Se Habla Espanol! While I don't really speak Spanish that well, I certainly speak beats, so I know a thing or two about making fire beats, regardless of the hip hop beats software choice that you make. See, it really doesn't matter what you use to a make beats in essence, because regardless of your program, the principles remain the same. Much like learning a second language!

Once you gain an understanding of what the principles of making beats are with your choice of hip hop beats software, you will be able to execute your creative thoughts and ideas without effort, whenever you get ready to. No matter what you use.

So young kemosabe, let's discuss the main things that you need to know in order to become successful at making beats, we'll save the Spanish lessons for later. Aye papi can only mean one of two things...

Sound Selection For Your Beats

Every good beat maker should know how to pick the right sounds to set the tone for the track that you have in mind. How do you do this? Easy. One way, is that you can listen to related tracks that you like, and then go through your sound library and try to find instruments that closely resemble the exact sound that you are looking for. If it sounds cool of David Guetta's beats, chances are those sounds will sound equally as dope on your own beats. But whatever you do, don't bite. Emulate, not bite. Put your own spin on things and make those sounds all yours. Or you could just go through your sound/sample library, and play riffs until something catches your ear. Once you catch a dope melody, run with it! Fast!

Programming Drums

I've once heard it said that a hip hop producer is only as good as his drums. This is partially true, because what if you have all rarest, tightest sounding drums and grooves at your disposal, but you don't know what to do with them? That would suck wouldn't it? And it still wouldn't make you any better of a producer. Learning how to program drums in your choice of hip hop beats software will set you in a league of your own, as most dudes think you only need a straight 16th hi hat pattern with a kick and a 808 clap. That ain't making beats homey, that ain't making beats. But if you need a good reference on the matter of programming drums, take a look at Ray Badness' book entitled “Drum Programming - A Complete Guide To Program And Think Like A Drummer.” You'll take your drums from boo to yeah in absolutely no time at all. It surely helped my drum programming.

Mix Your Beats

Your hip hop beats software will allow you to mix your tracks in the box, this is where you complete your beats, and tie your recorded elements all together to make those beats sound cohesive and complete. Do not think that you can throw some reverb on every track to make things sound better. No way. It does not work like that, but either way, I hear it all of the time.

I by no means am a mixing expert, but I do know how to mix and how to mix well. Being that mixing is a topic that is subjective to personal tastes and worthy of a multi-chapter thesis or book, I will only point you in the right direction of an awesome mixing reference book that I know if, and it is entitled “Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio” by Mike Senior. By reading his book and working through the exercises, I am certain that you will have your engineering hat on in a matter of time. You'll see.

I'm telling you, with these tidbits of information that I have thrown your way, you can definitely get it in with your hip hop beats software, no matter which title you choose. Just keep working at it, and don't stop making beats. You'll definitely be glad that you did!