One of the first things I tried to do when I was given my first computer, were music programs, programs to create music without knowing how to play. It wasn't long before my aspirations as a DJ and a misical producer vanished into thin air as, although it is true that these programs are well usable even by those who cannot play any instrument, it is also true that to create your own music it takes a lot patience and attention. In fact, it is the same patience that is needed when you intend to use programs such as Photoshop to edit images and create new ones.
READ ALSO: Best apps for DJing and mixing records on PC, tablet and smartphone
Multitrack programs are software in which the various musical "loops", that is short combinations of notes or simple sounds, are arranged on a striped interface in order to create a composition. For example, if we imagine breaking down electronic music, we see that it is composed of a more or less regular bass, a mononote background sound and a melody of three or four notes; by positioning these three tracks in three different lines you can make sure that, during playback, the song created starts first with the monotonous sound, then the regular bass is superimposed on it and finally the melody is inserted.
Among the best multitrack programs to create music and mix audio from scratch there is Fruity Loops or Magix Music Maker which however are professional level programs and which cost.
1) The best free multitrack free program to create music from scratch but also to mix the existing one is therefore the free version of Fruity Loops, the LMMS opensource program.
It is a professional studio (not easy to use) to download and install on your PC to produce music on your computer, create it, and mix sounds.
LMMS also includes a MIDI keyboard and the interface, similar to Fl Studio, is simple to use although very varied and full of possibilities.
I am not an expert so I remain synthetic by listing some main features even if it would take an entire page to dedicate to this excellent program.
The music editor allows you to create music without being experts and musicians and without needing to know the notes, only by using your ear and composing the loops and tracks made available at will.
The creation of sounds and rhythms is accompanied by the piano roll to modify the bases already included in the program and create melodies.
The mixer is 64 channels and there are many sound effects with which you can create a remix worthy of the best DJ producers and professionals such as David Guetta, Bob Sinclair and Dj Tiesto.
2) Magix Music Maker free version for PC, it is very powerful, with some limitations, but ideal for exploring the potential of a professional music creator tool.
3) Podium is another alternative multitrack program to FlStudio that allows you to record, mix and edit audio, MIDI files, and effects and VST Instrument plug-ins
4) MuLab has an intuitive interface and allows you to record, edit and create multitrack music with ease.
5) Tracktion is also one of the best FL Studio and LMMS alternatives with an advanced digital audio dashboard for music production. It supports audio files, an unlimited number of VST plug-ins, video files from which, the sampler, sound effects, various mixing tools and standard audio editing.
READ ALSO: Programs to make free music (Windows and Mac)
6) Reaper allows you to create songs and music from scratch with absolute simplicity of interface (remember though it also takes a lot of patience).
Reaper works as if it were a virtual music studio and allows you to import any type of audio or track sound, both mp3 and midi with a wide choice of sound effects.
Everything can be processed, edited and customized and the song can be recorded or saved.
I could now pretend to be an expert in music and composition but I prefer to report the guide and the features page of Reaper (in English).
In my own small way, more than to create music that I am not capable, I found this program very useful for mixing mp3 tracks of dance music and composing a mixed music playlist like the one that professional DJs do, which is the main function of the professional Traktor program DJ.
Reaper is not actually free but the current version, after the 30-day trial expires, still allows you to use the software in all its features, even if, every time you start it, a warning will appear asking to buy the program.
Here are 5 programs suitable above all for mixing and creating music remixes .
1) The most similar program to Traktor Dj is Virtual DJ that you can download for free, easy to use and with many features to mix music like real professional DJs .
2) Dex 3 LE is one of the most powerful and professional DJ programs, in a free limited version but still usable.
Songs added can be mixed using the decks, knobs and effects provided. You can control the mixer volume, bass level, playback speed, frequency and resonance. The program also has a tablet mode for use from a touchscreen PC. You can also add and mix music by importing your collection from iTunes. This software also allows you to record an entire mixing session.
3) Zulu DJ is another great program for playing records on your PC and mixing music. Zulu DJ is a complete DJ software that uses an easy-to-use interface, even live, applying special effects and keeping the right rhythm. Once a track is loaded onto the virtual deck, Zulu DJ automatically controls the track's beat (BPM) to synchronize it with the rest of the mix automatically, making anyone capable of DJing professionally. Key features and functionality include: crossfading between tracks, automatic tempo and rhythm adjustment, mixer and synchronization between decks, effects such as distortion and reverb, mix recorder, support for VST plugins and samples.
4) Another free program to create and mix music is Traverso which is completely Opensource and is very powerful.
5) Always open source is the Mixxx program, a software that runs on Windows, Linux and Mac, created as a mixer for DJs, both amateur and professional, with which you can mix music tracks.
On the interface there are two cymbals where you load the songs you want to play in playlists which can then be mixed manually or automatically.
Many other audio editing functions allow you to mix sound and apply effects on music and transactions.
Mixxx is compatible with hardware devices such as MIDI and cymbal controllers and sequencers.
Here is a list of compatible devices that can take advantage of the free power of Mixxx.
Mixxx is one of the best free PC audio mixers .
6) In another article, there are two free programs to turn your computer into a DJ mixer and play mixed music, with the turntables spinning.
7) On the VST Planets site there are many programs to manipulate music, process music tracks, cut them, add effects, remix mp3s and much more.
All free programs to discover and try.
8) Although for a fee it is worth mentioning here two sacred monsters among the professional DJ programs used all over the world: MixMeister and Traktor Pro
From MixMeister, an extraordinary program to mix music tracks easily, but in a very precise way, to create a pre-packaged playlist to be heard at parties, there is the free tool BPM Analyzer that allows you to sort mp3 files according to their speed and time .
On another article a software to play the drums online and create Drum Machines.
For mixing, sound effects files, downloadable for free from the Internet, of all types, in wav or mp3 or aiff format, can be very useful.
Also for mixing music, there are also applications for mixing online, without installing programs on the PC.
Several fun and even professional online tools are mentioned on the post where we talk about how to create electronic music on the web .
To have free audio editing software and to integrate the activity of DJ and music producer, you can read the article: " Audio editor on mp3 files to mix, cut and join different music tracks ".
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