| A beat maker these days usually requires a download | | | | measure will loop round-and-round and you can assign |
| that you then install on your computer. The internet has | | | | a sneer drum to every other beat for instance, and |
| made it very easy to download a beat maker and try | | | | then when it loops around again you will hear the sneer |
| it out on your computer. This means that you can | | | | on every other beat. Then you can add other sounds |
| essentially try out as many beat makers as you like | | | | using the other tracks at your disposal. This makes it |
| before you purchase one. This is a nice change from | | | | very easy to create a beat in a very short amount of |
| the old days when you had to purchase the software | | | | time. The newer beat makers will have a piano |
| and try it out while you crossed your fingers and | | | | key-set as well so you can add piano sounds, |
| hoped you didn't waist your hard earned money. | | | | bass-lines, guitar parts or vocal samples etc. (without |
| A beat maker will usually provide 16 tracks which can | | | | having to buy any hardware). This is nice if you want |
| allow a song writer to layer their beat or song. This | | | | to make the entire song from start to finish using an |
| layering effect provides the different sounds you might | | | | inexpensive virtual music beat maker. |
| hear including the drum, sneer, hi-hat etc. You can also | | | | One of the most important things to look for in a beat |
| take these 16 tracks, and depending on the beat | | | | maker is the quality of the sound library you have |
| maker, bounce those onto one of the tracks leaving | | | | access to. If the sound of the samples is poor, then no |
| you with 15 more tracks to work with and so-on and | | | | matter how good your beat, you will be frustrated with |
| so-forth. However, just because you use more tracks | | | | the final product. |
| there is no guarantee the song your are writing will | | | | Once you have produced your hip-hop or rap beat |
| sound better. In fact sometimes a simple beat is all you | | | | you can usually convert this to an mp3 with the click of |
| need. | | | | a button. This is a feature you should definitely look for |
| Obviously each track is going to have a volume control | | | | in a beat maker and the more exporting options |
| slider so you can adjust the mix to meet your needs. | | | | available, the better. Many people will make a quick |
| There is also going to be a tempo setting for the entire | | | | loop in the beat maker and then transfer the mp3 to a |
| song as well. This will work with something called | | | | more sophisticated multi-track sequencer for further |
| 'beats per minute' or BPM. So if you have a song at | | | | polishing. |
| 120 BPM this means that every minute 120 beats will | | | | So to re-cap, you should look for at least a 16 track |
| be played (of course they don't all have to be used.). | | | | sequencer, individual controls for the volume, tempo |
| Along with that feature, there might be a measure | | | | control, and high quality samples as well as an |
| setting, meaning 4/4 time or 3/4 time etc (which has to | | | | easy-to-use export option. Other than that, it is |
| do with the beats per measure). | | | | important to shop around and try out as many beat |
| Virtual beat makers allow you to add the sounds by | | | | makers as possible so you know what you like and |
| assigning a sound to a specific beat. Typically, a | | | | don't like about the different software interfaces. |