Tips for a noob?/How do I find the sound I want?

[patangera]

I don't know anything about arpeggios, LFOs or what have you. Just a noob playing with instrument plugins trying to make remixes and stuff for animations. I've made one spooky, metroid-esqe ambient tone to play on a loop. Made good progress with a remixed team rocket hideout theme, but the program crashed trying to import a plugin.

Along with the request for general tips and advice, I also run into a more specific problem I hope someone can help me with.

This has been getting better as I play with the program and plugins more, but I tend to open up the program and decide "Alright. This is the sound I want for this part." So I scroll through different instruments trying to find what I want, and often don't find it, get tired of it and close the program.

[musikbear]

First off, Welcome to the Forum patangera !
Here are all important links:
http://lmms.io/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4740
-A few rules and useful forum instructions
If you like to introduce yourself, to the community, go here:
http://lmms.io/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4480

I don't know anything about arpeggios, LFOs or what have you.

Just a noob playing with instrument plugins trying to make remixes and stuff for animations. I've made one spooky, metroid-esqe ambient tone to play on a loop. Made good progress with a remixed team rocket hideout theme, but the program crashed trying to import a plugin.

Along with the request for general tips and advice, I also run into a more specific problem I hope someone can help me with.

This has been getting better as I play with the program and plugins more, but I tend to open up the program and decide "Alright. This is the sound I want for this part." So I scroll through different instruments trying to find what I want, and often don't find it, get tired of it and close the program.

There are a couple of things i like to point out.
You wrote:

Made good progress with a remixed team rocket hideout theme, but the program crashed trying to import a plugin.

LMMS has several features that help you avoid losing your work!
Please read:
https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/4-production/4.1
I also wonder if you have the best LMMS
https://lmms.io/download
Get at least 1.2.2 for your OS
Then there is this:

I don't know anything about arpeggios, LFOs or what have you.

Followed by

I scroll through different instruments trying to find what I want, and often don't find it

Those two are heavily connected!
You cant expect to find any sound from your imagination!You simply have to study Waveshaping, ENV/LFO, Filters, and effect-plugins.
That is the only way to be able to create the sound you want
Imagine LMMS was a game.
You attempt to play that game without knowing what keys control the game-mechanics -That will ofcause not work, and it will also be unsatisfactory -even frustrating.
A DAW is a very complicated program, and to get any joy from using it, you need to know the program.
For starters you can watch the video i link to in my signature: Rookie-Guide
And then you can read out manual:
https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/
Where most is explained.
Else it will be hard to use LMMS. Hard and not fun.

[Joe Zhan]

Maybe this page will help you

https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/7-reso ... -resources

[michalama]

For a beginner exploring music production, start with the basics. Experiment with one or two instruments or plugins at a time to understand their functions and capabilities. Focus on building familiarity with simple techniques like adjusting volume, panning, and basic effects like reverb and delay.

To address your specific problem, try approaching your music creation process with a clearer vision in mind. Before opening the program, take some time to imagine or sketch out the sound you want to create. This will help you narrow down your choices when browsing through instruments and plugins, making the selection process more efficient and satisfying. Additionally, consider organizing your plugin library or presets based on characteristics like mood, genre, or instrument type to streamline your search process. Lastly, remember that persistence and patience are key when learning a new skill like music production. Keep experimenting, learning, and refining your techniques, and don't be discouraged by setbacks or crashes.