There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites and blogs that can educate and inspire you and your music making.    Whilst it is not possible to list them all here, the following websites have really helped me out in one way or another - from tutorials video to freeware and samples - I think they will help you out too.     Alkota Beats: A boom bap specialist shares tricks of the trade   Alkota is a succesful beatmaker and the genius behind the specialist usb drives featured here.  His website, apart from being a showcase for his top drawer selection of sample packs and USB's also has a blog full of great interviews, tutorials and opinion pieces that will educate and inspire the beatmaker, new or old: hiphopdrumsamples.com BBoy Tech Report: Hip hop, beatmaking, hardware, software and more Whether you're eager for interviews with some of the hottest beatmakers around, keen to know how to customize your MPC or whether to buy that beatmaking...

The world of music making is full of esoteric words, phrases, acronyms and abbreviations, some of the more frequently used ones are explained here.   ADSR envelope – Acronym. For ‘Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release’, the four parts of a waveform. Essential to understand if you want to not only sample or play sounds as they are, but also manipulate and tailor sounds from drum hits through to synthesizers:  Attack time, the time of the initial increase from zero to peak, starting from the key being pressed. Decay time, the time taken for the following decrease from attack to the sustain level. Sustain level, the level of the main sequence of the sound’s duration, this is until the key is released. Release time, the time taken to go from sustain level back to zero once the key is released. Analogue – Non digital / pre digital processes and equipment. An obvious example of analogue technology is tape.   ASIO – Abv. For Audio Stream Input – Output, a very pop...

Beat making is one of the most rewarding creative outlets around.    Some beat makers spend many an hour in their favourite record shop, searching for a rare piece of vinyl to take back to ‘the lab’ to listen to, chop up and embellish or strip down into something new.   Some fire up their trusty drum machines, lay down a drum track and start adding melodic phrases, chords or stabs courtesy of whatever hardwear or software they have at their disposal. Some beat makers create tracks with the sole intention of having a singer or rapper lay vocals over the top of their sounds.   Some beat makers enter competitions, be they online, or in local or national showcases, spurred on by the idea of rapturous crowd responses and the chance of more exposure.   Some beat makers are looking for fame, recognition and, pardon my language, money.   Some make beats purely for their own enjoyment, and their creations will, purposely, never leave the confines of th...