You don’t need a million-dollar studio to make a remix that moves people. You need curiosity. You need hunger. And yeah—a few plugins help.
When I first started remixing, I didn’t have fancy gear or a soundproof room. I had a secondhand laptop, a free DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and a folder full of weird, old samples. And I had a question: What if I flipped this?
That question led me here.
If you’re thinking about starting your own remix journey, here’s what you really need:
1. A Free (or Affordable) DAW
There are great tools like Cakewalk, LMMS, and even GarageBand to get you started. You don’t need Ableton Suite on day one.
2. A Sample Source
Old records. YouTube clips. Field recordings. Public domain archives. Even your nan’s favourite CD collection. Just start listening differently.
3. A Few Core Plugins
EQ, compression, a reverb you like, a time-stretching tool, and something weird—like a tape emulator or glitch machine. That’s enough.
4. Curiosity
Start with a simple loop. Ask, “What happens if I cut this in half?” “What if I reverse this?” Play. Break it. Stretch it. Then bring it back.
5. Trust in Your Taste
If it gives you goosebumps, someone else will feel it too. Don’t chase the trend—chase the reaction.
Remixing is storytelling. You’re grabbing sound from one moment in time and re-framing it for another.
So don’t wait until you “have the right gear.” Open up your DAW, drop in something old, and start twisting. With nothing but passion and plugins, you can make something timeless.
And who knows? The next dancefloor anthem might just come from your kitchen table.