Seriously Guys be honest.

[Raddons]

That made me smile. Thank you Putting myself down keeps me in check, and we are our own worst critics, etc. blah blah blah. But really, thanks. Stuff like that makes me want to write more.

[Nikki-Layne]

trust me when I say... HELL NO.
The most important thing you can get is music theory knowledge. That's it.

THIS!! ONE THOUSAND TIMES, THIS!

[EverfreeLuna]

That made me smile. Thank you Putting myself down keeps me in check, and we are our own worst critics, etc. blah blah blah. But really, thanks. Stuff like that makes me want to write more.

You should

Never let your own criticism bring you down. It should be the driving force behind your next track. It shouldn't be "I think this track I just made is horrible". Instead, it should be "I believe I could've done better with this track but my next track will be the best yet".

P.S. Sorry for off-topic motivation

[LunchBagMusic]

Please guys, some of the best composers used paper and ink.

Paper and ink


And really, if you know a decent bit of guitar or piano, there's no reason you couldn't compose good music and hear it played back if you just did a little practice. No need for VSTs, DAWs, etc. Hell, it's just good practice to compose with pencil and paper once in a while. Wildly different form of composition.

But I wouldn't argue with the fact that expensive VSTs sound nice and (sometimes) orgasmic. But that's just one of the facets of being a musician: you start spending less and less on everything else and spend more and more on equipment and software. Personally I think it gives me something to work for, you know? Working isn't just for sustenance of your stomach. It's for the sustenance of your soul.

I both agree and disagree at the same time.

AGREE
What we have now sometimes strikes me as "cheating" music; right now, for a few hundred dollars and time well spent we can do what many people 100+ years ago had to spend their whole lives trying to achieve. They had to earn the respect of their peers and then their mentors before they could even hear their music played (especially Beethoven; he never heard him music) and we can hear it with a semi-decent level of quality at home when we're bored.

I compose with paper and pencil (ink is too permanent) and then bang it into Sibelius because:
a) I think proper engraving is the sexiest thing on earth
b) It is nice to hear the computer play it back

But that's just one of the facets of being a musician: you start spending less and less on everything else and spend more and more on equipment and software.

Re-emphasising as this is really important.

DISAGREE
We're talking a lot here about electronic producers. Heck, this was a site that was set up by electronic musicans (I'm not saying that classical-style compositions are not welcome here, but the majority of musibronies are into dubstep/trance/etc.).

VSTs are essential to these guys.

Without them their music wouldn't exist. I challenge you to play dubstep on the piano and pull it off effectively.

(I would have something conclusive to end my post but I don't)

[CGEyeGuy]

Here is a bunch of VSTs that (most of them) are free and amazing

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=490

I'm sure it's been said already, but limitation breeds creativity. Try to limit yourself from time to time by deciding that you don't need something, or that you'll exclude a certain piece of gear/software from your next song, and you'll find a workaround somehow. And you'll feel really pleased about it.

I agree with this

Skill > Equipment

[soultensionbenjamin]

Thank you CGEyeGuy this will be a great help to me.

[Fimbulin]

Soundfonts. O SRY did I say a dirty word?

But seriously, get creative. I got creative with some decent soundfonts (like the Saint James orchestral stuff- hard to find) and crafted a good synth underneath to broaden the sound. After I figured it out, it takes almost no time at all to do.

Here's a low quality example I cooked up in just a matter of minutes.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/72846444/HSFsample.wav
I used just 2 soundfonts- one for the detache hits, and one for the soft legato. I then used (decently chead at $80) Harmless to widen the range of the legato into the juicy lower 50hz ranges. Sure better than dropping over 600 bucks on a library, and I get a unique sound all to myself.

Back to my original point, get creative. It's what makes your music your own. Tombstone has that silly slap-bass and kick snare. You can hear it anywhere and know it's him. Not saying you have to try and be completely unique, but do try to make your visions audible and recognizable in the least.

If you feel like you're groping around without a vision, look at taking some theory classes.