[Jessica Edwards]

Hey creators and beatmakers!

Welcome to Indie Songwriting & Production
– the creative workshop of NGR Music where we turn ideas into finished tracks.

This subforum is all about the craft:

* Share songwriting tips, lyric ideas, melody hooks, or chord progressions
* Discuss production techniques, mixing, mastering, sound design, and vocal processing
* Ask for or give feedback on works-in-progress (demos, rough mixes, beats)
* Recommend or request DAWs, plugins, samples, gear, or home studio setups
* Talk about overcoming writer’s block, arranging songs, or collaboration workflows
* Post tutorials, resources, or your favorite production hacks

All genres and skill levels welcome

– rock, metal, EDM/dance, gothic, electronic, hip-hop, alternative, comedy music, lo-fi, experimental… if it’s indie/unsigned, it belongs here!

Quick guidelines:

* Be constructive and kind with feedback
* Use sound links (SoundCloud, YouTube, Dropbox, etc.) for easy sharing
* Mark explicit content if needed
* Feel free to tag your genre or topic in titles for better visibility

To get the creativity flowing:

* What’s one production tip or songwriting trick that changed your game?
* Or drop a WIP you’re working on right now!

Let’s inspire each other and level up our indie sound.

• This topic was modified 1 day, 3 hours ago by Jessica Edwards.

[Jessica Edwards]

Hey everyone!

Jumping in with my current setup for mixing and live practice
– the Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 controller.

I’m pretty new to hardware DJing, but I was told this is one of the best beginner-friendly options, and it’s been awesome so far.

Here’s the quick rundown:

* Super affordable but feels solid
* Full-size jog wheels – great for learning beatmatching and basic scratching
* Built-in sound card (no extra interface needed)
* Comes with Rekordbox and Serato DJ Lite (free versions)
* USB-powered and portable – perfect for home studio use
* Performance pads for hot cues, loops, and effects

I mainly use it for:

* Practicing smooth transitions between my indie tracks
* Recording rough live mixes
* Experimenting with layering beats and vocal chops
* Streaming practice sessions (plays nice with OBS)

For anyone starting out or on a budget, it’s been a game-changer – way more fun than mouse-clicking in software alone.

Questions for the crew:
* Anyone else rocking the DDJ-FLX4? What tips do you have?
* Favorite free effects/plugins that work well with it?
* Good upgrade path when I’m ready for something bigger?

Would love to hear your gear stories or recommendations!

Want your own Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 DJ Controller? Follow the link to order yours directly from ZZ Sounds and help me out!

• This reply was modified 21 hours, 25 minutes ago by Jessica Edwards.
• This reply was modified 21 hours, 23 minutes ago by Jessica Edwards.

[Author]

Posts