Worse Laptop, Better Beats (Or Why Limitations Are Good)

GET ACCESS TO THE BEATS, THE STREAMS AND MORE ON PATREON:
patreon.com/jonmakesbeats
NEW MERCH:
jonmakesbeats.com
Host: Jon
Production: Jon - jwayniac
Editing: Schnoodle - @schnoodlevideo
I went and bought a 2020 Macbook Air M1 base model when I have a much better computer in my studio. Why?
hip hop, hip-hop, Elektron, Octatrack, Elektron Octatrack, Digitakt, Polyend, Tracker, Polyend Tracker, Jonmakesbeats, Jon Makes Beats, Twitch, Livestream, Live, Stream, Soul, Jazz, rap, beats, beatmaking, beatmaker, dawless, sampling, sample chop, how to, masterclass, process, create, creative, sampler, sequencing, sequencer, hardware, vinyl, beat, Jonwayne, jon wayne, tutorial, walkthrough, lesson, livestream, stream, drums, chopping, sequence, arp, chords, ableton, pro tools, fl studio, luna, shure, sm7b, microphone, mic, rapper, rap, roland, sp404, sp 404, lofi, lo fi, lo-fi, beat tape, beattape, Stones Throw, Brainfeeder, Los Angeles, beat scene, yuletide bangerz, bandcamp, patreon, instagram, twitter, bangers, making, Waldorf, Iridium, Keyboard, Waldorf Iridium, Iridium Keyboard
#beatmaking #jonwayne #ableton

[@pawewronowski4222]

3:24 I think it comes down to this: You cannot think outside the box If you can't see the box.

[@jonmakesbeats]

Bars

[@BevAudio]

You have to be outside of the box to see the box. And if youre outside of the box you dont have to THINK outside of the box. You just know.

[@VyezN-ar]

mouse dragging 16th notes off beat in a piano roll on a 13" screen is a hidden art

[@schnoodlevideo]

"A bad workman blames his tools"! I cut this on a Palm Pilot! thanks for watching everyone!

[@theroyalcrane]

Palm Pilot. I haven't heard if them in years.

[@buckbreaker5185]

A bad workman pays 500% markup for crappy tools, like Apple

[@thesadist7740]

You sir, are the Bob Ross of production, and I am 100% here for it, and this has helped remind me of why I love tinkering rather than mousing. Cheers

[@M4ST_]

I'll just lay some happy lil beats over here...

[@thesadist7740]

@@M4ST_ ....happy little accidents anyone?

[@willybobo8846]

a vid of you're mixing/mastering process would be cool...

[@NicolasGodon]

I'm a 20 years digital artist, freelancer and design teacher. I'm somehow blown away that while talking about sound design, music production, you manage to explain such a counterintuitive concept as "limitation being actually good for creation". More than good, it's needed, but it's really hard to explain it to people that didn't experience it first hand. Congrats, keep up the great content !

[@antonlazarenko]

This is exactly why I always wear a bit smaller shoes.

[@jonmakesbeats]

Always a good thing

[@bartektrame8801]

creativity from friction. rubbing shit together till its 🔥🔥

[@CanadianReset]

Oh boy this really speaks to me. I'm a professional game developer and I gotta do what I gotta do but for personal projects I found that the more gear/power I got the shittier job I did on my personal stuff. I guess I'm one of those types that can only work in a constrained environment. For my home computer I use a potato bucket from like 15 years ago and I feel more creative than ever. Similar story I had a standard midlife crisis and bought a crapload of synths. I hate my wall of synths. I feel like the quality of my work dipped like crazy since I had so many options. I picked the 2 I love (standard keyboard synth and a sequencer) and am trying to sell the rest. The concept of "having the power to do whatever you want" causes me to get paralysis. Sorry for the talking about myself ramble, this video just happens to speak to me a lot. super cool channel!

[@sebp400]

well, I've been doing graphics(openGL shaders) on a crappy laptop with an integrated graphics card and that has a i3 cpu and it sucks. I can't even run most shaders on Shadertoy.. so, limitations don't make you more creative all the time.

[@CanadianReset]

​@@sebp400 I also do graphics programming as a hobby on a 12+ year old computer and can't run modern graphics api's as well so I can empathize to some degree. That said there's still a lot I can do with the only the older api's though and I've had fun working withing those constraints. If you are into graphics look into the demo scene. A lot of fun can be done without involving the GPU. Sometimes I prefer it because you don't have to worry so much about the direct pipeline and can read stuff back more easily etc. Another option is a raspberry pi can run OpenGL ES 3.1 which is more than enough for doing a lot with shaders.

[@keithprice1950]

My dual core Ryzen and 6gb of RAM shed a tear hearing this. My process? Freeze and flatten, freeze and flatten.

[@crispy_vinyl]

Same for me. Freeze and flatten is out there saving lives 😂

[@jonmakesbeats]

Freezing and resampling is secretly the greatest way to stumble on great ideas

[@ropeburn6684]

Every 2000s kid hearing you: Your whines aren't impressive. Up your game.

[@JethroDAvis024]

Consolidating tracks for the last 3 years. ❤

[@officialbestkeptsecret]

I have a Mac Studio and STILL freeze and flatten 😂 It’s part of my process, helps me commit.

[@a11pu1poj]

good shit as always jon. I often think of how the white stripes use to have a rule that they would never use more than 4 tracks for a song. This might be a false memory and not true lmao but i often use this idea to impose limitations on myself when writing songs and it helps "clear the path" towards a final song.

[@jonmakesbeats]

I have a 4 track recorder too and love working within the confines of that as well

[@Kaitain]

I make music on a 2010 Macbook, and it's stable a runs fine. I use Reason, which is extremely light in CPU, and even perform live with it sometimes.

[@aurabyss792]

I've still got my 2003 Macbook titanium 1ghz ram & 1ghz processor, still works to this day 😊

[@DavidC45]

RJD2 says the same thing about the 2000xl. Limitations are SO helpful to the creative process.

[@4tado]

Someone make a joke about Madlib and the iPad

[@djofortunato5799]

Madlib produced more bangers n a throwaway guitar efx sampler with less memory than your old tamagachi Than anyone has with 24 years of iPads lol

[@SentaAerger]

@@djofortunato5799 i think this comment was about madlib claiming he did the freddie gibbs shit on an ipad.

[@milk_bath]

@@djofortunato57991. You completely misunderstood the point of that comment. 2. iPads have not been out for 24 years. 3. Simmer down.

[@discowolf25]

@@djofortunato5799 wow you really didn’t catch that? You new here. Know what a floppy disc is? Ever heard of Fabfilter?? What about Bandana??? 💀💀💀💀🤣

[@eliasmeza2484]

Your videos just keep getting better. HE DOES NOT MISS

[@_boof]

M1 8gb ram GANG. Them stimulus checks came in clutch.

[@SONWU]

Great work! Love the talk and the music :)

[@harrywatson6184]

You really killed it with this one 🔥

[@djofortunato5799]

I’ve learned more about the economics of production using only ableton Lite ( limiting my vsts, sample size & immed cutting up long takes into smaller audio or midi clips ) on my 2nd hand 2012 8 gig MacBook Air in a very short time than just about anyone I know with a more powerful processor & seemingly no limits. I appreciate this - as it also did create the appetite for something just powerful enough to run cpu heavy sample libraries & vsts like konract or analog lab.

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

I started of lite 4 mate on a computer that was no better than a calculator watch. My best music (imo) was always made up of 4 or 5 tracks.

[@Jus.freekhz]

Loving the longform content 💙

[@asobas]

Great video Joseph 🥁

[@dustyaudio]

Great message. I’m on 11 Intro w/ a 2012 MacBook Pro. Still works.

[@leonardobalderas519]

i love these type of content keep it up!

[@nickolasm1938]

I love your videos man. The way you break everything down so fundamentally is *chefs kiss*

[@notronblanco]

The idea of hardware leading to more possibilities being a red herring is so spot on! Also, the bassline in this one is hard af. Lil Ableton tip: if you reduce the lookahead on the limiter to 1.5ms it'll half the latency

[@kylechipman5850]

Awesome message, actionable advice and fun / engaging editing. Awesome vid as always! Hella digging the insights and videos, thanks

[@djkickflip_amsterdam]

this is incredibly inspiring! Big ups Jon!

[@kenwho]

really appreciate all the intention explained here

[@olimorrismusic]

This is so good. Thank you!!

[@AlecBoyd]

Always glad to see more content on here about real creativity. Just use what you got!

[@raz_van__]

Jon, you rock dude!! 🫡

[@quancolon]

This honestly gave me some inspiration. Thank you

[@rappersorbee]

This is very intuitive especially once you consider what "creativity" actually means. I think people often think of creativity as a synonym for being imaginative even tho thats not what it means, it usually relates to, l creative problem solving, so it makes sense that having those problems to solve, like hardware or source limitations for music in this case, would boost creativity, rather than having ultimate freedom and no points of reference or areas where you have to be creative with your decisions to make things work. Dope video as always!

[@Bakiyochi84420]

Your beats are great man. Keep going, please.

[@bemci1975]

Bro.... I've been feeling less motivated these past few months...and I was reminiscing back to 2019 on my potato pc days... my work rate and productivity were off the charts

[@rudolfsvilnis3832]

every time i watch your videos i get really inspired! thank you! :)

[@sampull]

Great video!! This has been one of the most relatable videos I’ve seen in years, glad I haven’t let limitations stop me in my tracks You can do anything you want - big advice Jon thanks

[@RattleCanCollective]

I can definitely feel this. I own multiple pieces of gear including an MPC X SE. I still find myself using my MPC 2000 XL when I have beat block because it seems to bring out more creativity due to its limits. It really helps.

[@avemeends]

Great video, cheers

[@ProdByStoph]

This is such a brilliant and refreshing perspective

[@SnareBesBeats]

Sick baseline maestro!

[@BlxntedBandit]

Im on a mid 2012 mac book pro uograded the ram to 16gb & soon 1TB ssd hard drive no issues at all i make beats and use final cut pro alot

[@peoplelikefrank]

The M1 base model MacBook Air is a bargain and has enough power for 90% of the home studios. And it’s quiet 🤫😃

[@charlesedison1310]

Agree. Just run as much as possible off of an external HD

[@NealCaen]

Great video as always, I’m sold on Addictive Drums.

[@tomaso0]

im loving 2024 jonmakesbeats

[@kaelinellis]

That is exactly the laptop i am using right now. lol

[@jonmakesbeats]

And you’re making better beats. I rest my case!

[@christophschumacher640]

Thank you very much zen master - jon . There is so much wisdom you share with all of us . It‘s a real treasure 😌🙏❤️

[@au5music]

I made a bunch of songs on a 11 inch Macbook Air from 2014 with minimum specs, Live stock devices, and Serum. Best workflow and innovation I've ever had.

[@annoonnyy]

your videos are so awesome

[@TheLo31]

"Thinking of a master plan " - Rakim for the Scratches. ( In my head)

[@ECOGtheMC]

More of this please Senior Wayne

[@tinkletink1403]

i especially like the bass ... great tune 🎯

[@cragland94]

i have the exact same laptop and started making a music again today. hell yeah

[@leobonnes921]

m1 base air was my first real laptop for music production - and that's the laptop I've really grew as a producer with today I switched to custom m1 pro with a limited au plugins setup as my m1 air taught me exactly the thing you are talking about - creativity and style comes from limitations nice video

[@MattKeenanMusic]

yeee that bassline

[@drewfellows1977]

"I just care about my own creative efficiency". Damn man... this is my new life mantra. Perfect words.

[@rico77yt]

I'm watching this video on a Trinitron straight from a Betamax tape!

[@cstarcrusher]

duuuude, glover is a sick game. childhood memories unlocked.

[@Beatsbythor]

The m1’s are crazy!! I started making Music on my base 8gb 3 years ago, and it still rocks! Tho im Way more productive with my 404, Keep up The good work! Love your Channel and Music, you are such a inspiration

[@jonmakesbeats]

Hell yeah keep rocking it

[@arthurmachadomuniz1227]

It's been a privilege to keep up with You Jon

[@user-my6fv4db1j]

Sick!

[@twanli]

i had been holding off on installing ableton n fl studio on my laptop with 8gb ram due to just having a crazy fast desktop setup i can always go to. but lately i've been thinking about making music in places other than my room and was put off from using my current laptop due to the low ram, but I decided to just make the move and install fl (a daw i've wanted to learn for a while), ableton, and copy my sample library from the main setup. has me excited on the same level as when i first started making beats. seeing this video only has me more excited haha. thanks for the great vids

[@whiiite808]

I will forever swear by Addictive Drums, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm almost certain this is what Hudmo used for some of that crazy "live" sounding drum programming from Hudsons Heeters and Butter. Absolutely lethal in the right hands. Awesome video as always dude!!!

[@jonmakesbeats]

When did the first AD launch?

[@whiiite808]

@@jonmakesbeats I cant find any press release material for it, but I found a Sound On Sound review for AD1 in July 2007, so maybe too late for Heeters, but definitely in the right timeframe for Butter.

[@sampull]

Been blending AD with trap drums for years now, definitely brings a human feel to my drum processing and being a drummer for 15 years this AD program is amazing, it emulates hi-hats like open to close quickly so well I can practically fool anybody with it

[@allumak]

you don’t miss jon

[@OS96]

awesome! love to see more videos like that where u make beats in ableton ☺️👌

[@MrMarcLaflamme]

Jon Makes Bass...lines.... daaaamn.

[@brunxbeats]

big up G

[@eltripps9684]

Although my computer is pretty powerful, I've found using stock plugins for basic tasks like eq, filtering, and send fx has allowed me to just create templates that allow me to work very fast.

[@dangermouse22]

This was such a gem. I remember when I started on a 512 MB averetec laptop and a pirated copy of flstudio, and a mpd24. Most the beats were trash as I hit the limits but it was fun. I’m just restarting with the ep 33ko 2 but this definitely took me back

[@gab1993]

It's always a good day when unc jon drops

[@ac1dfl3sh]

Creativity loves constraints.

[@gamonutz]

Geez Loise, Robby. This was a 🔥 beat that reminds us it aint the gear...its YOU. Thanks man.

[@vraalten]

Great and inspiring message! All musical tools are just tools, being virtual or physical. In the end it is all about how you as a creator can create a creative flow with these tools. I have all the tools that I can dream of. In the end I have the most fun and creative flow with my IPad because of the direct interaction with the device and because I can transform the IPad into any instrument I want. And in the end the IPad is by far the cheapest music production tool ever with the the low priced apps. But as always, let’s play, experiment and create whatever we like. Keep up the great work!

[@milocero]

I’ve been rocking the base model m1 and it’s been solid for my production

[@oledirtyvangogh6591]

This is exactly why I took to the sp 303 off the rip. While that thing is literally a box of limitations. It simplifies the entire workflow into a very streamlined process. Sick frickin song man. I love your vids and music. Been feelin mad inspired lately ❤️

[@ritofuturito]

Nice one! I'm using a 2010 Toshiba for my music and I haven't encountered any issues

[@puvendranpillay8802]

Try making a beat when you are hungry. Super effective if you want to get it done quickly.

[@Enelkay.]

This song you made is dope

[@Amani.cove216]

The “ok” layer gets me every time 😂

[@JazMystic1]

Your videos and music are obviously incredible because even with my pathetic attention span I am able to watch your videos all the way through without fail

[@onesnor]

love you

[@dgwvjhth]

My first computer for beats only had a floppy drive 😅

[@glamball]

waiting for polyend play video!

[@SclimBeats]

Oh man, that’s so cool. Great idea I hope to see more of this type of video here on the channel. Btw I have m1 16gb and this thing is a beast as 8gb is

[@jonmakesbeats]

Spending more time with it it’s actual wizardry

[@BIGpony777]

wow i couldnt have put it better ive been in love with the analog workflow of recording directly to tape and whatever i recorded is what ive got- by taking away the daw ive made the best music in my life and done it 4x as fast as my digital stuff!!

[@justletmesigninokthx]

I have that base model m1, it's a beast !

[@TheMattmatic]

Great video. I've been producing on a M1 Macbook Air since the model came out - a big draw for me was that there's no fan, unlike old laptops that would sound like a jet engine when they were strained. It puts some limitations on my workflow, like you said, software instruments or plugins that drain a lot of CPU/RAM is a no no. I like making beats in cafes though, so the portability is a big thing for me.

[@Poopdudeification]

Damn good video man. Working in the box has become distadteful for me over time, largely because my macbook is from 2009 and basically doesnt even turn on anymore. Different kind of limitation I guess. But the principal here is on point. I also cant help but laugh at the inside joke, knowing youre going to get hit with the cool counter mid vid.

[@nathanjacobson4128]

This channel is amazing. I've been a musician my whole life, and dabbled with recording/producing off and on over the years. On the subject of working with what you've got, right now I have a pc I bought mainly for gaming but just recently got Reaper again and I'm building a sample library to work with. Thing is, I'm struggling to figure out how to (this is going to sound silly) get that "chopped sample" vibe in my beats. Like everything sounds sterile somehow, even with effects. Not sure exactly what I'm trying to get at here because I'm so new to this. Just trying to learn how to get the vibe I hear out onto the DAW.

[@icykangaroo]

You know that M1 chip is soo good I really wonder if that Xeon chip in the iMac Pro really runs as many circles on it as you think. Good stuff though!

[@ryanignites5923]

This is what I work on and never once considered it a limited machine haha

[@em8969]

I thought it was just me!!!! I have an M Chip Apple computer but I can Never produce on it. I bought a 2015 MacBook and it’s giving me nostalgia and giving me inspiration as I am so limited compared to the new computer, it forces me to think! Thank you for this brother

[@MikeEchoZuluAlpha]

Deep insight. and I'm not even finished

[@mattbettinson4576]

So sick! in ableton its always recording so you can record the last midi you were playing by clicking that box with holes in it near record

[@ricklkkwok]

i think we all watch this channel is because of the coolness u can do on the octatrack vs other tubers with some gaming monster with a bajillion plugins just compressing and filtering out frequencies

[@jonmakesbeats]

I think both ways of working can be entertaining to watch. It’s just easier to form a clear narrative when there’s less going on.

[@LLAAPPSSEE]

I frequently try and tell anyone that asks me questions about production that limitations can be good. My set-up is pretty simple stuff. Good vid, good track. You don't need everything under the sun. Also, I love Glover64 and I've used Addictive Drums a whole lot.

[@jim_beau]

Got an SP for Xmas and became addicted to it for like a month because I was having so much fun learning the process vs. making beats on logic which was becoming v samey and uninspiring. However, I've got back into logic this month and I'm having even more fun switching between laptop and SP (which is v easy due to the SD card) and basically using the SP for sketching out ideas / adding FX and then using logic for the stuff that I struggle to do on the SP. I think limitations are necessary for the creative process but sometimes a laptop is better for creating the exact sound you want. (I especially love doing synth sound design in logic, exporting and adding FX on the SP and then using that as a sample / basis of my beat)

[@SeanRaine]

I feel this. I feel like thats why I have a higher music output using native instruments machine than I do with ableton

[@ggsound4492]

Time and experience can take you anywhere; the means are not important. You do always something that i like and love, non only music but also your mood to approach it.