
Sorry if I have Thin Mint in my teeth, but it's Girl Scout cookie season...
What are you gonna do?
Today I'm going to be making a beat in Soundtrap. I don't do this. I don't make beats,
I've never made a beat before, and now I'm gonna do one in 10 minutes. It's gonna be fun.
I just realized my computer fan is blowing super super loud, sorry about that.
That, again, is my laptop from 2012.
This video is sponsored by Soundtrap, which is the program I'm going to be using today.
It's basically an online DAW that stores everything in the cloud.
So let's go ahead and open it up and I will show you what it is. I'm going to put myself in the corner.
There we go. So this is what it looks like, this is where all your tracks go.
One of the notable things about this program or this app, if you could call it that,
is that they want to make it super easy to collaborate, so besides storing everything in the cloud,
they have this "Collaborators" tab, where you can invite people to join the session with you.
And I think it also has a video chat.
And one more thing I want to draw your attention to before we start is my MIDI keyboard, which is right here.
Ooh, you didn't know I had another camera set up, did you?
So I'll show you some shots of the MIDI keyboard too,
and my laptop, which is right here, so you can see what I'm doing with my hands.
I think I'm just gonna go for it, and I'll kind of walk you through everything I'm doing as we go.
Here we go. So. The only preparation I've done is that I have a loop that I'm going to import
Um, that I found online, and that's what I'm going to build this track around.
So let's see, let's get a couple bars in here.
And I know that it's 100 BPM, so that is why I changed it down there.
Let's hear it.
Okay, that's it. So let's see, what should I add on here first? Probably... definitely needs bass.
Um, so there's musical typing, which is why you see all the letters on the keys here.
Which means basically you can use your computer keyboard as a keyboard, you don't need another keyboard.
But since I have one, you know, I'm gonna be fancy and I'm gonna use it.
Oof. You know, I think maybe one of the worst things about the fact that I'm just showing myself like—
Allow microphone access? Oh no, I thought I had this all set up.
I spent like an hour setting this up.
Oh, because I'm in the bass amps. Okay. I'm stupid. No worries.
You know what, I have to leave that in, because of the 10 minute timer. Awesome.
I'm so happy about that. What I was saying is that you have to hear all of my word vomit, because I'm not cutting this at all.
No, I don't like that.
Um, so just all the stupid s*** I say, I just have to leave it in and you get to hear it.
Um, let's see.
Another thing about this 10 minute thing that's really tricky is that I'm really particular, and I think most people are, about tones.
But this, you don't really have a lot of time to go through and look...
...and be really picky about it because you kind of just have to go for it.
Okay, so I'm gonna, let's see, probably come in a little bit later.
Let's record this sucker.
Let's see.
I want to go down.
Okay. I don't know if I like it, but I don't really have time for that.
Okay, so, uh, I played some notes I don't really like. I'm gonna go into the piano roll and fix them.
This is basically like a simplified version of Logic, is what I'm seeing here.
I want to play that instead.
Except I don't know where the mixer is.
I'm going to turn this loop down a little. Turn that bass up.
Okay, yeah, cool. It's good enough. You know, for a 10 minute song.
And I'm gonna go ahead and loop this all the way out, I guess.
Um.
Hmm.
I want some sort of like, little tinkly thing. Let's see what else is in here.
Um, synth? Maybe like some synth bells.
I don't know. Ooh, we have pads too.
I definitely want a pad in there but I don't know if I'm gonna have time for it.
Um, let's see...
What have you got for me?
Yeah, sure, popcorn. I like popcorn. It's great.
I'm gonna push this up a few octaves.
Cool. So it's all I think around a C minor chord, so I don't have a whole lot of room to move, but um...
Yeah, let's do it. Let's record something.
It gives me a long countdown. And, you know, the clock is short.
Okay, there are definitely some bad notes in there.
And man, editing also takes time, but I'm gonna go in and do it because I can't just leave it like that.
Oh, what is this looping? I don't want it to do that.
I don't know how to stop that. Maybe...
Part of this is also because I haven't practiced anything, so I don't know at all what I'm playing.
Sure. I like that.
Oh, oh. No, god, the loop thing. I don't want that in there!
Okay. And also... okay.
Kind of frustrating and weird that I can't place the playhead within the piano roll, I guess,
I have to do it outside.
Anyway, uh, I need to add a note in here.
That's much too long. I'll fix it, that's okay.
What note do I want this to be? What are you?
I think that's what you are.
Ah, I keep trying to do what I do in Logic and click for—
click for the playhead.
So I wonder if I try to quantize this, will it completely mess everything up?
That looks like it messed everything up. Let's see.
Yes, it messed everything up. I don't— I don't know what this is supposed to be.
Hm. Maybe it's supposed to be like this.
What rhythm thing did I write? I don't know.
That was completely wrong too. Let's see.
Hm. I think that this is what it's supposed to be.
Except not a triplet, but whatever. You know I only have 3 minutes left! It's too late now.
I have to add some f***ing drums.
Okay, um, new track.
So, uh, drum?
Yes, this is what I want.
Um, except I have to pick a...
That's strange.
So there's a bunch of drum machines, basically, that I can do like a...
Awesome. Amazing. Love it.
And I want a hat, hi hat, oh no, not that.
I want a hi hat on the 2 probably.
Bar doesn't contain a one-bar-region? What? Yes it does.
Excuse me?
Okay, you know what? Fine. I'll start over. Whatever.
You don't have to be so mean about it.
What did I want? A kick, a snare on 2 and 4, and then I want... where do I want my hi hat?
That's where it is.
Okay, so it's kind of nice that it automatically loops it for you.
I feel like a lot of this is definitely for casual or beginner people, um,
like, so I see here where you can add effects but it's like there's...
I don't know where they are to choose from, or like, how do I control what the reverb is?
And there's no overall mix panel to where I could edit or take out effects on everything, or copy effects.
But, like, if you're using an online DAW then you're probably not really thinking about that stuff so much, so...
It's not entirely bad.
Maybe... I'm just gonna shorten this all up in preparation for–
I have 30 seconds? Oh, I was going to add a pad. Maybe I have time to do that.
Oh god, I don't think I do. I'm gonna go over. I just have to pick the first one.
I hate it, I can't pick that!
Okay, you know, I didn't even hear what it sounded like. Let's record this.
Ready? 14 seconds. Awesome.
Oh, I do not have time for the 8 second countdown.
Cool.
Ooh, just in time! That's my timer.
Okay, so I'm just gonna spread this pad out I think, I'm going to loop this pad.
And that's not cheating, it was already there.
And then let's hear the whole thing. Here we go.
Amazing. I think it's beautiful.
I'm going to add some vocals to this off camera and I will be right back to show you the finished product.
Okay, I'm back.
I had to stop myself from working too long to finish this, because that's just what kind of person I am.
But I definitely would like to go back and play around with it. It's really fun to mess around in.
To me it seems like it would be really accessible for beginners too, so if you are a beginner, I would not let that stop you here.
I think this would be really useful for capturing when you're out and you can't get to your home studio,
because you can access it anywhere.
And I also think it would be a really good way to see if you actually like music production,
because you don't have to invest in a mic, a MIDI controller, or an actual DAW.
I am a nerd. I know this. But I had fun playing around with it.
Soundtrap is offering a 2 week free (premium) trial if you'd like to try it out.
I have a link for that in the description and in the pinned comment of this video.
Full disclosure, I'm not making any money from referrals or clicks on that, so it's just for your convenience.
Sign up now to start creating your own music.
Oh, and you want to hear my song, right? I mean, that's why you're still here.
Roll the tape! Just kidding, it's not a tape. It's 2019.
Thanks for watching!