open-source

Be amazed as I roll a funky-ass beat before your very eyes using free open-source software.

I'm not going to get too specific since there are so many configurations and I don't want to confuse anyone. This is what I did before the video started rolling:

1) Fired up JACK (for me it was version 0.3.4)
2) Fired up seq24 (version 0.8.7)
3) Made seq24 the master of JACK (and therefore the universe) [file-->options-->jack sync--> "Transport Master"]
4) Fire up Hydrogen (0.9.4). It connects to JACK automatically, but check the JACK settings just to make sure you have both MIDI input from seq and audio output to your sound card (you do, but if you don't, make the connections by connecting the wires).
5) Fire up Zyn (4.7.1). Activate a couple of instruments and throw them on separate MIDI channels.

Then I did this:

Will Godfrey, who is referenced in the tutorial, has a lot of free music on his site -- nice mellow instrumental synth grooves, melody-heavy.

(PS -- Making a beat with seq24 is really a three-step process . This tutorial covers the first part -- getting your timings/loops down and into the matrix. The second step is to tweak the instruments to get the sounds you want. The third step is to put it all together in the song editor. I plan on doing videos for the next two steps with this same beat. I guess what I'm saying is that you should check back.)